Three Seattle Startups Make LinkedIn’s 2019 List of Hottest 50 Companies to Work For Now, Singapore Airlines Launches the First Ever Nonstop Flight from Seattle to Southeast Asia, and more in this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight.

Three Seattle Startups Make LinkedIn’s 2019 List of Hottest 50 Companies to Work For Now

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | September 4

“LinkedIn’s 2019 list of the 50 Top Startups in the U.S. once again includes three companies from Seattle, with two unicorns and one fast-growing customer data platform making the cut. The third annual look at the hottest companies to work for now features Amperity, Convoy and Outreach among a list of startups that are “growing massively, scrambling industries, shifting talent flows around the world and, often, altering how we work and live,” according to LinkedIn…LinkedIn generated its list by analyzing data generated by the platform’s 645 million members, including four pillars in particular: employment growth, engagement, job interest and attraction of top talent. To be eligible, companies must be 7 years old or younger, have at least 50 employees, be privately held and headquartered in the U.S.”

Seattle Explores On-Street Bike and Scooter Parking to Clear Up Cluttered Sidewalks

GeekWire | Monica Nickelsburg | September 4

“As cities across the country embrace new mobility services like bike and scooter-share, sidewalks are getting awfully crowded. The growing number of bikes and scooters parked on sidewalks can make it difficult for people with disabilities and pedestrians to get around. The phenomenon is forcing cities like Seattle to find new solutions that balance their values of inclusivity and urban mobility. That’s where Seattle’s new proposal to create on-street bike and scooter parking comes in.”

Seattle May Speed Up Environmental Reviews for Policies and Projects Like Upzones and Bike Paths

Seattle Times | Daniel Beekman | September 4

“Some Seattle City Council members, spurred on by urbanist advocacy groups, want to speed up environmental reviews for some major projects and policies, such as those for bike paths and denser housing. They say opponents have time and again misused the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process to obstruct projects and policies meant to make life in Seattle more sustainable. Council members Mike O’Brien and Abel Pacheco have introduced legislation that would alter the process, triggering some debate between those who say land-use changes are desperately needed to combat the climate crisis and those who say caution is needed to guard against overdevelopment.”

Singapore Airlines Launches the First Ever Nonstop Flight from Seattle to Southeast Asia

Seattle Times | Crystal Paul | September 3

“The first ever nonstop flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Southeast Asia took off on Tuesday.  Covering 8,010 miles in 15 hours and 50 minutes, the flight to Singapore’s Changi Airport is now also the longest nonstop flight from Sea-Tac. Tuesday’s inaugural flight was sent off with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, a lion dance, and remarks by Lance Lyttle, Sea-Tac Airport’s managing director and Campbell Wilson, the senior vice president of sales and marketing for Singapore Airlines. With the launch of the Sea-Tac-to-Changi route, Seattle becomes the fourth U.S. destination for nonstop Singapore Airlines flights.”