Task force urges Washington State leaders to prepare for tech-driven workforce changes, Seattle ranks 7th among top cities making progress toward sustainability, and more in this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight.

Task Force Urges Washington State Leaders to Prepare for Tech-Driven Workforce Changes

GeekWire | Monica Nickelsubrg | December 17

“A task force of legislators, and business and labor leaders, is urging Washington state’s government to do more to prepare for the future of work. The group has released a 113-page report detailing how technology could change the nature of work and what the state Legislature can do to prepare for it. Nova Gattman, deputy director for external affairs at Washington’s Workforce Board, is headed to Washington, D.C., this week to testify on the future of work before the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Sound Transit Receives $1.4B in Federal Money for Light Rail Extension

Puget Sound Business Journal | Paxtyn Merten | December 17

“The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Sound Transit more than $1.4 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund the final design and construction of the Federal Way Link light rail extension. The 7.8-mile extension, slated to begin service in 2024, will extend the light rail system from its current endpoint at Angle Lake in SeaTac to Federal Way. “Not only will our residents have more transit options, but it will transform our downtown for generations,” Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell said in a statement. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Friday signed an agreement to provide Sound Transit a $790 million grant for the project.”

Seattle Ranks 7th Among Top Cities Making Progress toward Sustainability

Seattle PI | Becca Savransky | December 13

“Seattle ranked seventh on a list of the cities across the country making the most progress toward sustainability, according to a new study. The study, from by CommercialCafe, ranked the top 50 U.S. cities making green progress based on a series of metrics including energy-related CO2 emissions reduction, the percentage of commuters walking or biking, air quality improvements and the share of environmentally focused jobs in the city. Seattle’s ranking in the top 10 came in part due to the increase in the number of commuters in the city who walk or bike to work. The city has seen a steep drop in the number of commuters who drive alone to work since the start of the decade, the study finds, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.”