Seattle one of five city accounting for 90% of high-tech job growth, Seattle launches data dashboards to show residents how the city is performing on key issues, and more in this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight.

Five Cities Account for 90% of High-Tech Job Growth; Seattle is One

Seattle PI | Becca Savransky | December 12

“A vast majority of all job growth in high-tech industries is concentrated in just five metro areas, a new report finds. Seattle, of course, ranks among them…The study — called “The Case for Growth Centers” from the  Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation — found five metro areas, including San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose, California, Boston and San Diego, accounted for 90% of growth in innovation sector jobs between 2005 and 2017. The report defined the innovation sector as including “13 of the nation’s highest-tech, highest R&D advanced industries,” which includes chemical manufacturing, aerospace and software and data processing.”

Seattle Launches Data Dashboards to Show Residents How the City is Performing on Key Issues

GeekWire | Monica Nickelsburg | December 11

“The City of Seattle unveiled seven data dashboards Thursday in an effort to give residents and government employees more insights into how the city is performing.The Performance Seattle website tracks how well the city is meeting its goals on these core areas: • Basic City Services • Safe and Healthy Communities • Affordability and Livability • Homelessness Response • Capital Projects • Environment and Climate Change • Future of Work Performance Seattle illustrates the city’s progress through a series of charts, graphs, and written accounts. The project was built over several months by more than 150 members of the city staff, according to Anthony Derrick, digital advisor to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.”

Sound Transit Shows Off Nearly Complete Roosevelt Light-Rail Station – and its Heavy-Duty Escalators

Seattle Times | Heidi Groover | December 11

“Sound Transit’s Roosevelt Station is taking shape as the agency prepares for light-rail trains to pass through the new underground stop starting in September 2021. Sound Transit offered a media tour of the station Tuesday, showing off escalators they say are heavier duty than those in existing stations as well as stairs that take riders all the way to the platform to catch their train. Sound Transit’s light-rail stations have been plagued with escalator breakdowns, including at the University of Washington Station, where escalator failures last year led to riders waiting 45 minutes to use elevators.”