Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn's proposal to let bars stay open later will be delayed by the state's transition to private liquor sales and distribution.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday in Fremont to announce the addition of five late-night taxi stands to help bar patrons get home safely, McGinn said the state Liquor Control Board's rule-making process likely would extend beyond the typical 60-day timeline to consider new proposals.

"They've got a big workload now. It's a high priority for them to deal with the new rules" for privatization, McGinn said. But he added that the board assured him it would still take up Seattle's request.

In July, Seattle officials including McGinn, the City Council, City Attorney Pete Holmes and Police Chief John Diaz asked the state to change its policy that requires liquor service to end at 2 a.m. They asked that local jurisdictions have the authority to set their own rules and policies, saying it could add vibrancy to the city's nightlife and enhance public safety.

The Liquor Control Board agreed to consider the request and opened its rule-making process in October. It set a timeline that included receipt of public comments by Dec. 1 and potential adoption of the new rule by Jan. 25.

But on Nov. 8 Washington voters approved Initiative 1183, which turns over the state's liquor sales and distribution to private businesses. The Liquor Control Board is in the process of rewriting the rules governing sales, distribution, tax collection, enforcement and a host of other issues, said spokesman Brian Smith.

Smith said the board told the mayor's office last week that the timeline for considering Seattle's request would be lengthier than usual because of that transition. He said the board plans to have public hearings around the state on the local-hours option, which potentially could apply to all cities, but hasn't yet scheduled those hearings.

Longer bar hours and more late-night transportation options are part of McGinn's Nightlife Initiative, which seeks to promote a vibrant bar, club and music scene, but also responds to neighbor and police concerns about noise and drunken disorder.

At the Tuesday news conference, McGinn unveiled a new taxi stand on North 36th Street in front of the Ballroom lounge in Fremont that sported new signs announcing curbside service from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. A freshly painted yellow curb indicated where taxis could line up for late-night customers.

"We want to make sure it's safe, that it works for neighborhoods and we want to make sure we're giving people safe ways home," the mayor said.

Other new taxi stands were established in Belltown, Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill. A map of all the city's late-night taxi stands can be found on the Mayor's Seattle Nightlife website, www.seattle.gov/nightlife.

In April, McGinn directed that parking meters accept late-night payment for early-morning hours so people can leave their cars parked overnight without getting a ticket the next morning. Drivers now can purchase up to two hours of parking, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the following day.

McGinn's Nightlife Initiative includes a number of related proposals, including better code enforcement, a new noise-reduction ordinance, mandatory training for bar security, regular meetings among nightlife businesses and neighbors, professional development for bar employees, and public-nuisance rules to help police crack down on unruly patrons.

McGinn noted at the news conference that his administration is tackling the easiest proposals first.

He joked that getting the state to allow cities to set their own bar hours could take awhile. If that authority is granted, the mayor said, the city would begin its own potentially lengthy process with the City Council, police and public all weighing in to craft a specific proposal for extended liquor service.

"We'll probably be here a year from now talking about where that is in the process," McGinn said.

Material from The Seattle Times archives is included in this report.

Lynn Thompson: 206-464-8305 or lthompson@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @lthompsontimes.