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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor's new sidewalk program keeping pace with development
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
8/23/2007 12:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Mayor’s new sidewalk program
keeping pace with development
Legislation amends land use code to
require sidewalks throughout city
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today his new sidewalk program - Keeping
Pace - will increase the number of sidewalks in Seattle. This week Nickels
sent legislation to the Council requiring the inclusion of sidewalks in new
residential projects within areas of the city where most development is happening,
and in all commercial developments, regardless of size.
“Sidewalks are an important part of Seattle’s transportation agenda
and one of my goals is to make Seattle the most walkable city in the nation.
But many parts of our city have no sidewalks. With this legislation, we can
begin building Seattle’s next transportation system one foot at a time,” said
Nickels.
Current regulations exempt developments of a certain size or type from including
sidewalks, resulting in an inconsistent and incomplete network of sidewalks
in the city. Developers of smaller multifamily projects have been able to develop
properties without installing sidewalks, often in “piecemeal” fashion.
This has resulted in expanses of new development with no accompanying sidewalks.
Under current land use code, a developer could theoretically develop project
after project, all in a row, without providing sidewalks if the projects were
kept under the threshold for sidewalks (under six to 10 units, depending on
the zone). Under the mayor’s proposal, developers will now be required
to provide sidewalks, particularly in those parts of the city where most of
the growth is expected to occur.
The mayor’s proposal requires sidewalks where new projects are proposed
along arterials, and within many of the neighborhood commercial and multifamily
zones. Single-family additions and remodels in these areas will be required
to provide sidewalks unless the addition/remodel is less than 500 square feet.
Exceptions will be made for projects proposed within environmentally sensitive
areas and other locations where it would be infeasible to build a sidewalk.
In particular neighborhoods currently experiencing a wave of small-scale residential
growth will benefit from the new regulations.
City officials estimate roughly 500 miles of city streets are currently without
full sidewalks.
Nickels had proposed money for sidewalks in three previous budgets. This new
proposal helps supplement the approximately 117 blocks of new sidewalks that
will be built under the 2006 Bridging the Gap levy. The Seattle Department
of Transportation (SDOT) is currently on target to construct 13 blocks of new
sidewalk this year under the levy.
Between 2002 and 2006, SDOT constructed about 61 blocks of new sidewalks.
Seattle Public Utilities and the Seattle Housing Authority funded construction
of 34 additional new sidewalk blocks as part of housing or natural drainage
programs. In addition, SDOT crews and contractors rehabilitated about 100 blocks
or 6.25 miles of existing sidewalks over the past five years.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s
inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity
and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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