Despite the cool summer temps this year, it’s been more than twenty days since we’ve had any real rain around here. Believe it or not, Seattle is one of the driest cities in the country this time of year and SDOT takes full advantage of our annual summer drought to build new sidewalks.
SDOT’s Sidewalk Development Program will construct ten blocks of new sidewalks throughout the city this year. By the time this construction season wraps up, this program will have constructed more than 60 blocks of new sidewalks since the program’s inception in 2007. SDOT also constructs new sidewalks through capital projects, via neighborhood grants like the Neighborhood Street Fund, and through our Safe Routes to School program.
Locations of these new projects range from Lake City to South Park (see map below). Projects are selected using the policies established in the Pedestrian Master Plan which aims to make Seattle the most walkable city in the nation.
2011 Sidewalk Project Locations (click for larger view)
Some projects are multiple blocks in length while others projects fill “missing links” in the sidewalk network. These missing links are locations where there is a gap between two existing segments of sidewalk. A few of our 2011 projects are already complete, others are underway, and we’ll be breaking ground on the remaining projects in the coming weeks.
Muddy missing link on SW Barton Place
No more mud!
The SDOT Blog plans to take our readers to each new sidewalk as they are completed so be sure to check back often!