Neighborhood walks inform sidewalk expansion plans | LEVY DOLLARS AT WORK

by Ethan Bancroft on February 11, 2025

SDOT staff and participants smile during the Jan. 25 community walk in the Pinehurst neighborhood. Photo: SDOT

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We’ve been out walking the walk and co-creating sidewalk and walkway plans with community members in the Pinehurst and Northgate neighborhoods. This is just the beginning. SDOT will build sidewalk projects throughout the city as part of an ambitious push to add 250 blocks of new sidewalks and walkways over the next four years. This accelerated goal is made possible by the locally-funded and voter-approved 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy, with a total of 350 new blocks set to be built by the end of the 8-year levy.

As plans begin to take shape, our priority is hearing directly from community members about their travel experiences today and where they’d like to see new sidewalks added in the future. We’re committed to supporting safer travel for everyone while maintaining and modernizing the city’s transportation infrastructure.

Did you know? Seattle has over 2,400 miles of sidewalks across the city – yet nearly a quarter of Seattle streets are missing sidewalks.

Here’s a quick recap and a few top photos of the two walks we’ve held so far.

Pinehurst walk – January 25

We hosted our first public walk with about 25 community members in the Pinehurst neighborhood on a crisp, sunny Saturday morning. The walk started at Hazel Wolf K-8 school and included four routes that participants joined with our staff. We heard real-time input on new sidewalk and walkway ideas and a variety of desired improvements. It was a day of great conversation, new ideas, and hands-on feedback from the neighborhood. We even had residents pop out of their homes to join us as we walked by!

Our new Interim Director Adiam Emery attended this first walk and enjoyed hearing from residents and community members about their interests regarding sidewalk expansion in their neighborhood.

“Adding sidewalks in our Seattle communities is a direct, tangible way SDOT can support safer travel and help people comfortably access neighborhood destinations. It’s also a core commitment of the new Seattle Transportation Levy and something SDOT is excited to get started on. By hosting these walks, we’re listening to community members’ perspectives and priorities first-hand. We look forward to hosting more walks in the months ahead.” – Adiam Emery, SDOT Interim Director

Three people smile while standing along a street outside. Large trees, power lines, and houses and vehicles are in the background. The person in the middle is wearing an orange safety vest. — SDOT Interim Director Adiam Emery (right), SDOT Project Development Division Director Jim Curtin (middle) and a Pinehurst community member (left) smile during the community walk on Jan. 25. Photo: SDOT

A collage of four photos of people walking outside on pathways, streets, and sidewalks, on a sunny day. — *Views from our first neighborhood walk in Pinehurst on Jan. 25. Photos: SDOT*

Community quotes

“I’m overjoyed to see a focus on sidewalks in my neighborhood, as nothing seems to get people more engaged around here than the possibility of sidewalks, except maybe free bagels or ice cream. Now that I have a young kid of my own walking and biking all over the neighborhood, I’m even more connected to the urgent need and I’m looking forward to these essential investments in our future.” – Phillip, Pinehurst neighbor

“Our Northeast Seattle neighborhood, like many others, consists of a varied population – from young professionals walking their dogs, families with strollers and kids on bikes, to people who have lived in the neighborhood for 50+ years – having sidewalks and designated walkways allow us all to live safely in community. As a parent of 2 elementary-school aged children, safe walkways are very important to our family so we can walk to school, friend’s homes, and local businesses.” – Heather, Northeast Seattle neighbor

“We’re excited to report that improvements to sidewalks along NE 117th St have already made a significant positive impact for kids and families heading to school and other local amenities!” – Capri, Pinehurst neighbor

Northgate walk – February 1

One week later, we got together with more than 50 people in the Northgate/Thorton Place neighborhood. This included several seniors who live in a retirement community near the walking routes.

We heard interest in a variety of improvements such as:

Adding more sidewalks and walkways where they don’t exist today
Widening existing walkways
Offering more separation for people walking and rolling from people driving
Pursuing smoother walking surfaces
Supporting access to transit
Maintaining pavement

Attendees also shared how they like to walk to community destinations like the library, the post office, light rail, and go on everyday walks around the neighborhood.

A large group of people gathers outside a large brown building. The two people in front are holding two small dogs on leashes. — *Participants gather at the start of the walk. A couple furry friends joined in too! Photo: SDOT*

A large group of people walk down a hill on a cloudy day. Large trees, cars, and a stop sign are also in the image. — *One of the walking groups heads down a hill near Roosevelt Way NE and NE 100th St. Photo: SDOT*

A group of several people stop while walking along a street in a residential neighborhood. One man is wearing an orange safety vest. Trees and houses are in the background. — *One of the walking groups heads down a hill near Roosevelt Way NE and NE 100th St. Photo: SDOT*

This work is funded by the voter-approved 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy. Thank you, Seattle!

The path forward

The 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy includes a commitment to build 350 blocks of new sidewalks and walkways by the end of the levy, with 250 of those within the first four years. Even with this funding, building out the sidewalk network to all blocks of missing sidewalks will be a gradual process.

We use the ‘Priority Investment Network’ in the Seattle Transportation Plan to help make choices about where to focus our new sidewalk investments. The Seattle Transportation Plan was developed with robust community outreach and engagement over multiple years. Sidewalk investments are focused on access to public schools, parks, light rail, streetcar and other frequent transit, safety, and equity.

We identified the initial focus neighborhoods for the walks through this plan. Now we’re working with the community to better understand the specific areas where improved pedestrian connections are needed most. Every step of the way, from selection of the blocks to their design, we’ll be working alongside the folks who live, work, and play in these neighborhoods.

To learn more, you can:

Thank you for your interest in this work, as we step up our efforts to support safer travel throughout the city. Stay tuned for additional neighborhood walks around the city in the months ahead. We look forward to sharing more updates as we make progress this year and beyond.

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