City of Seattle Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

NEWS ADVISORY
SUBJECT:   Nickels’ New Budget Boosts Sidewalk Production Nine Fold
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    9/9/2002  11:03:00 AM	FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of the Mayor  (206) 684-4000

Nickels’ New Budget Boosts
Sidewalk Production Nine Fold

Seattle- Mayor Greg Nickels today announced plans to increase the number of sidewalks being built in the City 900 percent over the current, unacceptably low, levels.

This is the first in a series of proposed budget initiatives the mayor will release prior to submitting his final budget to the City Council on September 23.

Nearly one third of Seattle’s 1,500 miles of streets have no sidewalks, Nickels said. He said sidewalk construction has fallen short of promised expectations over the past 40 years due to lack of funding, out of control costs for design and construction (nearly $1 million per City block) and the discarding of a financing tool called Local Improvement Districts (LIDs).

"If we’re serious about strengthening our neighborhoods, we have to recognize that few things are more important to building community than sidewalks," Nickels said. "Yet neighborhoods throughout our City have had their hopes for sidewalks dashed for far too long. For 40 years people have been told that sidewalks were coming. A lot of talk, but very little action. It’s time to stop talking and start building."

The City's average sidewalk production over the last 10 years has been dismal: about 5 blocks a year. The mayor’s plan calls for at least 35 blocks to be completed or under construction in 2003 and an additional 45 blocks or more in 2004. If neighborhoods choose to aggressively partner with the City, especially through the LID process, the additional sidewalk construction could be much more, he said.

The mayor’s sidewalk action plan will achieve these increases by:

1. Reducing the bloated cost of sidewalk designs from $1 million a block to $250,000.
2. Redirecting $2 million to the Transportation and Drainage budget for partnering with residential neighborhoods needing sidewalks.
3. Using LID financing aggressively. Historically, Seattle had built much of its sidewalk infrastructure through LIDs. Through an LID, the City provides a financing mechanism that enables residents of a neighborhood to pay for needed sidewalks themselves over a period of time. Sometimes the costs might exceed what the residents can contribute, in which case the City could join in as a funding partner.

"Doing a much better job of building more sidewalks is, I think, representative of what people should expect from their government," Nickels said. "Our citizens want us to find ways to better manage our resources, to get rid of the waste and to make the dollars go as far as possible. When we do that, good things will happen."

The mayor said one of the first sidewalk projects scheduled for construction next year involves 16 blocks in the Piper’s Creek watershed. The High Point Redevelopment Project in West Seattle also is slated for new sidewalks.

One of the first uses of LIDs could include a citizens group in the Crown Hill neighborhood who last week asked the City to help it form an LID for 16 blocks of new sidewalks.

The City has nearly 500 miles of streets without sidewalks and for many years has not had an aggressive program to get sidewalks built in residential areas. Three factors have contributed to this problem

1. Funds have been limited. The City’s base funding for sidewalk construction and related improvements was $750,000 in last year’s budget.
2. The costs got out of hand for basic sidewalk designs. Recent designs have been costed out at a number approaching $1 million per block - clearly too expensive!
3. The City stopped aggressive use of a financing tool called Local Improvement Districts (LIDs). Historically, Seattle had built much of its sidewalk infrastructure through LIDs. LIDs happen when neighbors decide to invest together in desired improvements. Sometimes the costs exceed what the residents can contribute. When this becomes an issue, the mayor’s plan calls for the City to join in as a potential funding partner.

The mayor’s direction to the Seattle Transportation and Public Utilities departments is to dramatically increase the number of residential sidewalk projects undertaken each year and to bring back the aggressive use of LIDs.

2003 Target

• 35 blocks completed or starting construction by the end of 2003.

2004 Target

• 45 blocks completed or starting construction by the end of 2004.

The City’s average production over the last ten years has been a dismal 5 blocks/year, so the 2003/2004 targets represent major productivity increases.

1. Reduce costs of sidewalk designs so our money goes much further. Our design teams have come up with a $250,000 per block cost estimate - an obvious improvement over the $1 million cost per block.
2. Bring back aggressive use of LIDs. The City will work proactively with neighborhoods that want improvements to help them form LIDs. We will come up with cost effective, environmentally sound designs that will work for each neighborood’s situation. In many cases LIDs can fully fund their projects, but where LID funds can’t cover all the costs, the City can join as a partner and make our combined dollars stretch much further to get more sidewalks built.
3. The mayor’s budget will add an additional $2 million to the existing Transportation and Drainage budgets. This money will be used to partner with residential neighborhoods needing sidewalks.
4. Combine the initiative on sidewalks with a new emphasis on natural drainage. This will mean new designs, and additional cost savings.

• Piper’s Creek is an exciting natural drainage/sidewalk project scheduled for construction in 2003. This will be 16 blocks of new improvements in the Piper’s Creek watershed. The High Point Redevelopment Project located in West Seattle is also slated for this type of sidewalk/drainage investment.
• The citizens in the Crown Hill neighborhood have already requested the City’s help in forming a LID for 16 blocks of new sidewalks.
• The Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities will put the finishing touches on this sidewalk initiative program and launch this aggressive new approach by January 1, 2003.

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Mayor's Office

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