The city has announced the first 17 projects that will be built through a new program intended to make streets safer for pedestrians and other users.
The city will invest $6 million over the next three years for new sidewalks at schools, sidewalk repair, better lighting in business districts and slowing speeders. The projects were proposed by neighborhoods and vetted by a community advisory group.
The program is part of the Bridging the Gap transportation levy, which provided $4.5 million for The Neighborhood Street Fund for Large Projects effort. Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed adding $1.5 million more to the program in his 2008 budget. With support from the Seattle Department of Transportation and the Department of Neighborhoods, the community advisory group reviewed 150 projects and heard from more than 1,000 people through community open houses and online surveys.
The recommended projects include First Hill lighting along Eighth Avenue between Marion and Columbia streets and between Columbia and Cherry streets, and improving the pedestrian connection on East Newton Street between Franklin Avenue East and the alley east of Eastlake Avenue.[[In-content Ad]]
