Seattle Overview
June 7, 2015
Response from:
Acting Director, Project Development Division
City of Seattle Department of Transportation
Response format: email
Where does funding come from?
Sidewalk maintenance is generally the responsibility of the abutting property owner. School zone speed enforcement from cameras generate revenue to maintain sidewalks near schools.
How is it implemented?
The Seattle Municipal Code has provisions to compel property owners to repair sidewalks, but this tool has not been used in recent years. They have solid and widely accepted prioritization criteria, but not enough funding to meet the growing interest in better pedestrian facilities.
What is the city’s policy on sidewalk construction and maintenance, specifically in terms of who is responsible for the cost?
Developers are generally responsible for the cost of new sidewalks associated with new development, with some exceptions. The city builds new sidewalks to expand the pedestrian network in high priority locations. Sidewalk maintenance is generally the responsibility of the abutting property owner, with some exceptions. Details are available in the Seattle Municipal Code.
What source(s) of funding does the city use specifically to pay for the cost of constructing and maintaining sidewalks?
New city-funded sidewalks are paid for primarily with funds from the Bridging the Gap property tax levy. http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/BridgingtheGap.htm Other sidewalk funding sources include grants and revenues from school zone speed enforcement cameras.
How is this funding allocated to sidewalks? (e.g., through annual, discretionary appropriations; an automatic set-aside; a dedicated funding source; etc.)
The levy set aside no less than 18 percent for pedestrian, bicycle and safety projects. The school zone camera revenues are dedicated to safety improvements near schools, including improvements for people walking.
How does the city prioritize where to build/maintain sidewalks each year?
Seattle uses the criteria in the 2009 Pedestrian Master Plan: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedestrian_masterplan/
What percent of total funding for transportation does the city allocate specifically to sidewalks?
This is difficult to answer because many of our new sidewalks are installed as part of larger capital projects, and the costs are not tracked separately.
Under what, if any, circumstances does the city/county compel private property owners to construct or repair sidewalks?
Developers are required to build new sidewalks as part of many types of development. The Seattle Municipal Code has provisions for compelling property owners to repair sidewalks, but this tool has not been used in recent years.
What, if any, analysis or exploration has the city done of alternative funding mechanisms?
Seattle has explored using local improvement districts to fund new sidewalk installation, but found several issues with this approach.
How effective is the city’s current policy at achieving the following outcomes?
These issues are all addressed in our Pedestrian Master Plan, which was adopted in 2009 and is being updated in 2015. More information about the plan, including a downloadable summary, is available here: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedestrian_masterplan/
Overall, what are the main pros and cons of the city’s current sidewalk policy?
We have solid and widely accepted prioritization criteria, but not enough funding to meet the growing interest in better pedestrian facilities.