Seattle has a sidewalk problem. According to data from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), only 53% of city sidewalks in 2019 were in “good” or “excellent” condition. Nine percent of sidewalks were “poor” or “very poor,” while another 37% were classified as “fair.” This means that, in total, 46% of sidewalks are damaged to a point that could significantly impact pedestrian mobility.
And this data only factors in existing sidewalks; almost 24% of Seattle streets don’t have any sidewalks at all.
For disabled people, the issue is particularly acute. While most abled people can navigate sidewalks in disrepair with relative ease, for people with limited mobility it can mean dealing with costly delays, having to take a circuitous route or being forced onto the street or bike lane.
According to Cecelia Black, a community organizer with the Disability Mobility Initiative (DMI), disabled people made up 54% of traffic fatalities between 2016 and 2020, despite only being involved in 4% of traffic collisions during that same time period. These figures translate to disabled people being 13 and a half times more likely to die by traffic violence than their abled peers.
In 2015, SDOT adopted the Vision Zero mission to end traffic deaths and serious injuries. However, over the last three years, the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths has ticked up, leading to increased concerns from advocates.
“This whole Vision Zero is a great goal, and hopefully it can be accomplished,” said DMI seminar co-coordinator Tanisha Sepúlveda. “They have all the right ideas, but where’s the implementation? Where’s the mass effort to really get this thing going? Because we have the technology, we have the ability, we have the money.”
DMI, which is a project of the nonprofit organization Disability Rights Washington, helped advocate for the passage of a new law that would begin to address the gap. On Dec. 12, the Seattle City Council approved an ordinance that would require SDOT to fix or build new sidewalks on any construction project worth at least $1 million, known as a “major paving project.” Previously, SDOT was not required to address any sidewalks in road paving projects.
The legislation also authorizes SDOT to prioritize sidewalk improvements in cases where disrepair impedes mobility and near transit hubs, schools and parks. Other priority areas include dense neighborhoods and communities that have experienced historical racism and environmental injustices.
In a 2021 report, the Seattle auditor found that disadvantaged neighborhoods received slightly more SDOT projects than more advantaged neighborhoods in the previous four years.
For Black, the new ordinance was an important first step but not enough to solve the whole problem, since many streets won’t be covered by new construction projects.
The exorbitant costs of repairing all of Seattle’s broken sidewalks and filling in the ones that don’t yet exist seem to be the main crux of the issue. According to the city auditor, the price tag of replacing all of Seattle’s sidewalks is estimated at $5.3 billion. Seattle’s 2024 budget allotted approximately $29 million for sidewalks and other safety improvements.
While a majority of existing sidewalks don’t need urgent repair, the gap between available and needed resources is considerable. In a Dec. 12 press release, Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales wrote that, at its current rate of progress, it would take 407 years before every street in Seattle has a sidewalk.
“Sidewalks are essential public infrastructure that provide a public good and enables mobility for everyone regardless of age, ability or income,” Morales said.
Complicating the efforts to repair and fill in Seattle’s sidewalks is the fact that they are considered the responsibility of the adjacent property owners and not the city. Because of the lengthy legal battles enforcing this obligation could invite, SDOT opts to not require property owners to pay for sidewalks.
While the challenges to ensuring universal sidewalk coverage are significant, Sepúlveda said that it is a basic building block for Seattle’s transportation system. After all, why invest billions of dollars in light rail stations if disabled passengers can’t get to them?
“It is a fundamental part. But why do the people who are able to make these changes not realize that?” Sepúlveda said. “They seem to put money into more of the big, showy projects, like ‘oh look, we’re gonna make our vehicles electric.’ OK, what about the sidewalks? ‘Oh look, we’re implementing all these new light rail routes that still aren’t done yet.’ Like OK, but how are people going to get there — via a sidewalk.”
She added that sidewalks are important for everyone, not just disabled people.
“We do all need sidewalks; we do all use sidewalks,” Sepúlveda said. “They are fundamental to community and communal values.”
The new sidewalk ordinance comes at a crucial time for SDOT since the Move Seattle levy, one of its main sources of funding, is set to expire at the end of 2024. The nine-year, $930-million levy comes from property taxes, and a renewal would need to be approved by voters. DMI is looking to shape or potentially expand the levy in order to address sidewalks and better prioritize non-drivers. And thanks to the ordinance, any major paving project done under a renewed levy would have to include sidewalks.
Advocates with DMI said policymakers should treat sidewalks with the same urgency they treat other infrastructure issues.
“We would never, ever let our road system deteriorate to this level, and we would never let 25% of roads be impassable by cars,” Black said. “It’s hard to imagine the cost that would create — but that is what’s happened to our sidewalks.”
Guy Oron is the staff reporter for Real Change. He handles coverage of our weekly news stories. Find them on Twitter, @GuyOron.
Read more of the Dec. 27, 2023–Jan. 2, 2024 issue.