Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced a new series of investments Monday that will bolster the city’s efforts to become the “safest and most walkable” city in the country.
These investments, guided by the city’s updated Pedestrian Master Plan and Vision Zero safety program, are intended to improve pedestrian safety. Murray made the announcement alongside Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell, councilmember Mike O’Brien, city planners and other pedestrian advocates.
“All of us depend on a safe, accessible transportation infrastructure to get to work, school, and everywhere we need to be in our daily lives,” Mayor Murray said when he made the announcement at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, in South Seattle, according to a press release. “The Pedestrian Master Plan calls for critically needed upgrades to sidewalks in under-served communities, and through our Vision Zero program, we are making busy streets and intersections safer for everyone. These safety investments can help make Seattle neighborhoods safer and more walkable for all residents.”
The new Pedestrian Master Plan, or PMP, will direct $22 million into sidewalk improvements across 50 city blocks by 2017.
The plan will focus its investments on sidewalks that provide safer access to schools and transit options. The improvements will be made in Greenwood, north Lakewood, Beacon Hill, Roxbury Heights and south Rainier Valley.
A full map of the improvements can be found here.
“By prioritizing investments and improvements towards more walkable neighborhoods, we build stronger, healthier, safer, and more inclusive communities,” Council President Harrell said in a statement. “Our locally owned small businesses down the street thrive, residents walk more and become healthier, communities feel safer because of the social connections and eyes on the street, and the natural environment benefits.”
