Seattle Struggles To Fund Sidewalks

"Forty percent of Seattle streets lack full sidewalks on both sides of the road — totaling 650 miles, the city estimates — but installing them is a staggering expense of about $2 million per mile. It's not just the cost of the pavement: When a curb is built, it changes the flow of surface water, triggering legal requirements for drainage systems, which in turn can involve buying adjacent property. Many cities can build them only as part of a major street-paving project."

"But residents are demanding sidewalks, and cities and counties are looking for ways to pay for them."

"The City Council, which has adopted pedestrian safety as its highest priority this year, is looking for ways to speed up sidewalk construction."