Looking for Concrete Goals in Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan Update

With the plan update process for Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan underway, one writer wonders why the plan is setting firmer goals for increased mode share.

1 minute read

December 24, 2016, 9:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Seattle

SEASTOCK / Shutterstock

Ryan Packer offers a critique of the Pedestrian Master Plan update currently underway at the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). Noting that the number of commuters walking to work grew by 50 percent between 2010 and 2015, Packer determines that the plan update is disappointingly short on the kinds of goals that can further that progress.

For instance, Packer points out that the Pedestrian Master Plan lacks mention of the city's Vision Zero goal for 2035, and instead, "the goal is laid out as a decreasing rate of pedestrians involved in crashes."

Although Packer acknowledges the good intentions of the plan update, which includes mentions of pedestrian mode share, transit ridership, kids walking to school, and streetscapes, "without concrete goals to tell us just how successful our master plan is, we won’t be able to truly gauge success or failure."

Against this backdrop, Packer contrasts the Move Seattle levy, approved by voters in November 2015. That levy has a dashboard and a number of concrete targets to help residents track the success of that $930 million effort.

Back in August 2016, Packer also critiqued the implementation of the current version of the Pedestrian Master Plan, approved in 2009, focusing mostly on issue of maintenance and operations.

Thursday, December 22, 2016 in The Urbanist

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

March 28 - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

March 28 - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

March 28 - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.