Op-Ed: Approve Proposition 1 for Shoreline Sidewalks

Bus pad on Meridian - but no sidewalk

We are People for Shoreline Sidewalks. 

Beginning in June 2017, along with more than a dozen other Shoreline residents, we served on a Sidewalk Advisory Committee organized by the City Council. 

We worked with city staff to establish criteria for deciding how and where to spend limited funds for sidewalk construction.

On the November 2018 general election ballot, Shoreline voters will be asked to consider Shoreline Proposition 1 to fund sidewalk construction. 

If approved, Proposition 1 will raise the local portion of the Sales and Use tax by 0.2% – that’s 2 cents on a purchase of 10 dollars – to build new sidewalks at 12 high-priority locations throughout the city.

We support Proposition 1 and we encourage Shoreline votes to Approve this ballot measure.

• Proposition 1 will improve safety by separating pedestrian traffic from car traffic. In North City, pedestrians along 5th Avenue NE will no longer need to compete with parked cars for walking space. In the Westminster Triangle, we’ll build sidewalks along Westminster Way from N 145th Street to Shoreline Place. 

• Proposition 1 will enhance access to transit by providing safe walking paths along bus routes. In the Echo Lake neighborhood, we’ll connect the isolated sidewalk sections at bus stops on the east side of Meridian Avenue N. 

• Proposition 1 will connect communities to parks. In the Richmond Beach neighborhood, we’ll build a sidewalk along 20th Avenue NW from NW 195th Street to Saltwater Park. 

• Proposition 1 will fill in gaps in our existing walking paths. In the Ballinger neighborhood, we’ll connect the disjointed sidewalks along Ballinger Way and along 19th Avenue NE. 

• Proposition 1 will benefit all residents. In Richmond Highlands, we’ll build a sidewalk along Linden Avenue North from Shorewood High School to N 185th Street. Pedestrians and drivers will be safer as students go to and from school. 

There is never a good time to raise taxes. But Shoreline residents have consistently ranked sidewalk improvements as a high priority on the city’s biannual satisfaction surveys. If we believe that sidewalks are important, we must step up to the ballot box and vote to Approve Proposition 1.

Visit our campaign at www.ShorelineSidewalks.org to learn more about all 12 projects, and how you can help.

We’re going to put our 2 cents to work by voting to Approve Proposition 1. Please join us.

People for Shoreline Sidewalks

David Dailey
David Anderson
Robin McClelland