I was walking to lunch in the ID and noticed all of the new construction related to the Seattle Streetcar on Jackson. Though the road looks new and shiny, a good portion of the new sidewalks and the old sidewalks that were saved seem in terrible condition. Why would the city leave broken sidewalks next to brand new sidewalks? Why would they need to do a tempory fix for brand new sidewalk with asphalt like on the corner of Jackson and Maynard? A lot of the new work is next to wheelchair ramps and looks like tripping hazards to folks who’d assume that it is safe.
A recent study published in May, titled Dangerous By Design 2014 from the National Complete Streets Coalition, concluded that an “epidemic” of pedestrian fatalities and injuries is sweeping the United States, hitting people of color, children, and older adults the hardest.
I suggest the ID community press the city to address the dangerous conditions that have just been built before opening the Streetcar. The current state of the sidewalks are unsafe and substandard. Having lived and shopped in Seattle’s more diverse neighborhoods, I’m sick and tired of the lack of quality construction we see so often in poorer non-white neighborhoods.
—Anonymous
