The city has announced the winning projects in this year’s round of “participatory budgeting.” From the announcement:
The results are in! More than 7200 community members voted for their favorite park and street projects and 51 projects have been selected. It’s all part of the city’s Your Voice, Your Choice: Parks & Streets, a participatory budgeting program in which community members democratically decide how to spend a portion of the City’s budget. …
The projects were selected from more than 1,000 ideas submitted in February by community members across Seattle. These ideas were evaluated and honed by more than 500 volunteers who participated on Project Development Teams that met in each Council District. This spring, Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks and Recreation provided cost estimates for the proposals. Then beginning in June, community members ages 11 and above voted by Council District for their favorite projects online and at in-person polling stations at Seattle libraries.
With $3 million available, a maximum of $285,000 was allocated for each City Council District. The remaining $1 million was designated for funding projects in the City’s Equity and Environment Initiative Focus Areas—geographic areas where communities of color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, Native peoples, and limited-English proficiency individuals tend to live. Overall, 20 projects located in these Focus Areas received awards.
Many communities embraced the voting process, especially Districts 1 and 2 whose residents cast nearly 40% of the total votes received. “Programs like Your Voice, Your Choice are important,” observed Kim Schwarzkopf, District 1 resident and Your Voice Your Choice Steering Committee member. “It is a simple way for people to get involved, connect with their neighbors, and make a positive impact in their community.”
Here are the winning projects in West Seattle and South Park:
DISTRICT 1
Riverview/Puget Ridge: Pedestrian Lighting Improvements at SW Morgan St bus stop near South Seattle College (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 287)
South Park: Intersection Improvements at Dallas Ave S, 12th Ave S, and Thistle St (Cost: $3,500, Total Votes: 290)*
South Park: Walkway Improvements on S Cloverdale St under SR-99 overpass (Cost: $90,000, 60% design only, Total Votes: 364)*
South Park: Signage Improvements at S Henderson St and 12th Ave S. (Cost $2,000, Total Votes: 208)*
North Admiral: Crossing Improvements on California Ave SW and SW College St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 277)
North Delridge: Improvements to basketball courts at Delridge Community Center (Cost: $7,000, Total Votes: 367)
North Delridge: Equipment Refurbishment at Puget Boulevard Commons/Cottage Grove Park (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 271)
Fauntleroy: Benches in Lincoln Park (Cost: $15,330, Total Votes: 355)
Roxhill/South Delridge: Trail Improvements at Roxhill Park (Cost: $88,800, Total Votes: 305)*
Those 9 projects were among 11 that went up for a vote in our area back in June. (Our June story also linked to individual infosheets on each proposal, if you’re looking for more details on any of them.)
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