Where does South Delridge most need new sidewalks/walkways? Walking tour announced

| Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

Part of the money from the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Levy is intended to make a dent in the huge number of blocks around the city that need sidewalks/walkways. Ten or more blocks will be built in South Delridge in the next few years, and SDOT has just announced a walking tour to get your thoughts about where:

Want to see new safe places to walk in the South Delridge neighborhood? Thanks to the Seattle Transportation Levy we can build at least 10 blocks of new sidewalk or walkway in South Delridge. Please join us for a neighborhood walk and share with us where you would like to see new walkways and/or sidewalks.

Date: Wednesday April 23rd, 2025
Time: 5:00-6:30 pm
Location: Gather at Westwood Village at vacant storefront near Daiso (used to be Lauren’s Jewelry – 2600 SW Barton St, Suite #E4) and then walk the neighborhood with us!

Kids are welcome!
Rain or Shine

Here’s a flyer further explaining the plan. A similar walking tour was held last month in North Delridge.

Jay April 14, 2025 (1:03 pm)

I’d love to see at least a painted walkway on 18th Ave SW. It’s a 20mph speed limit road where everyone goes 35+. I’ve taken to parking my car out in the road instead of the parking strip to buy a little safety for my toddler and puppy to play in the yard. SDOT told me that we have to pay for expensive traffic studies and pay for all the improvements if we want any safety upgrades. They won’t even let us add a “no wrong way turns” sign to the roundabout that people hit going the wrong way into a blind corner at 10mph over the speed limit. So many close calls.

k April 14, 2025 (2:28 pm)

Painted walkways are absolutely terrifying as a pedestrian. They do absolutely nothing for safety, and shouldn’t even be considered as a safety improvement. That money is better spent making real improvements that physically separate pedestrians from motorists, and aren’t subject to the same issues (potholes, etc.) as the adjacent street. I would love to see the rest of Barton Place get sidewalks to make the walk to and from WWV a little safer. Those blocks without sidewalks get really slippery when it rains unless you walk in the street, which is scary given the cars bombing down the hill.

Lauren April 14, 2025 (5:41 pm)

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Agreed on the painted walkways. Plus, cars block in them, totally negating the purpose.
BlairJ April 14, 2025 (7:01 pm)

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I think you are referring to Barton Street. Barton Place is the angled arterial that already has sidewalks on both sides. Yes, Barton Street needs sidewalks in places from 23rd to the bottom of the hill.
- K April 14, 2025 (8:34 pm)
  
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  Yes, thank you for the correction.
Curtis April 17, 2025 (4:24 pm)

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The way they ripped up Barton St going down the hill and never repaired it properly is almost criminal. And there is that giant hole at the bottom that has to be a safety hazard allowed to be left like that for years now. What is the city doing…

rb April 14, 2025 (2:29 pm)

I am not sure starting at Westwood is really South Delridge. I would love to see a sidewalk on the stretch that connects 20th Ave sw to Delridge (by Holden). i see many elderly and women with strollers brave the busy roads with cars since they can not take the stairs for either safety or mobility reasons. is there a way to put that on their radar if one can not do the tour?

PG April 14, 2025 (2:37 pm)

Arbor Heights next please!

Tae April 14, 2025 (3:48 pm)

10 blocks? How many more blocks could be added if we re-appropriate the 2 million slated to remove the safety curb Saka hates?

WSB April 14, 2025 (5:10 pm)

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About 4, at least at 2019 prices.
https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/PedestrianProgram/Sidewalk%20Dev%20Program/CostEffective_Walkway_FactSheet_v4.pdf
Lauren April 14, 2025 (5:42 pm)

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Great idea, Tae. How can we lobby for this?

ltmmgm April 14, 2025 (3:56 pm)

We live near Shorewood Elementary School (yes Burien) to which has sidewalks in almost all of the surrounding neighborhoods and I would say 95% of the walkers DO NOT use the sidewalks, they walk in the streets. 🤔

Lauren April 14, 2025 (5:44 pm)

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👋 as someone who walks that stretch and sometimes has to hop off the sidewalk, a couple reasons are because: 1) another dog is walking toward mine and I want to provide more space between them, 2) a lot of houses on that stretch have big dogs in the yards that bark like made and leap up the fence, I’ve had a few too many close calls, 3) cars/RVs parked in driveways and blocking the sidewalk.
- ltmmgm April 14, 2025 (7:34 pm)
  
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  Not sure where you are speaking of, the dogs, RV’s blocking sidewalks… but in our general neighborhood there are no vehicles of any kind parked over sidewalks and I’ve never noticed dogs. Just people alone and or with their dogs walking in the streets and the only reason I have come up with it is that the sidewalks are only wide enough for 1 person with or without dogs to walk, not 2 abreast. Plus the City planted trees that have damaged the sidewalks over the 50+ yrs thi neighborhood has existed.

snowskier April 14, 2025 (4:54 pm)

10 blocks in 4 years?? Survey the arterials and streets around schools. You’ll find some serious gaps in sidewalk coverage within 2 blocks of Arbor Heights elementary. Maybe connect those and get safer routes for kids walking to school. I’m sure there are good opportunities around other schools. They should have a target list by Memorial Day.

Admiral-2009 April 14, 2025 (5:17 pm)

Per my read of the SMC sidewalks are the responsibility of the abutting property owner’s, thus the City needs to require these property owner’s to participate in the funding of the sidewalks adjacent to their property. By doing this more sidewalks could be installed!

k April 15, 2025 (10:11 am)

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Someone always has to bring this up. Your read of the SMC is wrong. For a second I was going to explain all the reasons why, but it’s been posted over and over in stories about sidewalks. You can use the search function.

The Earl April 14, 2025 (5:26 pm)

Finish the sidewalk coming down Brandon passing the very expensive new lower entry to camp long all the way to 26th. The road is narrow just enough room for two vehicles to pass. Very few use the trail. Pushing strollers walking dogs.

Lindsey April 15, 2025 (9:53 am)

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I don’t disagree, but the city already had a walking tour of that area – what they consider North Delridge.

BlairJ April 14, 2025 (6:47 pm)

I would like to see a sidewalk on the south side of Henderson from 25th to the stairs at 22nd. This would connect to the existing east/west walkway through WWV that runs by Daiso, Fitness19, the nail salon and Starbucks. It looks like the path is generally clear of landscaping or other obstructions. This route would provide people east of 22nd a way to walk to WWV without walking next to the heavy traffic on Barton Place.

Melissa April 14, 2025 (6:59 pm)

I don’t consider Westwood to be South Delridge. Are they planning on doing all 10 in Westwood? If they want to put all 10 sidewalks in Westwood just don’t call it South Delridge. Call it Westwood. They definitely lack sidewalks. If we are talking South Delridge, I would want to see one on 14th just South of Henderson.

WSB April 14, 2025 (9:14 pm)

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South Delridge is the city’s term and while certainly I don’t label Westwood that way either (a) you can walk just a few blocks east (admittedly uphill) and definitely be in South Delridge, and there’s also the possibility that (b) the city is using it in a larger sense – as in, sometimes they call the entirety of east West Seattle “Delridge” as if it’s not part of WS, so if that, they would just be referring to “south east West Seattle.” – TR

Jim April 14, 2025 (11:17 pm)

How about we fix the roads and sidewalks that we already have before building more that we won’t maintain

k April 15, 2025 (10:08 am)

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Repairs and new infrastructure are different line items. The goal is to have both, not to pit one need against another.

john ewing April 15, 2025 (9:16 am)

the SW side of Sylvan Way SW; please fill in the open ditch and replace with curb, gutter and sidwalk.

j April 17, 2025 (4:07 am)

What does it take for your neighborhood to get some attention? The lack of sidewalks in Arbor Heights is making it harder to walk as more lots go from 1 house to 3-6. Delivery trucks create deep slippery mud grooves and many streets have massive puddles when it rains.