On Jan. 13, the Ballard District Council voted to approve the neighborhood's top three projects – all of which would create Crown Hill sidewalks – for consideration under the Bridging the Gap Levy's Large Project Fund, as well as a source for all leftover funding.

In November, the council appointed a review committee to look at 12 project proposals – eight old and four new – and rank the top three to send to the Seattle Department of Transportation for possible funding.

The Bridging the Gap Large Project Fund operates in a three-year cycle funding transportation infrastructure projects that cost more than $20,000. In 2007, Ballard received $350,000 for the recent repairs to Ballard Avenue sidewalks.

The following is the list of projects the Ballard District Council review committee considered:

• Sidewalks on 13th Avenue Northwest from Northwest 85th Street to Northwest 100th Street.
• Sidewalks on Northwest 90th Street from 12th Avenue Northwest to Holman Road.
• A new traffic signal on Leary Avenue at 20th Avenue Northwest.
• Construction of medians on Holman Road.
• Improvement of parking at North Beach Elementary.
• A sidewalk or a walkway along Northwest 100th Street between Eighth Avenue Northwest and 15th Avenue Northwest.
• Pedestrian crossing improvements and accommodations along Golden Gardens Drive.
• Intersection redesign at 24th Avenue Northwest and Market Street.
• A west Crown Hill walkway at 18th Avenue Northwest.
• Median and pedetrian crossing improvements on 14th Avenue Northwest between Market Street and Northwest 65th Street.
• Mid-block pedestrian crossing improvements on Leary Avenue.

Pedestrian safety improvements on Leary Avenue ended up being funded through another source, and improvements to North Beach Elementary parking were thrown out because they did not fit the criteria of the Large Project Fund.

By developing nine project criteria, including connectivity, improved safety and community support, the review committee narrowed the list down and combined parts of projects to create their top three projects, which are:

1. A 13th Avenue Northwest walkway between Northwest 85th Street and Holman Road with an additional section of sidewalk on Northwest 90th Street from 13th Avenue to 14th Avenue Northwest.
2. A sidewalk on 13th Avenue Northwest from Holman Road to Northwest 100th Street.
3. Sidewalks on 17th Avenue Northwest and 18th Avenue Northwest between Northwest 85th Street and Northwest 90th Street.

At the Jan. 13 council meeting, a west Crown Hill resident, who brought his baby daughter with him, summed up why creating sidewalks in his neighborhood should be a priority for Ballard.

"I'm hoping that she has the same privilege as most Ballard children of walking with sidewalks under her feet when she gets to that point," he said.

Dawn Hemminger of the East Ballard Community Association submitted an amendment to the proposal that would allow any funding left over from the top three projects to go toward the 14th Avenue Visioning Project. The amendment was accepted.

The Department of Transportation will now consider Ballard's list of projects.