Approximately 650 miles of Seattle city streets are without sidewalks.

According to the Seattle Department of Transportation, to replace each of the block faces would cost an estimated $19.9 million annually for 50 years.

While the problem can seem overwhelming, a new community group, Safe Walks, is working to determine a fair means of providing safer pedestrian travel routes.

The group met last Tuesday, July 22 with Seattle City Council member Nick Licata to address areas with the greatest need for sidewalk replacement.

"To really appreciate Seattle I think you need to be able to walk around Seattle," said Licata, chair of the council's pedestrian safety committee. "We want them to be able to do that safely."

Members of Safe Walks suggest that in many of the more recently annexed parts of Seattle, particularly in the far north and south ends, pedestrian passageways have not been improved to the level of quality of Seattle's city center.

According to Vlad Oustimovitch, a representative from the Southwest district, there are two areas of concern in West Seattle: City blocks south of Roxbury and the majority of the Delridge neighborhood.

The Seattle Department of Transportation calculated 1,041 unimproved block faces in the Southwest district, including 558 in Delridge alone.

Oustimovitch also pointed out that West Seattle pedestrians would benefit from new stairwells on many of the area's steep hills.

Licata has developed a new means by which communities can draw attention to potential sidewalk projects. The council member recently launched a Web site titled "Critical Crossings." The site allows community members to submit photos of intersections that are dangerous for pedestrian travel.

"I thought it would be useful for people to share their perceptions of what intersections in their neighborhood need to be addressed," Licata said.

With this resource and significant data from the department of transportation revealing where sidewalks are needed, Licata has now shifted his focus towards funding these projects.

Between 2002 and 2007 approximately 567 block faces were constructed with public and private funds. Currently, the Seattle Department of Transportation's 2008-2013 Capital Budget Plan will also spend $1.4 million a year on sidewalk improvement.

But according to Licata, that funding is far from sufficient.

"We need to cut back on some other major projects and shift our focus to the basic needs of citizens across the city," Licata said.

Kate Martin, of the Northwest district, also suggested a redistribution of transportation funds. She requests that the department of transportation be more proactively concerned about pedestrians and less centered around automobiles.

"I don't want to go to my grave still talking about this," Martin said.

With such a vast demand for sidewalk replacement, Jim Curtin, community traffic liaison for the transportation department, said projects will be prioritized in a balanced and fair manner.

Areas where there is the most potential for pedestrian traffic will be the Department's highest priority. This includes sidewalks in urban villages, such as the Alaska and Admiral Junctions, and areas that serve a population with whom walking is a primary form of transportation.

The latest prioritizing guide uses a point system that considers four factors. The first is street type and land use, which considers mixed-use streets and regional connectors. The second factor weighs pedestrian generators, including schools and transit stations in the area.

The new system will also consider the target user population of a proposed sidewalk project, including households with residents over 65-years-old or under eighteen. Finally points will be awarded to projects that link or extend existing sidewalks.

If a street in your neighborhood is not highly prioritized according to this system, Curtin encourages community members to work with their neighborhood street funds.

As sidewalk projects are implemented, Oustimovitch encourages the city to work closely with members of the communities affected.

"It's a delicate issue that needs to be approached in a community planning format and not imposed on people," Oustimovitch said.

Meanwhile Licata encourages community members to utilize the Critical Crossings Web site and let the council know where sidewalk projects should be focused.

"Help is on the way, but only if [the community] has an active voice in expressing their concerns," Licata said.

Rose Egge can be reached at rosee@robinsonnews.com.