Three years after the first cycle of neighborhood improvements, Ballard residents have another chance to compete for city funds for needed pedestrian improvements.

The Neighborhood Street Fund Large Projects started in 2007 and is funded by the Bridging the Gap levy. The fund operates on three year cycles, so the second cycle will start in 2010.

Since 2007, 17 projects, including the recent sidewalk repair on Ballard Avenue, were completed citywide using money from the fund.

This time around, the city wants neighborhood district councils to play a larger part in choosing the projects, Seattle Department of Transportation spokesperson Thérèse Casper told the Ballard District Council Oct. 14.

The Ballard District Council has until Jan. 15 to present the Department of Transportation with its top three projects for the neighborhood.

Ballard will be competing with every other neighborhood for a portion of the fund's $4.5 million.

Five Ballard projects, all the creation of sidewalks, from 2007's applications have carried over to this cycle and were presented to the council as possible projects.

The five locations for new sidewalks are near North Beach Elementary, 13th Avenue Northwest near Holman Road, 14th Avenue Northwest as part of the 14th Avenue Visioning Project, in Broadview, and on Northwest 90th Street east of Holman Road.

The Department of Transportation has suggested a preferred project to each district council based on analyzation of need using data from the Pedestrian Master Plan.

The department's preferred project for Ballard is the creation of a sidewalk on Northwest 90th Street east of Holman Road.

The council is under no obligation to go with the department's preferred project, Casper said.

The data map used by the department to determine need can be downloaded with the link on the right.