On Nov. 4, voters will assess the value of pedestrian and bicycle safety.

The ballot in Burien this year includes a proposed $25 license tab fee titled Proposition 1, which if passed will fund two new projects: a sidewalk on one side of 8th Avenue South (from South 128th Street to South 136th Street), and new portions of sidewalk and repairing and upgrading existing sidewalks on South and Southwest 136th Street.

Supporters of the proposition say that, once finished, the improvements would create a safer environment for pedestrians and bicyclists, provide easier access to Cedarhurst Elementary School and abide by the standards set forth in the American Disabilities Act.

The projects' origins can be traced back to a comprehensive plan the city initially adopted in 1997 and that reached completion in 2004.

One of the primary goals of the plan was to create a livable community that integrates cars, pedestrians, bicycles and transit.

Joe Fitzgibbon, a supporter of the proposition, believes a community's desirability is directly related to the ease of getting around on bike or on foot.

"By making it easier for more residents to drive less, we can all save money, get healthier, and enjoy a better community," says Fitzgibbon.

"If we know that we are able to safely walk or bike to our destinations, it will be easier for us to get around town without having to fill up our gas tanks as often."

Among other things, Fitzgibbon contends that the project would help stimulate the economy, and that the sidewalk improvements could potentially save Burien residents money by making it easier to get around town on foot or under pedal power.

As evidence, Fitzgibbon points to a national study by CEOs for cities that found homes in "walkable" neighborhoods command a premium over similar homes in less walkable neighborhoods.

Yet for all their potential to improve real estate values and a community's quality of life, Fitzgibbon recognizes the sidewalks won't get built when competing with the city's other priorities, such as parks, roads, and public safety.

This may be the sole point on which Fitzgibbon agrees with Chestine Edgar, a member of the opposition to Proposition 1.
Where Fitzgibbon sees a chance for voters to voluntarily pony-up more money for an improvement, Edgar sees a failure on the part of the city to do its homework and stay focused on the essentials.

Edgar backs up her argument with a variety of sources including coverage in the Highline Times, the city's newsletter, public requests for information and opensecrets.org.

For starters, she points out that when the city first drafted the pedestrian and bicycle safety plan it decided against additional taxes as the funding mechanism, choosing instead to rely on Burien's capital improvement program, funding from grants and working with partners.

Fast forward to the present time and rather sticking with the original plan the city is coming to voters for more money, according to Edgar.

"You can always say you don't have money but if you don't look at your budget and figure out what your priorities are, you'll never have any (money). In looking at how the money is being used, these are not critical travel paths," Edgar said.

She points to the city's own survey in 2008 of 404 people, of which only 20 percent mentioned the need to improve the sidewalks.
And Edgar's participation in a citizen survey seemed to back up those findings: in the three days she took part, Edgar only saw three bikes.

Still, proponents such as Fitzgibbon argue that the cost of the license tab fee works out to only about seven cents a day, but Edgar looks at that number differently.

"It may mean only seven cents a day, but that's $25 a year to a poor family from the city or anywhere from five to 25 pair of shoes at the Goodwill," Edgar noted. "If you're working on a limited budget this amount is significant. It all depends on what you use $25 for."