Sidewalks - Part 2 - what we've learned so far

 

I've had this draft post open for more than a week after writing Part 1 trying to summarize what we've learned so far and potential next steps only for things to keep changing with further communication with the City. Here then are some key things we have learned after a few months of research and communication with the City. There is a lot of additional context and links to sources that could be added but I think the potential next steps have become clearer so I want to get this post out and move on to Part 3 covering next steps.

1. The relevant location is in Council District E and the Council Member is David Knight (an email earlier in the year to Mr Knight put us in touch with City of Raleigh staff who have helped guide us including by making contact with colleagues who helped expedite the painting/repainting of road markings on Ponderosa and Jefffreys Grover School Rd
2. These are NCDOT maintained roads. Some properties are in Wake County enclaves that technically are not City of Raleigh however we have been guided not to worry about the jurisdictions and that the City of Raleigh programs and Council is still the right forum.
3. There is about 600ft missing sidewalk mostly on JG School Rd but also a connected part of Ponderosa (i.e. the perimeter of 6121 Ponderosa around the JG School Rd corner with Ponderosa)
4. Sidewalk and Street Improvement programs are suspended (due to lack of budget, significant backlogs). WE knew earlier in the year the Sidewalk program was suspended but City staff steered us towards the Street Improvement program because adding curb and gutter to an unimproved street would bring sidewalk with it too. We started the first steps in the petition process for this program only to learn last week that, unfortunately, the street improvement program has also now been suspended. 
5. Even when up and running these programs have 6 month comment periods and take years to complete
6. As an example the Safe Routes to School improvements around the Leesville schools campus will have taken 10 years from triggering event, in 2012, to completion and 6 years from the start of design, in 2016, to being finished (granted this is a much bigger project but still gives a sense of the timeline)
7. The rezoning application for the property at 5901 Creedmoor Rd, the woods South of the Creedmoor Road Animal Hospital includes a requirement to add sidewalks if and when the property is developed. There's also mention of a GoRaleigh bus stop on Creedmoor next to this location. It's not clear that the owner of this property has any imminent plans.