Since I came into office, one recurring concern I have heard from Seattle residents from all parts of the city has been the need for sidewalks. I have proposed money for sidewalks in three previous budgets, but now combined with funding from the voter-approved "Bridging the Gap" levy, we will be able to increase the number of sidewalks in Seattle by requiring the inclusion of sidewalks in new residential projects within areas of the city where most development is happening, and in all commercial developments, regardless of size. We will begin building Seattle's next transportation system one foot at a time.
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The Ashworth Cottages Project in the Greenlake area has the distinction of being the first housing development in Washington state to be awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum designation -- and only the seventh in the country. I commend the husband and wife team of Curt Pryde and Fawn Johnson for their commitment to building truly sustainable communities. This project represents a big step for meeting one of my goals for Seattle -- to be the "green building capital of the country." The Ashworth Cottages are also part of City Light's BUILT SMART project, using energy efficient lighting throughout the homes, for an annual savings of 84,000 kilowatt hours and avoiding 51 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. I hope this is just the beginning of more green houses in Seattle.
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With a motto of "the difference between graffiti and art is permission," Seattle Paint Out kicked off its sixth annual paint-out event. Working with staff from Seattle Public Utilities, this volunteer-based group has been dedicated to removing graffiti around Seattle. Graffiti may be perceived as a "victimless" crime, but it can have serious impacts. Removing graffiti is one thing we can do to make our neighborhoods safer. In the past six years, many neighborhoods have participated, beginning with Belltown and including Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, Greenlake, Chinatown/International District, Fremont and Little Saigon. Thank you to the tireless volunteers who have cleaned up hundreds of blocks in our city, and to the many businesses who contribute employees, time, money and supplies to the paint out effort.

It will be nice to have the bus tunnel open again -- it's on schedule to reopen on Monday, Sept. 24. During the closure, buses from the tunnel moved to Third Avenue, which was made a transit-priority corridor during morning and afternoon peak hours. It worked so well, the decision has been made to continue giving transit priority on Third Avenue when the tunnel reopens. Several bus routes will move from First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Avenues to Third Avenue. This is a tremendous opportunity to improve transit service downtown and it's one more step toward becoming the most climate-friendly city in the country.
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Clean and Green #72 had a special twist -- it helped clean up the neighborhood for Rainier Beach's first Summerfest and fourth annual Back2School Bash, sponsored by area merchants. The Bash provided school supplies for more than 1,000 youth in the neighborhood, as well as games and delicious food. No matter how many Clean and Green events I have participated in since the beginning of my term in 2002, I am always gratified by the sense of community and pride exemplified by the participants, and especially pleased when we're joined by our young people who want to help make a difference in their neighborhoods. To date more than 10,000 volunteers have collected more than 311,000 pounds of litter and recycled more than 12,000 pound of recyclable materials.