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People in the Planning Process
 Development of the Pedestrian Master Plan was guided by direction from the Mayor's Office and the City Council’s Special Committee on Pedestrian Safety and the Transportation Committee. Project staff relied on the involvement of a range of partners, including various agency teams—the SDOT Executive Steering Committee, the Inter-Agency Team, and the SDOT Pedestrian/Bicycle Work Group—and the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group (PMPAG). Click here to view an organizational chart for the Plan.
The success of the plan is heavily reliant on partnerships:
- Partnerships within the City: The Inter-Agency Team (IAT) served as a resource to the project team, helping to resolve issues related to the policies, practices, and design criteria that influence projects, as well as raise awareness, enforce laws, and ultimately build and maintain new facilities. The IAT played a key role in setting up the framework for plan implementation, including change to relevant core business elements. Click here for a roster of IAT members.
- Partnerships with the community: The project has engaged the public through a number of forums and activities, including the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group, events, discussions with key community groups and stakeholders, roundtable discussions, a Walking Preferences Survey, and outreach to under-represented communities, such as youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and people who do not speak English as a first language.
- Partnerships with existing organizations: Neighborhood groups, advocacy groups, partner agencies, and existing City boards, including the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board, played an important role in making the plan successful.
More information about the groups involved in developing the Pedestrian Master Plan is available by clicking on the links below.
Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group (PMPAG)
Consistent with the direction of Resolution 30951, the City assembled a citizens' advisory group for the Pedestrian Master Plan. The Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group (PMPAG), with 24 members, met regularly over the course of two years to advise the project team on various aspects of the plan. Despite the length of the process, PMPAG members remained committed and engaged in developing the plan. Click here for a roster of all PMPAG members and their affiliations. Additional information about PMPAG, including agendas and minutes from PMPAG meetings, is available here. Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board (SPAB)
The Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board was involved in developing the plan and will serve as the stewardship body for its implementation. Early in the process, SPAB developed a vision for the Master Plan, which served as a guiding document for the project team. SPAB members participated in the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group, and the full SPAB received briefings on project activities at various points. Members of the Pedestrian Advisory Board also participated in outreach activities for the draft plan. Public Engagement
Engaging Seattle residents from every part of the city was an important piece of developing the Pedestrian Master Plan. In addition to providing briefings to various community groups and individuals, the project team maintained a Pedestrian Master Plan website throughout plan development. The website provided information on the plan’s background, the Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group meetings, resources, and current news related to pedestrians.
In spring and summer of 2008, a Walking Preferences Survey was distributed throughout Seattle. The survey asked people why they do and don’t walk, where they do and don’t walk, and what would encourage them to walk more. The survey was available in eight languages, and an English version was also available on the plan website. More than 1,400 responses were received from Seattle residents, providing the project team with valuable information about walking in Seattle. A full report of the survey results is available here.
In summer 2008, seven roundtable discussions provided an opportunity for specific interest groups to share thoughts on what makes a strong pedestrian environment. The seven roundtable discussions included immigrants and refugees, youth, builders and developers, the business community, representatives from encouragement programs, people with accessibility challenges, and the parks and open space constituency. Click here for a list of participants in the roundtable discussions and here for a summary of the discussions.
Following release of the draft Pedestrian Master Plan in May 2009, project staff attended more than 70 community meetings and events to gather public comment on the draft plan. More information about the outreach for the draft plan can be found in Steps in the Planning Process.
Consultant Team
SvR Design Company was selected as the lead consultant for the Pedestrian Master Plan. SvR is an integrated services firm that specializes in innovative and sustainable solutions. SvR works both regionally and nationally for public and private clients on low impact development, parks, housing, site development, and pedestrian, street, and trail projects.
SvR worked closely with a team of sub-consultants, primarily Toole Design Group. Other team members include Bright Engineering, Inc.; Heffron Transportation, Inc.; ReadWagoner, LLC; and Livable Streets, Inc.
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