For the most part, Seattle City Council didn't touch items affecting the Ballard area in their 2013-14 city budget deliberations, which they voted unanimously on today. The budget will be adopted officially on Monday, Nov. 19.

The biggest change is added funding for the Ballard Greenway. They included $1.275 million to make it a reality. The greenway would make minor changes to NW 58th St from Seaview Ave NW to 4th Ave NW, making residential roads safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Changes include sharrows, curb ramps, marked crosswalks, a median island at 24th Ave NW and NW 58th St, a widened multi-use sidewalk and bike ramp at 37th Pl NW by Seaview Ave NW, a permanent partial closure of NW 58th east of 15th Ave NW, and other improvements meant to provide safety and ease of access. You can read more about the proposed greenways here.

In other transit news, a study for a possible high-capacity transit crossing of the Ship Canal (i.e., light rail or streetcar) will be delayed. Originally, Mayor Mike McGinn included $500,000 to study the crossing. The Council re-prioritized the Ship Canal and the Eastlake High Capacity Transit funding, which together would have cost $2.5 million under the Mayor's budget. Now, funding for both has been decreased to $1 million and won't take effect until 2014.

The North Precinct office will also be getting a makeover sooner. $4.25 million has been directed to accelerate the precinct office's replacement to 2016 instead of 2019.

Other items affecting Ballard in the Mayor's budget appear to have been left intact: $300,000 to fund an Environmental Impact Study of the now-infamous (and sometimes bloody) Missing Link; $215 million over six years to reduce combined sewer overflow, a particular problem in Ballard; funding to rebuild the North Transfer Station in Wallingford; a full-time staff position to assist with greenway development; and $276,000 to keep seven community centers open later, including Ballard's.

You can find a complete listing of Council changes to the Mayor's budget here. You can find highlights and some explanation of changes here.

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