Mayor Greg Nickels made a recent on-foot inspection of the Crown Hill neighborhood, but it was not a walk through the path of least resistance.

He appeared gracious and receptive as organizers of the Crown Hill Neighborhood Association and Crown Hill Business Association, along with residents, filled his ears with three major concerns as they ushered him through a problem obstacle course.

The walk started in front of Edward Jones, on 15th Avenue Northwest near Northwest 85th Street. The group continued north to Northwest 90th Street, across and up 12th Avenue Northwest, a tidy residential area without sidewalks. The mayor was asked for sidewalks to be included his Sept. 17 budget.

Some residents appeared in their front yards to confront the mayor, saying that no sidewalks can be a road hazard, especially to children and seniors, and an invitation to general disarray on otherwise well-kept streets.

Another concern was the Holman Road pedestrian overpass, which was built in favor of a crosswalk that was underutilized by bus commuters at two nearby stops. The mayor acknowledged that "these overpasses are not the answer and people don't like to use them."

Nickels and Catherine Weatbrook, who represents the Crown Hill Business association, agreed that installing safe pedestrian crosswalks by the two bus stops would be an improvement. Nickels, and the 20 or so residents crossing the overpass with him, commented that the traffic under their feet was speeding at least 10-mph over the limit.

The walk culminated in the heart of the biggest concern on the walk; the questionable future of the old Crown Hill Elementary School buildings and surrounding land. Neighborhood groups and the old school's non-profit tenants are organizing to purchase the site from the Seattle School District.

The mayor took a brief tour inside one of the buildings, and popped his head into Theresa Elliott's Taj Yoga studio, which she rents at a discount in a former elementary school classroom.

Nickels then rejoined the crowd outside, which grew to about 35, and said, "We've had an opportunity to hear the issues. I'll be making some proposals in my budget next week-sidewalks, safe crossings. You'll be seeing some things here soon matching the vision we've been talking about on this walk."

The mayor announced last week his plans to increase spending for neighborhood transportation projects by $2 million in the 2008 budget to enhance public safety and improve neighborhood streetscapes.

Including funding from the "Bridging the Gap" levy, the city now plans to invest $10.1 million in neighborhood transportation improvements during the next three years.

"Some neighborhoods want new sidewalks, so we are going to build new sidewalks," Nickels said in a statement. "Other neighborhoods want road improvements, so we are going to do that too. These investments directly answer the specific needs of each neighborhood."

Steve Shay can be reached at steves@robinsonnews.com