Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow drew on children’s poet Shel Silverstein to express his feelings on the city’s sidewalk system in Tuesday’s Community Connections newsletter.

Enslow described the city’s sidewalks as a source of scenery, exercise and simple transportation for citizens who don’t drive. But the mayor also said the city had more work to do.

“Sumner’s sidewalks are not complete, and Mr. Silverstein would find places in Sumner where, unfortunately, the sidewalk does still end,” Enslow wrote in the Mayor’s Update. “I want to assure you that we are making progress. We’re adding sidewalks to as many sections of Parker Road as our recent grant will fund.”

City Administrator John Galle presented the city’s six-year transportation improvement plan to the city council at Monday’s study session. The plan identified three sidewalk fill-in projects under the 2014-2019 plan: two citywide, and one addressing three spots on Parker Road from Meade McCumber to 50th Street.

The Parker Road project is expected to cost $1.4 million and is currently half-funded by a Transportation Improvement Board Grant. The remaining funds will come from the Board, the national Safe Routes program, or non-motorized Federal grants, according to a project listing from the Public Works department.

Planning is ongoing on an $80,000 volunteer project to fill in residential sidewalks, for which the city has provided $40,000 in funding.

Presently unfunded is a $489,600 city Safe Routes to School project to fill in sidewalk gaps, repair and replace ramps, and install speed feedback signs at elementary schools. Design was completed in 2012, and the Public Works project list noted the city should continue to apply for grants from the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

“Even where there are sidewalks, sometimes we’re not done,” Enslow wrote. “We’ve assessed everywhere the existing sidewalks are missing (American Disabilities Act) accessible features such as ramps and are seeking funding to add those as we can.”