Has anyone successfully got a sidewalk added to their street?

I’ve talked to my ward’s councillor before and the general theme is that there’s not enough foot traffic “yet” to justify it. My argument is we live on a busy road and I feel like the residents that already live here should be justification enough over potential residents in the future? I know rules are rules but juuust curious if there’s any magical secret way to get the city on our side. With young kids, crossing the street to the sidewalk can be a scary task! Thanks all.