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Thursday, October 15, 2015
How should Seattle grow over the next 20 years?
23rd Ave construction update: Cherry intersection work October 17 and 24
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Detours and Travel Delays at 23rd Avenue and East Cherry Street intersection during multiple upcoming weekend closures
TRAFFIC ADVISORY
October 14, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Norm Mah, Senior Public Relations Specialist, 206-684-8114
Detours and Travel Delays at 23rd Avenue and East Cherry Street intersection during multiple upcoming weekend closures
SEATTLE - The Seattle Department of Transportation advises travelers of weekend construction, detours, and a full closure of the East Cherry Street and 23rd Avenue intersection while crews install storm drainage as part of the 23rd Avenue Corridor Improvements Project. The intersection will be closed over two consecutive weekends beginning Saturday, October 17, with multiple additional closures to follow. Local access will be provided for residents and businesses.
On Saturday, October 17 from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m., travelers can expect the following:
• The East Cherry Street and 23rd Avenue intersection will be closed to traffic in all directions.
• East Cherry Street will be open only for local access from 21st Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr Way.
• 23rd Avenue will be open only for local access between East Union Street and East Cherry Street in both directions; one-way southbound access will resume south of East Jefferson Street; northbound 23rd Avenue remains closed between South Jackson and East Cherry Street.
• Detours around the intersection of East Cherry Street at 23rd Avenue include:
o For southbound 23rd Avenue traffic, drivers will follow a detour via East Union Street to 14th Avenue, with a left on East Jefferson Street to return to 23rd Avenue.
o For northbound 23rd Avenue traffic, drivers will follow the regular construction detour on South Jackson Street to Martin Luther King Jr Way but continue to East Union Street, where they can return to 23rd Avenue.
o For westbound East Cherry Street traffic, drivers will take Martin Luther King Jr Way to East Union Street. To return to East Cherry Street, use 14th Avenue.
o For eastbound East Cherry Street traffic, drivers will take 21st Avenue to East Jefferson Street, following 23rd Avenue south to East Yesler Way.
For information about bus service, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online, www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or call 206-553-3000.
Flaggers and uniformed police officers will be present to manage traffic and assist pedestrians.
Pedestrian crossings will be maintained and businesses will remain open and accessible.
Please visit the website for more information and to view a map of the detours: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/23rd_Ave.htm.
Norm Mah
Senior Public Relations Specialist
City of Seattle Department of Transportation
O: 206.684.8114 | M: 206.255.9389
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Central Area Greenways to make 21st Avenue TWO WAY!
This announcement has just arrived, with the surprising news that parts of 21st Ave. E. are destined to become two-way!!!
You may recall that we all discussed this with the City back in 2013 and 2014, and asked them at the time how 2-way bike traffic on the Greenway would be handled on the 1-way streets. Their answer back then (I asked several times) was that the car traffic on the street would be unaffected.
(Link to all the blog Greenway posts)
Now, at this rather late stage, everything has changed. I invite you all to submit comments to the City (and add them as comments to this blog post or E-mail them to me). I have appended copies of messages that neighbors have already sent to the City. (The plans obvious bring up many questions about narrow streets, parking, school bus traffic, etc).
Please let me know if you would like us, as a neighborhood, to have a meeting with the Greenways officials.
Andrew Taylor, andrew_taylor@me.com
People to contact:
Sandy Lam
Central Area Neighborhood Greenway Construction Communications Officer
206-504-1454
Contact Maribel Cruz at Maribel.cruz@seattle.gov or (206) 684-7963.
AND/OR try the Director of Department of Transportation:
| Kubly, Scott scott.kubly@seattle.gov (and please send me a copy: andrew_taylor@me.com |
******************************Greenways Announcement**********************
It’s official! Phase 1 of the Central Area Neighborhood Greenway is ready for your use. With new curb ramps, bicycle pavement markings, speed humps, signage, rapid flashing beacons, stop signs on cross streets, and an enhanced pedestrian crossing signal at 22nd Ave E and E Union St, you may now enjoy the benefits of a safer and more comfortable environment for walking and riding bikes along residential streets adjacent to 23rd Ave between S Jackson St and E John St.
Thank you for your patience during this work, and please note that, over the next several weeks, you may notice crews putting finishing touches on the route.
Implementation of Phases 2 and 3 (at the south and north ends of the greenway, respectively) is expected to begin the week of October 12. Project elements will be similar to those in Phase 1. We recently sent a mailer to residents and businesses along the greenway route with more details. If you did not receive it, you may view the attachment to this email.
Since the selection of the greenway route last summer, additional input and analysis have led to the following refinements:
Phase 2:
· The greenway will run along 25th Ave S (rather than 24th Ave S) between S Grand St and S Massachusetts St.
· The greenway will run along 25th Ave S (rather than 26th Ave S) between S Norman St and S Charles St.
Phase 3:
· The one-way portion of 21st Ave E between E Aloha St and E Roy St will be converted to allow two-way traffic.
· The one-way portion of 21st Ave E between E John St and E Republican St will be converted to allow two-way traffic.
Phases 2 and 3 of the greenway are expected to reach substantial completion by the end of the year.
If you would like more information about the project, please visit our project webpage at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/centralgreenway.htm.
If you have questions or concerns regarding construction, please feel free to contact me directly.
Thank you again for your continued support and patience, and enjoy your new greenway!
Sincerely,
Sandy Lam
Central Area Neighborhood Greenway Construction Communications Officer
206-504-1454
***********Letter from Holy Names Academy
Holy Names Academy does not agree with the change to alter 21st Ave E between E Aloha and E Roy streets to accommodate two-way traffic. We only learned of the change when we called the City for an update in mid-September on the timing of Phase 3 of the Central Area Neighborhood Greenway. During this conversation, we were surprised to learn that 21st Ave E would now be converted to a two-way street, and we immediately requested a meeting with the City to convey our concerns. We appreciated the City’s responsiveness, and subsequently met with communications officers Maribel Cruz and Sandy Lam, and senior civil engineers Norene Pen and Carol McMahan. At the meeting we expressed our serious concerns about making 21st Ave East a two-street for cars, and we shared with them the neighborhood agreement from 1989 that established the street as one-way. The one-way traffic has been a successful strategy for 26 years, and we believe that a two-way street would not be workable. The current one-way street preserves parking, reduces congestion, and improves the safety and flow of traffic.
At our meeting with the City officials, we recommended that they consider altering the Greenway to utilize the existing one-way streets on 20th Ave E and 21st Ave E so that both bicycles and cars are moving in the same direction. This suggestion was not entertained. Instead, the officials indicated that although the one-way signs will come down on 21st Ave E, the street would remain a de facto one-way street by leaving the signs “Do Not Enter” on the south end of the street. We have concerns that drivers will not see the signs, and we asked that if the City proceeds with this plan, placement and size of the “Do Not Enter” signs be explored.
Holy Names Academy remains concerned with the change of 21st Ave E from a one-way to a two-way street, and furthermore, we do not support any changes that would reduce parking or change the current neighborhood agreement. We welcome a meeting with the neighborhood and City officials to discuss this situation further.
Elizabeth Swift
Head of School
Holy Names Academy
**************Letter from Guillaume, MIller Park Neighbors Chair********
I wanted to weigh in because -- although I understand the concerns -- I am not 100% in agreement with some of the comments that have been voiced on this thread.**********Neighbors' Letters below (and in the comments section)********
But before weighing in with my two cents, I also wanted to point out that there might be some potential compromises. Two thoughts:
(1) Could the school buses be moved to 19th Ave instead of 21st Ave? On 19th the buses would crowd the street less and their exhaust would be farther from nearby residences. As it currently stands, I can often smell their exhaust inside our house when they park across the street. I don't worry so much for myself, but I do worry about how this pollution affects our two young daughters.
(2) Could we institute an RPZ for the neighborhood? This would likely solve many of the parking concerns, and could possibly help make the intersections safer -- currently many of the corners are blind because cars are parked right up to each intersection. This is dangerous for bikes as well as for cars.
---
FWIW, here are my opinions:
First, I am really excited that our street is going to become a greenway -- I think it will be wonderful for our street and for our neighborhood.
Second, one thing that I think is true is that the school buses make it unlikely that our street would be viable (or safe) with two-way traffic. As it stands there is often only just enough room to squeeze by when buses are parked on the west side of the street.
Third, although I think it's true that parking can sometimes be difficult to find in our neighborhood (nothing like other parts of capitol hill, but nonetheless challenging at times), I don't agree that this means we need to sacrifice other progressive transportation reforms at the behest of requests for ample parking. I think we can all agree that some people will always need to get around by car, but that better transportation alternatives might allow the rest of us to be less car reliant.
Cheers,
Guillaume
23rd Ave construction update: E Union St intersection closure this weekend, upcoming work at E Cherry St and in Zone C
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Miller Community Center Advisory Council: care to volunteer?
Activities at Miller Community Center are guided by a volunteer Advisory Council.
The present small, but diligent, group of volunteers would be overjoyed if you would care to join the group.
Next meeting is Wednesday October 14th from 6:30 to 8 PM at Miller Community Center, 330 - 19th Ave. E.
More details are available from Center Director Lori Van Norman, (206) 684-4753
BTW: here's a class you might enjoy:
The present small, but diligent, group of volunteers would be overjoyed if you would care to join the group.
Next meeting is Wednesday October 14th from 6:30 to 8 PM at Miller Community Center, 330 - 19th Ave. E.
More details are available from Center Director Lori Van Norman, (206) 684-4753
BTW: here's a class you might enjoy:
New Fitness Class at Miller Community Center
Come and realize your own body strength and get fit. Miller is excited to explore new fitness options with a certified instructor who will teach you how to work-out in a safe way, no matter what your fitness level is. We will work together to find the right level for all participants in the class as we begin to build a class where all are comfortable. Join us this Wednesday from 7-8 p.m.
Wednesdays 7:00-8:00 p.m. $40 for the month of October or $15 drop in fee.
Register at the community center or online https://class.seattle.gov/parks/Start/Start.asp
Barcodes: October 138710, November 138711, December 138712
Mapping noise complaints
(Let me know if you are interested in this. andrew_taylor@me.com)
Hope you’re having a great week! I recently came across your site and see that you have provided a great resource for individuals interested in Miller Park.
Trulia’s Lead Geospatial Engineer recently researched areas in Seattle with the highest noise complaints. We found that Capitol Hill and the University District are quite dense in noise complaints. You can check out the article here: http://www.trulia.com/blog/trends/noise-complaint-maps/
If you’d like you can utilize this content for your website or I can create custom content for your site specifically.
You can also check out the full Seattle animated map here: https://cartodb-trulia.cartodb.com/viz/0c43fbca-5b25-11e5-9a6e-0e73ffd62169/embed_map
Yvonne Lee <Yvlee@trulia.com>
23rd Ave construction update: E Union St work update, E James St intersection closure this weekend
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Sunday, October 4, 2015
Major Metro service improvements, but what’s coming in March?
Reprinted from Madison Park Times
GUEST COLUMN | Major Metro service improvements, but what’s coming in March?
Friday, October 02, 2015 4:38 PM
With the passage of Proposition 1, the City of Seattle now has a funding mechanism that is expected to raise $45 million per year to help address overcrowding and reliability issues with Metro Transit and to add frequency to meet demand for more transit, effective Sept. 26.
Here are some of the changes from Metro’s website (metro.kingcounty.gov/up/sc/rideralert/2015/sept/route-revisions.html) for Routes 2, 8, 11, 12, 43 and 48. You may wish to compare these to the proposed changes that occur in March 2016, which are currently being debated by the Metropolitan King County Council.
•Route 2 — Frequency improves from 30 minutes to 15 minutes with the addition of trips to Downtown Seattle and trips to Madrona each evening, and trips on Saturdays.
On Sundays, early morning and late-evening service frequency also improves from 60 minutes to 30 minutes.
Most of the new Route 2 trips on weekday evenings and Sunday connects to Route 13.
Most of the new Route 2 trips on weekday evenings and Sunday connects to Route 13.
•Route 8 — On Saturdays, 15-minute service extends with the addition of trips to the Seattle Center and Rainier Beach.
On Sundays, trips are added to maintain a 30-minute service frequency for most of the day.
On Sundays, trips are added to maintain a 30-minute service frequency for most of the day.
•Route 11 — On weekdays, midday service frequency improves to every 15 minutes with the addition of trips to Downtown Seattle and Madison Park. Also, 15-minute service frequency extends to about 8 p.m.
Late-night service frequency improves from 60 minutes to 30 minutes with the addition of two westbound and two eastbound trips.
On Saturdays, midday and early evening service frequency improves to every 15 minutes trips. Late-night service frequency improves to every 30 minutes.
On Sundays, early morning and late-night service frequency improves.
•Route 12 — On weekdays and Saturdays, evening service frequency improves to every 15 minutes.
On Sundays, service frequency improvse to every 30 minutes.
Service is extended until midnight on all days.
•Route 43 — On Saturday mornings, service frequency improves to every 15 minutes. On weekday and Saturday evenings until about 10 p.m. and on Sundays from the start of service until about 10 p.m., Route 43 does not connect to Route 44.
•Route 48 — On Saturday evenings and during the day on Sunday, service frequency improves to every 15 minutes.
March restructuring
March restructuring
Metro’s changes for March 2016 are mean-spirited since they remove many of the improvements implemented with Prop. 1 funding. First, it puts Routes 8 and 11 on East Madison up to 19th Avenue East, where the two buses will turn north to East John Street, then to light rail on Broadway, next to Olive Way/Bellevue Avenue, then to Pine Street downtown.
This change leaves a gap in service between 19th and East Madison Street until Broadway and Pine, which is not filled by Route 12, which goes west on Madison. This is in addition to a difficult bus turn on 19th Avenue East.
These changes leave a gap on East John between 23rd and 19th Avenues East, plus it eliminates Route 43, only to partially replace it with Route 11.
The County Council is now reviewing the Metro proposal, and based on preliminary comments, it appears that some council members are suggesting “no action,” creating a phased approach or postponing the restructure for a year.
The County Council is now reviewing the Metro proposal, and based on preliminary comments, it appears that some council members are suggesting “no action,” creating a phased approach or postponing the restructure for a year.
The council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee will be have a meeting to discuss the proposed restructure on Oct. 14 at 9:30 a.m.
Just look at the Metro’s flip-flop: In June 2015, it proposed putting Routes 8 and 11 on East John and Thomas streets, and now it proposes putting them on East Madison.
Just look at the Metro’s flip-flop: In June 2015, it proposed putting Routes 8 and 11 on East John and Thomas streets, and now it proposes putting them on East Madison.
I agree with the suggestion to postpone the changes until after light rail goes in and the impact of Prop. 1 funding is seen.
Metro has missed one big constituency in the March 2016 restructure by ignoring the needs of seniors and handicapped passengers. Metro is telling these people to walk or take Access, and this is not right since we have ADA-compliant buses.
Metro has missed one big constituency in the March 2016 restructure by ignoring the needs of seniors and handicapped passengers. Metro is telling these people to walk or take Access, and this is not right since we have ADA-compliant buses.
It is easy for groups on East Madison to claim they can live with the new 11 routing, forgetting that the bus serves areas between Lake Washington and downtown today, but not in March 2016. There are more destinations than the downtown retail area.
Metro has held public meetings earlier this year, but based on its proposal, it’s not listening to the users, including residents, workers, seniors and the handicapped.
Seattle approved Prop. 1 for improved bus service, so why are we paying extra sales taxes for less service in March 2016?
Move Seattle, Madison BRT
Move Seattle, Madison BRT
In November, Seattle residents will vote on Move Seattle (www.seattle.gov/transportation/LevytoMoveSeattle.htm) to improve an aging transportation system. Seattle voters are asked to support a $930 million property tax measure that replaces the existing Bridging the Gap transportation levy, which expires at the end of this year.
Part of this package is a proposal for a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) on the Madison corridor (www.seattle.gov/transportation/madisonbrt.htm). It would provide fast, reliable service and major infrastructure improvements that are long overdue; the last improvements were for the 1962 World’s Fair. Improvement includes streets, lighting, sidewalks and bus shelters.
There are still questions about how far east the BRT will go.
Lindy Wishard, Dick Clark, Bob Edmiston, Jim Stearns and Ken Myrabo are just some of the community leaders on the Madison Corridor who support the Madison BRT.
REG NEWBECK is a Madison Park resident. To comment on this column, write to MPTimes@nwlink.com.
REG NEWBECK is a Madison Park resident. To comment on this column, write to MPTimes@nwlink.com.
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