23rd Avenue Construction schedule

Construction forecast at-a-glance

Major construction on 23rd Avenue is now scheduled to begin in mid-May, starting with Work Zone A located between S Jackson and E Cherry streets. However, before the contractor can begin rebuilding the street, Puget Sound Energy and Seattle Public Utilities need to complete some preliminary work.

 

Puget Sound Energy work through March 31

Crews working for Puget Sound Energy need to determine the exact location of utilities under the street. This is done by "potholing" locations in the street using a truck-mounted machine.

 

What to expect:

• Short-term, single lane closures in spot locations between S Jackson and E John streets
• Driveway and sidewalk access will be maintained
• Flaggers where needed to direct traffic
• Work hours:
  • Weekdays between 9 AM and 3:30 PM
  • Short-term daytime work Saturday, March 28 at 23rd Avenue and E Jefferson Street*
  • Short-term daytime work Sunday, March 29 at 23rd Avenue and E Union Street*

* A Uniformed Police Officer will be directing traffic at the intersections of 23rd Avenue and E Jefferson Street (Saturday) and E Union Street (Sunday).

Seattle Public Utilities work to start in April

Starting as soon as April 1, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews will begin preliminary work to replace older water service lines before major water main replacement begins in mid-May. See the basics below - we will share more information in the next email update.

What to expect:

• Short-term lane closures (up to one in each direction)
• Driveway and sidewalk access will be maintained
• Flaggers where needed to direct traffic
• Temporary water service interruptions for some customers
  • Interruptions are expected to be no longer than two hours
  • SPU will notify affected properties prior to this work
• Work hours:
  • Weekdays between 9 AM and 3 PM
  • Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) between 9 AM and 6 PM

Miss the pre-construction open house? View all the information online

We had a great turnout at our March 5 open house at Garfield High School. We connected with residents, business owners and commuters about what to expect during construction and how 23rd Avenue will operate once the project is complete for people driving, taking transit, biking and walking.

If you didn't make it to the meeting, you can visit our community construction resource site to see the materials we shared. This site has a Google Translate feature to view the information in over 50 languages. Feel free to share the link with your neighbors.

Stay informed

If you have a question or concern, feel free to contact us anytime on our project hotline or via email.

• Call: (206) 727-8857 (hotline will be staffed 24/7 once major construction begins)
• Email: 23rdAveCorridor@seattle.gov
• Website: www.seattle.gov/transportation/23rd_ave.htm
• Community construction resource site: sdot23rdave.publicmeeting.info

We look forward to continuing to work with the community to bring these important safety and mobility improvements to the Central District.

23rd Avenue Corridor Improvements Project

The purpose of the 23rd Avenue Corridor Improvements Project is to improve safety and mobility for people who drive, walk, bike and take transit. Phase 1 of the project includes modifying 23rd Avenue from a four-lane street to a three-lane street. This means one lane in each direction with a center turn lane. This phase of work also includes new pavement, sidewalk improvements, traffic signal improvements, lighting improvements and public art. Click here to view the project fact sheet.

Implementation of Central Area Neighborhood Greenway

Implementation of Phase I of the Central Area Neighborhood Greenway began on February 25, 2015. Phase I of this greenway runs from S Jackson St to E Columbia St on 25^th Ave, then crosses 23^rd Ave at E Columbia St and heads north on 22^nd Ave E to E Madison St. At E Madison St, the greenway moves to 21^stAve E and continues north to E John St. You may view a map of the entire greenway route here. 

As part of Phase I implementation, we are adding speed humps along the route, at roughly one per block. We will also be installing stop signs on all streets crossing 25^th and 22^nd avenues and adding bicycle pavement markings (called sharrows) along the route. Flashing beacons for pedestrians and bicyclists will be installed at 25^th Avenue and East Yesler Way and also at 25^th Avenue and East Cherry Street.

Before installing speed humps, crews will build new curb ramps, make sidewalk repairs, and conduct electrical work. For a detailed look at the planned improvements, please view our Phase I Construction Notice.

In order to accommodate construction on the 23^rd Avenue Corridor Improvements project, greenway implementation work will be conducted south to north, one intersection at a time at the following locations:

·         25^th Avenue and East Yesler Way

·         25^th Avenue and East Cherry Street

·         25^th Avenue and East Columbia Street

·         22^nd Avenue and East Madison Street

·         21^st Avenue East and East John Street

Speed hump construction requires on-street parking restrictions for a minimum of two days and may include additional time for preparation. Construction notices will be delivered to impacted properties prior to work starting, and “no park” signs will be placed.

We anticipate all construction activities for Phase I to be complete by spring 2015. Phases 2 and 3 of the project (the south and north ends, respectively) are anticipated to begin implementation next summer and to be complete by winter 2015.

For more information on the project, and all the planned phases and improvements, please contact Maribel Cruz, Seattle Department of Transportation Communications at Maribel.Cruz@seattle.gov or visit the project website: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/centralgreenway.htm .

For questions and concerns regarding construction, please feel free to contact me. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Sandy Lam

Construction Communications Officer

206-504-1454

sandy@stephersonassociates.com

Participatory Budgeting: an interesting idea to explore

City Money for Park and Street Improvement Projects

(Full details here)

As you may be aware, the 2015 Adopted and 2016 Endorsed Budget adds additional funding to the Neighborhood Parks and Street Fund in 2015 and 2016. The City’s intent is to implement more of the projects that have been or will be (for 2016) identified, vetted, and recommended by neighbors and District Councils through the NPSF selection process.

What this means for 2015 projects

This past summer, District Councils prioritized nearly $2 million in project requests to be considered for implementation in 2015. As typical, each District was awarded at least one project – generally the highest priority project as determined by the District Council.

To decide how to allocate the additional $1 million in 2015 funding, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) met in December to review the 2015 prioritized projects that did not receive funding in the original review. These projects had been approved by SDOT and received a cost estimate, but did not go forward in the process (or were not fully funded) because the original NPSF budget ($1.2 million) was fully allocated. With additional funds, these projects can be funded and/or some of the projects already approved for 2015 can receive additional funding. Any funds not allocated for 2015 projects will automatically carry over into the 2016 NPSF budget.

For 2016 NPSF projects<http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/npsf/default.htm>, DON will begin taking new applications on January 1, 2015 for approximately $2.2 million in funding (up from $1.2 million).  The application deadline for 2016 NPSF is Monday, February 9, 2015.

If you have any questions please discuss with your Neighborhood District Coordinator (tim.durkan@seattle.gov)  or contact me directly at James.Bush@Seattle.Gov or via telephone at 206.233.5044.

Community Solar program thanks to Capitol Hill Housing

Hi Neighbors!

I have an update on a really exciting neighborhood project to share with you! The Capitol Hill EcoDistrict, which is a neighborhood sustainability initiative led by Capitol Hill Housing, has recently launched a new Community Solar program in partnership with Seattle City Light.

Community Solar is a way for residents to participate and receive the benefits of solar without having their own solar arrays on their roof—and in this case also supports a great cause! Anyone who pays a City Light bill can now buy-in to our fully built (and running!) “shared” Community Solar array, which is located atop one of Capitol Hill Housing’s affordable housing properties at 10^th and E. John St., the Holiday Apartment building. They will then earn their money back via credits on their City Light bills based on the solar energy generated. When the program ends in 2020, participants are expected to have earned back their entire investment, plus a little extra! The solar array will then be donated to Capitol Hill Housing to continue to support affordable housing. Basically it’s a win-win-win for everyone!

So to recap:

1.     Buy Solar Units: Any City Light customer can sign up, starting at $150

2.     Get Paid Back: Earn your investment back via credits on your bill until 2020

3.     Feel Good: This project produces clean energy, supports the regional economy (all of the system components and labor are locally sourced!), and reduces the long-term operating costs of affordable housing.

Sign up today! http://www.seattle.gov/light/solarenergy/commsolarcurrent.asp

If you’re interested in learning more about our work, check out our website http://capitolhillecodistrict.org/ and follow us on facebook or twitter!

You can also reach the EcoDistrict Outreach Coordinator, Arielle Lawson (me!) at alawson@capitolhillhousing.com

SDOT’s School Road Safety Action Plan WikiMap

Welcome to SDOT’s School Road Safety Action Plan WikiMap! Please use this tool to note specific locations where there are improvements needed to make walking and biking to your school safer and more comfortable. The information you and your neighbors provide will be used to help prioritize locations for engineering improvements or possibly other interventions. For more information about the Seattle School Road Safety Action Plan please visit:

http://www.seattle.gov/be-super-safe/school-road-safety.

Link to map:
http://wikimapping.net/wikimap/SeattleSchoolRoadSafety.html

Free Naturopathic Clinic at Aegis on Madison

I wanted to share that we have a great benefit in conjunction with Bastyr University as they offer a Naturopathic Clinic free of charge to anyone in the community here every Friday afternoon.  Sign-ups are first come and first serve.  Would love to get the word out to the neighbors.  People would need to call our Concierge at 206-325-1600 to set things up.

All the best,

Rob

Rob Liebreich

Aegis on Madison

Assisted Living and Memory Support, Come Visit!

Located at 2200 E. Madison Street

Seattle, WA  98112

206-325-1600