SDOT posts an example of a sidewalk project in Columbia City – take a look at their photos to see what a difference a sidewalk makes to a neighborhood
View SDOT Sidewalk Project in a larger map
Maple Leaf will be receiving three new crosswalks this year. Two crosswalks had already been approved by SDOT and another one was recently approved after additional study.
View Maple Leaf Crosswalks in a larger map
Westlake Streetcar Plaza (also known as McGraw Square) is currently under construction at the southern terminus of the Seattle Streetcar. This project will provide a new public space downtown and should be a welcome improvement to people on foot in the area. However, it appears that six crosswalks will remain closed during the construction period through Thanksgiving.
The area in red below is closed to pedestrians:
View Westlake Streetcar Plaza in a larger map
Like much of downtown, this is an area of high pedestrian traffic, however the area under construction is completely closed to pedestrians. SDOT spokesperson Rick Sheridan says that safety is the reason:
The southeast corner of Stewart and Fifth is closed because buses, trucks and larger vehicles have difficulty making the corner in turning left from Stewart and often cut it. Until it is reconfigured as part of the work, it is not safe for pedestrians to stand there. The closing the sidewalk and crosswalk are due to this corner not being available for use.
The northeast corner of Olive and Fifth Ave is closed because it is now under construction. There is a deep excavation of approximately 20 feet in depth at that location. As it is now a construction zone it is no longer an area where we should have pedestrians walking.
We apologize for the inconvenience but safety is a key priority as we undertake construction. We encourage walkers to respect the closures as they exist to keep pedestrians safe.
I’m appreciative that SDOT is concerned for the safety of people walking in the area. However, sometimes obstacles can create unsafe situations as people walk around them. While passing by earlier in the week, I saw a man on crutches walking in the roadway of 5th Avenue along the fence. While that kind of behavior is not legal, it’s not surprising either.
This makes me wonder – does the closure of these crosswalks really improve safety in the area, or does it just invite people to make dangerous decisions? It seems like parts of this area could be made available to pedestrians during parts of the construction process. Should SDOT be doing more to make the area passable for pedestrians while under construction?
Streets for All Seattle is organizing to make a strong presence at the remaining two budget hearings. You can RSVP to receive a T-shirt from them.
The City Council needs to hear from you about the importance of funding pedestrian, bicycle and transit improvements. At the two upcoming budget hearings the City Council will listen to members of the public like you and make crucial decisions about the budget. We need more budget hearing heroes to demonstrate strong community support for Streets For All Seattle.
The next budget hearing is this Wednesday evening at The Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Avenue SW, 98106, at 5pm.
PubliCola dives into the details of the mayor’s proposed $13 million Walk Bike Ride Plan. Of that, $5 million is expected in 2011 and pedestrian projects would get the largest piece at over $2 million.
Mayor McGinn’s office sent out this information about the budget:
What’s in the Walk Bike Ride package? More funding for:
Safe, Healthy Neighborhoods
- More Neighborhood Street Fund projects that will improve neighborhoods. These projects have undergone an extensive ranking process involving district councils, neighborhood residents, and the Bridging the Gap Oversight Committee. These projects include:
- Cedar Park: NE 12th St: new sidewalk between Sand Point and 35th Ave NE (2011)
- Central District: E Union pedestrian and bike improvements between E Madison and 13th St (2011)
- South Park: 8th Ave South: new sidewalk between S Director and S Concord Streets (2011)
- Arbor Heights: 35th Ave SW sidewalk between SW 97th and 104th St (2012)
- Crown Hill: 18th Ave NW sidewalks between NW 85th and NW 89th St (2012)
- Pioneer Square: 3rd Ave S sidewalk repair between Prefontaine Pl S and S Washington St (2012)
- Full funding for the Linden Ave North Complete Streets project.
- Projects that speed up implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans. This means more sidewalks, bike facilities, crossing improvements, stairways, pedestrian lighting, and other neighborhood improvements.
- Getting started on the creation of a bikeshare program in Seattle.
A Dependable, Connected Transportation System
- A boost to larger projects that have a bigger impact. Projects receiving funding include:
Frequent, Reliable Transit
- Completion of the Transit Master Plan and potential early implementation of recommendations
Creating Great Places
- Support for Summer Streets events in 2011/2012
We hope you can help us make Seattle a better place. Thank you.
This Sunday from 8 am to 12:30, volunteers will be planting up to 100 trees along South Columbian Way near the VA Medical Center.
Currently this stretch of road is somewhat barren and the addition of these trees will make the street much greener and more friendly for taking a stroll.
The new trees will be planted on South Columbian Way from South Oregon Street to Beacon Avenue South and adjacent streets. They will “green” the neighborhood, helping to transform this well-traveled corridor into a pedestrian and bike-friendly boulevard. The trees to be planted include nine different species to reflect the diversity of Seattle’s population and many diverse countries involved in similar events on this important date. The effort will supplement SDOT’s paving project on Columbian Way that is now nearing completion.
Visit the SDOT blog for more information.
With the city trying to cut millions of dollars from its budget to close a $67 million gap, Mayor Mike McGinn’s proposal to add $13 million for walking, biking, and transit is sure to be contentious.
Great City believes it will require a strong show of support for the city council to approve these budget items.
We need to stand together and make sure the City Council keeps this funding in the budget. Only with your presence can we ensure that important mobility projects like sidewalks in South Park and Crown Hill, extending the Chief Sealth Trail, the completion of the Transit Master Plan, and even basic street maintenance receive the funding they deserve.
This is your opportunity to become a hero, a budget hearing hero. Starting this evening the City Council will listen to members of the public like you and make crucial decisions about the budget. This budget process is crucial for our campaign to fund pedestrian, bicycle and transit infrastructure, and we need supporters like you to turn out at each hearing. Are you ready to stand with Streets For All Seattle?
There are two remaining budget hearings – and if you RSVP online with Streets for All Seattle, they will provide you with a T-shirt to show your support.
- Wednesday, October 13, The Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Avenue SW, 98106, 5 p.m. Sign-in, 5:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 26, Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers, 2nd floor, 600 Fourth Avenue, 98104, 5 p.m. Sign-in, 5:30 p.m.
If you can’t make it to the meetings, Great City mentions a couple other ways in which you can help:
Tell the City Council your story, and/or donate to Streets For All Seattle and help us have the resources necessary to make walking, bicycling and transit the easiest ways to get around Seattle.
Another road will be re-striped to improve pedestrian safety. This time it’s Greenwood Avenue between 85th St and 105th St, which will be reduced from 4 lanes to 3, including a center turn lane.
View Greenwood Avenue road diet in a larger map
Unlike other road diets, this one was requested by the neighborhood and has not received many complaints. The project is planned to be completed this year and will help make things safer for pedestrians by reducing the number of lanes of traffic to cross.
My Ballard has a good write-up on Mayor Mike McGinn’s walking tour of Crown Hill a couple weeks ago. On the tour, he heard about concerns from residents related to crime, drainage, and walkability:
The mayor also heard about the lack of sidewalks on many Crown Hill streets. Earlier this year, community members applied for a Bridging the Gap grant for sidewalks in the area that spans NW 85th to NW 90th between 15th Ave NW and 20th Ave NW. But due to a lack of funding, the proposed project was slimmed down considerably. “Tell the council to approve my proposed tax increases for pedestrian improvements,” the mayor said.
With five stairway improvements underway by SDOT this year, a reader was wondering about SDOT’s policy about lighting these stairways.
Aside from the Wilcox Wall stairs (8th Avenue in Queen Anne) and maybe one or two stairways on Magnolia, most all the stairs that I recall walking in Seattle are unlighted. That’s usually not a problem in the summer, but once winter comes around the lack of lighting combines with overgrown vegetation and a lack of regular sweeping to make most of Seattle’s stairways a bit treacherous and downright creepy.
One of the stairways under construction this year will receive lighting – the stairway at Ferdinand Street that provides a connection to Martin Luther King, Jr Way. However, the city’s annual budget determines how much SDOT can spend on stairway lighting, and this amount is “very little,” according to SDOT.
When possible, SDOT tries to fund lighting along with other maintenance projects. “So often, these separate programs, Lighting, Stairways and Sidewalks are combined to save money in the long run.”
For example, SDOT says “It makes sense to excavate for installation of lighting conduits and pole foundation before constructing a new stair or sidewalk.”
It is not clear, however why the Ferdinand Street stairway improvement received lighting while the other projects did not. This decision may have been based on factors such as pedestrian traffic, length of stairway, vegetation in the area, crime statistics, and ability of neighborhood funding. Once lighting is constructed by SDOT, Seattle City Light performs maintenance.
