On Saturday, November 21, at 2:30 p.m., SDOT will launch the 2009 Holiday Pedestrian Safety Campaign at Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle. Following a “safety fair” with bags and stencils for the kids (beginning at 1:30 p.m.), Emcee Penny LeGate of KIRO-TV will introduce the campaign. Speakers at the event will include Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis, Councilmembers Jan Drago and Nick Licata, SDOT Director Grace Crunican, and SPD Assistant Chief Mike Sanford.

The goal of the campaign is to reduce collisions between vehicles and pedestrians in downtown Seattle this holiday season. The campaign reminds people that they are both drivers and pedestrians and encourages everyone to “take it slow” at this busy time of year. A sample of the artwork and messaging for the campaign is below. In addition to posters and postcards around downtown, you’ll see this campaign on the sides of buses, inside buses, on parking pay stations, on coffee sleeves, and on coasters in downtown restaurants.  

This fall the American Public Works Association (APWA) honored two SDOT Capital Projects and Roadway Structures Division (CPRS) staffers.  CPRS Director Mike Terrell was selected as the recipient for the 2009 APWA Presidential Award for Chapter Excellence (PACE). Terrell, president of the APWA Washington Chapter in 2008 and 2009 executive board member, was recognized for his chapter’s excellent service to members; advancement of public works; and, among other things, service to the community during his tenure.

Michael Terrell 2008-2009 APWA Presidential Award Recipient

Meanwhile, the American Public Works Association Washington State Chapter honored CPRS Project Management Manager Lorelei Williams with its Young Leader Award for 2009. Her nomination is now forwarded to APWA National for the chance in 2010 to win at the national level.  The Young Leader Award recognizes commitment and significant contributions to the public works profession, as well as dedication to ongoing growth, by APWA members age 35 or less.

Lorelei Williams 2009 APWA Young Leader Award Recipient

A new paving project is planned for South Columbian Way between Beacon Ave S and 15^th Ave S in 2010. The project will benefit the multiple users of the street by:

• Repaving the street
• Installing new curbs
• Improving drainage
• Constructing new curb ramps at intersections to improve pedestrian access

In addition to the above, this portion of Columbian Way S will be restriped as part of this project. Restriping would help improve motor vehicle safety and access, pedestrian access, and bicycle usage. Proposed changes include:

• one lane of motor vehicle traffic in each direction
• a new two-way center turn lane
• new bike lanes
• a new dedicated right-turn lane at VA Hospital Drive to improve access to the medical center

This project is a part of the voter approved “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy. Click here for more information on the project.

If you are one of the many Seattleites biking AND busing to work downtown in the same trip, you are probably already familiar with bike loading rules in the Ride Free Area. For those who aren’t as familiar, or may not have realized it, there are rules in place to help with efficient travel during peak hours. We want to make sure you have the info you need if you’re planning your multimodal morning commute, so please read on.

Bus stops on surface streets

During off peak hours: Metro King County allows bikes to be loaded or unloaded anywhere in the Ride Free Area, including on weekends and major holidays.

During the peak hours of 6am – 9am and 3pm – 7pm Monday through Friday: Bikes can only be loaded or unloaded on surface streets at each bus route’s first and last stops in the Ride Free Area.

Bus stops in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel

Bikes can be loaded or unloaded at any tunnel station during all hours the tunnel is open.

If you have questions, or want more information, about traveling with your bike on Metro click here.

We all know Seattle to be the Emerald City and if you look on most neighborhood streets, you can see why. Our city is dedicated to keeping a green landscape by increasing the number of trees in the city over the next 30 years through the Seattle ReLeaf program. SDOT’s Urban Forestry Division plays a major role in keeping our streets adorned with green by planting and maintaining street trees. We currently have 152,000 street trees. Though there are many varieties of trees that make up this number, the top ten are:

• Cherry (including purple leaf plums)
• Maple (including Red and Norway Maples)
• Hawthorne
• Crabapple
• Oak
• Linden
• Ash
• Sweetgum
• Birch
• Dogwood

All in all, we have an inventory of over 500 different types of trees! An ever greening landscape…what a wonderful world.

So by now you are probably pretty familiar with some of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies we use throughout the city to help with traffic. You’ve seen the dynamic message signs we use to alert travelers of roadway conditions, the traffic cameras we use to look out for incidents, and the license plate readers that help record the average travel time from an origin to a destination in the area. This data is used for SDOT’s Travelers Information website which provides a visual of real time traffic conditions.   

While these particular technologies help inform travelers in automobiles, we use ITS to help inform pedestrians as well. You know those “new” pedestrian countdown signals at intersections throughout the city? Those are designed to help pedestrians make safer decisions by informing them of the time remaining to cross the street. The countdown is used together with the traditional “walk” and “don’t walk” symbols. Timing for the pedestrian signal is calculated by measuring the curb-to-curb distance and dividing that length by 4 feet per second. This calculation is a federal standard, but can be adjusted to allow 3 ½ feet per second, or lower, if the crossing is frequently used by seniors or children. The countdown does not include the time the traffic signal is yellow or red. Once the flashing red hand turns solid and the countdown ends a crossing should be complete.

We installed countdown signals at 40 locations in 2009 and plan to install an additional 40 locations next year.

The NE 45th Street Viaduct is scheduled to be replaced during the summer of 2010

The NE 45th Street Viaduct’s existing 468-foot west approach is nearing the end of its structural life and needs to be replaced. 

SDOT is hosting an Open House today, Thursday, November 12 from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the University Presbyterian Church (4540 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, 98105) to talk with neighbors, businesses and commuters about the project.

For more information

Visit the project Web site: www.seattle.gov/transportation/45th-bridge  

 Or e-mail: NE45thBridgeRehab@Seattle.Gov

At SDOT and all around the nation we are rembering and honoring those who served our country.  Happy Veterans’ Day.

Today the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) continued its dress rehearsal of its aggressive new snow-fighting plan by deploying its snow response fleet on city streets. At approximately 4:00 a.m. this morning, more than 20 trucks equipped with snow plows rolled out of SDOT yards to follow the prescribed sequence and turns for each snow route, confirming that each route is well defined and the time allotted is appropriate.    

SDOT Flusher Truck out Rehearsing Snow Plan

During today’s exercise, managers used the new GPS tracking system to follow the vehicles’ progress, operate traffic cameras to “monitor storm conditions,” and use temperature and humidity devices to help determine what materials and usage rates are needed during an actual storm. Additional information about the new snow and ice response plan can be found online at http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/winterweather.htm.  

SDOT Tanker Truck Preparing for Snow Rehearsal

We’ve gotten a few questions about Seattle’s street trees on our Q&A page recently, reminding us that lots of readers might not know about the Seattle Department of Transportation’s role in caring for the city’s tree canopy. Not only does SDOT assist drivers, cyclists, freight delivery people, pedestrians and transit riders, we also manage all of Seattle’s over 130,000 street trees. Staff in SDOT’s Urban Forestry Division combine educational and regulatory efforts to ensure proper planting, pruning and removal practices for trees along Seattle streets. We even have an official City Arborist!

The plaque recognizing a 2003 Heritage Tree in Roanoke Park on Capitol Hill

One of the programs administered by Urban Forestry is the Heritage Tree Program. The first Seattle Heritage Tree was recognized jointly by the City of Seattle and PlantAmnesty in 1996. In the 13 years since, many more Heritage Trees have been celebrated.

And the beauty itself!

Heritage trees may be on either City or private property. Each candidate tree is assessed by a certified arborist and evaluated by a review committee. Candidate trees must meet criteria for health and fit into one of the following categories: a tree of exceptional size, form, or rarity; a tree recognized as historic; trees that are landmarks of a community; or collections of trees in a notable grove, avenue, or other planting.

Each Heritage Tree is identified by a plaque and the owners are given an owner’s tree care manual. A few owners even have chosen to place a deed restriction on their property to provide for future tree protection. You can find a full list of Seattle’s Heritage Trees and more information here. Many of the trees are truly awe-inspiring and worth seeing in person. If you find one on the list in your neighborhood it would make a worthy destination for a hike through our urban forest!