Pavement engineers everywhere, take note.  The warm mix vs. hot mix asphalt showdown has begun. 

SDOT just finished paving 4^th Ave S. in the SODO area last night with a new, lower temperature asphalt mix.  This new asphalt mix reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The temperature drop out of the back of the paver the past two nights was impressive: 250° instead of about 300° with the standard mix.  The warm mix did prove a little stiffer than hot mix and required more effort to rake.  However, the finished handwork looked great. We’re waiting for the lab tests, but so far the material is meeting all standards.

Equally exciting is that early estimates indicate a reduction in fuel consumption approaching 20% at the plant.  Good for the environment and good for our project costs.

Positive initial results, but the proof is in the pudding.   We’ll continue testing and monitoring how it performs over time.  Hot mix, don’t let your guard down.

Raking the new warm mix asphalt

Before the Snake Hill sidewalk

In case you didn’t get enough of those beautiful before and after shots earlier today, here are a couple more of a sidewalk project in Delridge that was just finished yesterday. The North Delridge Neighborhood Council requested a sidewalk on “Snake Hill” (30th Ave SW from High Point to SW Brandon Street). This sidewalk was wrapped up thanks to the Neighborhood Street Fund Large Projects funded by Bridging the Gap and the hard work of the Delridge Neighborhood Council.

Snake Hill with the new sidewalk in place

More info here.

Happy walking!

We’re in the thick of the construction season at SDOT and projects of all sizes are being completed every week. Here are before and after shots of three smaller projects that wrapped up over the past couple months. Each one took a small space and gave it a big makeover with pedestrian lighting, new sidewalks and planting areas.

After - Airport Way S and S Vale St in Georgetown

All three projects are from our Neighborhood Street Fund. They’re not huge headline-grabbers, but for the neighbors who use these spaces every day they’ll make a big impact. NSF projects are unique because they are proposed directly by the community. It requires a fair amount of commitment to see a project through the selection process, so the neighborhood residents who championed these improvements deserve credit for their success.

Before - Airport Way S and S Vale St in Georgetown

 

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Long-term coordination efforts paid off this weekend as the city’s first light rail line began operating.  The Seattle DOT has been a close partner on the project with responsibility for activities such as traffic signal timing and parking changes around stations. 

The timing system that operates the train and vehicle signals is one of the most sophisticated in the country.  It always looks ahead five intersections and begins incremental signal changes to minimize impacts from trains passing through.  It also ensures that the first green light after a train is given to the folks who have been waiting longest or have the longest queue rather than automatically reverting to a set pattern. 

Reminding drivers about parking changes near stations

SDOT made a big push throughout the weekend to make sure the communities near the stations and traveling public were ready for parking changes.  Staffers put courtesy flyers under the windshield wipers of vehicles around stations without parking permits on Friday to minimize surprises when the new Restricted Parking Zone regulations went into effect.  The new regulations preserve parking for businesses, residents and visitors by limiting commuter parking ¼ mile from stations.

Three new light rail riders

You also may have seen SDOT staff at information booths answering questions and sharing in the excitement throughout the opening weekend.

Just in time for the hot weather, new gateway signs were installed by SDOT crews last week welcoming travelers to Rainier Beach.  For a map of the gateway signs and other new pedestrian signs in Rainier Beach click here. 

The signs are part of the Neighborhood Street Fund program, funded through Bridging the Gap.

Don’t forget the sunscreen.

Update: The deadline for submissions is extended to August 31.

Are you an artist?  Do you live in the Central District, Judkins Park or Squire Park?  If so, we’re waiting to hear from you.

SDOT is partnering with the folks over in the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs on a project that hires a local artist to design artwork for metal traffic signal boxes at intersections in the Central District, Judkins Park and Squire Park neighborhoods.  

The selected artist will receive $2,000 for his or her designs, which will be displayed throughout the community.  You just have to be a resident of the neighborhoods in order to be considered. 

Maybe it’s the summer weather, but submissions have been a little low.  If you’ve been thinking about sending something in, now’s your chance! 

The deadline is this Friday, July 24.  More info and submission requirements here.

Yesterday two new “dynamic message signs” passed inspection and were activated. The signs look great! They are on 1^st Ave S and 4^th Ave S, both south of Spokane Street and for northbound traffic.  Messages went up for drivers immediately about construction impacting access to Spokane St.  We’ll have more information on how they’re working in a few days.

Dynamic message signs are one way to move people and freight more efficiently.  We don’t have room for new roads in a built-out city like ours, so spreading traffic more evenly over the roads we’ve got is important.  Signs like these give travelers up-to-the minute information so they can steer clear of congested areas, use other parts of the street network and keep moving.

As you know, transportation is a hot issue here in Seattle.  Just as they do everywhere, people here rely on the transportation system to get them to and from work, visit relatives and friends, run important errands and head out of town for a weekend away.  When you couple those basics with Seattle residents’ strong commitment to environmental sustainability, our maritime shipping industry, our interest in exercise and public health and our robust local employment sector you’ve got quite a mix!

Here at SDOT we’re excited about joining the transportation conversation with this blog.  We’ll share stories about the people and new projects that keep Seattle moving.  We look forward to your comments, questions, ideas and feedback.  As we talk, we hope you’ll come to know a group of people a lot like you, working hard to make our city a better place to live, work and play.  And we intend to learn from what you tell us.

Here are the ways we hope you’ll join us.  First, we’ll always have a section at the top of the page for real-time (or close to it) responses to questions that are posted.  Wondering about a new project in your neighborhood?  Just ask.  Second, we’ll pay close attention to your comments on the blog and look forward to hearing about your experiences.

So, to start us off, what current projects would you like us to cover on the SDOT blog?  Let us know in the comments section below.  Thanks for joining the conversation!