The Doctor Jose Rizal Bridge, one of two bridges with rehabilitation work beginning late 2009.

If you’ve been reading the blog with us for a while you know that, just like growing apples and cherries, paving streets and sidewalks in Seattle is a seasonal activity. Paving and rain don’t mix well, and we got a taste this weekend of the rainy days that are soon to come.

But that doesn’t mean that there’s no field work to get done in the coming months.  As paving projects wrap up this fall, two of our Bridging the Gap-funded bridge rehabilitation, replacement and seismic retrofit projects are moving into construction this winter: the Doctor Jose Rizal Bridge Rehabilitation Project and the 15th Avenue NE at 105th Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project.  Watch for work on both those structures to begin soon.

In honor of the bridge construction, here are few fun facts about Seattle’s bridges:

 1.  Over 16,000 bridge openings happen each year.  The Fremont Bridge has the least clearance and thus the most openings with over 6,000 each year.

2.  The Spokane Street Swing Bridge is the only double leaf, hydraulic, segmental concrete swing bridge in the world.  Each of the two spans weighs over 15 million pounds.  A nine foot diameter hydraulic cylinder (jack) is use to lift the bridge during each opening.

3.  The Ballard Bridge is 2,854 feet long.  It’s the longest City-owned bridge with pedestrian access.

Fremont Bridge maintenance last summer.

 All the colorful leaves lacing fall trees (and then the ground) are a gift that keeps on giving…in either a good, or a bad way. It all depends on how they’re handled. When residents rake leaves from their yards and sidewalks into the streets the extra load slows down street sweepers, reducing the number of streets that can be cleared. Of course, many people might think they’re being helpful by sweeping those leaves into the roadway, since it’s not common water cooler discussion that “littering” the street with leaves is illegal or that property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks next to their property. So if you are at a water cooler, or other casual gathering, we ask that you chat with neighborhood newcomers not yet accustomed to the City’s disposal system about “proper leaf-raking and disposal etiquette“ (for more information, residents may call the Seattle Public Utilities at 684-3000).

For the gift that keeps giving in a GOOD way, that autumnal yard waste can contribute to environmental rejuvenation – either in your own backyard compost or as part of a larger effort. For really large loads, residents may haul the yard debris to one of the City’s two Recycling and Disposal stations, both of which have special areas for “clean green.” Proper leaf clearing also reduces flood risks. During intense rain, flooding may occur without warning so don’t put grass clippings, leaves, or other debris into drains, ditches, creeks, culverts, gutters or ravines and if a storm drain appears blocked below the street surface, call (206) 386-1800. Want to do more? You can officially adopt a drain in need and be a neighborhood hero! Visit Adopt-A-Drain for the details. Thanks all and enjoy the fall!

Shrinking BigFoot is kicking off in schools this week.  It is a really fun workshop for elementary school kids to empower students to shrink their carbon footprints with easy, everyday actions. Check out the “preview” video here. Seattle City Light and SDOT created the program.  Did you know that driving is the largest source of global warming in Seattle?  It is responsible for almost 60% of Seattle residents’ “carbon footprint”.  SDOT partnered with CoolMom, a nonprofit group of moms concerned about climate change, to make fortune tellers for kids highlighting their cool carbon future.  Remember those fortune tellers you used to make out of paper ? You can download the fortune tellers here and here to make your own. For a kids’ Top 10 list of tips to reduce your carbon footprint, visit our Way to Go Seattle! Shrinking Bigfoot webpage.

Did you know if every Seattlite drove about 20 miles less per week we could meet our goals to reduce GHG?  Here are some ideas of ways to drive 20 miles less per week.  It all adds up to make a difference.

Walking is the oldest and most efficient, affordable, and environmentally-friendly form of transportation—it’s how transit riders eventually reach their destinations, how drivers get from the parking lot to the front door, and how cyclists get from the bike rack to the business.   Nearly everyone, for at least some portion of every day, is a pedestrian. That is why (as most of you know) we developed Seattle’s first Pedestrian Master Plan, approved by the Mayor and Council late last month.

Since it’s gotten so much press from traditional media outlets, we nearly forgot out blog readers might also want to take good look at the plan.  You can check it out here.

Read more »

Curb ramps, also known as wheelchair ramps, are critical to providing access between the sidewalk and the street, but they’re not just intended to help people in wheelchairs.  Everyone benefits when curb ramps are installed whether you are pushing a stroller, riding a bike, or simply walking around your neighborhood.  

Curb ramps are required at each intersection by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 so it is our job to ensure that ramps are present at every one of our 10,000+ intersections.  And we’re ramping up our efforts to do just that. 

SDOT’s ADA Program will construct over 1000 new curb ramps throughout the city over the next two years and our capital improvement program will construct nearly 1000 ramps as well.  Our primary focus is to construct ramps at locations where no ramps exist but we also retrofit hundreds of curb ramps each year to ensure compliance with federal standards. 

We’re making considerable progress towards equipping all of our intersections with curb ramps, and in the process, eliminating mobility barriers and improving our pedestrian system.

The SDOT paving program has been rolling full speed ahead all season, with plenty of concrete, asphalt and paint, but it doesn’t stop there.

We’re also continuing the Seattle tradition of inlaying the street names in brass on corners downtown. You’ll notice them in the retail core and some other locations in the central business district. We know that quality in a transportation system comes at all levels, from efficiently moving thousands of bikes, people and cars through a busy downtown intersection to smaller touches like the brass inlays.

We hope you notice and enjoy them!

Brass inlays at Second Ave and Seneca St

Last month, Tabor 100 recognized SDOT’s Bobby Forch with their 2009 Crystal Eagle Award for Business Development. He serves as the women & minority business enterprises (WMBE) contracts advisor, working to ensure contracts are equitably awarded for SDOT and other City of Seattle projects. Tabor 100 is a grassroots economic development coalition dedicated to ensuring opportunity for minority businesses. Bobby, who has worked for the City for over 20 years, was recognized for his role in creating economic development opportunities for underrepresented businesses.

Working to promote productive and inclusive principles is something he has done during his time with the City. His work has focused on our contracting standards and our outreach to the Seattle business community. Among his contributions are his work on a city ordinance, which passed, requiring equity in contracting, and his work to develop tools that help SDOT project managers use wider pools of contractors that include minority businesses. While in his current role, SDOT has seen its utilization of women and minority businesses increase over 50% in the past three years.

Outside of SDOT, he is an active member of the community, working with the Northwest Children’s Fund to raise grant funds for charities benefiting youth and serving on the board of the Seattle Management Association, among other activities.

Influenced by the positive impact of economic equity on Seattle’s minority businesses, Bobby continues to work on improving our community engagement efforts and our contracting processes. We are proud to have him on our team!

Did you notice how clear Mt Rainier was yesterday?  Well, we have some good news.  According to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency; we can see much farther than we could in 1990.  The average visibility for the Puget Sound area has steadily increased over the last decade (with year-to-year variability caused by meteorology).  For the 18 year period from December 1990 through December 2007; the visual range (based on a 12 month moving average) increased from 46 to 75 miles. This hasn’t always been the case.   In 1990, Mt Rainier was one third less visible than it was 8 years before.  Auto pollution is one of the main reasons.  Many of us at SDOT work to make this city a place where you don’t HAVE to drive; and there are safe and easy ways to walk, bike, and take transit.   Part of our motivation is to help the city be more livable and walkable to protect the environment (and mountain views) we all love.   The reason visibility has improved is due to a variety of factors, including reduced wood burning, but also cleaner burning cars and how we drive.  Now all we have to do is fix this climate problem, and we’re all set.