Since January 2009, SDOT’s Community Parking Program has been engaging the First Hill neighborhood to study parking and develop ways to make it better. We’ve been going to neighborhood meetings, have hosted a walking tour and open house, and have hit the streets going door to door to chat with businesses.

Parking on First Hill is tight. Residential density paired with major institutions, employers, and visitors makes for quite the competition and a high demand on a scarce but sacred resource like on-street parking.

We’ve put together a draft plan that aims to balance these needs and improve access. It includes things like adding restricted parking zone (RPZ) blocks to support residential needs and adding paid parking to improve turnover and encourage better compliance to those time limits. We’re also considering adding a 4-hour time limit sign that would apply to vehicles with disabled parking placards (not the license plates, just the transferable and often abused hangtags) around some of the hospital areas.

If you live, work, or play in First Hill, we’d like to hear from you. Check out the project website to learn more and take a short survey. Give us a call or email and let us know what you think about the proposals. We’re taking feedback until the end of February and will be using your thoughts to help pull together a final plan in March.

After a successful first round of open houses on the First Hill Streetcar in December, SDOT is happy to host a second set this week. If you want to learn more about the proposed alternatives, see what kinds of comments we’ve received so far, and have your questions answered you should join us. There will be three opportunities to attend an open house this week. The first is TODAY from 4pm to 7pm at Union Station (401 S. Jackson Street). Alternatively, there will be two sessions on Thursday, February 11, 2010, one from 11:30am to 1pm and one from 4pm to 7pm. Both will take place at Seattle First Baptist Church (1111 Harvard Ave). More information is available here. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Did you know SDOT has a Traveler’s Information Map?  The map serves Seattle area travelers by providing access to live traffic congestion information.  Find out in real time if vehicle traffic is moving slowly on a street so you can choose another route if necessary. 

The map and more traffic information including construction impacts are all available here.  Happy (and informed) traveling!

Check traffic conditions in real time before you travel!

The goal of the Pedestrian Master Plan is to make Seattle the most walkable city in the nation.  To achieve this goal, the plan recommends providing pedestrian safety education targeting both drivers and pedestrians.  And next Saturday, you can get a little taste of safety education in action.

The Aurora Traffic Safety Project has partnered with PCC Natural Markets – Greenlake on a traffic safety education event to take place on Saturday, February 13^th.  The goal of this effort is to reduce unsafe behavior that contributes to collisions on Aurora such as speeding, failure to yield to vehicles and pedestrians, and inattention.   

We will be handing out informative cards containing facts about Aurora as well as safety reflectors and reusable shopping bags branded with the PCC and Aurora Traffic Safety Project logos (see photo below). 

Join us on Saturday, February 13^th from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greenlake PCC Natural Markets (7504 Aurora Ave) to learn more.   

The Aurora Traffic Safety Project is funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Dr. Jose Rizal during the daytime

Close up of steel at the Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge

Motorists are kindly asked to slow down and use caution when passing the work zone and expect some congestion due to reduced lanes.

If you are interested in knowing more about when to expect SDOT construction projects, we’ve got a calendar for that. In addition to providing traffic advisories via Twitter, we prepare a construction “look ahead” calendar. Details are provided based on location in the city and impacts you can expect. Check it out by clicking here.

Click image to view open house flyer

The Westlake Transportation Hub is getting a well-deserved facelift to improve pedestrian, bike, and transit access in downtown Seattle. SDOT plans to construct a new pedestrian and bicycle-friendly plaza at the current terminus of the Seattle Streetcar by closing one block of Westlake Ave to traffic between Olive Way and Stewart Street. As part of the project, improvements to the historic McGraw Square Park will be integrated into the design along with new landscaping, covered bicycle parking, and additional streetcar station amenities. Slated to begin construction later this year, this grant-funded project is almost halfway through the design phase and we want to hear from you!

SDOT is hosting an open house to discuss project details. Your feedback is critical to finalizing several elements of the plaza and ensuring its success.

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, February 3 from 5:30 – 7:30pm at the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library (Level 4, Room 2: Wright/Ketcham Meeting Room). For background info, visit the project website here. Please note that the page is currently being revised, so stay tuned for updates.

Seawall construction along Seattle's waterfront in the 1930s

Plans to replace the aging Elliott Bay Seawall are advancing, with design scheduled to begin this spring.  Join your neighbors and Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith at City Hall this Wednesday, February 3rd, for a chance to learn more about the project and provide your feedback to the City.

More information about the open house here.