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Safer, Calmer Streets in Delridge/Highland Park and U District

This week saw two exciting steps towards Seattle’s goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. SDOT visited the Delridge/Highland Park neighborhood to share proposed street safety and drainage improvements primarily along 21st and 17th avenues SW; and the U District to get input on a future neighborhood greenway.

Greenways create safer, calmer residential streets and help people get across busy intersections. The city has a goal of implementing 248 miles over the next 20 years.
 

NW 58th Street Neighborhood Greenway in Ballard.

NW 58th Street Neighborhood Greenway in Ballard.

 

On Tuesday, November 19, a second neighborhood greenway public meeting was held in the Delridge/Highland Park neighborhood. The open house was structured so the community could move about the room and talk to staff about the proposed neighborhood greenway route; recommended street safety improvements; and locations and design of rain gardens.  Community members are looking forward to drainage improvements, slower vehicle speeds and being able to walk and ride their bikes more. There was also a lot of interest in adding more north-south and east-west greenways! The city will finalize design of this project in 2014 with a goal of constructing the greenway in 2015.

 

Community members at the Delridge/Highland Park public meeting.

Community members at the Delridge/Highland Park public meeting.

 

The next night we visited the U District for our first public meeting on neighborhood greenways. The community spoke with staff about what a neighborhood greenway is and criteria for selecting the best locations. Traffic data for various neighborhood streets was also available, as well as information about other local projects like the Northgate Link Light Rail Extension. Members of the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways group joined us donning bright green scarves, in case people wanted to talk to them about their experience with these types of projects. During the open house and after the presentation SDOT learned about challenges to walking and biking and whether folks felt strongly about which street might be the most promising for a neighborhood greenway. Everyone’s comments are being summarized. The next step is to take the data and public input and start designing a route. Next spring we will hold a second meeting to share the design and recommended safety projects.