SW Roxbury St looking west from White Center (image courtesy of Patrick Robinson at www.westseattleherald.com)
The planning process for the SW Roxbury Street Road Safety Corridor Project is underway. SDOT and our community partners have held four feedback sessions to share our data and hear from the public about their experiences and observations on the corridor.
SDOT launched this project after receiving a request for a safety review from several area community councils including the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council, the Highland Park Action Committee, and the North Highline Unincorporated Council.
SDOT will continue working with the community to consider changes to these streets in an effort to bring down speeds and make the roadway safer for students, neighbors and all roadway users. We will be working closely with the business along the corridor and the unique neighborhoods that Roxbury serves. Together we will determine the specific nature and design elements to help foster a better environment along Roxbury. New safety measures to be considered through this project will likely include the following: signage improvements, arterial traffic calming, channelization changes, traffic signal modifications, pavement repair, and pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements.
We will be moving forward with some improvements in the second quarter of 2014. Early work will include:
- Pavement repair on SW Roxbury Street between 25th Avenue SW and 27th Avenue SW
- Photo enforcement installation at Roxhill Elementary (at 30th Avenue SW) and Holy Family School (at 20th Avenue SW)
- Signage improvements near the transition from SW Roxbury Street to Olson Place SW
- New sidewalks and pedestrian facilities on 30th Avenue SW south of Roxbury (currently under construction)
Here’s what we’ve heard from the public through our first four feedback sessions:
- Improve the pedestrian environment along the entire corridor
- Reduce the number of travel lanes on the western portion of the corridor to encourage slower vehicular speeds and improve pedestrian safety (especially near Roxhill Elementary and Holy Family School)
- Reduce speeding on the entire corridor by adding radar speed signs (“Your Speed” signs) and increasing the number of speed limit signs
- Create a consistent speed limit for the Roxbury corridor (speed limit is 30 mph on the western segment and 35 mph on the eastern segment)
- Review operations at 8th Ave SW and Roxbury and consider adding intersection guidelines, turn signals, and turn restrictions
- Consider signal modifications at 16th Ave SW/Delridge and Roxbury to improve pedestrian safety
- Address safety at 26th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street by adding left turn pockets, left turn signals, and improve the crossing for pedestrians
- Review signal operations at 35th Ave SW and Roxbury to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety
- Address pavement conditions in several locations
- Add bicycle facilities to create an east-west route in this southernmost area of West Seattle
- Reduce speeds and collisions at the intersection of Roxbury, 4th Ave SW and Olson Pl SW
SDOT will continue to gather input from the public through early summer. Be sure to check out the traffic data on our website and feel free to send us your thoughts on how we can improve safety on Roxbury via email at walkandbike@seattle.gov or by phone at 684-ROAD.