Construction is booming all over the city, with Seattle currently the fastest growing large city in America. All that development can create mobility impacts, especially when multiple projects happen simultaneously and in close proximity. Access Seattle calls such areas construction hubs. West Seattle is one of those hubs and right now it’s experiencing concentrated construction taking up more than half of the 4700 block of California Avenue SW/42nd Avenue SW. The Access Seattle team stepped in to help, bringing public and private entities to the table.
A major goal of Access Seattle is to maintain mobility, for thriving communities. This is done with business and community support; traveler engagement; and construction coordination. Much of the coordination work takes place behind the scenes, proactively bringing community concerns to the early phase planning of area contractors. The result often reduces what might otherwise be more significant cumulative construction impacts. Other Access Seattle work is more visible, as with a free parking program in the West Seattle Junction, and 3.5-feet by 7-feet signs guiding pedestrians to area businesses.
The new free parking program launching today in West Seattle is the result of many weeks of discussion and coordination. The Access team brought contractors; area businesses; and the West Seattle Junction Association to the table to come up with a solution. Projects at 4203 SW Alaska St (Andersen Construction) and 4724 California Ave SW (Compass General Construction) were taking up more than 20 parking spaces in one block with construction expected to last until early 2015. In the brokered agreement Andersen and Compass agreed to help fund free parking for people visiting area businesses. Here’s how it works:
Customers get up to two hours of free parking in Jefferson Square’s underground parking garage, at SW Edmunds St. and 42nd Ave. SW. The only requirements are that customers:
- Use Diamond Parking’s Call to Park service (www.calltopark.com)
- Go directly to a participating business to provide their license plate number (Wallflower Custom Framing, Elliott Bay Brewery and Talarico’s Pizzeria)
The brokered mitigation effort is in effect until January of 2015.
To further assist the businesses struggling with the concentrated cumulative construction impacts in this city block, the Access Seattle team created a pedestrian detour map, complete with the names of area businesses and walking paths to reach them. The Seattle Department of Transportation created several of the 3.5-feet by 7-feet signs and attached them to construction fencing in the area (and posted smaller versions in public places). Again, Andersen Construction Company and Compass Construction shared the cost, showing commitment to maintaining access in our fast-growing city.
Access Seattle is an initiative seeks to keep businesses thriving; travelers moving safely; and construction coordinated during peak construction periods—working specifically in areas identified as construction hubs. At present these hubs are West Seattle, Ballard, Capitol Hill, South Lake Union, North Westlake, the Central Waterfront and Alaskan Way Viaduct North.
To learn more visit: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/hub.htm