Coordinating construction activity, pedestrian mobility, and vehicle mobility, all while making sure Seattle’s summertime events go off without a hitch is a challenge to say the least. But it’s a challenge that SDOT’s Access Seattle team is taking on, and they are getting results.
Most recently, the Access team has identified potential problem spots in the Belltown neighborhood. One, located at 4th & Blanchard and pictured below, involves a construction site at which a contractor is permitted to close a parking/peak-hour-traffic lane for construction staging and deliveries. While the contractor is fully permitted for these activities and has taken steps to provide pedestrian access during lane closures, the Access Team realized that the closure of this lane would greatly interfere with three major summertime events: the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, the Seattle Pride Parade, and the Seafair Torchlight Parade.
Construction at 4th & Blanchard
In response to these concerns, Center City Hub Coordinator Ken Ewalt worked with the contractor, PCL Construction Services, to design a plan that would accommodate summertime events and mobility, while also maintaining construction schedules. The result is an agreement that PCL will pull back the barriers pictured above prior to each event, and will return them to their original position only after event activities have concluded. This is a solution that means more room for spectators to observe these festive events, the removal of a bottleneck for event participants, and less traffic backup on peripheral streets.
The Access Seattle team is always working to identify areas where the interaction between resident mobility, construction, and public events can be improved. Do you have questions or comments regarding mobility and construction in your neighborhood? Send us an email at the appropriate address below.
For construction impact concerns in:
All Hubs contact – SDOTConstructionHub@Seattle.gov
Downtown/Center City contact – Ken.Ewalt@seattle.gov
South Lake Union contact – Jack.Bighorse@seattle.gov
Capitol Hill contact – Wayne.Gallup@seattle.gov