Perhaps you’ve heard of the term “neighborhood greenway”…maybe you have not. This is a new concept here in Seattle. A neighborhood greenway offers a safer and more comfortable place to walk and ride a bike. Making small changes to sidewalks and residential streets and making busy intersections easier to cross supports healthy, active travel.

Many things make Seattle neighborhoods great. Each one has a unique history, attracts a variety of small local businesses, have great parks and schools. And tying these pieces together is our transportation system. The type of street and how it is used effects the way it feels. In general there are two types. The bigger, busier streets are known as arterials that move large amounts of cars, trucks, buses and sometimes have bike lanes. The smaller, calmer streets are residential. In Seattle it is not unusual for them to be pretty narrow, maybe only 25 feet wide. These streets usually have parking on both sides of the street and may or may not have curbs or sidewalks. Car speeds are generally slower due to the narrow width and collision rates are low. Residential streets are perfect for neighborhood greenways.

Neighborhood greenways provide people of all ages and abilities with attractive places to walk, ride a bike, skate and run. The amenities added can be especially beneficial for families, children and seniors who might find these routes more comfortable than busier nearby streets. Local access to homes along neighborhood greenways is always preserved and there are usually minimal, if any changes to on-street parking. Changes can include sidewalk improvements, pavement repairs, bicycle parking, speed humps, stop signs and crossing improvements that may include ADA ramps, crosswalk striping, rapid flash beacons or signals. Locations for greenways are selected through a combination of data and feedback from the community. In fact, many residents are so enthused they’ve started Seattle Neighborhood Greenways to help bring them to their neighborhood. The goal is to have a connected network throughout Seattle.

In 2012, the city completed a greenway in Wallingford. We asked a few people along the route what they thought of it so far. Here are a couple of quotes.

“We love living near the greenway and use it almost daily! My children are little and ride upon my bike, but I look forward to the day they’ll fly solo and we can form a little bike train along our favorite street.” -Madeleine, Wallingford Resident

“I have noticed that dogwalkers seem to favor the greenway as part of their morning or afternoon loops.” – Adrian, Wallingford Resident
“I like the idea of it because it makes you feel safer.” – Amy (11 years old), Wallingford Resident

The next neighborhoods to get greenways are Ballard, Beacon Hill and Delridge. On April 11, SDOT is hosting an open house at the Ballard High School Lunchroom to share latest details and answer questions about the Ballard Neighborhood Greenway. The meeting will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with a presentation at 6:30 p.m. We hope to see you there and hope you enjoy traveling the “green way.”

At long last, greeted by an impressive water display from the Seattle Fire Department’s fireboat, Bertha, the world’s largest-diameter tunneling machine, has arrived in Elliott Bay.

Fairpartner with Bertha on board (Photo by James Love)

Seattle skyline behind Bertha (Photo by James Love)

View from Jack Block Park

Seattle’s waterfront was well prepared for her entrance: the Seattle Great Wheel on Pier 57 lit up in the colors of the Japanese flag to welcome Bertha, Seattle Aquarium featured a welcome on their outdoor marquee, and the Washington State Ferries marked the event with banners at Colman Dock. Some of the restaurants are offering specialty cocktails and dishes in honor of Bertha’s coming to town (see more here).

Now, the Jumbo Fairpartner carrying the behemoth machine is waiting in the bay. Crews are making preparations on ship and on shore, but need to work around other marine traffic before docking at Terminal 46.

Bertha is expected to start digging in the summer of 2013.

For more information on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement program, visit www.alaskanwayviaduct.org.

Have you noticed the pedestrian countdown signals that have been installed at more than 184 intersections around the city? These signals are part of the Bridging the Gap (BTG) transportation initiative that has been working to make needed improvements and upgrades to Seattle’s aging infrastructure.

Since 2007 and thanks to BTG, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has been working hard to make signal improvements, evaluate and install new signals and install the pedestrian countdown signals at intersections across the city. Over the past six years, more than 386 locations have been evaluated for new signals with 25 new signals installed; more than 30 left turn signals have been improved and all of SDOT’s traffic signals receive preventative maintenance work annually. This is all in addition to the 184 intersections that have received the new pedestrian countdown signals.

Keeping Seattle’s signals working and functioning properly helps keep traffic flowing safely and efficiently. For more information on BTG and its programs please visit the web page.

In Seattle’s hippest and hottest neighborhoods, finding a parking spot can be a challenge. But as of today, it will get a little easier. SDOT rolled out a pilot project to provide on-street Jet Pack parking in neighborhoods where competition for curb space is fierce.

Mike Estey, manager of SDOT’s Parking Operations program, unveiled the new parking rack this morning. “Providing Jet Pack parking is part of the City’s efforts to serve many travel modes, and to balance the needs of all parking space users. Also, Jet Packs are cool.”

SDOT will monitor the occupancy of the jet pack parking spaces. If the spaces are highly-used, the department will look for opportunities to expand the pilot to other neighborhoods. Posted rates and hours of operations apply.

Crews are working on underground utilities on Valley Street.

This week, crews continued to focus on underground utility work on Valley Street and Broad Street.Activities this week included: Read more »

The contractor is about to get Notice to Proceed on the Mercer West Phase of the Mercer Corridor Project, meaning construction to convert Mercer Street to two-way traffic from I-5 to Uptown is about to start. Atkinson Construction is tackling the mega effort that begins with improving the problematic portion of Mercer that goes under Aurora Avenue. The picture below shows what the area looks like now, with it’s 5-feet-wide sidewalk alongside one-way vehicle travel lanes.  The rendering below that shows what 50 feet of extra space to the south can do. 

To get there, construction must happen, and that involves impacts.  Those impacts are small in April, so you have time to psyche up for the bigger impacts come May: reducing Mercer Street to two eastbound lanes between 5th Avenue N and Dexter Avenue N and reducing SR 99 to two lanes in each direction between Harrison Street and Valley Street. 

Looking west on Mercer Street toward Aurora Avenue

The Mercer West Phase will widen Mercer Street to provide three lanes in each direction between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N and converting the existing four eastbound lanes to two lanes in each direction between Fifth Avenue N and First Avenue N. The future Mercer Street will feature additional left-turn lanes, widened sidewalks, and a bicycle path between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N. Additionally, Roy Street will also become a two-way street with bicycle lanes between Fifth Avenue N and Queen Anne Avenue N. Typical roadway cross-sections can be viewed here. Work is expected to be complete midway through 2015.

Early construction activities start with the aforementioned Mercer Street underpass, and of course include rebuilding the SR 99 bridge. Computer simulations exist for both the pedestrian/cyclist and motorist experience and viewing them may help distract you from the necessary complication of construction.

To help mitigate construction impacts, crews will begin making improvements in the area in late April including signal adjustments at the intersection of Fifth Avenue N and Harrison Street as well as signalizing the intersections of Dexter Avenue N and Republican Street and Broad and Harrison streets. Broad Street will also be re-opened to two-way traffic when impacts to Mercer Street begin to help ease eastbound congestion heading towards I-5.

It probably goes without saying, but I’ll say it here anyway…come May, travelers can expect significant congestion and delays when eastbound Mercer Street is reduced to two lanes during construction. Be sure to plan ahead and use alternate routes when possible…for a long time.

Construction work on the South Park Bridge site has shifted a little. As King County DOT explains, “crews are demolishing the old bascule pier, working until 7 pm each night in order to meet the project schedule.”

Formwork is being installed on the new piers by both day and night crews, as the old bascule pier comes down. Since this is relatively quiet work, crews will be up working until about 1 a.m. and you can expect to see this kind of work for about five more weeks.

Check out the bridge construction in progress with the South Park Bridge Cameras: http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/SouthParkBridge/BridgeCameras.aspx

For more information about the South Park Bridge Replacement Project, visit King County Department of Transportation’s website at http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/SouthParkBridge.aspx

In 2006, Seattle voters passed a nine-year, $365 million, transportation levy for maintenance and improvements known as Bridging the Gap (BTG).  The levy is complemented by a commercial parking tax.  The BTG levy funds maintenance programs for paving; new sidewalk development and repairs; repair, rehabilitation and seismic upgrades to Seattle’s bridges; tree pruning and planting; transit enhancements; and other much needed maintenance work.  Funding also supports projects that develop and implement the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Master Plans, support development of the  Safe Routes to School Program and help neighborhoods get larger projects built through the Neighborhood Street Fund large project program.

The BTG levy as approved by voters stipulated that certain percentages of the levy revenues be spent on different categories of projects over the nine year program: 

• Neighborhood Street Fund – first $1.5 million annually
• Maintenance Programs – no less than 67%
• Pedestrian/Bike/Safety Programs – no less than 18%
• Transit & Major Projects – no more than 15%

Back in 2007, as BTG got underway, some pretty ambitious goals were set.  Some of the goals included:  prune 25,000 street trees; repave 200 lane-miles of arterial streets; rehabilitate or replace 3-5 bridges and seismically retrofit 5 additional bridges; build 117 blocks of new sidewalks; restripe 5,000 crosswalks; create “safe routes to schools” near 30 elementary schools; repair 144 blocks of sidewalks; enhance transit and safety improvements on three key transit corridors; and, secure up to 44,000 hours of new Metro Transit service.  SDOT is well on its way to delivering and meeting these goals and expects to exceed many of them. 

BTG has been a critical funding piece for the department and SDOT takes great pride in not only meeting the goals of the levy, but also working closely with the BTG Levy Oversight Committee to keep them updated on the progress of the levy.  When issues arise, the committee’s guidance is sought to determine if changes need to be made.  The committee meets quarterly and their next meeting is April 23, 6-8 p.m., in the Boards and Commissions Room at City Hall.  Their meetings are open to the public and they provide time at the beginning of each meeting for public comment. 

If you would like additional information on BTG please visit the webpage.

You have got to check out this funny and informative pothole video from Worcestershire County Council, U.K.

Remember you can report your Seattle potholes online or by calling our always popular

POTHOLE AND STREET REPAIR HOTLINE:
684-ROAD (7623)

And don’t forget about our fancy Pothole Status Map that can show you where and when we’ve been working in your neighborhood.

Now if only someone around here could sing…

This week, crews will continue to focus on underground utility work on Valley Street and Broad Street.

 Activities this week include: Read more »