The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is in the final stages of completing 41 out 42 of its 2012 goals for the Bridging the Gap (BTG) program. Two major paving projects were completed this year – N/NW 85th Street and NE Ravenna Boulevard. Both corridors are heavily traveled and were in need of serious repaving work, today the ride along them is much smoother. The Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement program continues to shine with the Airport Way South Viaduct over Argo Railroad Yard bridge project wrapping up early, much to the delight of the community.
In addition to the big programs, SDOT crews replaced more than 2,800 regulatory traffic signs and 1,584 intersections received new street name signs this year. Eight Neighborhood Street Fund Large Projects were completed along with six Safe Routes to School Projects.
Other 212 highlights include:
- 42 new crossing improvements have been installed including pedestrian countdown signals at 25 intersections.
- 40 lane-miles of bike facilities have been maintained, 32 miles of bike route signs were installed, and 35 miles of trail were inspected.
- SDOT constructed 12 blocks of sidewalk, repaired 24 blocks and rehabilitated three stairways.
- 785 street trees were planted and more than 3,000 street trees were pruned.
While BTG had another big year, it did miss delivering on its goal of constructing seven miles of greenways. The greenway program was new to BTG in 2012 and there were many lessons to learn as SDOT rolled out this new program. One project was completed and the remaining three are underway and will be completed in 2013. We are expanding our outreach efforts and will continue to work with communities as this exciting program moves forward.
SDOT has worked hard to deliver on the promises made by BTG. Over the past six years BTG has paved more than 169 lane-miles of road, secured 43,600 new hours of transit service, constructed 91 blocks of new sidewalk, repaired 142 blocks of sidewalk, remarked 4,121 crosswalks, replaced 41,077 regulatory signs, installed school zone signage at 185 schools, replaced street name signs at 8,298 intersections, striped 142 miles of bike lanes and sharrows and planted 4,883 new street trees.
For more information about BTG and its goals and progress towards meeting those goals, please visit the BTG web page.
