When you’re riding a bike (or travelling by any means, for that matter) an unexpected change in the path can be challenging to navigate. With our city in the midst of a construction boom, impacts to roadways, sidewalks and bike lanes are more common than ever. That’s why, starting this week, conditions for construction permit approval include on-site signage 72 hours in advance for work that closes or impacts a bike lane or trail.
We coordinate the work of contractors on both public and private projects, and require that bike lanes and sidewalks be kept open to the full extent possible during a project. We also now require enhanced on-site notification of impacts.
The signs must be waterproof, have the project start date, end date, and, if the closure is not 24 hours per day, daily closure times, in accordance with the City of Seattle Traffic Control Manual for In-Street Work. That way, people riding bikes or walking in Seattle can plan alternate routes.
For work that will close or impact a Neighborhood Greenway or a non-arterial bicycle route, a “Road Work Ahead” or “Road Work (distance)” sign must be placed at the adjacent street intersections. The temporary signs cannot impede access or safety. Plus, if closure of a Greenway is longer than a calendar month, the contractor must contact Summer Jawson of the SDOT Greenways Program at Summer.Jawson@Seattle.gov at least 5 calendar days prior to the closure.
Permit applicants may want to consult the SDOT Neighborhood Greenways map in advance of work, to identify potentially impacted Greenways.
Advanced notification of work will be enforced for all new impacts – from a new project seeking a permit to a current project entering a new phase.
We enforce by:
1. Reviewing Project Traffic Control Plan with Permit application (condition of approval)
2. Regular inspections we make of work in the city
3. A documented verbal warning to correct, followed by a citation and $250 fee and onward as explained in the chart below:
To report a potential infraction email SDOTPermits@seattle.gov. For more information, see the Bike Lane and Greenway Impact Notification Fact Sheet.