More than 960 people packed the Seattle Aquarium to kick-off an effort to re-shape Seattle’s waterfront post-viaduct. James Corner of james corner field operations gave an exciting slide presentation that walked people through their approach to redesigning the waterfront.

You can check out the slide show, and watch a video of the event by visiting the Waterfront Seattle homepage.

The event provided another opportunity to share comments on re-designing Seattle’s waterfront. There’s still an opportunity to comment on the homepage.

Whether you choose to honor George Washington, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, or all the American presidents, today is President’s Day and a holiday for city of Seattle workers. We will resume posting the SDOT Blog tomorrow, February 22nd.
Happy President’s Day!

Most of us are well aware that cell phone use while driving is a primary offense in Washington State yet we still see drivers violating this law daily.  One quick and simple way to make our streets safer is to put away the phone when we get behind the wheel and focus on the road.  Still need convincing?  Watch this video:

Interested in learning more about Seattle’s existing transit services, people’s travel patterns and new transit markets? Perhaps you’re curious about how other cities are dealing with transit challenges? Or want to find out about transit best practices around the US and the world?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, our Transit Master Plan Briefing Book has something for you! With eight different chapters that cover the questions above and many more, the Briefing Book is a high-level snapshot of the state of the Seattle transit environment. It describes the system’s current condition and projects future conditions through a travel and transit market analysis.

The briefing book also summarizes the feedback that the project team received from our advisory groups, stakeholder interviews and other early outreach efforts. It examines pedestrian and bicycle connections to transit, considers the important relationship between land use and transit, and provides examples of policies that prioritize transit services.

Brought to you as part of the Walk Bike Ride effort, the briefing book is an excellent resource that provides a foundation for Seattle’s Transit Master Plan. Take a few minutes to learn a little more about transit by visiting the project Web site …and don’t forget to tell us what you think!

Great cities have great public spaces, such as Millennium Park in Chicago, and Seattle is no different. The redeveloped Waterfront will be Seattle’s new ‘front porch’ – a place where there is something for everyone: from parks and public spaces, to streets that balance all uses, opportunities to enjoy the water’s edge, places for walking and biking, public art and more.

Signifying the start of the project’s design process, James Corner will serve as keynote speaker for the event, providing a 30-minute presentation at 7 p.m. that outlines what he sees as the project’s big opportunities and challenges in this stage of the design process. Following will be opportunities for the public to provide comment and, ideas, and interact with the City and Project teams.

Help shape Seattle’s future waterfront by visiting www.waterfrontseattle.org and taking a quick eight-question survey from the design team, which will help them create Seattle’s new waterfront. Be sure to RSVP for the event after completing the survey.

Thursday February 17, 2011
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Seattle Aquarium
1483 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98101

If you’re moving in or out, you may have discovered the convenience of a portable storage unit. However, what the portable storage unit companies don’t always tell you is that you need a Street Use permit if you are going to put the unit in the public right-of-way. Public right-of-way is more than the street next to the curb; it can also be a driveway, or even a planting strip. [Read more…]

Last Monday Ingraham High School students launched a contest challenging local high school students to design a billboard or create a video demonstrating the dangers of texting while walking or driving. The goal is to reduce the number of collisions involving young people who are distracted while texting.

The contest, known as the “$248 Challenge”, provides a financial incentive for teens to participate while explaining why distracted driving is dangerous in their own words.  Three prizes will be awarded — one for the best billboard design, one for the best video, and one for the “People’s Choice.” The winning billboard will be featured on a sign along Aurora Avenue this spring. The billboard or video entry that receives the most votes on the contest’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/248Challenge, will win the “People’s Choice” prize. 

State Farm donated the three prizes of $248 each (twice the fine for texting while driving).

Washington State Troopers and Seattle Police Officers joined the students at Ingraham High School to launch the contest, performing a skit involving the arrest of a young person who is texting while in traffic.  The event featured a car driven by a Thurston County nineteen-year-old who was killed last year while texting. (See videos about Heather Lerch’s crash on youtube.com. The short version is at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfe9SqxFOts and longer version is at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT0k–HnHrM ).

Check out KOMO-4’s story about the contest launch and contest:

One in four teens admits to texting while driving, and drivers under twenty experience the highest distracted-driving fatality rate, with the 20-29 year group ranking second, according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The “$248 Challenge” is part of the educational outreach component of the Aurora Traffic Safety Project.  Nearly 50 percent of collisions on Aurora are caused by distracted driving or inattention.   

Stay tuned to the SDOT Blog to see the winning videos and billboards in March.