AM Shooting at NE 55th Street and 26th Avenue NE (UPDATES)

September 10, 2013 by 1 Comment

On Tuesday at 8:35 AM, Seattle Police and Fire units responded to a shooting at approximately 26th Avenue NE and NE 55th Street.


View AM shooting at NE 55th St and 26th Ave NE in a larger map

Above: Tweet by KOMO News Radio reporter Jon Repp from near the scene of the shooting (looking east down NE 55th Street).

A man was shot in the wrist and femur (per scanner), and transported to Harborview Medical Center. His condition is unknown at this time.

There was some confusion early on about the make and model of the suspects’ vehicle, but SPD is now calling it a “newer black Toyota Corolla,” per scanner.

We’re awaiting word from SPD on descriptions of the suspects.

Nearby Bryant Elementary School went into “shelter-in-place” mode: Students were allowed inside and school continued as usual.

Assumption-St. Bridget is in “modified lockdown at this time.

Metro routes using NE 55th Street (30 and 74) are affected:

https://twitter.com/kcmetrobus/status/377469645298880512

UPDATE (9:52 AM): Some more information from media at the scene:

We’re expecting homicide detectives to be at the scene for some time, and that parts of NE 55th St and 26th Ave NE will also be closed for some time.

The Seattle Fire Department has said over twitter that their medics transported “an approx 30yo male from 2610 Ne 55th St to HMC with 2 gunshot wounds. Patient critical with life threatening injuries.”

UPDATE (10:05 AM): The Seattle Times has more information on this morning’s shooting from SPD’s Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, including:

  • Victim (now said to be in his 50s) was “apparently targeted.”
  • Victim was shot at from a dark sedan occupied by what were described by witnesses as “two African-American men in their late teens or early 20s.”

KIRO reporter Natasha Chen (above) took some video of Sgt. Whitcomb speaking near the incident site:

UPDATE (11:20 AM): Picture of the scene from the Seattle Police Department:

UPDATE (1:14 PM): The Seattle Times is reporting that the victim works at Manning & Son Upholstery (2610 NE 55th Street). He and is son (recently brought on to learn the trade, reports Alexa Vaughn) were on their way into the upholstery shop when the shooting occured.

Joel Moreno, a reporter at KOMO News, is reporting that the victim is in surgery.

UPDATE (2:33 PM): KING 5’s Elisa Hahn reports via twitter that the victim is out of surgery and in ICU. His condition is listed as serious.

Filed Under: 911, Bryant Elementary School, Crime, Ravenna, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Updates

Are you ready to huddle up? Husky Football traffic is coming. (UPDATE)

August 30, 2013 by 7 Comments

After nearly a two year absence (and $280 million dollars), University of Washington Football is back with us in Northeast Seattle.

The countdown to the first game on Saturday night has a motto: “Retake Montlake.” But residents in the path of 70,000+ spectators leaving the stadium area may take that slogan to mean “Retake Montlake, and 25th, and 45th, and 520, and residential streets used as a shortcut and…” etc.

The traffic plan for game days this year is similar to the one used in the past. But additional restrictions on parking in certain areas may be new to you.

Traffic Plan for Game Days

From the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Husky Game Day page:

  • The Washington State Department of Transportation will operate the Montlake Bridge under a modified schedule which will keep the bridge in the down position (open to vehicles and pedestrians) approximately two hours and thirty minutes before the start of the game and up to three hours after the game concludes.
  • Seattle Police officers will staff intersections before and after the event in the immediate area to help facilitate safe vehicle and pedestrian flow.
  • Lane and traffic restrictions to help control traffic flow will also be implemented throughout the area.
  • At the conclusion of the game, Montlake Boulevard NE will be closed to through traffic between NE Pacific Street and NE 45th Street until the traffic volumes exiting the stadium parking lots subsides.
  • All northbound traffic crossing the Montlake Bridge, excluding emergency and permit holding vehicles, will be re-routed westbound on NE Pacific Street.
  • Southbound traffic traveling toward Husky Stadium will also be detoured away from the stadium.
  • All traffic exiting stadium parking lots along Montlake Boulevard NE will be routed northbound.
  • Pedestrian traffic is given precedence for the first 20 minutes after the conclusion of the game by Seattle Police officers to help move the crowds safely away from the stadium.
  • At the conclusion of the game, NE 25th Street between Montlake Blvd NE and NE 75th Street becomes one-way northbound for approximately two hours.

Astute observers may note that there is no new traffic plan component for the newly redesigned NE 75th Street itself.

Reminder: NE 75th Street’s rechannelization was designed for the other 358 or so days of the year. As were all the other streets leading to and from Husky Stadium. We should all expect congestion on local roads when those other seven or so days of the year roll around, and 70,000 people all try to go home at once.

But having said that, should residents have comments/observations for SDOT about the massive traffic exodus (on NE 75th Street or elsewhere), we can leave them at this number: 684-ROAD.

Additional Restrictions on Parking

To ease parking congestion in popular areas of the city, SDOT has set up Restricted Parking Zones (RPZs) that allow residents to park for longer periods of time than visitors.

New to you, however, may be the RPZs around Husky Stadium: the Game Day RPZs  —  set up in Zones A, B, 1, 6 and 20 to specifically maintain parking for residents in the area on game days.

Zone A: Montlake / Husky Game Days

Zone B: Ravenna/Laurelhurst Husky Game Days

Zone 1: Montlake

Zone 6: University Park (NEW)

Zone 20: Ravenna/Bryant

This year, SDOT added Game Day restrictions to RPZ 6 (University Park). This area is directly south of Ravenna Park to NE 50th St, and between 15th Avenue NE and Ravenna Ave NE (down Ravenna all the way to NE 45th Street)

SDOT map of RPZ 6. Click to see the map in color (PDF)

SDOT map of Restricted Parking Zone 6 (University Park). Click to see the map larger and in color (4 KB PDF).

Below is a picture of a couple parking signs posted in RPZ 6. The green one on the top is probably familiar to you. The red one on the bottom, however, is new.

Pair of RPZ signs near NE 51st Street and Ravenna Ave NE. Photo by Jef Jaisun.

Pair of RPZ signs near NE 51st Street and Ravenna Ave NE in the University park (RPZ 6). Photo by University Park resident.

What this means for Saturday, for example, is that vehicles without a RPZ 6 decal or guest pass are NOT ALLOWED TO PARK in this area between 4 PM and 11 PM (three hours before the 7 PM game, and two hours after).

That’s seven straight hours of no parking for any vehicles without a RPZ 6 decal (or guest pass).

And this restriction does include those cute little Car2Go vehicles (answers apply to all Game Day RPZs):

https://twitter.com/car2goSeattle/status/373124725913841665

https://twitter.com/car2goSeattle/status/373132353729622016

The new restrictions have at least one resident of RPZ 6 very concerned. This individual lives in an area of the zone known as the Ravenna Springs neighborhood. Via email (name withheld until we get permission to use it):

These new restrictions were pushed through by several members of UPCC. Those of us who live on Ravenna Ave below 55th and have been following the “process” are extremely unhappy with it. We happen to live on the last street in Zone 6, and have pretty much nothing to do with the UPCC neighborhood up the hill. In fact, we’re the independent Ravenna Springs neighborhood.

On the Friday morning following Thanksgiving night, when friends and family are visiting and there is normally no parking enforcement, restrictions will begin at 9am! The only way you won’t get a $50 ticket is to have a Zone 6 permit or a guest pass. Problematic because guest passes cost an additional $30 and are limited to one per household.

UPDATE (10:41 AM): For more information on the city’s Restricted Parking Zones and how to obtain RPZ decals and guest passes, visit SDOT’s Restricted Parking Zone Program Online Permitting page.

…

Let the games begin.

Filed Under: Northeast Seattle, Ravenna Park, Ravenna Springs, Seattle Department of Transportation, Sports, Traffic, University of Washington, University Park

Are you ready to help your neighborhood in a disaster? You can be.

August 27, 2013 by 4 Comments

Let us talk for a moment about something we can all agree on: We’d all like to survive a disaster. And help others in the aftermath.

A major earthquake does not hold open houses. Its public comment period is actually aftershocks, and fires.

Nevertheless, we can be prepared to help.

The Seattle Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is holding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training this fall, and applications are due this week.

Via email (from OEM and the Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare [SNAP] program):

Following a major disaster, emergency services that people have come to rely on will be overwhelmed and unable to meet the increased demand. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training is a series of courses that are intended to prepare people to take action in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The training is a combination of skills based classes that will teach participants about Fire Suppression, Utility Control, Light Search and Rescue and Disaster First Aid, in addition to basic tenants of Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Response.

Demand for the training is HIGH. In response to this, and to spread CERT graduates throughout the city, OEM is now taking applications for the training. Applications are due this Friday, August 30.

You can download the application here (super-duper short), fill it out, and either email it to SNAP@seattle.gov or FAX it to 206-684-5998. Those selected for the training will be notified the week after applications are due (by Friday, September 6).

Each class in the training series builds on the knowledge and training of the class before. Be aware of the training schedule before you consider applying:

Tuesday, October 15, 2013 6-9 PM
Saturday, October 19, 2013 9 AM – 1 PM
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 6-9 PM
Saturday, October 26, 2013 9 AM – 1 PM
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 6-9 PM
Tuesday, November 5, 2013 6-9 PM
Tuesday, November 12, 2013 6-9 PM

You can read about the topics of each training session here, under Delivery.

Filed Under: City Services, Civic Envolvement, Volunteer, Workshops

NE 75th Street Makeover Update: It’s DONE (UPDATES, PHOTOS)

August 23, 2013 by 53 Comments

The Seattle Department of Transportation crew that had been laying down “proto-lanes” on NE 75th Street finished up their work today. And it was not long after they’d put away their paint can that the SDOT Painting Truck Convoy rolled in to finish the job*.

NE75th_done

Above is a picture of NE 75th Street at about 23rd Avenue NE, taken at 10:15 PM on Friday night. It’s done.

NE75th_done_2

Here we’re looking west down NE 75th Street, from the same location.

NE75th_no_parking

Additionally, the no-parking-during-commutes parking signs were replaced with these no parking signs.

…

The “Wild West” has been tamed…or has it?

Drive around/Walk around/Bike around on it a bit, everyone, then let’s meet back here in the comments to talk about our experiences.

…

*UPDATE (Saturday morning): The roadway improvements are not *completely* finished, but the new lanes had been laid down as of last night. The era of driving two-by-two is over. This morning, a crew was spotted adding reflectors to the sides of the new left turn lane.

Early Saturday morning, an SDOT crew walks down NE 75th Street placing reflectors along the sides of the new left turn lane. Photo by Adelina Starace.

Early Saturday morning, an SDOT crew walks down NE 75th Street placing reflectors along the sides of the new left turn lane. Photo by Adelina Starace.

UPDATE (Saturday afternoon): A truck/machine/thing was seen grinding the old yellow stripes off the middle of the road, east of 25th Avenue NE. Did not continue west of 25th, however. Monday’s job, perhaps.

UPDATE (Saturday evening): Valarie Bunn, Wedgwood historian extraordinaire, sent us some photos of the old lane lines being ground off the road earlier today.

Grinder erases dashes at 75th and 25th.8.24.2013

We’ll know for sure when the rest of the lane erasing is done in a couple days (and I’ll be sure to run out there with my camera and get some video), but it looks like the work is done by HAND.   Grinding out center line on 75th at 25th

The only female SDOT worker I’ve seen working on the improvements, and this is the job she’s doing. As my ancestors would say, “Uff da.”

Grind then smooth on 75th at 33rd with Schulte memorial

  And I believe the machine pictured above cleans up after the grinding equipment has done its job.

Grinding the dashes on 75th near 25th on 8.24.2013

UPDATE (Sunday morning): OMG they’re back at it again already.

Workers, cones, and signs were spotted near 20th Avenue NE around 7 AM. And around 9 AM, the grinding gear was spotted in the same location:

https://twitter.com/Starace1919/status/371665527036317696

Filed Under: Eckstein Middle School, Photos, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Seattle Department of Transportation, Traffic, Updates, Wedgwood

Makeover time is here: New NE 75th St lanes taking shape (PHOTOS)

August 21, 2013 by 37 Comments

With a goal of getting the new road configuration for NE 75th Street in by the first day of school (two weeks from today), it’s no surprise that the Seattle Department of Transportation has started preparing the Northeast Seattle arterial so quickly.

Some pictures from today (Wednesday):

NE75th_marking_lanes1

View down NE 75th Street, looking west towards the signaled intersection with 20th Avenue NE. Truck with moving lighted arrow signage telling motorists to move to the right.

NE75th_marking_lanes5

View from the west side of the SDOT crew’s spot in the middle of NE 75th Street, as they stop to look at the plans for a moment.

NE75th_marking_lanes2

Worker on the right watches the NE 75th Street plans, while the worker on the left paints the lane plans onto the road surface.

NE75th_marking_lanes3

Above picture taken a few seconds after the previous one, showing the lane painting occurring.

NE75th_marking_lanes4

A look down the hill towards 20th Avenue NE. As the crew worked in the center of the arterial, vehicles parted around them, already driving in the new configuration.

We’ll add more photos here when we have them!

…

Driven the new NE 75th Street configuration yet? What do you think so far? Tell us in the comments.

Filed Under: Photos, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Seattle Department of Transportation, Traffic, Wedgwood

Meet your new improved NE 75th Street roadway design (PHOTOS)

August 16, 2013 by 23 Comments

Residents living near NE 75th Street between 15th Avenue NE and 35th Avenue NE are coming home today to a postcard from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) outlining the changes that the department has chosen to make to the arterial.

additionally, at about 2:30 PM this afternoon, the NE 75th St project email listserv received an email also outlining the changes (excerpt below):

After five public meetings, numerous on-site observations, and a review of traffic data, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) reached a final recommendation for the corridor, involving the following changes to Northeast 75th Street between 15th Avenue Northeast and 35th Avenue Northeast:

  • Providing one general purpose travel lane in each direction
  • Installing a two-way center left turn lane
  • Adding a new marked crosswalk at 28th Avenue Northeast
  • Striping bicycle lanes in both directions
  • Removing on-street parking on Northeast 75th Street, except at Nathan Eckstein Middle School where parking will be maintained for school buses and general parking
  • Adding photo enforcement cameras for the Nathan Eckstein school zone

To summarize, the above is essentially Proposal 4 with some adjustments made to accommodate buses and event parking in front of Eckstein Middle school.

Meet your new NE 75th St configuration -- Proposal 4 (with some Eckstein Middle School adjustments).

Meet your new NE 75th St configuration — Proposal 4 (with some Eckstein Middle School adjustments).

SDOT will begin the rechannelization of the street the week of August 26, with the goal of completing striping before the school year starts on Wednesday, September 4.

Jim Curtin at SDOT was kind enough to send us the plans for the new-and-improved NE 75th Street (783 KB PDF), which include the following bits we’d like to highlight (red lines and figures indicate features to be ADDED, green lines and figures represent current conditions that will be REMOVED):

NE75th_15th

NE 75th Street at 15th Avenue NE (north at the top).

Where NE 75th Street meets 15th Avenue NE, the new, separate bicycle lanes start/end on the east side of the intersection. Left turns are now made from a separate left turn lane.

NE75th_20th

NE 75th Street at 20th Avenue NE.

At NE 75th Street and 20th Avenue NE (a long established bicycle north-south route), the bicycle lanes continue. Left turns are made from the dedicated left turn lane from 75th to 20th.

NE75th_25th

NE 75th Street at 25th Avenue NE (north at the top).

At NE 75th Street at 25th Avenue NE, the bicycle lanes continue, and left turns from 75th to 25th have their own lane.

NE75th_EcksteinW

NE 75th Street at 30th and 31st Avenues NE — West front of Eckstein Middle School (north at the top).

Here’s where things change up a bit: Eckstein Middle School. To make room for a school bus zone/event parking in front of the school, the dedicated left turn lane disappears, tapering away as the eastbound travel lanes and the bicycle lane move toward the north/center of the roadway.

NE75th_EcksteinE

NE 75th Street at 33rd Avenue NE — East front of Eckstein Middle School (north at the top).

Then, on the east side of the front of the school, at 33rd Avenue NE, eastbound travel lane and bicycle land move to the right/south as the left turn lane becomes available again.

NE75th_35th

NE 75th Street at 35th Avenue NE (north at the top).

The new left turn lane continues through the intersection with 35th Avenue NE (the green lines on the plans above are removed). The separate eastbound bike lane ends at this point (but may continue to connect with the 39th Avenue NE Greenway in the future).

…

For a look at the before and after of a similar project, SDOT recommends we check out the changes that were made to Nickerson Street in 2010. A study on the roadway before and after rechannelization was released in March 2012, and can be viewed here (429 KB PDF).

Filed Under: Eckstein Middle School, Ravenna, Roosevelt, Seattle Department of Transportation, Wedgwood

Green Lake Way North Safety Improvements Open House

August 14, 2013 by 7 Comments

If you’re a regular reader of the Ravenna Blog these days, you’re into road safety improvements. (Seems to be all we post about on here lately, anyway.)

This next project is a bit out of our normal coverage area, but that doesn’t mean we don’t ever drive there.

On Tuesday, August 20, from 6:30-7:45 PM, the Seattle Department of Transportation is holding an open house about proposed safety improvements on Green Lake Way North (between N 50th and N 55th Streets) at the Green Lake Branch of the Seattle Public Library (7364 E Green Lake Dr N). The presentation portion begins at 6:45 PM.

20130813-193504.jpg

More details (via email):

Green Lake Way North is currently a four-lane street that borders the east side of the Woodland Park Playfields and provides access to Green Lake from the south. The Seattle Department of Transportation is proposing changes to make the street safer and more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to walk and ride bikes, as well as safer for drivers. The changes will reduce speeds, and improve pedestrian and bicycle access.

The proposal includes installing a new center turn lane, reconfiguring the street to provide one travel lane in each direction with bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, and improving pedestrian crossings. A new stop sign will be installed at West Green Lake Way North. Traffic signal operations at Green Lake Way North and North 50th Street will be improved by removing one block of parking on the north side of North 50th Street.

For more information on the project, visit SDOT’s Green Lake Way Safety Improvements page.

Filed Under: Green Lake, Green Lake Branch, Meeting, Seattle Department of Transportation, Woodland Park

NE 65th St Town Hall at Ravenna-Eckstein CC (LIVE COVERAGE; UPDATE)

August 12, 2013 by 55 Comments

On Monday, August 12, from 6:45-8 PM, Mayor Mike McGinn and the Seattle Department of Transportation will hold a town hall-style meeting at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Ave NE).

City officials will be on hand to to address residents’ and area business owners’ concerns about the Bicycle Master Plan Draft Update and the potential role NE 65th Street may play in it.

Our live coverage of the meeting will begin below, around 6:45 PM.

UPDATE (Thursday, August 15): The Seattle Channel has posted their video of the event, and you can watch it right here (Flash required):

 

 

Filed Under: Businesses, Live Coverage, Mayor's Office, Meeting, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, Seattle Department of Transportation, Updates

Town Hall on Monday, August 12 to address NE 65th St/Bicycle Master Plan concerns

August 8, 2013 by 53 Comments

The time to comment on the Bicycle Master Plan Draft update is over.

Or is it?

According to the Cascade Bicycle Club’s blog, the Seattle Department of Transportation “received more comments on the NE 65th Street protected bike lane than any other project proposed in the draft Bicycle Master Plan Update.”

Not a surprising observation to hear, especially after a less-than-stellar open house on the BMP Draft on June 13 at Roosevelt High School, and a “small business owners/residents meeting” held on June 23 at the Varsity Restaurant on NE 65th St.

We think it is a fair point to make, for all sides of the issue of NE 65th Street’s place in the BMP Update, that there is a lot of confusion around the issue.

Which is why we are grateful to see that a neighborhood town hall regarding NE 65th St and the Bicycle Master Plan Update is being held at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6353 Ravenna Ave NE) on Monday, August 12, from 6:45-8 PM.

NE 65th St

Click the image above to view the Neighborhood Town Hall invitation in full.

 

If you yourself are not able to attend this meeting, and/or would like to read about it after the fact, the Ravenna Blog will be providing live coverage of the events. We’ll post the link here on Monday the 12th.

…

If we may be so bold: If you are planning on attending the meeting, please consider taking an alternate mode of transportation than your usual. The journey might give you some insight into the concerns of others in the area.

Filed Under: Businesses, Mayor's Office, Meeting, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, Seattle Department of Transportation

Heavy police activity in area Thursday afternoon (UPDATES)

August 1, 2013 by 1 Comment

Not long after 3 PM on Thursday afternoon, Seattle Police Department officers with a K-9 unit began searching yards in the area of 25th Avenue NE and NE 65th Street, assisting the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office with a robbery case.

 

Cops in the hood and helicopters overhead

A neighbor in the area got a picture of a group of officers searching along 26th Avenue NE.

 

Cops in the hood and helicopters overhead

As officers searched, streets were blocked by SPD patrol cars. Southbound 25th Avenue NE was blocked for a time, then officers moved eastward.

KIRO’s Chopper 7 was in the area for some time, and we snagged a couple screenshots from the live feed:

K_9

This (fuzzy) shot is of the K-9 unit searching down an area street.

 

white_van

And this shot is of a white van on the 2100 block of NE 61st Street that may be related to the case. Police were calling for a tow truck for this vehicle (per scanner) during the time when all the other activity was happening in the area.

We’ll update this post when we have more information.

UPDATE (4:33 PM): MyNorthwest.com is reporting that the suspect is Timothy Lussier, a convicted felon being sought by Everett police in connection to an armed robbery in July.

A violent offender task force tracked [Lussier] down to the Kenmore area Thursday, where he fled in a stolen car.

“There was a brief pursuit that followed and the suspect then ditched the stolen vehicle in the Ravenna area,” Ireton [with the Sonohomish County Sheriff’s Office] said.

Lussier is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, call 911 immediately.

Picture of Timothy Lussier (Washington's Most Wanted)

Picture of Timothy Lussier (Washington’s Most Wanted)

UPDATE (4:52 pm): The Everett Herald describes Lussier as being 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. He is 35 years old.

UPDATE (11:37 PM): Lots of folks, ourselves included, reported hearing hovering helicopter noise again this evening, starting around 10 PM.

Turns out it was air support courtesy the King County Sheriff’s office, looking for the suspect. But they didn’t find much:

Filed Under: Bryant, Crime, Photos, Ravenna, Seattle Police Department, Updates
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