Uniformed Help on the Viaduct Detour Route

June 17, 2010 by 2 Comments

@ThomasField and I both spotted some SPD officers directing traffic today.  He was nice enough to tweet us a photo of his:

Traffic directing at Ravenna Blvd/22nd/54th/55th,    Courtesy Thomas Field

Snapped at a rather infamous intersection: Where Ravenna Blvd, NE 22nd Avenue, NE 54th Street AND NE 55th Street ALL swirl together like suds going down a drain, just south of the southeast part of Ravenna Park.

I suspect that most of the new traffic here is due to Official NE 45th Street Viaduct Detour Cheaters who are trying to sneak up and down the hill by using 54th/55th instead of 65th. Cheaters!

Yours truly found herself a traffic director where 15th Avenue NE, Cowen Pl NE and Ravenna Blvd all meet, on the west side of the park.  Northbound Cowen Pl NE traffic turning left has no light; I imagine that’s a reason for the extra help.

Both of these locations have been added to the NE 45th Street Viaduct Detour Issues Google Map.

Do YOU have any to share? Let us know!

Filed Under: Construction, Traffic, Updates

Let’s talk about TRAFFIC!

June 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I’ll start.

I don’t commute to and fro work like I imagine many of you do, so my observations on what the NE 45th Street Viaduct Detour has meant to me will likely be different from some of yours.  Nor have I taken a tour of the entire detour route.

But here are some detour issues I’ve noticed (click on the map to open it in Google Maps):

Click me to open in Google Maps

  1. I’ve actually been remembering that the viaduct is CLOSED, and taken alternate routes! [This was a triumph. I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.]
  2. Just yesterday I saw workers putting up “NO PARKING from 4-7pm” signs along the east side of 25th Ave NE. That side of the street is already marked as “NO PARKING from 3-6pm.” Why the different times?
  3. The backup to turn left onto westbound NE 65th St from northbound 25th Ave NE is worse more times of day than it used to be. So glad for that green arrow.
  4. The parking spots on the south side of NE 65th St through Downtown Ravenna (and further to the west) have “NO PARKING from 4-7pm” signs posted on them, too.
  5. Turning left onto 15th Ave NE from westbound NE 65th Ave was hard before. And now it’s worse!
  6. Driving to the View Ridge PCC I noticed two orange detour signs pointing EAST on the EASTBOUND side of the street! That can’t be right. I checked the opposite direction today and there are none across the street, so that’s probably where they’re supposed to be.

So, those are my observations. Have any to add? Let me know in the comments, or email me (rebecca [at] ravennablog.com).

Filed Under: Construction, Traffic

What the NE 45 St viaduct closure means for Ravenna

June 1, 2010 by 3 Comments

It’s June 1, which means we’ve got less than two weeks left until the NE 45st Street viaduct closes until mid-September.

And while you may not use the viaduct much in your own travels, the detours and bonus repaving project may have you feeling the effects where you may not have expected them.

NE 45th viaduct detour route map, SDOT

The Detours

There are two designated Seattle Deparment of Transportation (SDOT) traffic detours during the closure time:

  • A southerly route including 15th Ave. NE, NE Pacific St. and Montlake Blvd
  • A northerly route including 15th Ave. NE, NE 65th St., and 25th Ave. NE

This northerly route will be sending viaduct detourees up and over Ravenna Park, essentially, sending them right through “downtown” Ravenna.

Unofficial northerly detour routes I can anticipate divers trying could include using Ravenna Blvd and/or NE 55th Street to travel from east to west, instead of continuing north to NE 65th Street.  If things get too crazy on those routes, we could ask Maple Leaf where they got their NIMBY-esque “NO THRU TRAFFIC” signage.

The Bonus Project

As a part of the viaduct project, and also starting in June, 22nd Avenue NE (between NE 45th and NE 54th) is getting repaved! Turns out, anticipated construction bids for the viaduct were low enough that the cost savings will be spread out over 22nd Avenue NE in the form of hot, gooey asphalt.

SDOT claims the coordination of these two construction projects will help “minimize impacts to residents.”  That may be, but it’s also going to make it even tougher on those of trying to sneak down NE 54th Street.

For More Information

SDOT has an official NE 45th Street Viaduct Project – West Approach Replacement page, which includes more maps and resources than you could shake a traffic cone at.

There’s a FAQ for you to read as well.

Lastly, if you’re more of a face-to-face learner, SDOT is hosting an open house on June 9, from 4-7 pm, at the University Heights Community Center (5301 University Way NE).

Consider yourselves warned.

Filed Under: Construction, Meeting

Northeast Branch Re-Imagining

August 19, 2009 by 1 Comment

Have any holds at the Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library?  If so, you have until Sunday, August 22 to pick them up.

As of Monday, August 23, the branch will be closed…until early October. No no, not just closed Labor Day week like the rest of ’em (for fiscal and BBQ reasons), but for MUCH. LONGER.

But FEAR NOT!  The closure is for a good cause (or three):

  • The hold areas are being consolidated and expanded, and moved into the current Teen area.
  • The Teen area is being moved to the northern end of the branch. [Insert joke about teens here.]
  • Two more self-checkout stations are being added.

I first noticed the monstrous piles of materials on hold after last winter’s snows.  I just figured that the books were getting to the library, but patrons weren’t.  Turns out that this branch of a mere 15,000 square feet process more holds than nearly every other branch in the system.  The aforementioned switcheroo refurbishing will make room for all of that.

Yes, I’m sure that the library folks are aware that the branch underwent a doubling of size only five years ago, and now, here were are, already needing to close things down and rework it again. But I imagine that many of us were hitting the bookstores more back then, in the heady economy of the mid-2000s.  *sigh*

Your holds will be transferred to the Lake City Branch during the closure, unless you choose otherwise.  I’m going to switch to the Green Lake Branch and go for more walks.  Or just visit Chocolati a lot, to try and cope with the change. We’ll see.

Filed Under: Construction, Northeast Branch, Northeast Seattle, Open/Closed

Let the sunshine in.

September 30, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Autumn is upon us.  Never mind that it’s supposed to be 80 degrees today, or something.  The trees are turning, there’s lots of football on TV, school is in session; thus, autumn.

Walked to Third Place Books yesterday, after a bit of a hiatus from doing so.  Good timing on my part, as the mural on the outside of the building facing 20th had just started undergoing its extreme makeover:

Much more is gone today.  Two large holes are now visible.  Too bad about the mural, but the windows will be sweeeet.

Filed Under: Businesses, Construction, Photos, Ravenna
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