The NE 45th Avenue viaduct project is almost done. Huzzah! Construction is due to be completed on September 10th, just in time for the first Husky football game the next day.
There are a few more viaduct projects to finish in October and November — lighting installation, finalizing the line striping and pedestrian markings, and replanting the surrounding area — but the detour will be no more, and life will return to normal…
…until January of next year, when two new construction projects are headed our way.
The Big One: 15th Avenue NE Reconstruction – NE Pacific Street to NE 55th Street
I’m sure we can all agree that the surface of 15th Avenue NE is a pothole-riddled disaster, and the increased traffic from the viaduct detour route isn’t doing it any favors.
Happily for us, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has plans in the works to reconstruct most of 15th Avenue between NE Pacific Street and NE 55th Street between January and October of 2011.
Project area for the 15th Ave NE reconstruction, courtesy SDOT
This popular arterial will be FULLY RECONSTRUCTED between NE Pacific Street and NE 50th Street between January and September, while the stretch between NE 50th Street and NE 55th Street will just get a repaving. Intersections at NE Pacific Street, NE 45th Street, and NE 50th Street will not be repaved as this was done more recently.
And there’s more! From the SDOT’s 15th Avenue Reconstruction Project website:
Other improvements include:
- New curb ramps and curb bulbs to improve pedestrian mobility
- Sidewalk widening at bus zones (bus bulbs)
- Drainage upgrades
- Installation of a new marked crosswalk at NE 41st St
- New northbound left turn lane at NE 42nd St
- Upgraded street lighting system
- New electrical infrastructure for future transit improvements
- Transit improvements including
- North to west turn restriction from 15th NE to NE 45th during some or all of the day
- Expanded bus stop waiting areas (bus bulbs) at two locations
- Bus stop consolidation where stops are too close together
All great stuff. But the area is going to be a general mess during the construction. Trolley wires will be turned off on weekends to accommodate construction needs. This means diesel buses will be traveling through the area instead. There will always be access to residences and businesses for pedestrians, but rerouting and/or detours could spring up. Vehicles will definitely be affected: No street = no street parking, and access to parking lots and garages will be affected as well.
The Wee One: The 22nd/Ravenna Ave/Ravenna Pl/54th/55th “Scramble”
Just like with the viaduct and the 22nd avenue NE repaving project, it seems as though the SDOT can fund another, smaller, nearby project through the bidding process for the 15th Avenue NE project. And this one should make pedestrians breathe a sigh of relief.
Here’s what the area in question looks like now:
The "Scramble," with street names
Street names removed, pedestrian "no-man's land" highlighted
And here are the current construction plans for the area (click image to open a larger version in a separate window):
Current "Scramble" construction project plans, courtesy SDOT
Two items of particular note in this graphic:
- The BIG NEW CURB on the south side: To me, this piece is the key to the whole project. Pedestrians will now have a solid place to stand and be seen as they prepare to cross the intersection. Cars will have a very distinct turn to and from Ravenna Pl NE. This is SO MUCH SAFER than the microscopic gravel no-man’s land that sits at that spot right now.
- The “Pending Funding” area on the north side: Project Manager Jessica Murphy did not have high hopes that the funding would come through on this part, unfortunately.
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I am very excited about both of these projects, but speaking both as a pedestrian and a driver, I really look forward to unscrambling the “Scramble.”
For More Information
For more information on these projects, visit the main 15th Avenue NE Reconstruction page and the accompanying FAQ page.
An open house thrown by the SDOT detailing these projects and their effects on the community will happen sometime this November or December.
Funding for these projects comes from the Bridging the Gap levy passed by Seattle voters in 2006.
You can see a specially-crafted Google Map of the “Scramble,” and scroll around all you please, right here.
Many thanks to Project Manager Jessica Murphy at the Seattle Department of Transportation and Kristine Edens from EnviroIssues for stopping by the August Ravenna-Bryant Community Association meeting and sharing this information.
UPDATE: Email update from the SDOT says that the projects will be advertised for competitive bids this month (September). Schedule remains unchanged.
Sisleyville EIS Scoping Comments Deadline Nears
NOW is the time to send in your thoughts about the proposed rezoning of the properties around 15th Ave NE and NE 65th St, if you haven’t already. The deadline for public comments about the Environmental Impact Survey for the Roosevelt Development Group’s proposed zoning changes is next Wednesday, September 1.
If you feel well-informed on the issue, feel free to skip down to the “How should I send in my input?” part of this blog post and start there.
For the rest of us (myself included), I’ve hunted down answers to some common questions about the scoping process AND what the content and form of our comments should be.
What is the scoping process?
I found the following description of the scoping process in the Enviromental Scoping Information Report (EIS) for the East Link Project (applies to our situation as well; emphasis mine):
In other words: Developers want to make big changes in your area. Here are their plans. What do you think?
There have been two public meetings on the Roosevelt/Ravenna rezone issue where public comments were recorded (sort of; DPD tries to explain what happened here, Glenn Roberts gives his impression here). Now the comment collection window is closing. It’s time to let the city know what YOU think about these rezone plans!
Why should I send in my input?
Again: Developers want to make big changes in your area. Here are their plans. What do you think?
It’s in OUR neighborhood where these proposed changes may take place, OUR backyards. It doesn’t matter whether you support the rezones or not: You should let your City know what you think, either way.
What should my input look like?
The Roosevelt Neighborhood Association has an excellent list of comment suggestions (MSWord doc) that will help you organize your thoughts in writing (no matter what side of the issue you’re on):
The DPD has already identified six key elements for discussion in the Environmental Impact Survey for the Sisley properties (DPD Notice of Determination of Significance):
Now, the Roosevelt Development Group has outlined six different proposals for the EIS which were on display at the last scoping meeting on July 21st. You may want to address specific plans in your comments (for instance, the plan that rezones the area for 160-foot-tall buildings). You can find a description of those alternatives here. Graphics of the six alternatives are also online (pdf, 5.6 MB file).
If you want to be a Thorough Theodore, you may want to apply ALL SIX key elements (Height, bulk and scale; Land use; etc.) to ALL SIX of the RDG’s six proposals. Yeah, that’s a lot of work, but that’s what happens when a developer throws six different proposals out all at once.
If you like some direction on which of the six proposals you should spend your time on, Glenn Roberts (Roosevelt-Ravenna Zoning Issues) has the following to say (emphasis mine):
How should I send in my input?
City of Seattle
Department of Planning and Development, Attn: Shelley Bolser
700 5th Avenue, Suite 2000
PO BOX 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019
However you choose to send your comments in, INCLUDE THE PROJECT NUMBER: 3010100.
TO SUM UP:
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References