Archive for the ‘SR520’ Category

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Let’s get SR 520 right

Thursday, November 15th, 2012 by

Repeat the mistakes of the past? Or plan for a better future? The choice couldn’t be clearer.

The SR 520 bridge replacement project provides a golden opportunity to reconnect our neighborhoods and give everyone the freedom to easily and safely bike and walk to where they need to go.

But right now, plans for the Seattle side of the SR 520 corridor do not include critical biking and walking connections.

We’re poised to repeat the mistakes of the past, further dividing our communities and making it more dangerous for people to walk and bike in their neighborhood.

Fortunately, the community is standing up and demanding a better future. Over the past two months the community has shown “overwhelming support” for making it safe, comfortable and convenient for everyone to bike and walk in and through the neighborhood.

Over the next month the Seattle City Council will provide direction to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on how to proceed with the project. The Council’s direction will determine whether we repeat the mistakes of the past, or plan for a better future. And the direction our representatives take is up to us.

Tell the City Council to reconnect our neighborhoods and make critical biking and walking connections with the SR 520 replacement project.

If we’re going to spend billions of dollars on a bridge that will last for generations, we have a responsibility to make sure we get it right. That’s why last year the Seattle City Council asked WSDOT to facilitate the Seattle Community Design Process and hear directly from the community how to improve the project.

In response to the draft design preferences for the Seattle side of the SR 520 corridor, the community spoke loud and clear and showed:

  • Overwhelming support for a 14-foot shared-use path along Portage Bay Bridge.
  • Overwhelming support for protected bikeways with direct, convenient and safe access to main intersections, neighborhoods and existing trails throughout the project area.
  • General concern about bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and safety in and around the Montlake lid area and on Montlake Boulevard.

But like any project, there are a few vocal opponents to the investments that would provide everyone with the freedom to easily and safely bike and walk to where they need to go. We can’t let the narrow interests of a few stand in the way of investments that would benefit so many. That’s just not how democracy works.

Join thousands of your friends and neighbors and tell the City Council to make critical biking and walking connections with the SR 520 project.

Posted in Advocacy, SR520 | 4 Comments »

Comments needed to support a bicycle and pedestrian trail on Portage Bay Bridge

Monday, September 24th, 2012 by

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is seeking public comments on its recently released SR 520 Westside Design Report, which includes recommendations related to bicycle and pedestrian connections throughout the Seattle-side of the SR 520 project.

Over the past year, WSDOT has been working with the public and stakeholders to refine key elements of the SR 520 corridor, and today at 10:30 a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, the Seattle City Council was briefed on the results of this process. Ultimately, the City Council will make recommendations to WSDOT specific to the proposed designs and connections.

With critical connections – like a bicycle and pedestrian trail along the Portage Bay Bridge – still up for discussion, we need your voices to ensure that the State and City move forward with designs for SR 520 and nearby neighborhoods that reflect a future where people of all ages and abilities can safely and efficiently travel by bike and foot.

Comments on the Draft Design Report will be accepted until Friday, Oct. 5. We strongly encourage you to take the time to submit comments by:

  1. Filling out the State’s online survey (read below for our recommendations on filling in the survey)
  2. Submitting an email with your comments to: SeattleCommunityDesign@wsdot.wa.gov

I’ve written about the SR 520 project and Cascade’s recommendations in the past (here and here); however, I thought it would be helpful to summarize our recommendations related to bicycle connectivity for purposes of filling out the State’s (rather intimidating) online public input survey, or to submit your public comments by e-mail.

Because we have a rather lengthy list of recommendations, we want to call attention to our primary recommendation at this point in the State’s process: ensuring that a 14-foot bicycle and pedestrian trail is integrated within the Portage Bay Bridge design. This connection is not currently in the Baseline Design and yet has the potential to serve thousands of people wanting to bicycle and walk to destinations across Seattle and the Eastside.

The survey is divided into the following focus areas: Roanoke Area, Portage Bay Bridge, Montlake Area, West Approach Bridge, and finally, Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections. We will focus on Roanoke Area, Portage Bay Bridge, Montlake Area, and Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections.

Roanoke Area: For the Roanoke Area, we have the following recommendations, many of which are identified in the survey:

  1. Provide a separated bicycle and pedestrian facility across I-5 with intuitive connections to Harvard Ave E, 10th Ave E, the 10th and Delmar lidded area, and ultimately a new Portage Bay Bridge Trail.
  2. Design key intersections along the Roanoke corridor to facilitate safe transitions for bicyclists and pedestrians, specifically 10th and Roanoke, Roanoke and Harvard Ave E, and Boylston and Roanoke St. Specific to the survey, we support the proposal to improve the “T” intersection design at 10th Ave E and Delmar Dr E.
  3. Provide bicycle and pedestrian shared-use trails across the 10th and Delmar Lid, including a non-motorized connection to Federal Ave E.
  4. Ensure seamless, comfortable and convenient connections between the new Portage Bay Bridge Trail, Delmar Dr E, Interlaken, the 10th and Delmar Lid, 10th Ave E, and the new bicycle connections along E Roanoke St.
  5. Upgrade existing bicycle corridors – such as Delmar Dr E – to provide a safe and comfortable experience for people bicycling.

Portage Bay Bridge: Our primary recommendation for the Portage Bay Bridge is to integrate a 14-foot bicycle and pedestrian trail with safe and convenient access at both ends. This is reflected in “Preference 8” in the online survey.

Montlake Area: Our primary recommendations for the Montlake Area, many of which are identified in the survey, include:

  1. Montlake Blvd E: Improve bicycle and pedestrian access on the east and west sides of Montlake Blvd E – specifically, evaluate the application of separated bicycle facilities to meet the existing and future demand for bicycling along this corridor.
  2. Canal Reserve: Lower the westbound off-ramps under 24th Ave E to improve the bicycle and pedestrian experience along 24th Ave E.
  3. East Montlake Park: Provide only bicycle and pedestrian access to East Montlake Park from 24th Avenue East.
  4. 24th Ave E: Include separated bicycle facilities (possibly bi-directional) along 24th Ave E to retain a high-quality bicycle connection across SR 520, providing access to the new SR 520 trail, the Montlake neighborhood, and points north of SR 520.
  5. Montlake Lid: promote bicycling across the Lid through connected trails, wayfinding, and state-of-the-art bicycle parking and amenities.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections: We’ve articulated our main recommendations above, but if you’re filling out the survey, we’d suggest reiterating the importance of (1) providing a 14-foot shared-use trail along the future Portage Bay Bridge and (2) designing all bicycle connections to meet future demand and encourage use by people of all ages and abilities.

We appreciate your continued involvement in this process! If you have any questions when filling out the survey or drafting public comments, please post a comment below.

Posted in Advocacy, SR520, WSDOT | 10 Comments »

SR 520 Eastside closure July 13 to 16

Monday, July 9th, 2012 by

From Friday through Monday, July 13 to 16,  Eastside Corridor Constructors (ECC) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close the SR 520 floating bridge and highway to demolish the 84th Avenue Northeast overpass, complete the demolition of the north abutment of the old 92nd Avenue overpass and complete other time-sensitive construction activities.

Here are the details of the closure:

  • Date: July 13-16
  • When:Beginning at 11 p.m. on Friday, all ramps, the floating bridge and highway will be closed. Everything will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday morning.
  • Where: Both directions of SR 520 and all ramps between Montlake Boulevard and I-405, except for the eastbound entrance from 108th Avenue N.E.. SR 520 will remain open between Montlake Boulevard and I-5.

The demolition at 84th Avenue Northeast is scheduled to begin about 3 A.M. and take about 18 hours to complete. Crews there will use two excavators with concrete crushing jaws and a large jackhammer called a hoe ram, as well as loaders and trucks for hauling away rubble. The demolition of the abutment at 92nd Avenue will be done during the day on Saturday, July 14.

We’ll also be installing drainage culverts, repairing potholes, sweeping and performing other maintenance activities all along the corridor.

ECC and WSDOT thank you for your patience and help reducing backups during our previous weekend closures of the SR 520 floating bridge and highway, and we need your help again this month. With thousands of vehicles traveling this route on a typical weekend, we need drivers to take alternate routes, avoid the area unless you have to go to the Eastside or Seattle and plan for added travel time and delays. We also suggest using carpools and transit.

Please help spread the word about this closure and post to your websites, social media sites and blogs. This is one of several weekend closures of SR 520 this year, with the next one scheduled for the weekend of August 10-13 when we’ll demolish the crossing at Bellevue Way, and install another fish friendly culvert just east of there. Details will be posted on our website.

This work is part of the $306 million SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Project that will improve safety, access and reliability in the corridor when complete in 2013. If you’d like to see photos of the work crews accomplished during previous weekend closures please visit WSDOT’s flickr site

For information, please call the project hotline at 425-998-5200.

Posted in Road & Trail News, SR520, STP | No Comments »

Here comes SR 520: funding or no funding, let’s design it right.

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 by

Imagine: leaving your home on the Eastside of Lake Washington and heading to the University of Washington or downtown Seattle without ever having to leave a dedicated bicycle facility.

Imagine: a 6-mile commute across Lake Washington using the SR 520 non-motorized trail compared to what might be a 15-mile commute today.

As the SR 520 project continues to move forward, these opportunities are in the not-too-distant future. But don’t get too excited just yet; there’s still work to be done, and we need your help.

While funding to complete the SR 520 program is not fully secured, WSDOT is moving forward with design refinements and permitting for the I-5 to Medina project, including connections in the Montlake-area, the Portage Bay Bridge, and connections across the 10th and Delmar corridor. WSDOT is hosting a series of four SR 520 Seattle Community Design Process workshops to solicit public input on design alternatives for each of these areas, including regional and local non-motorized connections. The first workshop will be help on Thursday, April 12 at MOHAI from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Each meeting will focus on different elements of the I-5 to Medina project. Specifically, the April 12 meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss how bicycle riders will access and make connections through the following areas, with short presentations provided at 5 and 6 pm:

  • The Shelby/Hamlin neighborhoods
  • East Montlake Park
  • Montlake shoreline
  • East Lake Washington Boulevard

As you may know, the Montlake-area is currently one of the most heavily trafficked bicycle and pedestrian corridors in the city. In late September of 2011, nearly 900 bicyclists and pedestrians were counted in just 2 hours crossing the Montlake Bridge. Fast forward to 2016, when both the University Link light rail station and the regional SR 520 trail are built and open for service, we anticipate a significant increase in the numbers of  bicyclists and pedestrians that will be using this area to make connections.

Cascade has been involved in the SR 520 Seattle Community Design Process helping to guide recommendations around non-motorized connections between the SR 520 regional trail and major destinations in Seattle – destinations that will become even more accessible given the new regional trail. You may have attended a public meeting in the past regarding SR 520, however as WSDOT’s designs are further refined, hearing from bicyclists and pedestrians is even more critical to ensure that the proposed facilities and connections are designed to support safe, efficient and attractive non-motorized travel throughout the project corridor.

If you are able to attend the April 12 meeting (or subsequent workshops), here are a few points we think WSDOT should consider, if not prioritize, moving forward:

  • Provide a multi-use trail along the Portage Bay Bridge, connecting from Montlake to Capitol Hill.
  • Create strong connections through the 10th and Delmar project area, including dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facilities along E Roanoke St connecting over I-5, improvements to the intersections of Harvard Ave E & E Roanoke St and 10th Ave E & E Roanoke St, and connections across the proposed LID at 10th and Delmar – reconnecting Federal Ave E to E Roanoke St.
  • Ensure 24th Ave E is designed to facilitate safe and efficient bicycle and pedestrian crossings and to reduce conflicts between users, particularly where the regional trail intersects with the Seattle street network. WSDOT is considering parking alternatives to serve East Montlake Park, one of which proposes a parking lot in East Montlake Park requiring an additional street and intersection at 24th Ave E. If parking is necessary, we would encourage you to advocate for parking to be placed underneath the SR 520 bridge.
  • Provide dedicated bicycle connections along Shelby/Hamlin. A bi-directional bicycle facility is being explored for E Shelby St, providing connections to Montlake and to 24th Ave E and the SR 520 trail. Let WSDOT know if this is something you would like to see, or if you would prefer bicycle facilities on both Shelby and Hamlin (which are one-way streets).
  • Create a safe and attractive Montlake Boulevard for all users, including bicyclists and pedestrians. With Montlake serving a significant number of pedestrian and bicycle trips, improvements are needed along Montlake providing safe crossings and dedicated facilities.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP here so we know how many bicycle supporters to expect. If you are unable to attend the April 12 meeting, please send your comments regarding non-motorized connections across the Westside SR 520 corridor to: SR520CommunityDesign@wsdot.wa.gov

Also, stay tuned for additional information regarding future SR 520 Community Design Meetings.

Posted in Advocacy, Commuting, Road & Trail News, SR520 | 4 Comments »

From 520 to Wallingford: improving bicycle connections at the regional and local level

Monday, December 5th, 2011 by

As you may know, the 520 bridge is currently being rebuilt. But what you might not know is that we are faced with a unique opportunity to provide feedback on the design of the west approach in Seattle that will impact regional bike connectivity for generations to come.

The third SR 520 Seattle Community Design Process public session is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. at MOHAI. If you haven’t been to the last two public open houses (view past meeting materials here), or even if you have, we strongly encourage you attend this one. You will have the opportunity to learn about and provide input on new design alternatives that have the potential to significantly improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and safety where the bridge connects to Seattle.

One alternative, that we’re excited about, is a possible new configuration for 24th Ave E.

From the beginning, one of our primary concerns with the design of the SR 520 I-5 to Medina Preferred Alternative (PA) was the impact to 24th Ave E — which today functions as a key connection for bicycles and pedestrians crossing over SR 520. In the PA, 24th Ave E becomes a much higher volume corridor with complex intersections and turning movements, as this is where the new westbound SR 520 off-ramps will connect to the Seattle street grid. The SR 520 regional trail will face its first intersection at 24th Ave E as well, and for cyclists and pedestrians heading southbound on 24th Ave E, several lanes of traffic will need to be crossed at this intersection.

However, as we learned at our SR 520 design committee meeting on Tuesday, the configuration of this corridor is not set in stone, and if you attend the meeting on Dec. 7, you will hear about new alternatives to improve the connections for bicyclists and pedestrians at this location, along with other locations throughout the SR 520 westside project corridor.

One option that is being considered at 24th Ave E would bring the regional trail along with some of the general purpose travel lanes underneath 24th Ave E (rather than intersecting with 24th).  This would enable bikes and peds to continue along the trail without having to stop at 24th Ave E, while also reducing the number of travel lanes at the intersection of 24th Ave E and the SR 520 off-ramps. Under this alternative, trail users would still have the opportunity to access 24th Ave E from the SR 520 trail and would have fewer travel lanes to cross if traveling along 24th Ave E (design materials will be available at the meeting and on WSDOT’s website next week).

At the meeting, you will also learn about new traffic calming design strategies for Lake Washington Blvd., alternative designs for a nonmotorized path along the waterfront near Foster Island, as well as opportunities for improving bicycle and pedestrian connections along the 10th and Delmar Lid. If you can attend the meeting, come prepared to provide input on the new design alternatives and how you think the connections for bicyclists and pedestrians can be improved. We hope to see you there!

Meanwhile, on a more local front, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is hosting an open house to discuss the upcoming installation of the Wallingford neighborhood greenway. The open house will be held on Thursday, December 8th from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Hamilton International School. More Details Here. We are excited to see this project move forward for a number of reasons. It represents a successful story of a community (Wallingford) coming together to generate support and ultimately seek funding to improve walking, biking and the overall livability of the community. Backed by a Neighborhood Project Fund, the Wallingford neighborhood greenway will be installed on N/NE 44th and 43rd Streets between Latona and Stone Way, providing a traffic-calmed, family-friendly route that will improve access to key community destinations like the Wallingford Center, the Wallingford Playfield and two separate schools. The proposed project will include signs and pavement legends, crossing improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians and improved landscaping along the corridor.

One exciting treatment that has been proposed as part of the greenway project is a median island along Stone Way at 43rd – this would provide a refuge for bicyclists and pedestrians crossing Stone Way, but would restrict  motorist left-turning movements from Stone Way to 43rd and from 43rd to Stone Way.  This would effectively reduce cut-through traffic on 43rd creating a low-volume, bicycle and pedestrian friendly route through Wallingford.

For more information about the Wallingford neighborhood greenway, read Seattle Bike Blog’s recent post, or to learn more about the neighborhood greenway movement, view our post from September about Portland’s successful network of neighborhood greenways and Seattle’s recent efforts toward this end.

Posted in Advocacy, Road & Trail News, SR520, Upcoming events | No Comments »

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