Livable Streets Workshop Discover the Possibilities Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative For more information: Thank you to our Community Co-Sponsors http://construction.seattlechildrens.org/livablestreets/ Bicycle Alliance of Washington Cascade Bicycle Club Paulo Nunes-Ueno Feet First Director | Transportation Hawthorne Hills Community Council Seattle Children’s ITE UW Student Chapter 206-987-5908 Laurelhurst Community Club [email protected] Laurelhurst Elementary PTA Laurelhurst Elementary Safe Routes to School Public Health Seattle & King County Seattle Community Council Federation Seattle Department of Transportation Seattle Parks Foundation Sierra Club - Cascade Chapter Streets for All Seattle Sustainable Northeast Seattle Transportation Choices Coalition Transportation Northwest Undriving.org View Ridge Community Council Wedgwood Community Council 2 Table of Contents Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative Safe crossings of major arterials What is Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative?.....……4 Theme map: Safe crossings of major arterials ..………..…19 Public Involvement …..…….………..………………………...6 Project 7: NE 52nd St & Sand Point Way NE: Potential Projects themes and map …..…....…….………….7 Pedestrian crossing signal …………………......………...20 Project 8: 40th Ave NE & Sand Point Way NE: New signal and redesigned intersection…...……………21 Neighborhood Green Streets connecting Project 9: NE 45th St from 40th Ave NE to 47th Ave NE: parks, schools, and trails Crosswalks and curb bulbs.………...…………………….22 Project 1: Neighborhood Green Streets map ………….……8 What is a Neighborhood Green Street?….….………….…...9 Appendices Appendix A: Project list and evaluation matrix …........…A-1 Improved access to the Burke-Gilman Trail Appendix B: Public comments …...……………....………B-1 Theme map: Improved access to the Burke-Gilman Trail..11 Project 2: Ravenna Pl NE & NE 55th St: Traffic flow revision to fill a “missing link”…….…………..12 Project 3: NE 50th St & 40th Ave NE: Sidewalks to Sand Point Way NE; Intersection redesign ..……………14 Project 4: 36th Ave NE & Sand Point Way NE: ADA accessible connection ………………………………16 Project 5: Burke-Gilman Trail at 45th Ave NE: Improved ADA access to Trail ……………………………17 Project 6: Princeton Ave NE at Burke-Gilman Trail: ADA accessible connection ………………………………18 3 Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 $2M Bike/Ped $.5M $.5M $.5M $.5M $1.4M SEPA ~$.6M TBD TBD TBD $.5M ITS $.5M --- --- --- Pay by early 2011 before construction permits. Design 2011. Build 2012. 40th/SPW Signal 2013 --- --- --- Street 2013 --- --- --- Improvements BGT Hartmann 2014/15 --- --- --- ramp 4 Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative Livable Streets Themes What is Seattle Neighborhood Green Streets connecting Children’s Livable parks, schools, and trails Streets Initiative? Improved access to the Burke-Gilman Trail • 20 year plan that accompanies Safe crossings of major arterials our Major Institution Master Plan The projects outlined in this booklet were identified through (MIMP) collaboration with SDOT and community input, and selected • Goal: to improve transportation as most supportive of the Livable Streets themes. These proposals are consistent with goals, locations, corridors, and in our neighborhood projects identified in plans and public processes, including: • Bike/Pedestrian improvements UATAS University Area Transportation Action Strategy SPW Sand Point Way Pedestrian Study • Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) NSF Neighborhood Streets Fund proposals BMP Bicycle Master Plan • Corridor/Safety improvements PMP Pedestrian Master Plan • ~$4 Million commitment BOG Bands of Green LSW Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Workshop 5 Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative: Public Involvement On Saturday, November 13, more than 300 community members participated in Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Workshop. Hundreds of comments and project ideas have been received through the event, email, and on the website. The workshop featured: • Opportunities to suggest and comment on project ideas • Demonstrations of potential project types, including street design, ITS, and bike facilities • Free kids’ bicycle helmets and fittings, with bike safety “Skillz & Thrillz” obstacle course • Booths from 18 community co-sponsors • “Pedal with Decisionmakers” bike ride to visit and discuss target project locations in the neighborhood All of the public input on Seattle Children’s Livable Streets received to date is included in Appendix B to this booklet. 6 Potential Projects Project Themes Neighborhood Green Streets connecting parks, schools, and trails Improved access to the Burke-Gilman Trail Safe crossings of major arterials 7 Theme: Neighborhood Green Streets connecting parks, schools, and trails The Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative proposes to partner with the Seattle Department of Transportation and our neighborhood sponsors to build a Neighborhood Green Street on one of these corridors to connect the Burke- Gilman Trail, schools, parks, and other existing bicycle and walking facilities. This will also include elements of a high-quality bicycle boulevard as specified in Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan. 8 1. What is a Neighborhood Green Street? BMP BOG LSW Photo: Payton Chung, Flickr Neighborhood Green Streets are residential streets improved to make all people feel comfortable walking, biking, or playing. Drivers can still pass through, but traffic moves at slower speeds. These traffic calming elements of Neighborhood Green Streets encourage people of all ages and abilities to spend time outdoors in their community. In addition, the design features include planters that serve to provide natural stormwater drainage and greenscapes. 9 1. Elements of a Neighborhood Green Street BMP BOG LSW Palo Alto, CA Berkeley, CA Photo: Richard Masoner, Flickr Photo: Payton Chung, Flickr Traffic calming treatments (Palo Alto and Berkeley, CA) Photos: SvR Improved pedestrian Planter improves water quality and crossing with green median shortens street crossing distance for (Port Townsend, WA) pedestrians (Portland, OR) 10 Image: IBPI Theme: Improved access to the Burke-Gilman Trail The Burke-Gilman Trail is an invaluable asset for transportation and recreation in Northeast Seattle. Seattle Children’s Livable Streets Initiative proposes to build projects that help people reach the Trail by bicycle and on foot, extending the reach and benefit of this facility and knitting together Northeast Seattle neighborhoods. 11 2. Ravenna Pl NE & NE 55th St: Traffic flow revision to fill a “missing link” Green UATAS Lake BMP BOG LSW Ravenna Park Current Ravenna Place. Photo: GoogleMaps Burke- Gilman Trail Ravenna Pl NE to Ravenna Ave NE north of Blakeley St is a gap between the Burke-Gilman Trail and the trails of Ravenna Park, bike lanes on Ravenna Blvd, and Green Lake Park. Dedicating one traffic lane to two-way bicycle traffic and pedestrians would fill this missing link. Example: Separated two-way bike lane in Montreal. Photo: BikePortland.org 12 2. Ravenna Pl NE & NE 55th St: Intersection redesign, to be built in 2011 SDOT will redesign the intersection at Ravenna Pl, UATAS Ravenna Ave, and NE 55th St. Slowing speeds and reducing cut-through traffic turning south-bound onto BMP Ravenna Pl would make the crossing safer and more BOG predictable for people on foot and bike. LSW Current intersection. Photo: Seattle Children’s 13 3. NE 50th Street and 40th Ave NE: Sidewalks to Sand Point Way NE LSW Current Photo: GoogleMaps Example sidewalks with street parking. Photo: Google Maps This street is missing sidewalk segments on both sides, creating a dangerous and unappealing pedestrian environment. Completing sidewalks could improve the walk from the Burke-Gilman Trail. 14 3. NE 50th Street and 40th Ave NE: Intersection redesign for safer crossings Redesigning this intersection with curb bulbs LSW and crosswalks would shorten the crossing distance and improve sight lines. Example intersection design. Drawing: Project for Public Spaces This intersection has long crossings, and the slope of 40th Avenue NE makes it difficult for pedestrians and bicyclists 15 to be seen by drivers. Photo: GoogleMaps 4. 36th Ave NE & Sand Point Way NE: ADA accessible connection UATAS LSW The only way to get to the Burke-Gilman Trail today at 36th Ave NE and NE 45th St is via these stairs, a barrier to using mobility devices, strollers, or bicycles. Photos: Seattle Children’s 16 5. Burke-Gilman Trail at 45th Ave NE: Improved ADA access to Trail LSW Improved access to the trail would make it easier for people walk and bike. 45th Avenue NE is a good candidate for a Neighborhood Green Street connecting View Ridge School, View Ridge Park and the Burke-Gilman Trail. Current Trail access is via stairs Photo: Seattle Children’s 17 6. Princeton Ave NE at Burke-Gilman Trail: ADA accessible connection PMP LSW The existing gravel path at Princeton Ave and the Burke-Gilman Trail could be paved and graded to minimize vegetation transplanting and provide an accessible route from the trail to the bus stop, business area and surrounding neighborhood. An existing cross walk and signal is located at Sand Point Way. Princeton is targeted for sidewalks in the Pedestrian Master Plan. Example: A paved switchback in Bettendorf, Iowa Photo: Stuart McDonald, www.americantrails.org Currently, the only way to reach the Trail here is via these stairs or a dirt path. Photo: Seattle Children’s 18 Theme: Safe crossings of major arterials