With two pedestrians killed by motor vehicles within the last nine months, and countless near misses, it’s beyond time to create a safer transportation corridor for all and #Fix65th.

In response to community concerns and advocacy, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) launched the NE 65^th Street Vision Zero Project and, within the last few weeks, they made some quick improvements to make the roadway safer.

Re-painted Crosswalks: On Saturday, SDOT repainted crosswalks on NE 65^th Street at 15^th, 20^th, and 25^th Avenues NE.  Though every corner is a crosswalk, whether marked with paint or not, painted crosswalks remind drivers that pedestrians have the right of way and to look out for people crossing the street.

Speed Limit Reductions: SDOT decreased the speed limit to 25 miles per hour between 8^th and 12^th Avenues NE on NE 65th Street. Higher vehicle speeds are strongly associated with both a greater likelihood of pedestrian crash occurrence and more serious resulting pedestrian injury.

Signal Improvements: Bigger traffic signals with reflective backing were installed to improve visibility, especially at night.   Pedestrian countdown timers were added so that all pedestrian signals between NE Ravenna Boulevard and 39^th Avenue NE now have them.

Flexible Posts: On NE 65^th Street where it intersects with Roosevelt Way, flexible posts separating the east and westbound lanes were installed. The posts reduce speed and angle for motor vehicles turning from southbound Roosevelt Way to eastbound NE 65^th Street. The posts prevent drivers from cutting the corner, improving driver visibility of pedestrians in the crosswalk.

More Changes in 2018: To further increase safety along this busy corridor, more changes are in the works. Learn about possible future road design improvements during the May 18 community forum at Roosevelt High School. Drop in anytime between 6-7:30 p.m., view a variety of proposed changes, and have questions answered by SDOT staff.

In April 2002, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) released a University Area Transportation Study that included:

The recently redeveloped University Village shopping center generates a significant amount of vehicular traffic in close proximity to the Burke-Gilman Trail . . . University Village is surrounded by single-family residential neighborhoods, whose residents are concerned with through traffic and pedestrian safety. Providing safer facilities for each of these transportation modes requires a combination of improvements to the following problem areas:

• Crossing conflicts between bicyclists/pedestrians and vehicles on the Burke-Gilman Trail at 25th Avenue NE and 30th Avenue NE.
• Inadequate sidewalks and pedestrian facilities north and east of University Village on . . . NE 50th Street from 30th to 35th Avenues NE.

Why is this relevant today, 15 years later? Because despite mitigation funds from University Village that they requested be used for sidewalks on NE 50th Street, despite two Neighborhood Street Fund applications submitted by RBCA for the project, despite studies conducted by SDOT, and despite ongoing advocacy by RBCA members, the neighborhood is still waiting for sidewalks.

In 2016, SDOT conducted a traffic study and among the findings were that almost 2,000 vehicles use the road per day, which is considered high for a non-arterial street, and that about 50% of drivers on the road exceed the speed limit. This did not come as a surprise to neighbors considering NE 50th Street links the University Village area with the Bryant neighborhood and 35th Avenue NE. Many Bryant community members use the street when walking to businesses and to access the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Most recently, it came to RBCA’s attention that the sidewalk funds from University Village were to be diverted to another SDOT project. Upon learning this, RBCA representatives promptly requested a meeting with SDOT and, in follow-up to that meeting, RBCA sent the following letter.

May 8, 2017                                                               

Ms. Sara Zora

Seattle Department of Transportation

700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3900

Seattle, WA  98124-4996

 RE: UATAS Project #31 (Sidewalks on NE 50^th Street) and Omission in Pedestrian Master Plan

 Dear Ms. Zora,

 Thank you for meeting with our representatives from the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA) on May 2. As was discussed, the non-arterial NE 50^th Street between 30^th Avenue NE and 33^rd Avenue NE, just east of University Village (U-Village), does not have a sidewalk and suffers from excessive speed and high vehicular traffic. Over the years, RBCA has been promoting the need for a sidewalk and traffic calming measures on NE 50^th Street (project) and has pursued neighborhood grants as well as mitigation funds from University Village and Children’s Hospital for improvements.

 The RBCA has created a partnership with University Village and successfully negotiated mitigation funds from their Master Use Permits (MUPs) to be assigned to NE 50^th Street. However, RBCA recently learned that mitigation funds previously identified for this project were going to be reallocated to another project. In addition, RBCA was disappointed to see that the April 2017 Pedestrian Master Plan omits the need for a sidewalk on NE 50^th Street.

 The RBCA has long been an advocate for what we are referring to as the NE 50^th Street Community Sidewalk Project. This work was originally identified in the 2002 University Area Transportation Study and as Action Strategy Project #31 in the 2008 University Area Transportation Action Strategy Report.

 Attached to this letter is a summary of the timeline of events since 2002. This timeline includes previous SDOT studies, plans, action reports, previous drafts of the pedestrian master plan, and vehicular speed and volume counts. All of these previous documents indicate the need for a sidewalk and traffic calming measures on NE 50^th Street. As these documents note, nearby University Village is a growing urban village and NE 50^th Street is impacted by this growth. The street is used for school bus stops, a direct pedestrian corridor between Children’s Hospital on the east and University Village to the west, and University of Washington family housing to the east.

 The RBCA strongly recommends that SDOT:

·       Divert back previous mitigation funds to NE 50^th Street

·       Make corrections to the Pedestrian Master Plan prior to City Council adoption

·       Allocate additional University Village mitigation funds to this project

 At RBCA, we have been successful in partnering with University Village to secure a great deal of private funding for this project. We are pleased to report that with this partnership we have secured a letter from University Village reaffirming their preference to restore previous mitigation funds and for future mitigation funds to be allocated to this project.

 We appreciate your time in this matter and welcome the opportunity to meet with you or with representatives of SDOT to see to that this project is fully funded, advanced, and corrections made to the Pedestrian Master Plan.

Sincerely,

 Inga Manskopf, President

Ravenna-Bryant Community Association

cc: Councilmember Rob Johnson

In 2013, when RBCA asked Ravenna-Bryant neighbors if NE 65th Street is safe, 91% said it was safe for driving, parking, and using transit; 88% said it was safe for walking; and 43% said it was safe for biking.

In 2016, when RBCA asked Ravenna-Bryant neighbors to identify their most pressing mobility-related concerns, the most common comments received focused on feeling unsafe as a pedestrian on NE 65th Street.

When SDOT surveyed community members earlier this year about how safe people feel when they walk or bike on NE 65th Street, 57% said they feel unsafe.

After listening to neighborhood concerns, last year RBCA adopted a mobility safety action plan with a focus on advocating for safety-related changes to NE 65th Street. RBCA joined with the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association and NE Seattle Greenways to form the #Fix65th coalition. After many months of raising awareness of safety problems, including two pedestrian deaths after they were struck by motor vehicles on NE 65th Street, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) initiated a Vision Zero project for the busy corridor.

The second Vision Zero community forum will take place May 18 at Roosevelt High School. Neighbors are encouraged to participate and have your voices heard about how to best make NE 65th Street safer for all.

While most (85%) of our neighbors currently get around the neighborhood by personal motor vehicles, only 55% want to get around that way, according to the survey conducted by the Seattle Department of Transportation as part of the NE 65th Street Vision Zero Project. Instead, more of our neighbors want to take public transportation (58%) and bike (51%) than currently do (53% and 39% respectively). Eighty-eight percent currently walk to get around the neighborhood and wish to continue to do so. This is to say that a great many of our neighbors want to get around our neighborhood without a motor vehicle but many don’t because they are concerned about being injured. Sixty-seven percent reported thinking that it is likely that someone will get injured while walking or biking on NE 65th street.

In a 2013 RBCA survey about NE 65th Street, 74% of Ravenna-Bryant residents anticipated using the Roosevelt Link light rail station when it opens with 86% of them planning to walk, bike, or bus to the station.

To learn more about the SDOT survey results and possible solutions for creating a safer NE 65th Street, join RBCA, the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association, and the Seattle Department of Transportation for a community forum on May 18, 6-7:30 p.m. (drop in any time), at Roosevelt High School.

The Seattle City Council Human Services and Public Health Committee adopted a resolution last week “expressing the City of Seattle’s commitment to being a more age-friendly city under the criteria established by the World Health Organization and the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities.”

On the same day, the Mayor announced a series of “age-friendly initiatives” to support the health and well-being of older adults in line with the AARP initiative.

What is the AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities? The initiative encourages cities to prepare for the rapid aging of the U.S. population by paying increased attention to the environmental, economic, and social factors that affect older adults. They identify eight domains of a community’s livability:

1. Outdoor spaces and buildings
2. Transportation
3. Housing
4. Social participation
5. Respect and social inclusion
6. Civic participation and employment
7. Communication and information
8. Community support and health services

What does that mean in Seattle?  Among a variety of ways to make the city more age-friendly, Mayor Murray identified sidewalks in particular as important: “A sidewalk free of bulges and holes appeals to everyone in the neighborhood, including the mom pushing her stroller, a child riding a scooter to school, and those who may find walking a challenge. Investing in safe walking routes for all of us should be a top priority for our Age-Friendly city.”  The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has been tasked with examining intersections, sidewalks, driver behavior, and public safety and identifying opportunities to improve the pedestrian experience in the city.

What does that mean in Ravenna-Bryant? In 2016, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association adopted a mobility safety action plan to guide activities for creating a safer neighborhood for pedestrians. These activities align with transportation-related goals of the Age-Friendly initiative. RBCA’s activities include advocating for a safer NE 65th Street and for sidewalks where none currently exist, in particular along NE 50th Street between 30th and 35th Avenues NE.

Making NE 65th Street more age-friendly: SDOT recently started the community outreach phase for developing plans to make NE 65th Street safer for everyone who uses it. To make streets safer for all, including older adults, the AARP initiative recommends that cities consider:

• Reducing the width of car lanes and reducing the number of car lanes on a street;
• Reducing the length of a crosswalk;
• Making crosswalks more visible;
• Adding medians or pedestrian islands on busy streets;
• Giving walkers a head start at traffic lights;
• Banning right turns on red;
• Installing speed bumps;
• Installing red light cameras;
• Enforcing traffic laws.

All of these strategies can be considered as our neighbors think about how to make NE 65th Street, and all of our arterial roads, safer for everyone.

Making NE 50th Street more age-friendly: Though not included in the recently adopted Pedestrian Master Plan, sidewalks are needed on NE 50th Street, south of Calvary Cemetery. The street provides an important link between the Bryant neighborhood, the shops in and around University Village, and the Burke-Gilman Trail. Without sidewalks, this corridor remains unsafe for all pedestrians, including older adults.

In February, people throughout the city submitted ideas for improving streets and parks in their neighborhoods as part of the City’s Your Voice, Your Choice program. In the Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood, three ideas were proposed: two to create safer pedestrian crossings along NE 55th Street and one to increase pedestrian and bike safety on 20th Avenue NE where the street meets the entrance to the footbridge.

As part of the Your Voice, Your Choice initiative, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) shared information about how much street improvements cost. This is important information for Ravenna-Bryant considering the number of street improvements that are needed in addition to those proposed through this initiative.

Concrete Sidewalk – $65,000 to $90,000. (Your Voice, Your Choice projects are those that are less than ⅓ block (110’) in length or locations where a curb already exists and there are no drainage issues.)

Curb Bulb – $50,000 to $80,000.

Curb Ramps – $25,000 per ramp. Typically, projects require ramps to be installed in pairs.

Marked Crosswalk – If a crossing meets national standards, and curb ramps exist, crosswalks can be signed and marked for $8,500. If no curb ramps are present, they must be installed, for an average of $15,000/per ramp. If SDOT determines additional measures are needed, such as an overhead sign, flashing beacons, etc., these may add $25,000 in cost.

Median Island with 2 curb ramps – $40,000, assuming there are no drainage impacts.

Sidewalk Repair – $90,000 or less for a six-foot wide sidewalk on a typical block (330’ long). Costs are higher if trees are present.

Street Trees – $1,000/tree.

Pedestrian Countdown Signal – $7,000 per intersection (4 crossings).

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) –  $50,000 to $70,000 per two-direction approach, for equipment, design and construction only, cost varying depending on installation costs and availability of power source.

Radar Speed Signs – $25,000 to $35,000 includes two radar speed signs.

Speed Humps – $5,000 per speed hump including signs. Speed hump projects usually consist of a minimum of three humps for a total of $15,000.

Traffic Circle – $25,000 to $30,000 but costs vary depending upon landing area, size of the circle, and survey work due to monument resetting.

Sidewalks on NE 50th Street: Last year, as part of the Neighborhood Street Fund program, SDOT estimated that it would cost $848,000 to build new sidewalks on NE 50th Street between 30th Avenue NE and 35th Avenue NE. While RBCA’s proposal was chosen as one of the top five projects in NE Seattle, funding was not provided. RBCA was able to secure mitigation funds from University Village that could cover about $248,000 of project costs and continues to advocate for funds to cover the balance.

In September, the RBCA board adopted a mobility safety action plan that identified advocacy for safety improvements to NE 65th Street as our top priority. This was our rationale: NE 65^th Street has been identified as one of the most dangerous streets in the city. Over the last three years, 68 people have been hospitalized after crashes on NE 65^th Street between 5^th and 35^th Avenues. One person died. Injuries were sustained by motorists, bikers, and pedestrians.

Since then, 3 people crossing NE 65th Street in crosswalks have been struck by motorists. One person died and 2 were sent to the hospital with critical injuries. Every month, multiple collisions between motorists are reported on NE 65th Street.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has heard our concerns and is now starting a process for identifying specific safety problems, developing a plan for addressing them, gaining community input about those plans, and implementing final plans between next fall and 2019. In partnership with the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association, they are hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, February 28, 6:00 p.m. at Roosevelt High School to talk with neighbors about safety concerns.

Last week, members of the #Fix65th coalition, including members of the RBCA board, put our heads together to come up with some possible quick changes that could be done this year, as SDOT prepares for road design changes that require more planning. In the comments section, please share your thoughts about each of these ideas.

Remove peak hour parking restrictions. Currently, no parking is allowed on westbound NE 65th Street during peak hours in the morning and no parking is allowed on eastbound NE 65th Street during peak hours in the afternoon. By removing these restrictions, more parking would become available in our business districts and, at the same time, the road would be narrowed, reducing motor vehicle speeds. Reducing speeds is a research-based strategy for reducing pedestrian – motorist collisions.

Change speed limit to 25 mph. In addition to changing parking rules, SDOT could change the speed limit on the road to 25 miles per hour. With 2 busy business districts and the location of Roosevelt High School, this may make most sense between I-5/Ravenna Blvd and 25th Avenue NE.

Install curb bulbs and posts at some corners. Curb bulbs extend the sidewalk into the street, reducing the time and distance it takes a pedestrian to cross. Curb bulbs can also prevent drivers from parking in front of crosswalks or blocking curb ramps. The visibility between drivers and pedestrians is also improved with curb bulbs because pedestrians are brought farther out into the street, making crossing locations more recognizable.

Following are a few drawings to help imagine what curb bulbs could look like at certain intersections. Photos of low-cost curb bulbs appear at the end of this post.

NE 65th Street & 15th Avenue NE

This intersection is of particular concern because of the number of students who cross here to get to Roosevelt High School, the multiple bus stops on both streets, a significant increase in housing in the area within the next few years, and the width of the roads. The drawing above includes curb bulbs in green as well as dedicated left turn lanes on NE 65th Street.

NE 65th Street & 20th Avenue NE

The intersection at 20th Avenue NE is of particular concern because it is the gateway to the Ravenna business district, many bikers use 20th to access the ravine footbridge, and because of shortened sightlines due to the hill. Anyone who has been following #Fix65th on Twitter has seen multiple videos of children trying to use the crosswalk on their way to school and being blocked by motorists making right turns while the light is red. Curb bulbs could shorten the cross and help motorists see pedestrians. Prohibiting right turns on red could keep motorists from blocking crosswalks.

NE 65th Street & Ravenna Avenue NE

Bisecting the Ravenna business district, Ravenna Avenue NE is an important spot for pedestrian safety improvements. Pedestrians coming from the ravine, accessing local businesses, and going to the community center all use this intersection.

Create dedicated left turn lanes. The diagram (above) of the intersection with 15th Avenue includes dedicated left turn lanes. Lanes like this could also help the intersection with 25th Avenue NE.

The intersection with 25th Avenue NE is an especially busy one since it leads to University Village, the Montlake Bridge, and SR 520. While traffic lights for people driving north and south include turn arrows, people driving east and west often get stuck behind drivers making left turns. This often leads to driver frustration and angry driving behaviors. Left turn only lanes both east and westbound could help traffic flow more efficiently and safely.

Make improvements to traffic signals. At NE Ravenna Blvd, where many motorists access I-5, where many bikers take advantage of the protected bike lanes, and where many pedestrians catch buses, signal improvements could be made including the elimination of left turn flashing yellow arrows and inclusion of dedicated pedestrian walk signals. For better traffic flow, adding a left turn only lane could help.

Install flashing crosswalk beacons. All along NE 65th Street, flashing beacons on either side of the road that are turned on when a pedestrian pushes a button could be used to increase motorist’s awareness of pedestrians trying to cross the road. Many motorists report that they are not aware of people waiting to cross the street and flashing beacons could help.

What are your thoughts for making NE 65th Street safer for everyone who uses it? Leave comments below and attend the community meeting on the 28th. Have your voice heard!

Two examples of low-cost curb bulbs that are created with some paint, street markings, and posts. If they don’t improve safety, these bulbs can easily be removed.