The Seattle Department of Transportation received over 300 submissions during Phase 1 of the Neighborhood Street Fund (NSF) 2019-2021 Program Cycle. Click here for a map of all projects proposed.
Projects proposed by Ravenna-Bryant neighbors include:
Traffic calming and biking improvements on 30th Ave NE between Blakeley and NE 55th Streets
Traffic circles or speed humps on 36th Ave NE between NE 57th and NE 60th Streets
A greenway on 27th Ave NE between Blakeley and NE 68th Streets
Pavement repair along 20th Ave NE bike corridor between Ravenna Blvd NE and NE 65th Street
Pedestrian safety improvements for crossing NE 65th Street
Now it’s time to prioritize.
Rank the projects proposals online or at a Community Prioritization Meeting January 28 – February 22. Top-ranked projects will proceed to the voting phase in the spring.
The meetings will run 90 minutes, beginning with a presentation of each project proposed in the district. Visit the SDOT website to find a meeting near you. In Ravenna-Bryant, a Community Prioritization Meeting will take place Monday, February 11, 6-7:30 p.m. at the NE Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 6801 35th Ave NE.
Can’t make it to a meeting?
A link to rank projects online will be available on the Neighborhood Street Funds website January 28 – February 22: www.seattle.gov/transportation/nsf.htm.
3 Tips for participating in this phase:
Plan ahead: if you will be joining a community meeting, plan to arrive no later than the meeting start time.
Do your research: in-depth project proposals will be available on the Neighborhood Street Fund website January 28. Get to know the projects proposed in your district prior to attending a meeting or ranking online.
Share: invite friends, family, and neighbors to participate.
The Your Voice Your Choice (YVYC) program collects ideas for small-scale park and street improvement projects from Seattle residents and then asks people to vote on which ones should be implemented. In 2018, $3 million has been allocated for chosen projects.
Ideas were collected in January and the ones identified by community members as top priorities during a project development phase are now going through a feasibility review, scoping, and design by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR).
In the Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood, four project ideas are currently under review. All have to do with creating a safer environment for people either by reducing the number of people driving too fast or by installing painted crosswalks.
Map of four proposed 2018 Your Voice Your Choice projects in the Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood.
1. 20th Ave NE between 65th and Lake City Way: Speed bumps to slow traffic. “Cars drive over the speed limit and there is no check of their speed or stops between the traffic lights to calm traffic. This street is lined with homes and is in constant use by pedestrians and bicyclists. Something needs to calm traffic from just racing through from north to south and vice versa as pedestrians/bicyclists try to use (cross) the street. All community members who use NE 20th Ave [would benefit]. Drivers will be more safe and pedestrians/cyclists will be more safe.”
2. 20th Ave NE from NE 65th to Lake City Way: Crossing improvements at 20th Ave NE & NE 68th, NE 70th and/or NE 82nd. “To improve traffic conditions on 20th Ave NE: lower speed limit to 25; paint crosswalks; add stop signs at NE 70th & maybe NE 82nd; add radar speed sign; possibly add flashing ped lights. Vehicle speeds are dangerously high; peds are at risk, esp children near Community Center – also people entering parked vehicles on drivers’ side. All residents on 20th NE (200 households); children accessing Ravenna Eckstein Community Center & Playground; parishioners at Reformed Presbyterian Church” would benefit.
3. Intersection of 21st Ave NE & NE 77th St: Traffic circle to prevent drivers from speeding. “This is a very dangerous intersection with the hill.” It is a “very dangerous uncontrolled intersection with commuters speeding through to get to 75th. Multiple car accidents there over the years. Residents, children in the area [would benefit]. Also commuters unfamiliar with the intersection who are less cautious and at risk of getting into an accident.”
4. NE 77th St and 25 Ave NE: Crossing improvements. “Despite the presence of a park directly intended for children, there is only one [painted] crosswalk adjacent to the playfield. Neighborhood residents should not have to choose between crossing a busy street at a corner with no [painted] crosswalk or walking the long way around (a double block up and then back down through the park to the playground) in order to access the park. Children and parents walking from the Ravenna neighborhood to Dahl Playfield” would benefit.
Voting for top priorities will take place in June and July.
Earlier this year, one of our neighbor’s YVYC project idea was implemented: a painted crosswalk at 30th Ave NE and NE 55th Street. Like projects proposed in 2018, the goal of the painted crosswalk is to provide a safer street crossing for pedestrians.
A crosswalk was recently painted at 30th Ave NE and NE 55th Street at the northwest corner of Calvary Cemetery.
The concerns reflected in the YVYC project ideas are the same as concerns expressed by neighbors in a survey RBCA conducted in 2016. The survey indicated that the top mobility concerns among neighbors have to do with drivers speeding and not yielding to people crossing the street. Since NE 65th Street was identified as particularly unsafe, RBCA joined with the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association and NE Seattle Greenways to advocate for traffic calming and a safer pedestrian environment on NE 65th Street.
A few years ago, RBCA board members adopted a vision to guide our work. In ten years, what do we want Ravenna-Bryant to be like?
Ravenna-Bryant is a welcoming, thriving, safe, diverse, and connected neighborhood.
This vision is integrated into each year’s workplan. Below is the RBCA workplan for 2018 which focuses on activities related to realizing our long-term vision.
Outreach activities – Creating a welcoming & connected community.
1. Host annual general membership meeting. (RBCA’s annual meeting was held April 1.)
2. Maintain a website and social media presence on Facebook and Twitter.
3. Post flyers about RBCA meetings throughout the neighborhood.
4. Email meeting agendas to neighbors signed up for e-news.
5. Host “Ravennafest” to increase awareness of RBCA and increase connections between neighbors, community groups, and businesses. (Save the date: July 14!)
6. Recruit new board members who reflect the diversity of the community including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, age, gender, income, and residence type.
7. Revise bylaws so that new board members may be elected throughout the year. (Completed during April annual meeting.)
RBCA’s annual general membership meeting on April 1, 2018 provided neighbors the opportunity to connect with community groups. Photo courtesy of Katherine Mackinnon.
Land use activities – Creating a thriving & diverse community.
1. Monitor neighborhood land use projects including, but not limited to, University Village, University Prep, Trailside on 25th & Burke-Gilman Trail, Union Bay Place, and UW Campus Master Plan. Provide comments about projects to design review board. Educate neighbors about plans for new buildings.
2. Monitor changes to land use policy affecting the neighborhood. Continue to monitor and educate neighbors about proposed changes to City policy including Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU).
3. Develop a NE 55th Street Plan. In anticipation of new development projects along NE 55th Street, develop a neighborhood streetscape plan.
4. Monitor implementation of the Future of 35th Avenue NE Plan. In partnership with Wedgwood Community Council, continue advocacy for the implementation of this neighborhood plan for a thriving and pedestrian-friendly business district on 35th Ave NE.
Transportation activities – Creating a safe & thriving community.
1. Monitor neighborhood transportation projects. Continue to educate neighbors about projects related to the Roosevelt light rail station, 520 replacement, Husky Stadium Transit Master Plan, and other projects as they arise.
Maintain representation in other community organizations – Creating a connected community.
Representatives from the RBCA board will participate in the City University Community Advisory Council (CUCAC); Seattle Children’s Standing Advisory Council; NE District Council (NEDC); North Precinct Advisory Council (NPAC); and the Ravenna-Eckstein Advisory Council.
Opportunities for involvement: The RBCA board is always seeking neighbors to become involved with any of the activities outlined in the workplan. Attend a board meeting (first Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m. at Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center) or send us a message through the Contact Us page to learn how to become involved.
All of these activities largely reflect the interests of current RBCA board members. Neighbors who want to work on issues or projects not included in this workplan are encouraged to attend RBCA board meetings and become involved.
Funding for sidewalks on NE 50th Street is in jeopardy!
Contact Mayor Durkan today and let her know that sidewalks are vital for neighborhood safety!
What’s the problem?
NE 50th Street between 30th and 33nd Avenues (south of Calvary Cemetery) does not have sidewalks. Without sidewalks, this street will remain unsafe for people walking in the neighborhood including to school, to University Village, and to access the Burke-Gilman Trail. The Seattle Department of Transportation studied this stretch of NE 50th Street and determined that almost 2,000 cars use it per day and regularly drive above the speed limit, some in excess of 55 mph!
The Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA) has been advocating for sidewalks on NE 50th Street for more than 15 years. In 2015, in partnership with RBCA, University Village requested that funds they paid to the City of Seattle to mitigate impacts on the local neighborhood associated with increased development within the mall be used to pay for sidewalks on NE 50th Street. Since the funds were not enough to pay for the entire project, RBCA has continued activities to identify money to make up the difference.
Last year, in partnership with RBCA, University Village again requested that mitigation funds associated with the soon to be built west garage be used to fund sidewalks on NE 50th Street, a vital connector to their businesses for Ravenna-Bryant neighbors. (The request letter appears at the end of this post.) However, RBCA was told last week that the funds will instead be used to put in an electronic traffic advisory sign (Intelligent Transit System or ITS) on 25th Avenue NE, similar to the one installed on NE 45th Street by the south entrance to University Village.
What you can do.
Contact Mayor Jenny Durkan and Nathan Torgelson, Director of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, and tell them to maintain support for this public-private partnership for funding for sidewalks on NE 50th Street.
Your message could look something like this:
Dear Mayor Durkan and Director Torgelson,
Please ensure that University Village mitigation funds be used to build sidewalks on NE 50th Street and not for an ITS on 25th Avenue NE. This is what both the Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood and University Village have requested.
Background: NE 50th Street between 30th Avenue NE and 33rd Avenue NE, just east of University Village (U-Village), does not have a sidewalk and suffers from excessive speed and high vehicular traffic. 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. Nearby University Village is a growing urban center and NE 50th Street is impacted by this growth.
Community advocacy for NE 50th Street sidewalks has been going on for at least 15 years. 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.
Over the years, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association has pursued two neighborhood grants to fund sidewalks. SDOT has conducted studies on vehicular speed and volume counts and developed plans and action reports. All of these indicate the need for a sidewalk and traffic calming measures on NE 50th Street.
Most recently, the NE 50th Street sidewalk project was included in the Pedestrian Master Plan and installment of sidewalks is included in SDOT’s short-term implementation plan.
Problem: In 2015, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association partnered with University Village and successfully negotiated mitigation funds from their Master Use Permits (MUPs) to be assigned to NE 50th Street. Though University Village in 2017 asked that the mitigation funds for the upcoming West Garage expansion be earmarked for the NE 50th Street sidewalk project, last week RBCA learned that SDCI plans to use the funds for the installation of a traffic information sign on 25th Avenue NE.
Request: We request that the University Village mitigation funds from the West Garage development be used for the NE 50th Street sidewalk project, not another electronic traffic information sign (ITS). With increased development in the University Village area it is vital that funds be used to mitigate neighborhood safety problems associated with increased traffic.
Sincerely,
NE Seattle Neighbor
Send messages to:
Jenny Durkan, Mayor: Jenny.Durkan@seattle.gov
Nathan Torgelson, Director Seattle DCI: Nathan.Torgelson@seattle.gov
Copy:
D4 Councilmember Rob Johnson – Rob.Johnson@seattle.gov
Deputy Mayor Ranganathan — Shefali.Ranganathan@seattle.gov
After attending the Seattle Department of Transportation’s December drop-in sessions to learn about planned safety-related changes to be made as part of the NE 65th Street Vision Zero project, RBCA board members agreed that not enough is planned for increasing pedestrian safety. Following is a letter RBCA sent to SDOT regarding our primary concerns.
Poster shared at SDOT drop-in session at Broadcast Coffee in December outlining changes planned to make NE 65th Street safer for all who use it.
Goran Sparrman Interim Director Seattle Department of Transportation
Dear Mr. Sparrman:
We were encouraged to preview some much-needed and overdue safety improvements to the NE 65th Street corridor at SDOT’s NE 65th Street Vision Zero drop-in sessions last month. But pedestrian safety at intersections and a lack of crosswalks, two of the neighborhood’s greatest concerns as determined in surveys by RBCA and SDOT alike, are not sufficiently addressed in the current proposal.
While the numbers of pedestrians counted crossing NE 65th Street between signalized intersections may not warrant the addition of marked crosswalks, SDOT’s 2017 survey data found that 85% of respondents considered lack of safe crossings a barrier to walking in the area. RBCA’s 2016 mobility survey collected similar feedback from residents. With additional crosswalks and curb bulbs, we will see an increase in pedestrians and with this increase will come greater safety.
Data included in the 2017 Vision Zero Progress report indicated that 60% of pedestrians killed in the last three years were 55 years of age or older and 80% of pedestrian collisions occur within or near our urban villages. Ravenna’s business district is within one block of two facilities that house close to 150 of our most vulnerable neighbors. A resident of one of those facilities was killed by a left-turning vehicle at 20th Ave NE and yet significant safety issues related to pedestrian visibility and right-of-way are not addressed in the current proposal.
In working toward our shared Vision Zero goals and to address pedestrian safety on NE 65th Street, we ask that SDOT consider the following:
• Painted crosswalk and curb bulbs at or near 21st Ave NE to emphasize common pedestrian crossing point for neighborhood businesses as well as the Ravenna Eckstein Community Center. • Curb bulbs at NE 20th Street and No Right on Red signage to address severely limited visibility of pedestrians entering the crosswalk as well as signal to drivers to not enter the crosswalk, as they commonly do now. • Left turn lights at intersections to reduce dangerous conflicts, particularly at 15th and 25th Avenues NE.
In addition, without left turn lights we are concerned that resulting backups will decrease pedestrian safety on side streets as a result of diverted traffic.
We would be happy to discuss these significant and widely-held safety concerns with you further if needed.
Respectfully, Transportation Committee Ravenna-Bryant Community Association
Two years ago, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA) adopted a vision to guide our activities: Ravenna-Bryant is a welcoming, thriving, safe, diverse, and connected neighborhood. Those descriptors help board members think about proposed changes affecting the neighborhood and what we want to do so that the vision becomes reality.
In 2017, the RBCA board conducted many activities to promote our vision. Following are a few highlights. The summary doesn’t capture everything, but provides an overview of activities that have been ongoing for years, activities that were specific to 2017, and activities that will continue into the new year and, possibly, years to come.
Annual meeting: In April, RBCA’s annual general meeting featured a speaker from the Seattle Office of Emergency Management who provided important information about preparing for an earthquake and other emergencies. This educational forum culminated a year-long emergency preparedness campaign conducted by RBCA, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, and community members that included community conversations and a “Task A Month” emails about items needed to build an emergency preparedness kit.
Neighbors gathered to learn about how to prepare for an emergency during RBCA’s annual membership meeting in April. Photo by Oralea Howard.
University Village garage: In June, the RBCA Land Use Committee held a community meeting to provide neighbors with an update about University Village’s plans for a 7-story garage on 25th Avenue NE and the opportunity for neighbors to give the developers input about the garage design. In September, the RBCA Land Use Committee submitted its second comment letter on the project to the Design Review Board (a first round of comments were made in December 2016). Two RBCA board members attended the September early design guidance meeting and gave public comments for the Design Review Board to consider. The comments focused on pedestrian and bicycle safety along 25th Ave NE and the need for developers in the area along 25th Ave NE to work together to make the connections between the neighborhoods and the Burke-Gilman Trail safer.
Drawing of planned University Village garage on 25th Avenue NE from the perspective of people walking south. Image from design review documents, Project 3025629.
#Fix65th Coalition: In February, the Seattle Department of Transportation launched a collaborative process to review street safety conditions along NE 65th Street. The NE 65th Street Vision Zero project was started in response to safety concerns highlighted by the #Fix65th Coalition, a collaboration between RBCA, the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association, and NE Seattle Greenways starting in 2016. In a mobility safety survey conducted by RBCA in 2016, speeding cars and difficulties crossing streets were top concerns among Ravenna-Bryant neighbors with NE 65th Street being mentioned most often as particularly dangerous for pedestrians.
After gaining public input about safety problems, SDOT implemented some quick improvements and shared with community members possible future safety improvements in May. After learning about SDOT’s plans, RBCA shared concerns in June and continued to highlight safety problems through recent drop-in sessions, communication with SDOT staff, advocacy with Councilmember Johnson, and awareness activities including participation in recent World Day of Remembrance events and ongoing posts to #Fix65th on Twitter.
In 2017, minor safety-related changes to NE 65th Street included re-painting crosswalk stripes at the corner of 20th Avenue NE, where an 89 year-old woman was killed in February. Photo by Oralea Howard.
Cell phone tower on NE 65th Street: A group of neighbors approached RBCA in the spring with concerns about an application by T-Mobile to affix a communication utility for cell phones on a Seattle City Light utility pole at the corner of NE 65th Street and 32nd Avenue NE, across the street from Assumption St. Bridget School. RBCA supported efforts made by Councilmember Johnson to increase transparency and forethought by public agencies such as City Light when notifying neighbors of proposed changes and seeking public comments.
Later in the year, RBCA advocated against Senate Bill 5711, an act relating to telecommunication services, and other bills restricting the power of municipalities to regulate in the public interest the location of telecommunication towers and facilities.
NE 50th Street sidewalks: For more than 15 years, RBCA has been advocating for sidewalks on NE 50th Street south of the Calvary Cemetery. Despite mitigation funds from University Village that they requested be used by SDOT for sidewalks on NE 50th Street; despite two Neighborhood Street Fund applications submitted by RBCA for the project; despite studies conducted by SDOT that show that people driving cars speed on this stretch of road; and despite ongoing advocacy by RBCA and community members, the neighborhood is still waiting for sidewalks.
This year, it came to RBCA’s attention that the sidewalk funds from University Village were to be diverted to another SDOT project. RBCA advocated with SDOT and Councilmember Johnson to ensure the funds remained earmarked for the project. RBCA board members testified during a City Council transportation committee meeting for the inclusion of sidewalks in the City of Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan. Most recently, RBCA has been working with University Village to secure additional funding to fully fund the cost of installing sidewalks on 50th since current earmarked funds only cover about half of the project cost. RBCA plans to continue our advocacy efforts until there are sidewalks along this busy stretch of road that connects the University Village area to the Byrant neighborhood.
In 2016, the Seattle Department of Transportation developed this plan for adding sidewalks to NE 50th Street. In 2017, RBCA continued advocacy activities to make the plan a reality.
Outreach: RBCA board members continued to reach people through social media (Facebook, Twitter), our website, monthly emails, and flyers posted throughout the community. One of the goals of RBCA’s social media and website is to share information about what is happening in the neighborhood. Following are the posts that got the most attention in 2017.
Website: Plans for the University Village garage on 25th Avenue NE were of most interest to people who visited the RBCA website this past year. The top five most viewed posts in 2017 were:
A four-story indoor sports recreation center (Center of Physical Arts) is being proposed at 2510 NE Blakeley, September 2017
Guests from the University of Washington will discuss the Husky Stadium Transportation Master Plan during the RBCA board meeting on Tuesday, November 2017
RBCA requests new U-Village garage be designed with community, pedestrians in mind, January 2017
What’s being proposed at the corner of NE 65th Street and 15th Avenue NE? A new apartment with 131 units and street-level retail, April 2017
D4 Public Safety Open House flyer, August 2017
RBCA’s top tweets 2017 show how powerful a hashtag (in this case #Fix65th) can be:
Remembering the 89 year-old woman struck by a pick-up truck & killed as she walked in the crosswalk at corner of NE 65th & 20th Ave NE 2/4/17. #WDR2017sea #WDoR2017 #Fix65th, November 2017
Here’s a map of changes @seattledot is planning to #Fix65th. While improvements to existing painted crosswalks are welcome, neighbors are still concerned about pedestrian safety at unpainted crosswalks @CMRobJohnson., December 2017
And again #Fix65th. (tweet included photo of the aftermath of the collision that killed the pedestrian in the crosswalk at 20th Ave NE), February 2017
Unable to attend the @seattledot #Fix65th community forum last month? Take their online survey by tomorrow (3/14), March 2017
It’s been great seeing so many neighbors engaged in the #Fix65th process! Couldn’t make it tonight? There will be another @seattledot drop-in session Thursday, 7-9am. Thanks @broadcastcoffee for hosting!, December 2017
Bylaws update: The RBCA board updated the association’s bylaws early in 2017. Changes include clarification regarding the role of the board and the role of the association as a whole; membership; the duties of the board; voting; and the role of committees.
RBCA is a volunteer-run organization with no paid staff. The RBCA board is always looking for people to participate in our monthly meetings, join committees, and pro-actively work on issues of concern in the Ravenna-Bryant neighborhood. The board will continue to meet the first Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center. Anyone interested in sustaining a welcoming, thriving, safe, diverse, and connected neighborhood is encouraged to participate. Like our wider community, RBCA is strongest when neighbors come together and pro-actively work towards a common vision.
In November, community members came together to remember two of our neighbors who were killed while walking in crosswalks on NE 65th Street in 2017.
During World Day of Remembrance 2017, community members gathered to remember the two neighbors who were killed while walking in crosswalks on NE 65th Street this last year. One pedestrian, an 89 year-old woman, was struck and killed at the corner of NE 65th Street and 20th Avenue NE.
In response to the dangerous conditions for all people who use NE 65th Street to get around the neighborhood, RBCA, the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association and NE Seattle Greenways formed the #Fix65th coalition in 2016 to advocate for safety improvements. The need for safety improvements continues to be evident as people continue to be killed and seriously injured in collisions involving drivers of motor vehicles on NE 65th Street.
In response, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) started a collaborative process to review safety on NE 65th Street with the goal of improving safety for all modes. They developed a proposed street design concept based on community input, citywide modal plan recommendations, and the results of their traffic modeling. They expect to start construction to implement improvements next summer.
The project is still in design and SDOT invites community members to participate in a drop-in session to see the latest for NE 65th Street. Stop by anytime during one of the sessions to learn about project progress, review materials, talk with project staff, and share feedback.
*This item was removed from the agenda after RBCA board members requesting/leading the conversation indicated that they are unable to attend the meeting/requested that it be removed.
On February 4, 2017, a Saturday afternoon, this was the scene at NE 65th Street and 20th Avenue NE. Doris Van Allen (age 89) was struck by the driver of a pick-up truck as she walked in the crosswalk. She was taken to the hospital with serious head injuries and later died.
On Sunday, neighbors are invited to remember Doris Van Allen and Junhui Wang (age 26), who was struck and killed as she crossed NE 65th Street at Roosevelt Ave NE on January 26, 2017.
WHAT: As part of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, join Councilmember Rob Johnson and neighbors in commemorating the two people killed while crossing NE 65th Street in 2017.
WHERE: Meet at the corner of Roosevelt and NE 65th Street, where a silhouette will be placed in remembrance of Junhui Wang. The group will then walk east on NE 65th Street and place a silhouette on the corner of 20th Avenue NE and NE 65th Street in remembrance of Doris Van Allen.
In 2016, RBCA joined with the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association and NE Seattle Greenways to create the #Fix65th coalition toadvocate for changes to NE 65th Street and to make it safer for all who use it.
Over the past several years, plans have been developed with the goal of creating a safe and pedestrian-friendly experience for neighbors wishing to walk to businesses and services on 35th Avenue NE from NE 55th Street to NE 85th Street.
Future of 35th Avenue NE Plan
Planning for the future of 35th Avenue NE public workshop circa 2014. Photo courtesy of Future of 35th Ave NE blog.
Between 2012 and 2015, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, the Wedgwood Community Council, and neighbors from both communities worked together to develop a plan, including design guidelines, for creating a vibrant 35th Avenue NE.
Pedestrian safety improvements along arterial roads
While the RBCA board has focused most of our mobility-related advocacy efforts on improving safety along the NE 65th Street corridor most recently, all arterial roads in the neighborhood have been identified as needing changes to make them safer for all who use them.
In a 2016 survey about neighborhood mobility concerns, pedestrian safety was the primary concern. The most common complaint regarding pedestrian safety, as well as motorist and biker safety, was people speeding in their cars along both arterial and residential streets. The second most common complaint was about how difficult it is to cross arterial roads and, interestingly enough, it wasn’t only pedestrians and bikers who identified this as a big problem. Motorists thought it was a problem, too. Reducing the number of speeding cars on arterial roads, like 35th Avenue NE, is one of RBCA’s priorities in our 2017 mobility safety action plan.
Seattle Bike Master Plan
Bike Master Plan in Ravenna-Bryant
The Seattle Bike Master Plan (BMP) was adopted in 2014 and includes changes to 35th Avenue NE. The BMP provides a blueprint for increasing safety features for people who use bicycles to get around the city, including NE Seattle.
On 35th Avenue NE, sharrows (shown as yellow dotted lines in the map to the left) are planned from NE 45th Street to NE 65th Street. From NE 65th Street to NE 75th Street on 35th Avenue NE protected bike lanes (blue line) are included in the plan.
In addition to increasing safety for bikers, bike lanes can reduce the speed at which cars travel and, therefore, increase safety for all who use the road, including motorists.
SDOT paving project
In NE Seattle, 35th Avenue NE is one of streets scheduled for re-paving. According to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), paving is an opportunity to cost-effectively update street designs to promote safety, build features called for in citywide transportation plans (like the BMP), and coordinate with other projects. As part of the 35th Avenue NE paving project, SDOT is taking the opportunity to make planned changes all at once, instead of in a piecemeal manner. The project includes re-paving most of the road, adding safety improvements, and improving reliability for transit users. Detailed information about the paving project is available online.
SDOT open house
On October 21, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Messiah Lutheran Church, 7050 35th Ave NE, SDOT will host an open house for neighbors to learn more about the paving project.
SDOT’s conceptual view of changes to be made looking north from the corner of 35th Avenue NE and NE 55th Street.
The meeting will begin with an open house during which attendees will be able to review project boards and ask one-on-one questions. From 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. those who would like to go on a walking tour will break up into groups and visit either NE 75th St & 35th Ave NE or NE 65th St & 35th Ave NE.
Community members are encouraged to learn more about plans that will guide changes to the 35th Avenue NE corridor within the not-so-distant future. As the population of our city continues to grow, the way people get around the neighborhood is going to change. Now is the time to become familiar with what is planned, think about how the implementation of those plans will change neighborhood mobility safety, and ensure that what is created is sustainable, supports a livable and vibrant community, and meets the needs of a diverse population.
A Design Review Board meeting about the proposed 7-story University Village garage on 25th Avenue NE is scheduled for Monday, September 25, 8:00 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.
Here are some of the drawings of the latest design proposal from a pedestrian’s point of view.
Drawing of proposed University Village west garage. The people in this image are walking in front of the Office Depot driveway.Walking south on 25th Avenue NE along the proposed University Village west garage.Street view of bus stop, micro retail, and pedestrian entrance to the proposed University Village west garage.Pedestrian passageway from 25th Ave NE through the proposed University Village west garage.Car, bike, and pedestrian entrances to University Village at the south end of the proposed west garage. (That’s Restoration Hardware on the right.)
All documents related to the proposed garage are available online under project 3025629. Comments about the garage design may be sent to the Design Review Board at PRC@seattle.gov.
Between 2012 and April 2017, there were 232 collisions on NE 65th Street, according to information shared by SDOT during an April public meeting. All of the collisions that resulted in serious injuries or deaths involved people walking or biking. Just last winter, an 80 year-old woman was killed walking across NE 65th Street in the crosswalk by Third Place.
In 2016, RBCA, in partnership with the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association and NE Seattle Greenways, launched the #Fix65th campaign to raise awareness of the safety problems along the NE 65th Street corridor and to call for road improvements. After conducting community outreach and gaining input from neighbors, this summer the Seattle Department of Transportation released final plans for changing the road design.
Below are plans for the area of NE 65th Street between NE Ravenna Blvd and Roosevelt Way NE as well as the section between 12th Ave NE and 20th Avenue NE.
In the Ravenna neighborhood, these are the primary changes. The only change on NE 65th Street east of 20th Avenue NE is the removal of peek parking restrictions.
A year ago, neighbors marched along NE 65th Street in the Ravenna and Roosevelt neighborhoods to increase awareness about the many pedestrians, bikers, and motorists who had been sent to the hospital after being involved in collisions on NE 65th Street. The march launched the #Fix65th campaign started by the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA), Roosevelt Neighborhood Association (RNA), and NE Seattle Greenways.
June 16, 2016 at the corner of NE 65th Street and 15th Avenue NE. Photo thanks to the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association @roosieseattle
Since then, two pedestrians were killed while crossing in marked crosswalks on NE 65th Street, one in the Ravenna neighborhood and one in the Roosevelt neighborhood.
Since then, the Seattle Department of Transportation launched a NE 65th Street Vision Zero project that included two community forums and some short-term improvements to the road. Plans are being made for further improvements in 2019.
However, RBCA continues to be concerned about the safety of our neighbors who walk, bike, and drive on NE 65th Street. While the short-term improvements are certainly welcome, RBCA is concerned that more people will be seriously injured and killed before large-scale improvements are made.
Today, in partnership with RNA, RBCA sent a letter to City officials in follow-up to the letter sent last July:
June 16, 2017
Dear Mayor Murray and Councilmembers Johnson and O’Brien,
In July of 2016 the Ravenna Bryant Community Association and Roosevelt Neighborhood Association sent a letter expressing our neighborhoods significant safety concerns regarding NE 65th Street and requesting a study of the corridor. We outlined specific issues that needed to be addressed as follows:
Excessive speeding and a lack of enforcement
Insufficient number of safe crossings
Long waits for walk signals
Driving lane orientation
Dangerous intersections
Unsafe sidewalks
Unsafe bicycle infrastructure
Insufficient parking
In response, SDOT committed to fixes that would come in two stages, with quick, short-term fixes happening in 2017. More comprehensive improvements would occur in 2019. The 2017 changes, which are now complete, involved repainting crosswalks, making traffic signals larger, adding flex posts at 65th and Roosevelt, and reducing the speed limit to 25 mph in the Roosevelt business district. But other than the flex posts, we consider this work to be essential maintenance on aging infrastructure.
Increased density along NE 65th Street is not going to wait for 2019. Seattle In Progress shows at least 650 new housing units being built adjacent to 65th, and approximately 1,000 more units pending approval. Most of those buildings include retail and a limited number of parking spaces. The next two years will see dramatically increasing numbers of residents and visitors traveling the corridor by foot, bike, bus, and car.
In the year since we submitted the above referenced letter, two people have died and two more have suffered life-threatening injuries. All of these tragedies have occurred at intersections over a one mile stretch of NE 65th Street and yet there are no further safety improvements planned for two more years. SDOT’s Community Forum on May 18th did not even include potential safety treatments at intersections or future crosswalks, two of the neighborhood’s greatest concerns as determined in surveys by RBCA and SDOT alike.
The short-term fixes are inadequate and fail to address the most dangerous aspects of NE 65th Street. We are painfully aware of what two years can mean for members of our community and are not willing to accept what has been done as an adequate response to a persistent danger to our community. We formally request that the scope of completed work be reviewed and further short-term treatments be developed to address intersections and crossings before the end of July with follow-up work to be completed before the end of the summer.
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 65th Street Vision Zero Project and, within the last few weeks, they made some quick improvements to make the roadway safer.
NE 65th Street & 20th Avenue NE crosswalks were re-painted May 6. In February, an 80 year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a motor vehicle here. Photo courtesy of Oralea Howard via Twitter.
Re-painted Crosswalks: On Saturday, SDOT repainted crosswalks on NE 65th Street at 15th, 20th, and 25th 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.
Graphic courtesy of SDOT: http://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2016/11/07/your-new-vision-zero-speed-limits/
Speed Limit Reductions: SDOT decreased the speed limit to 25 miles per hour between 8th and 12th 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 39th Avenue NE now have them.
Flexible posts recently installed at NE 65th Street & Roosevelt Way NE. Last September, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a motor vehicle here. Photo courtesy of Dongho Chang via Twitter.
Flexible Posts: On NE 65th 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 65th 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.
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, WA98124-4996
RE: UATAS Project #31 (Sidewalks on NE 50th 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 50th Street between 30th Avenue NE and 33rd 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 50th 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 50th 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 50th Street.
The RBCA has long been an advocate for what we are referring to as the NE 50th 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 50th Street. As these documents note, nearby University Village is a growing urban village and NE 50th 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 50th 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
From SDOT 2016 Neighborhood Street Fund report on the NE 50th Street Sidewalk project.
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:
Outdoor spaces and buildings
Transportation
Housing
Social participation
Respect and social inclusion
Civic participation and employment
Communication and information
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.
Earlier this year, an older adult was struck by a motor vehicle and killed at the intersection of NE 65th Street and 20th Avenue NE. One way to create an age-friendly neighborhood is to ensure our streets are safe for everyone, no matter what age.
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.
Looking west on NE 50th Street toward University Village: no sidewalks, not age-friendly!
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.
The Ravenna-Bryant Community Association twice applied for Neighborhood Street Funds (which is now Your Voice, Your Choice) for sidewalks along NE 50th Street, south of Calvary Cemetery. After being identified as one of the top 5 NE Seattle project proposals last year, SDOT created the above drawing for the project.
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 the Ravenna neighborhood, these are the primary changes. The only change on NE 65th Street east of 20th Avenue NE is the removal of peek parking restrictions.
