SDOT Traffic Engineer Dongho Changs view of the Rainier Ave S Traffic Safety meeting last Wednesday night with Councilman Bruce A. Harrell (you can follow Dongho on Twitter @dongho_chang). If you missed the meeting heres the follow-up email he sent yesterday morning to all those who registered their attendance with an email address: NOTE: the please consider submitting your comments here points to the following link: https://docs.google/forms/d/1Z8UIt4sFNDegnYJVctSc8etEv03HB13cQx0w8_IXYJA/viewform. ----------- Thank you for attending the SDOT meeting on Wednesday, September 17 to discuss traffic-calming on non-arterial streets and safety along Rainier Ave S. Safety is our top priority and we are committed to improving conditions for all users of our transportation system. Enclosed are the documents that were shown during our discussion at the meeting. We will be developing a plan to engage and respond to community’s Rainier Avenue concerns. We’ll let you know soon on our next steps. Attached you will find an overview of projects planned along Rainier Ave, from Massachusetts south to Othello. Please note that there are other projects planned for Rainier Beach that are not included in this overview. Additionally, you will find a map of construction projects along the Rainier Corridor, a summary of pedestrian and bicycle projects in SE Seattle, and information about SDOT’s neighborhood traffic calming program. SDOT recognizes that not everyone at the meeting had the opportunity to voice their concerns to about Rainier Ave. If that was the case for you, please consider submitting your comments here. SDOT is interested in hearing your thoughts/ideas for Rainier Ave. Sincerely, Dongho Chang, PE, PTOE City Traffic Engineer Notes from the meeting. Some of the concerns that were expressed in the meeting include: · Need more speed limit signs. It’s hard to know what the speed limit is. · Consider future development and growth. · Portions of Rainier is empty even in peaks. The intersections are choke points. Traffic on Rainier moves in pulses. · Road diet may work in southern portion of Rainier where volumes are lower. · Should consider Bow-Tie as part of traffic analysis. · Need more time for pedestrians to cross. Blind users need additional time. · Shorter wait time for people crossing at intersections · Slower speeds, more enforcement · Pedestrians have died crossing Rainer. We need to review them and prevent collisions. · Controlling speeds physically will reduce severity of any collision with people and buildings · Rainier needs left turn signals - PCC projects 2000 transactions a day & 193 apartments on top. Throw in expanded light rail routes and other developments – there will be a greater need for left turn signals to support this growth · Address intersections or Rainier & MLK and Rainier & 23rd Ave--- complete street, safe turns, remove no left turns, add in medians · Buses – frequency & timing. Causes big back-ups, is rapid ride an option? Revise bus routes – Rainier & Edmonds are poorly positioned causing traffic back-ups · No Left turn lane or signals · Need to retain parallel parking, but the current parking lane is too narrow – cars get clipped frequently · North of Edmunds, people are turning left to the bank – people go through green light, but then are stuck behind a driver turning left · Pedestrian collisions in crosswalks · Huge sections of Rainier that have no pedestrian crossings · Weaving, failure to yield – drivers that don’t see people in the crosswalks (screams rechannelization – at least in parts) · Encourage greater utilization of MLK Jr. Way · What would a reconfigured corridor in the heart of the business district look like – could do as a pilot to study behavior · Tired of ‘we’ll look at it, we’ll study it, we’ll study it’ – who makes the decision that this change will take to make? · If lights were timed properly on MLK, people would be more likely to use it – have the department review traffic lights · Alaska & Columbia intersection is always stalled · What is going on with the Bow Tie plan that was proposed in the SETS (Southeast Transportation Study) · Pedestrian Advisory Board concern – long time to wait for a signal to change. When road narrows from 4 lanes to 3 lanes, City can mark more crosswalks – which is much less expensive than putting in a traffic light Other ideas/suggestions that were offered: · Increase speed enforcement · Install bollards to protect buildings & pedestrians in Columbia City · Prohibit left turns at certain intersections · Put in an All-way walk in busy intersections of Rainier (i.e. Rainier & Ferdinand) · Add in medians
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 14:57:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015