North District Council (Wednesday, December 3) Come Support Lake City's Proposed Projects

North District Council will be hearing from northend neighborhood projects on Wednesday, December 2 at the Lake City Library Community Room (7 p.m.) Come and show your support of 33rd Ave NE and NE 120th Street projects proposed by the 33rd Avenue Visioning Committee. 

 Project #1 - West Side of 33^rd Ave NE Between NE 125^th and NE 130^th
Connecting with sidewalk at Solara on north end of block.

Top reasons why this project should be approved:

• 900+ units of housing and a park will be added on 33^rd Ave NE within one to five years.
• The Greater Lake City Neighborhood Plan adopted in 1999 refers to various improvements and maps 33^rd Ave NE as a Green Street.  Pg 53 states: for 28^th and 33^rd Ave NE Green Streets - Establish specific green streets and pedestrian corridors that have pedestrian paths for safe walking, as well as street trees and planting beds to enhance the sense of open space.
• The Lake City Neighborhood Design Guidelines adopted in 2007 states for 33^rd Ave NE:  Wide sidewalks are encouraged with planting strips and natural system approaches to drainage due to the proximity of Little Brook creek.  Sufficient lighting, well lit entry areas, and opportunities for creating lively pedestrian-oriented open spaces should be considered.
• Outreach includes:  two open house meetings in 2005, door to door interviews in 2006 from 35^th to 39^th & NE 125^th to NE 130^th, a survey to 200 households & businesses east and west of Lake City Way NE 123^rd to NE 130^th in 2006,  Sustainable Seattle Pedestrian Inventory Project in 2006, October 2007 Design Charette, a Seattle Walks Day May 10, 2008, June 2008 Meetings with Lake City Chamber and Lake City Development Council, January 10, 2009 Mayors Walking Tour event, March 10, 2009 Scoping Meeting, a June 17, 2007 Design Alternatives Meeting,  and November 19, Sidewalk Prioritization Meeting.
• Pedestrian counts done in September 2009 indicate more than 60 pedestrians per hour use 33^rd Ave NE between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm despite the risks.   50% of these pedestrians are seniors, mothers with strollers, or people with various disabilities who use canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters.  Vehicular traffic has been clocked at speeds between 25 to 38 mph.
• Study done by UW Grad Students found that combined gathering points are needed to make 33^rd Ave NE a space that is successful for the community and that Little Brook should be incorporated to develop a multi-use pathway.
• The Pedestrian Master Plan categorizes 33^rd Ave NE as a Tier 1 Street meaning it is not comfortable to walk on and needs many improvements including a designated space for pedestrians to walk in.
• Project is supported by SDOT, SPU, and SHA. They have been involved throughout the design process.
• The west side of 33^rd Ave NE has little to no development scheduled and the Large Street Fund presents the opportunity for the community to get the type of street improvements desired without having to wait five to ten years to try and negotiate with developers.
• Adding trees and small green spaces contributes to the City of Seattle’s goals of restoring the urban forest and controlling climate.
• Parking on 33^rd is disorganized and unmanaged in ditches, on shoulders, in the street, and in marked pedestrian rights of way.
• 33^rd Ave NE has broken street edges and potholes.
• Poor drainage results in pooling of water in the pedestrian right of way and in shoulders.
• Lighting gaps make it difficult to maneuver through obstacles to walking on 33^rd Ave NE.
• Cost estimates from planning consultants indicate west side improvements could be completed for $430,000.

Project #2 - NE 120^th Street Between Lake City Way and 35^th Ave NE
Connecting with Sidewalk on North Side of NE 120^th

Top reasons why this project should be approved: 

• Submitted for funding in prior years through more than one neighborhood street fund allocation process and got one small section completed on north side.
• This street is included in the Greater Lake City Neighborhood Plan as being in a critical improvement area for pedestrian routes.  It defines the southern edge of the Hub Urban Village.
• The Pedestrian Master Plan designates this street as being in the Tier 2 category.
• This street serves residents in approximately 500 units of multi-family housing and homes within adjacent blocks between Lake City Way and 35^th Ave NE. 
• There is a high volume of residents walking to nearby bus stops, Starbucks, and other core businesses.  At the same time, there are high volumes of vehicular traffic from 35^th Ave NE to Lake City Way at high speeds.
• There are no traffic circles or other approaches to slow traffic and no pedestrian refuges except the gravel shoulders along the road
• The shoulders are narrow in some sections of the street.  Vegetation covers other shoulders.
• Parking occurs on shoulders and in pedestrian right of way forcing pedestrians into the traffic on the street.
• Street edges are broken and uneven, and there are potholes near the edges of the street.
• Poor drainage causes pooling of water in shoulder areas and on street edges.
• Traveling eastward on NE 120^th there is a downhill slope in the roadway that prevents drivers from seeing pedestrians walking in the street.  Poor lighting makes it even more difficult at night.
• A Post Office Drop Box on the north side of NE 120^th presents opportunities for pedestrian and vehicle conflicts because pedestrians must walk in the area where vehicles drive past the post office box. 
• There is a traffic signal, an existing portion of sidewalk where NE 120^th enters Lake City Way, and crosswalks across Lake City Way from NE 120^th Street.
• Street improvements for the 33^rd Ave NE Vision Plan will connect to NE 120^th and to a small street end open space on NE 120^th to be developed in the future as part of the 33^rd Ave NE Vision Plan.