Each year the Ballard District Council (BDC) is asked to evaluate proposals for small scale improvements to parks or transportation issues. Approximately $1.25 million is available through the Neighborhood Projects Fund and each neighborhood district is allotted approximately $90,000 of that.
In 2011, a four-member sub-committee of the BDC reviewed more than a dozen proposals and have come up with their three recommendations to be forwarded to the city for review.
1. Textured sidewalks – N/NW85
Committee recommends that all four crosswalks at the intersection of NW 85 at 15 NW be constructed with textured, stamped, or otherwise enhanced crosswalk material. This project was deemed to be a good investment since it can be incorporated into SDOTs plan to repave NW 85 (I5 to 15 NW) scheduled to begin later this year.2. Speed control on residential streets – 13 NW and 14 NW from NW 95 to NW 100
Committee recommends that both of these projects be evaluated as a single issue since both proposals address the same alignment south of NW 100, both projects flank the Crown Hill Center/Crown Hill Park, and that a common remedy should be identified for both similar conditions on these long-block residential streets.3. Radar speed display signs – 8 NW from NW 85 to NW 100
Committee recommends this proposal be evaluated. It is recognized that vehicles are documented travelling at excessive speed along this segment of a secondary arterial which passes through a residential neighborhood. Committee also suggests that, if this project is determined to be feasible by SDOT, its cost might be shared between Ballard and the adjoining NW district.
At tonight’s BDC meeting, the full council will vote on the three which will go onto the city. The other proposals that were submitted are:
Textured crosswalks – 15th Ave NW at NW 80, NW 85 and Holman Rd NW – Holman Rd NW and 6 NW and 3 NW – NW 85th and 8th Ave NW Improve sight lines and enhance ped safety – NW 85 and 14 Ave NW Ped safety – NW 62 and 36 Ave NW Improve existing crosswalk – 24h Ave NW at NW 58 Textured crosswalks – NW 85 from I-5 to 15 Ave NW Speed control on residential street – 28 Ave NW between NW 80 and NW 83 Improve safety for vehicles and peds – Intersection of NW 80, 28 NW & Loyal Way NW Improve safety for peds and vehicles backing out – vicinity of NW 87 & 15 NW Mural – 1508 NW 87 Improve conditions on and near ped overpass – Holman Rd NW & 13th Ave NW Mural on Ballard Bridge support – Ballard Way to NW 41st Install sidewalk/walkway – west side of 17 NW from NW 85 to NW 87 Traffic circle – The intersection of 26 Ave NW and NW 83 St
The district council meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Ballard Library (5614 22nd Ave NW) meeting room and is open to the public. The entire agenda can be found here (.pdf)
what about along NW 32nd St? The limited site intersection of 32 and 75th? what about much needed signs on most the roads along the Sunset Hill bluff for “no through access”? Or how about some traffic circles along 34th? maybe some speed humps on NW 74th?
Is something wrong with this article? The lead says “Each year the Ballard District Council (BDC) is asked to evaluate proposals for small scale improvements to parks or transportation issues.”, but among the 16 projects listed, none are related to parks.
The Ballard District Council can only review Ballard-based projects for which an application has been completed by a project proponent and submitted to the City. It appears that there were no parks-based projects submitted for consideration this year, just traffic-based ones. As for Rogue, your suggestions are good ones, but they needed to get submitted to be part of this funding process. Perhaps you could submit one or more next time to get your ideas into the mix.
It’s funny, in all the calls and meetings me and various neighbors have gone to about traffic issues like I mentioned before, no one has ever brought up the Ballard District Council before.
We basically learned it was nearly impossible to get any traffic signs, bumps or circles done. Leaving all those involved feeling quite powerless and having no faith in our city officials.
Rogue, that is really frustrating. We ran into a similar situation in our ‘hood – the only way to get a traffic circle installed was to have a high accident count at the intersection, which we thought was ridiculous (an ounce of prevention, etc., etc.). I learned about the NSF from a neighbor. We submitted an application that year for a traffic circle, but it didn’t get selected. As it turned out, however, the projects that were selected were really needed much more than ours was, so in the end, we were fine with the decision.
In the end, though, a project can’t get selected if its not submitted, so that’s the first step. There was an announcement about this year’s Neighborhood Streets Fund process with a fact sheet and application in the the Ballard News Tribune on February 16th. It seems that applications always come out in early February, so I’d suggest marking your calendar and getting in touch with the Ballard District Council around then (or hopefully look for an announcement in My Ballard).