The city is starting work today to improve road safety in south Ballard, mostly along the area commonly known as the “missing link” of the Burke Gilman Trail. The work includes five different projects, three of which will start today. One of the projects includes installing the city’s first advisory bicycle lanes.
The Seattle Department of Transportation says advisory bicycle lanes are two-way streets with no painted center lane, and a painted dotted line and sharrows to highlight bike lanes. “Because the lane is dotted, motorists can enter the bike lane as they pass oncoming vehicles when no people riding bikes are present. Advisory bike lanes are typically used when the right of way is too narrow for standard bike lanes and two travel lanes,” SDOT says in a press release. The advisory lanes will be on NW 45th St. (between 11th Ave NW and Shilshole Ave NW) and Shilshole Ave NW (between NW 45th St and NW 46th St).
From SDOT:
Work will start with speed hump installations from September 4-6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:
- NW 45th Street between 11th and 14th avenues NW
- NW 45th Street between 14th and Shilshole avenues NW
- Shilshole Avenue NW between NW 45th and NW 46th streets
Traffic in both directions will be maintained with flaggers alternating traffic flow as necessary.
The Seattle Department of Transportation will also install striping at Ballard Avenue NW and 17th Avenue NW to square up the intersection and reduce pedestrian crossing distances. The department will additionally install striping and signage to control traffic coming from NW Leary Way via NW 48th Street as it enters Ballard Avenue NW to improve sight lines and slow vehicle speeds. The work is expected to be complete in approximately two months.
Work on the remaining two safety elements, installing an ADA-compliant curb ramp at 24th Avenue NW and repairing the roadway shoulder along Shilshole Avenue NW, has not yet been scheduled.
Physical improvements to Seattle’s streets are one way to help increase safety for all users of the transportation system. The City of Seattle has a goal of achieving zero traffic fatalities by 2030 through a combination of education, environment (street improvements), enforcement, evaluation and empathy.
Visit http://www.seattle.gov/besupersafe to learn more.
