Most Ballardites are very familiar with the bizarre angled intersection of 20th Ave. NW and NW Vernon Place with Leary Ave. NW (the corner with the Olympic Athletic Club).
Pedestrians often take their lives in their hands crossing Leary diagonally — especially on busy Sundays when the market is in full swing and speeders fly down Leary. For drivers heading south on 20th, it can be a tricky maneuver navigating across Leary into Old Ballard.
Thanks to money from Seattle Neighborhoods’ “Your Voice, Your Choice” program — which is decided by community voting — changes are coming to the intersection.
An all-way stop sign with a flashing beacon will be installed at Leary and NW Vernon, and curb bulbs will be added on three corners. Workers will also install new marked crosswalks. SDOT says the changes will increase “walkability, safety, and predictability.”
Michael Grass noticed a sign has gone up at the site (thanks @mgrass for the photo above), and construction is expected to begin this month.
By the way, there are 5 other “Your Voice, Your Choice” projects approved for the greater Ballard area, including improvements along 14th Ave. NW just north of Holman Road. Here’s the list.
More dangerous for pedestrians if there’s a stop sign. What Ballard driver has ever stopped for a stop sign?
That’s fantastic! The stop will slow down #29 and #40 bus service, which is too bad but so, so worth it.
Looks like it’ll still be tempting to cross outside a crosswalk from the SW corners at both Vernon and 20th. I hope more tweaks are possible if pedestrian usage doesn’t go as planned.
Hey dog parents, try looking up from your phones while driving or walking. Thanks.
Bummed to see such snarky comments about this great news! That’s a complicated intersection for all users–so glad it’s getting addressed.
A post about removing a stop sign would get exactly the same complaints from the same repetitive trolls as a post about adding a stop sign. They’d say the same things if the city announced they decided to keep a stop sign where it is. Or announced they decided to not add a stop sign where there wasn’t one. It makes no difference.
Kneejerk auto-replies from lonely, angry old men desperate for attention. Narcissistic snowflakes, basically.
Could they have turned Vernon into a one way street? South bound only traffic? Then they could have added a few extra parking spaces with diagonal parking? To farfetched?
The crosswalk will be a great place for someone to sent up a tent.
@Elenchos
Please curb your dog, thanks, and be sure to keep your wooden pallets, tents, and stolen bicycles out of the walkways. Your taxpaying neighbors appreciate it. You did manage to avoid making some comment about “white men” so hey, you get a bonus sweet roll from the Food Bank, on us.
2/5 Stars!
Another crosswalk where the Eagles club and the Olympic Parking lot people cross the street is a welcome addition. That is a bizarre intersection.
White people so sensitive. MEAN ELENCHOS HURT MY FEE FEES.
I bet if you didn’t hijack every post to tell us how scared you are of people who don’t look like you everyone wouldn’t make fun of you. And maybe stick to one handle; ditch the six sockpuppet names. Try it and see if you still get mocked.
The reason all your neighbors take their dogs to your lawn is they hate you. Whatever you did, you gotta make amends yourself. Complaining about it here won’t help you.
If all the MILFs at the Olympic Athletic Club were are little more grounded, and not so freaking entitled to “I only just whatever…”, we would not need these lights, and have fewer issues with European SUVs. #WHITE_ENTITLEMENT
Glad they are doing this – I’ve been confused at that intersection.
“Another crosswalk where the Eagles club and the Olympic Parking lot people cross the street is a welcome addition. That is a bizarre intersection.”
Agreed. There needs to be one there that is perpendicular to 20th, not a diagonal one that forces pedestrians to cross via where Senor Moose/the auto shop is there and double back. Someone is going to get seriously maimed or killed at that place – it’s just a matter of time.
@Elenchos
Ever wonder why all those Hollywood hyprocrites all claimed to be “moving to Canada” after the election? Of course they didn’t leave, but their choice of destination is, um, interesting to say the least.
Your racism is tiresome but maybe the air in your RV is getting stale. No I can’t spare a dollar. Namaste.
What? Did you change the subject again? They put up a stop sign and that makes you start yelling that you don’t like the movies? What do crosswalks make you yell about?
I think I am starting to understand why your neighbors have it in for you.
Will the spandex brigade stop at these signs? Nope! Why do bicyclists not yield to pedestrians? Don’t worry….Truth will defend them and come up with a mentally deranged comment as usual. Truth…have you offered your couch to your pearl clutching friends at Ballard Commons Park yet? I didn’t think so.
Sockpuppet fail again. Get some new material.
That intersection is a mess, glad they’re finally doing something about it.
Hopefully next up is Leary and 46th, needs a stop light in a bad way.
Yo ballard is hostile as shit. Yall need to take it to the streets like some real ones.
@Elchenos
Speaking as a non-angry, non-old, admittedly white person: Stop signs are not the right choice at this intersection. It’s a five-way intersection with 14 lanes of traffic, including a diagonal street. This will cause slower bus service, won’t alleviate much confusion, and will make it all but impossible to drive through this intersection during times of heavy pedestrian traffic (e.g. almost all day on Sunday). It’s already a major challenge to cross this intersection on Leary on Sundays, both as a pedestrian and in a car. This change will make it easier as a pedestrian and much harder in a car. And, while I’m generally in favor of pedestrianization efforts (I actually applaud buildings which limit the parking they provide, because it forces people to seek alternative transportation methods), the amount of confusion you can expect at this intersection means pedestrian safety is probably not improved all that much in the end.
This intersection was begging for a roundabout, and aside from the fact that it would cost more, I have no idea why it’s getting stop signs instead. A roundabout would improve pedestrian and vehicle safety, improve traffic flow, and reduce confusion. And there’s PLENTY of space for one right here.
@jdw do not engage the trolls fam