King County Metro is planning some updates to the busy Route 44 corridor between Ballard and the University District, including traffic signal modifications and new pedestrian crossings.
In Ballard, the changes will include a new pedestrian signal at NW Market St and 11th Ave NW, an extension of the westbound left turn lanes on NW Market St at 15th Ave NW, and modifications to the turn signal on NW Market St at 14th Ave NW to improve traffic flow along the corridor.
For the past year, Metro has been doing community outreach with drop-in sessions, and released a public survey that received more than 800 responses. The design concepts for improvements were selected based on public input and technical and cost analyses.
Here’s a full list of the current design concepts:
- Dedicated bus lanes on NE 45th St from 9th Ave NE to 15th Ave NE, and on 15th Ave NE from NE 45th St to NE Pacific St
- Extension of the westbound left turn lanes on NW Market St at 15th Ave NW, and modifications to the turn signal on NW Market St at 14th Ave NW, to improve traffic flow along the corridor
- Pedestrian safety upgrades, including:
- A new pedestrian signal to cross NW Market St at 11th Ave NW
- A crosswalk realignment at the 3-way intersection of N 46th St, Green Lake Way N, and Whitman Ave N
- Sidewalk repairs near bus stops
- Lane reconfigurations to improve traffic flow on portions of NW Market St, N 46th St, NE 45th St, and 15th Ave NE
- Optimization of bus stop locations and traffic signal upgrades on N 46th St to prioritize transit
One of the proposed improvements will reduce pedestrian crossing distances across N 46th St and add a new eastbound through lane, enabling more vehicles to pass through the intersection.
To learn more about the project, check out the Route 44 Transit-Plus Multimodal Corridor website . You can review a full list of proposed improvements, with accompanying graphics, by clicking this link.Â