Rainer

WSDOT to Unveil “Short Lid” Plan for Montlake at September 11 Open House

September 4, 2014 by Rainer_M 7 Comments

WSDOT is coming to the neighborhood on Thursday, September 11th with new plans for a shorter Montlake Lid — and high hopes of getting enough state funding next year to finish the SR-520 Replacement project through Seattle. Since the last design update in 2012, WSDOT has partnered with the City of Seattle to respond to critical public feedback asking for better pedestrian and bicycle access. Next week’s open house is the first unveiling of the collaborative effort.

So… a shorter lid? Yep. Previous plans from 2012 call for a 1400-foot-long landscaped lid over the future 520 from Montlake Blvd to Montlake’s eastern shoreline. This new plan calls for a much shorter 800-foot-long lid from a wee bit west of Montlake Blvd to 24th Ave East (the ex-MOHAI overpass). Goodbye eastern lid.

But wait, there’s more. A new bicycle-and-pedestrian-only bascule bridge over the Montlake Cut is now on the table, location yet to be determined. This follows a 2012 study concluding bike and pedestrian access on the Montlake Bridge is inadequate and even dangerous. The same study also concluded the vehicular capacity of the four-lane bridge is nowhere near its limit (it’s the inefficient intersections before and after the bridge that cause congestion, not the bridge itself), so there is no reason to build a second vehicular bridge. For now.

WSDOT will also present updated designs for a new Portage Bay Bridge, now including a 16-foot wide multi-use trail. Amazingly, it took “overwhelming” public comments in the year 2012 A.D. to finally convince WSDOT to allow people to walk and bike on what will be a rather large urban bridge. Important questions remain about how people will connect to the trail at either end.

Back to the “short lid.” WSDOT claims the plan improves neighborhood connectivity with better bike and pedestrian access compared to the 2012 “long lid” plan. Its shorter length doesn’t require mechanical ventilation and giant air shafts — and of course removing some 600 feet of concrete lid covering twelve lanes of highway would trim millions from the project’s unfunded need.

In lieu of the long lid’s eastern end, the short lid plan includes a “land bridge” over 520 with a trail connecting the Arboretum area to McCurdy Park and Hamlin Street. A land bridge is a lighter structure up to 70 feet wide that doesn’t support the weight of tall trees but is instead flanked by grassy mounds that block noise from the mega-highway below. It also has a much easier grade up and over for walkers and bikers. Check it out in the image at the top of this post.

Expect to see other improved connections to local streets and trails in the short lid plan at the public open house. One obvious question is: are such improvements made possible by reducing the length of the lid — or would they too be expected as common sense refinements to the long lid plan? Simply cutting back on hard-won mitigation during WSDOT’s “preferred alternative” process will likely not sit well. A shorter lid only makes sense if it affords new benefits that are unique to it.

SR 520 west side design open house — Thursday, September 11th, 4:30-7:30pm — Montlake Community Center

Images: WSDOT

Future 520 Portage Bay Bridge gets design updates | Which do you like: cable stay or box girder?

August 8, 2014 by Rainer_M 16 Comments

WSDOT’s 520 Replacement design team is back at it again, after taking 2013 off for lack of funding. They recently updated the design options for the future Portage Bay Bridge in a presentation to the Seattle Design Commission. The options were narrowed down to two bridge types at the end of the 2012 Community Design Process: cable stay or box girder. The goal with the fresh design update is to have a better-vetted design option ready to impress lawmakers in Olympia deciding on 520 funding during the next legislative session (expect a public open house announcement soon). Check out the updated design drawings and take a quick poll below.

Cable stay:

Box girder:

Here’s another look. Cable stay:

Box girder:

And yet another view, from the multi-use path. Cable stay:

Box girder:

There you have it. The Seattle Design Commission debated the merits of each bridge type at its July 17th meeting and didn’t seem to reach an obvious consensus during discussion. The cable stay option is by far the more expensive of the two, has nine towers and has a thinner road deck. The box girder option costs less, has a thicker deck and is aesthetically more minimal. Made up your mind? Time for some democracy.

Thoughts? Put ’em in the comments or take no prisoners on the Montlake Forum. More updated drawings and info for the Portage Bay Bridge replacement can be found here and at Montlake.net’s Everything 520 page.

Living with WABN: A closer look at the West Approach Bridge North

March 28, 2014 by Rainer_M 2 Comments

Some call it the West Approach Bridge North. Others call it the new 520 bridge’s half-funded, half-constructed band aid for reaching mainland Montlake while the state legislature twiddles its thumbs over a transportation package. Like it or not, WABN construction will begin later this year with completion set for fall 2016. Here’s a closer look at what WABN will bring to the neighborhood.

Last year’s Montlaker post Good and bad in the new West Approach Bridge North covered the WABN basics, including…

a new 3-lane elevated viaduct across Union Bay
relocation of the Lake Wash Blvd exit ramp to 24th Ave E (the ex-MOHAI ramp)
a 14′ wide regional trail across the new floating bridge.

Since then WSDOT has released its Community Construction Management Plan with further information about the two-year project. Here’s a helpful map and list of WABN work items happening in Montlake (warning: this map, buried deep in the CCMP, is labeled “Anticipated Nighttime Construction Activities”)…

Click to enlarge. All images: WSDOT

Included in this WABN phase are several mitigation projects, including a new Arboretum multi-use trail, wetland mitigation at the WSDOT Peninsula and Bryant Park — a restored shoreline at the foot of Brooklyn Avenue next to UW. However, the WABN plan is pretty thin when it comes to mitigating local mobility impacts. Two areas that will receive a bit of attention are Montlake Blvd over 520 and the intersection of Lake Washington Blvd and 24th Ave E, which will be the new location of the existing Arboretum exit ramp.

The improvements to Montlake Blvd reportedly will include new curb ramps and a rebuilt southbound transit island. At a January meeting with community representatives, WSDOT officials stated that metal railings separating pedestrian areas from traffic lanes would also be included. The basic lane configuration will remain mostly as is, except for the westbound Montlake Blvd exit ramp which will have two lanes terminating at a new signalized traffic light and the eastbound Montlake Blvd exit ramp will terminate with an extra left turn only lane. The northbound transit stop and bicycle lockers will relocate north toward Hamlin. The flyer stop? It stays… for now.

The quiet overpass at 24th Ave E serving McCurdy Park (and ex-MOHAI) will become the landing site for the Lake Washington Blvd exit ramp relocated from the Arboretum. To handle all that new traffic — and the existing bicycle traffic heading to and from the Montlake Bridge — the intersection will be reconfigured with a new flashing four-way stop signal, curb bulbs to shorten the pedestrian crossings, and a raised crosswalk at the entrance to 24th. Neighbors living nearby were divided on making 24th Ave one-way northbound to prevent exiting highway traffic from continuing south through residential streets, so 24th Ave will remain two-way.

One major construction interruption will impact cyclists using the popular bike route through 24th & Lake Washington Blvd. The ex-MOHAI ramp will close for several months for partial reconstruction at its north end, meaning pedestrians and bicyclists will have to detour one block west to the mean streets of Montlake Blvd. The detour will use the East North alley marked in blue in this plan:

Politically, there is no funding available for continuing the 520 replacement beyond the WABN phase, at least while Olympia stagnates over a transportation package with $1.5 billion needed complete the job. “We’re going to try to get the Democrats back in control of the state Senate,” said Senator Jamie Petersen. “It doesn’t look like we’ll get a transportation package done with Republicans in control, and until we do that, it’s hard to see how we get 520.”

More WABN converge in the Montlake Flyer can be found here. WSDOT’s WABN page has official info and links here. As always, send questions and comments to SR520bridge@wsdot.wa.gov.

New Playground Now Open — Is All Kinds of Awesome

March 13, 2014 by Rainer_M 1 Comment

Images: LeAna Alvarado-Smith

After a few delays but just in time for the reappearing sun, Montlake Community Center’s new playground is open for business. Have at it kids!

Interview with Larry Hubbell | “Birds Watching” Opening Reception, Friday Jan 10th

January 9, 2014 by Rainer_M 3 Comments

Snowy Owl. All images: Larry Hubbell

Many people know Larry Hubbell as photographer and blogger of Union Bay Watch, but with the opening of his “Birds Watching” show at the Center for Urban Horticulture, we can now see his dedication to the wilds of Union Bay through his painting and sculpture. Recently, I talked to Larry about his work in and around the bay. Join him this Friday, January 10th for an opening reception. Details below.

– – –

RM: Larry, you’ve got an amazing thing going with Union Bay Watch. It’s nature news for the city: 520 eagles, woodpeckers, otters, raccoons. Of course, the blog really took off when you broke news that Eva, Eddie’s widow, moved on with another fella and two offspring. For thousands of people crossing Lake Washington on the way to work, seeing the eagles on a 520 lamp post is a powerful sight, even if just for a few seconds. So learning more details about their daily lives on UBW is an invaluable benefit for the city. — How many hours a week are you out there watching Union Bay? On land versus on water?

LH: Thanks for the kind words. I guess I average 14 or 15 hours a week. In the Spring it is a lot more. I actually took a week of vacation in June to try and keep up with all the photo opportunities provided by the nesting birds and their young. It felt a bit like a birding marathon, running from one nesting site to the next. I would guess I get in one or two kayaking adventures a month.

RM: For all nature watchers, patience is key. What’s it like in the slow moments, when nothing’s happening? What are you doing — waiting for something to come to you or are you on the move, trying to seek out some action?

LH: Being out on the water at dawn with the sun turning the sky orange and pink with the water perfectly still and a low mist obscuring the distant shores it can feel as if you are totally alone in the world. At moments like that I feel a deep sense of peace, a feeling of being one with the natural world and knowing I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am constantly watching and usually moving. Moving helps to keep one warm! I usually circumnavigate the bay during each outing. There is always something happening with the birds. A cormorant, grebe or merganser coming to the surface causes me to check to see if they have caught a fish. If a flock of wigeons suddenly takes to the air I check to see why. It could be a kayaker or it could be a hunting eagle causing them to move. I look to spot when migratory birds arrive on Union Bay each year, like Osprey in the spring. I am also checking different locations to see if the birds are in their usual spots, like the eagles on 520, the green herons east of Foster Island, the kingfisher at Kingfisher Cove, lately the red-tailed hawk has been spending time around the WSDOT peninsula, cormorants in the cottonwood by The Cut, etc.

RM: I’ve always been fascinated with the human “nature” of Union Bay, which obviously has a heavy presence with boat traffic, a major highway, a football stadium. And yet somehow the bay is full of wildlife. If we were to ask the animals what they thought of their human neighbors, what would they say about us? Sure, we’re noisy, especially on game days and at Seafair, but do you think the turtles, herons and raccoons care?

LH: It seems to me that if you are very quiet and move slowly they don’t usually mind. It is the sudden movements, loud noises and surprises that disturb them. In which case they move away to a more peaceful location. In the spring when they are nesting it is especially important to not disturb them. The parents literally run themselves ragged finding food and bringing it back to the nest. Causing them extra flights is hard on them and their young may not end up getting all the nourishment they require.

RM: What’s the most unexpected creature you’ve seen out there?

LH: The four river otters last month where a big surprise. I thought at first I was seeing a beaver in the distance but the beavers are usually seen around dawn or dusk, not at mid-morning. I suspect the otters where just visiting Union Bay since I have not seen them before but you never know. Every trip on the bay is full of surprises. It is kind of like having Christmas morning all year round.

RM: There’s a lot of 520 construction happening out near Madison Park. How are the eagles taking it?

LH: I think so far the pile-driving bothers me more than the eagles. It is an easy flight for the eagles to move away from the noise and they generally come and go as they please this time of year so when they are not around for a day it is hard to say that they are being disturbed. So no, I do not see any sign of a problem from the construction so far.

RM: It’s interesting for your audience to watch nature through the pixels on their screens. It’s funny, with all the grumbling that we hear about how blogs and social media “alienate us from the real world” — it seems that UBW connects us to a world few would otherwise experience on a regular basis. What a luxury! Have you always been a photographer or have you done it in tandem with the blog?

LH: During the last half of 2011 I took 6 months off work. That was when I first started taking a lot of bird photos. I had been taking painting classes for some time and I thought bird photos would make nice subject matter for my painting. The photos started to fill up the hard drive and a friend (and blogger Dan Pederson writes “Off The Rails“) on Whidbey Island suggested I should start a blog.

I think blogging is an efficient way to help people connect with nature. If we each get to know the creatures in our own neighborhood then we will pay more attention to what helps them or disturbs them. We are lucky that in the past we had folks in the area who created the Arboretum and the Union Bay Natural Area. If we connect as a neighbors and Seattle residents and continue the restoration, Union Bay could someday be the jewel in the crown of the emerald city.

RM: UBW has many beautiful photographs, many of which heroize their subjects. But one of the real benefits of your work is in capturing the quieter moments, like in the Green Heron Yoga post or like in this image of a dragonfly escaping the heron’s jaws by resting on its back…

RM: How much does the camera contribute to your discovery of these little moments?

LH: A lot! Every so often the camera captures a moment and I do not even know what happened until I look through the photos on the computer.

RM: Of course, the action shots on UBW are always great. For those, the patience and luck with being in the right place at the right time must really pay off. How do you go about preparing for action sequences — beyond firing away with the camera?

LH: I try to pay attention to the sounds of nature. I always investigate when the crows are noisy. If I seem something interesting I am always trying to get between the action and the sun to improve the lighting. Learning where creatures normally reside and live also helps.

RM: Just a comment — this image is amazing: noble hawk and crazy crow…

LH: This is the Red-Tailed Hawk that I call The Pirate of Kingfisher Cove. He seems to be making the cove and the WSDOT peninsula his new home (maybe we should start calling it, The Pirate Peninsula). He is called a pirate because he tries to steal food from other birds. He even made a run at Eva and her breakfast the day after Thanksgiving. She chose not to share. Check out the second eagle photo over halfway through this post (Ripples of Power) to see The Pirate in action. I am curious if the hawk will take a mate this spring. I am also pleased that the eagles have not made an effort to evict it from Union Bay.

RM: Tell us more about your “Birds Watching” exhibit at the Miller Library. What can we expect?

LH: My paintings are watercolors of birds up close with the focus on their faces. I am trying to tap into the part of the human mind that is especially good at remembering faces. I hope that helps to create more of a connection and a bit of a realization that the birds are watching us. My photos attempt to do much of the same. If I could give birds human thoughts I would say they are watching to see what we do next. Will we continue the restoration of Union Bay or not? The new 520 will actually help reduce pollution, increase overall wetlands and daylight Arboretum Creek, if everything goes as planned. This could be a huge step in the right direction.

My sculptures use negative space to make us think of salmon. I imagine the eagles on 520 wondering “Where’s the Salmon?” and the sculptures honor that desire. We are certainly lucky to live near Union Bay with the Bald Eagles, Elvis the Woodpecker, The Pirate, The Dragon Master and the Barred Owls in Interlaken and the Arboretum. The future of Union Bay is up to us.

– – –

“Birds Watching” Opening Reception
Friday January 10th, 5-7pm.

Elisabeth C. Miller Library
Center for Urban Horticulture
3501 N.E. 41st Street
Seattle, WA 98145

CHS breaks Traveler Montlake news, scoops ground buffalo and kangaroo sliders

January 7, 2014 by Rainer_M Leave a Comment

From way up high on the mole hill, Capitol Hill Seattle has new Traveler details, including hopes for a February opening. Menu details and “kid pit” destiny via CHS:

How to kick off our 2014 coverage of Capitol Hill food and drink? CHS will break some news about that nightlife hotspot to our northeast, Montlake! Well, not exactly break — the neighborhood email list is already all a twitter about the news.

“We’re just really excited to meet the neighborhood and try to give Montlake something new,” said Devlin McGill.

McGill, part of the group of partners behind Frelard’s The Leary Traveler and industry favoriteThe Nabob in LQA, says his new Traveler Montlake will be kin to his Leary Ave establishment — “a new American pub” with “a focus on quality food and beverage.”

“We absolutely love — love — playing with game meat. Meatloaf with ground buffalo, kangaroo sliders, wild boar sloppy joes, roasted goose pot pie,” McGill said.

The new Traveler takes over the longtime home of the Montlake Alehouse which shuttered to start the New Year. Alehouse owner Burke Shethar tells CHS that his 10-year lease on the 24th Ave E neighborhood favorite was up and he was ready to focus on his original Madrona Alehouse. “Madrona was the first and I am most sentimentally attached as I live in Madrona,” he said. “It will stay with me.”

“I had a nice 10-year run at Montlake but a new lease wasn’t going to be offered,” Shethar said. “The locals were great, but I believe they will be in good hands.”

Those hands will be delivering the above-mentioned wild game specialties, plus standard pub fare and a selection of 12 beers on draught — six in rotation.

McGill said he and his partners looked at seven different locations around King County for a new Traveler and selected Montlake based on demographics and McGill’s connections to friends in the neighborhood. “I’m really excited about the opportunities we have,” he said.

Opportunity brings change, however. Sorry, kids. The fabled Montlake Alehouse play pit — McGill called it “kiddie Thunderdome” — is a goner. After hearing McGill’s stories about how the pit was put to use in the 1970s, CHS suggested the carpet be handled by the CDC.

After a thorough scrubbing, Traveler Montlake is being lined up for an early February opening at 2307 24th Ave E. You can learn more on its Facebook page.

Thanks CHS! Now, uh… care to elaborate on the pit stories from the 70s?

SPD details Mont’s Market robbery

December 28, 2013 by Rainer_M Leave a Comment

The Seattle Police Blotter posted details about Friday’s armed robbery at Mont’s Market. Anyone with tips or information about the incident is encouraged to call 911, as the suspect remains at large. From the blotter:

“An armed man remains at large this evening [Friday] after robbing a store in Montlake this morning. At approximately 11:35 a.m. officers responded to the 2300 block of 24th Avenue East for the report of an armed robbery of a store. Preliminary investigation indicates that an unknown male suspect walked into Mont’s Market and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash register, the suspect pulled a black handgun and demanded money. The clerk dropped to the ground but the suspect ordered her back up and forced her to empty the register. The suspect then fled the scene in an unknown direction.

The clerk, a 53-year-old woman, fled to the back of the store and then went to an adjacent business to call 911. She was not injured.

Responding officers conducted an area search however, the suspect remains at large.

The suspect is described as a black male in his 30′s to 40’s with a thin build and last seen wearing a dark blue knit hat, dark blue scarf and ¾ length black coat. He was armed with black handgun.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identities or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident.

Anonymous tips are welcome.

This remains an active and on-going investigation.”

UW Station architectural details emerge: Escalators, subterranean art, Seahawks color scheme

November 25, 2013 by Rainer_M 1 Comment

University Link construction is 80% complete, $107 million under budget and will open early in January 2016. Images: Montlake Flyer

Upon Sound Transit’s announcement late last week that light rail service will begin nine months ahead of schedule in January 2016, agency officials offered a sneak peak of construction progress, now 80% complete. What does 80% look like? A lot less dramatic than the bare station shell seen earlier this year, but also, a lot more like a light rail station.

The station house in front of Husky Stadium is now clearly visible above the construction fence that has blocked views into the cavernous pit below Montlake Blvd since excavation began in January 2010. UW Station is huge: big enough for overflow event crowds and a crossover track to reverse trains — and deep enough for its rail tunnels to pass under the Montlake Cut. The 3-mile trip from Downtown to Capitol Hill to Montlake will take just six minutes via light rail, which will eventually bring 25,000 riders per day through UW Station — and a hopefully bit of traffic relief on neighborhood streets.

The press event included remarks from Senator Patty Murray, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl. Upon the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death, Murray spoke of an era of “building something more than ourselves,” as we are doing with regional light rail today.

Work is progressing on the interior with floors and ceilings starting to take shape. Wall tiles on the mezzanine level reveal a blue, black and chartreuse color scheme, apparently recalling UW Station’s favorite football team, the Seahawks. Riders will reach the train platform from the new Montlake Blvd pedestrian bridge via four escalators or a 9-story elevator ride.

Image: Sound Transit

Escalators between mid-station mezzanines will journey through artist Leo Saul Berk’s “geologic” layers. “By orienting them in their subterranean environment and describing their surroundings, the chamber will remind the viewer of where they are and what is just on the other side of this station’s massive concrete walls.” The art installation served as the backdrop for Friday’s presser, though its walls were only illuminated with temporary construction lights. Eventually permanent lights will put on a show.

Down on the platform level, track work is well under way. CEO Joni Earl said track installation is complete between Westlake and Capitol Hill Stations and crews are currently making progress laying tracks in the twin tunnels below the Hill and Montlake. Platform tracks are already installed at UW Station and will fully connect with the tunnels in early 2014.

Light rail wonks and “concerned citizens” living above the tunnels will notice the oval shaped rubber pads that tie the steel rails to the concrete train bed. The pads, called high-compliance fasteners, were purchased in 2012 after Sound Transit heard complaints about vibrations from the contractor’s supply trains during tunnel mining. There were no such complaints during Beacon Hill tunneling a decade ago, thus the special fasteners weren’t used there. When the line continues from UW Station during upcoming North Link construction, a special rubber base beneath the concrete rail bed will isolate the track from the tunnel walls and further dampen vibrations under the UW campus.

The view south from UW Station toward Capitol Hill, just 3 minutes away.

Once major construction is complete, systems installation can begin to bring power to the rail line, followed by several months of service testing. T-minus twenty-five months!

UW Station set to open early, perhaps January 2016

November 21, 2013 by Rainer_M 1 Comment

Inside UW Station’s mezzanine level. Image: Sound Transit

With construction well ahead of schedule, Sound Transit is starting to plan for an early opening of UW Station. Seattle Transit Blog has details from ST’s Board meeting today, with three scenarios for an early rollout of U-Link light rail trains.

The current opening date of September 24, 2016 has been calculated based upon the finishing of major construction (September 2015), 180 days of systems testing (September 2015-March 2016), plus 169 days of schedule float (September 24, 2016). Mr. Fazal presented 3 scenarios for an earlier opening:

Q2 2016: Adhering to the current schedule but using the scheduled float.
Q1 2016: Adhering to the current construction schedule but compressing systems testing and using the scheduled float.
Q4 2015: Compressing the remaining construction schedule, compressing systems testing, and using the float.

The earliest option, a Q4 2015 opening, would incur additional costs of $10-12m, while the other two options incur no additional costs. Accordingly, staff recommended the middle option to the board: that the construction schedule be left intact, that systems testing be shortened from 180 to 90 days, and that the 169 days of float be used. Doing the back-of-the-napkin math, ULink could open as early as January 8, 2016.

Great news! Also, this:

Saturday slowdowns for Montlake Bridge pits + Overnight Roanoke Tunnel closure

November 15, 2013 by Rainer_M Leave a Comment

Image: WSDOT Flickr

Via WSDOT:

Montlake Bridge (State Route 513) – Expect delays across the bridge Saturday morning, Nov. 16. Maintenance crews will close the left lane in each direction to vacuum out leaves and trash under the bridge pits where the counterweights sit. The pits need to be cleaned to ensure proper bridge operation as well as prevent debris from piling up and spilling onto the nearby walkways. Some of the work is noisy, and we’ve taken steps to minimize the impact to the neighborhood. Lane closures and preparation will begin at 6 a.m., but the noisiest work will not start until 7 a.m. Everything will be wrapped up by 11:30 a.m.

Roanoke Tunnel – The southbound Interstate 5 off-ramp to State Route 520 will close from 11 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday. During the closure, maintenance crews will service the emergency lighting system inside ramp, also known as the Roanoke Tunnel.

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