Via WSDOT:
AVOID EB 520 FROM SEATTLE** Multi-car crash blocking all lanes right before Montlake.
Need to head to Bellevue/Kirkland or beyond? Take I-90 or I-405. EB 520 remains blocked.
Again, EB 520 near Montlake and I-5 ramps to EB 520 blocked due to serious collision. Avoid it and use I-90 or I-405.
This little duckling faced a difficult dilemma earlier this week. “Do I leap off a log, fives time my height, in order to keep up with my mother and siblings, or do I try to find a safer, slower and lower way to the water.” See the photos and find out what happened at: Union Bay Watch.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Larry
If you were in the Arboretum yesterday you might have seen this young eagle. The eagle appeared to be planning on fish for lunch. Its hunting strategy was very different than the way in which Eva and Albert hunt. If you would like to see more photos and learn about this young eagle’s approach to hunting (or fishing) please visit Union Bay Watch. Thank you!
THE MEETING – 10 APRIL, 2014 – WABN Construction Update
Some people had a meeting just the other night,
at the Queen City Yacht Club with a WSDOT invite.
WSDOT’s people paid a visit, their panel fronted the room
to inform us about WABN which would be happening soon.
A mayor’s office representative sat far in the back
and waved when introduced but never said jack.
People from distant neighborhoods were plentiful there
and a man from Roanoke was the meeting’s acting chair.
The chairman was polite with well-prepared questions
all carefully worded to avoid any hint of contention.
The chair’s polite questions were vaguely answered by WSDOT
and those ambiguous answers caused the audience to get hot.
Many folks were just there because they were curious
while a few of our neighbors almost sounded furious.
When the time came to give the audience their turn,
the hands flew in the air – they were starting to burn!
THE DISCUSSION
The first public comment came from Madison Park.
A man stood and said this WSDOT plan is too stark.
He had tried working that plan for now seventeen years;
seems this WSDOT fiasco had nearly brought him to tears.
Then the audience helped him out with loud applause and cheers!
Though most of the speakers were cool and polite,
the audience mood was hardly contrite.
Both S DOT and WS DOT did their own traffic studies
but, our analysis has shown their results are too muddy.
So intentionally focused at just the traffic ‘on-shore’,
they’ve ignored the real reasons that the neighbors deplore,
reasons that keep the neighbors from getting to the store.
Then a man from Montlake stood and pointed out the fatal flaws
in WSDOT’s traffic study, to more loud audience applause.
That study’s missed out the Arboretum’s five thousand cars;
WSDOT didn’t answer – perhaps the cars are on Mars.
Next a lady from Laurelhurst complained about the long time
driving from her home neighborhood waiting in traffic lines,
all the way through Montlake full of traffic lights and stop signs,
she said her trip downtown in minutes takes about forty-nine.
A second man from Montlake stood up, then he rambled,
though his thoughts were pertinent they were a bit scrambled.
When the chair finally asked is there a question in there,
man two paused – but before sitting back in his chair –
he held up the evening handout, WSDOT’s March newsletter,
and asked ‘Why is this intentionally misleading information in there’?
What was in that newsletter that excited the man so?
It was this one simple question to be answered yes or no:
Will there be traffic impacts when WABN lets go?
And to their own question, WSDOT’s short answer was no.
More audience applause then helped Montlake man two to his chair.
THE REAL PROBLEM
University Village keeps adding more and more parking,
and at the car-intense U dub only the huskies are barking.
As for the drawbridge that flies open for just one solitary boat,
stopping hundreds of cars from crossing our own Montlake moat,
fixing that outdated maritime law is our neighbor’s big hope.
It’s a big Montlake deal to which all our politicians say nope.
THE ENDING
WS DOT responded weakly to most questions from the audience,
as though they would have preferred to just sit there in silence.
When their talking points got repetitive people started looking bored
and before too much longer we all headed for the door
So, did the neighborhood appreciate WSDOT’s evening PR show?
If I could speak for the neighbors, I’d say the short answer was NO!
By: ArtArchitect
All residents near the SR-520 roadway are eligible for a free pre-construction inspection of their home. The period for requesting an inspection started in February and is ongoing until the end of April. WSDOT expects to complete the inspections soon.
Considering the damage that Madison Park residents have experienced from the pile driving activities in the lake near their homes, it would be wise for Montlake residents to take advantage of this offer and get their property inspected. If any damage occurs during construction, it may be difficult to seek damages from the contractor if a pre-construction inspection has not been completed. If you want an inspection and have not made your request yet, contact Kristin Sandstrom at 206-770-3628.
Julee Neuhart, MCC President
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…
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.
The Washington State Department of Transportation will start construction on the WABN phase of 520 replacement this summer. WABN stands for “West Approach Bridge – North” and will build three new lanes of highway between the new floating bridge and Montlake Blvd. This is the last section of the 520 project for which there is currently funding. The state legislature’s failure to pass a transportation package with funding to replace the rest of 520 in Seattle means we may have to live with this interim solution for a while.
There was a public meeting in January with the WSDOT team and Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks staff. The presentation reviewed WABN’s design features including the relocation of the westbound Lake Washington Blvd exit ramp near the Arboretum to the 24th Ave overpass near the old MOHAI (soon to be demolished). WSDOT has been contacting property owners along Lake Washington Blvd to get easements for enlarging sidewalks and making changes to local traffic lanes.
At the January meeting there was much discussion of the damage to Madison Park condos and apartments along the shoreline closest to the pile driving. WSDOT reported that while the pile drivers are out in the lake working on bridge supports for the West Connection Bridge (connecting the new floating bridge to the future WABN), some preparation activities such as moving utility poles in Montlake will occur later this spring and summer. Montlake homes near the construction zone may also experience high levels of vibration and noise during WABN construction. I urge property owners to attend the April 10th meeting and gather current information about what to expect and what can be done if damage occurs.
About the meeting on April 10th: neighbors in Portage Bay and Roanoke Park are organizing this meeting. They are inviting residents of Montlake, Madison Park and neighboring areas. Some of the questions which will be asked of WSDOT staff relate to the Environmental Impact Statement and the Memorandum of Understanding with the city and whether those documents are being followed. There will also be inquiry about the mitigation projects that have been promised. Anyone who has a burning question for WSDOT staff can contact me and I’ll forward it to the meeting moderator (president@montlake.net).
For background and analysis of the WABN, look at the website of the Coalition for a Sustainable 520.
Follow up to parking problems: Last month I wrote about the University of Washington Community Relations staff trying to reduce the parking violations in the Shelby-Hamlin area. This problem occurs when employees and students without our zone parking decals park on these streets beyond the 2-hour limit. There seems to be a large number of drivers who park here regularly with a hope and a prayer they will not get a parking ticket.
I received several responses about this issue. The majority opinion is that these parking violators will not be deterred by a polite letter placed on their windshield asking the driver to obey the ordinance and not park beyond 2 hours. The solution to this problem seems to be to call the Seattle Police Traffic Enforcement (Phone 206-684-8757) and report the violator. My hope is that we create a vigilant group of residents on Shelby and Hamlin who are calling frequently to report violations. Maybe the City will see this as a lucrative source of traffic ticket revenue for the city coffers and assign traffic enforcement officers to patrol regularly. Currently officers do not regularly patrol except on Husky Football game days.
News about the 520 Bridge construction: It was brought to my attention that we have not been publishing information in The Flyer about recent events related to the 520 replacement bridge. Frankly, the MCC board has not had any good news to pass along, since the Coalition for a Sustainable SR 520 of which Montlake is a member, lost their lawsuit again the state department of transportation in July, 2012. However, Montlake.net has a link to the Coalition website. It can be found under “Neighborhood” then “Montlake Resources“. You can scroll down the Neighborhood listing and find “Groups in Montlake”. Listed under that heading is the Coalition for 520. The website has not been updated for several months. However, there is information and illustrations about the next phase of construction which will greatly impact Montlake. That is the building of a section of the bridge called “WABN” or western approach bridge-north side. This is the section directly east of Foster Island. The illustration shows the new exit for westbound traffic heading south into the Montlake neighborhood and heading north to the Montlake bridge and the University of Washington.
Submitted by Julee Neuhart
From WSDOT:
Crossing Lake Washington this weekend will require another route besides State Route 520 when the highway closes for two days of round-the-clock construction work.
Crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation on the SR 520 Eastside Transit and HOV Projectwill close all lanes to traffic between I-405 and Seattle’s Montlake Boulevard. The closure is scheduled for 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 to 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 10. The highway will remain open to traffic between I-5 and Montlake Boulevard, and east of I-405.
During the closure, crews will perform a variety of upgrades within the highway’s Eastside corridor, including realignment of traffic lanes in both directions between 92nd Avenue Northeast and I-405. They’ll also install new electronic signage, noise walls, utility lines and storm water drainage pipes. Other crews working on WSDOT’s SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program will pour concrete for the support columns of a new West Connection Bridge. This structure will join the new SR 520 floating bridge that’s under construction with the highway’s existing lanes in Seattle.
Night work is planned this weekend and residents near the work zone might hear construction noise. More news about the upcoming construction activity can be found online. More information about SR 520 traffic closures also is available online.
The Eastside Transit and HOV project involves widening SR 520 to six lanes between Medina and I-405, rebuilding interchanges, constructing highway lids and median bus stops, and installing fish-friendly culverts. The completed Eastside corridor is expected to open to traffic in late summer 2014.
Harvey is one of the four cormorants in this photo. His past is a bit of a mystery. Visit Union Bay Watch to learn where he came from and how to identify him if you happen to spot him on Union Bay. Follow the link below:
Have a great day on Union Bay…where nature lives in the city!
Larry
