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New 520 Off-Ramp Opens in Montlake

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OfficersMontlake traffic is in the news again. Yesterday, the new west bound 520 off-ramp opened and, based on all of the press coverage, it does not appear the first day went very well. TV news cameras captured several cars running the newly installed stop signs at the intersection of Lake Washington Blvd and 24th Ave E likely because it was dark and the new signs are a major change.

KIRO-NEWSI spoke to a KIRO news reporter who witnessed several close calls between cars and pedestrians so caution is advised. The problem is so bad the State Patrol temporarily posted officers at the intersection to help bring attention to the new four way stop. Another problem is the high volume of traffic using the exit during the afternoon rush hour resulted in cars being backed down the ramp and onto 520. This new off-ramp is just one one of many changes Montlake will experience as construction of 520 continues so please try and be patient. The Montlake Community Club along with other “safe streets” advocates will continue working with WSDOT and SDOT to try and resolve these and other problems because keeping our neighborhood a safe place is our number one goal.

Bryan Haworth
MCC President

Oct. 24 – 25 Weekend Closure of the Montlake Bridge

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2015_1013_ClosureMap

Via WSDOT

Reminder: Oct. 24-25 weekend closure of the Montlake Bridge, SR 520 ramps and local streets

From 5 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, WSDOT maintenance crews will close the Montlake Bridge in both directions, the westbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard and a single lane of the eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard. Crews will use this closure to begin needed repairs to the bridge’s metal grid deck. Weather-permitting, crews will also intermittently close single lanes along East Park Drive East, along westbound East Lake Washington Boulevard between 24th Avenue East and Montlake Boulevard, and along northbound and southbound Montlake Boulevard between East Hamlin Street and East Roanoke Street to complete paving activities.

Closure details:

  • The SR 520 mainline will remain open, as will the westbound off-ramp to Lake Washington Boulevard and a single lane of the eastbound off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard.
  • Marine traffic will be restricted. There will be no Montlake Bridge openings for boats between 7 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. The bridge’s south span will open for boats (with one hour’s advance notice) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
  • The freeway transit stops along SR 520 in Montlake will remain open but local buses will be rerouted around the Montlake area during the weekend. Check the King County Metro alerts webpage to find out information on your bus route.
  • Bicycle and pedestrian access will remain open across the west side of the Montlake Bridge.
  • The Montlake Boulevard U-turn at East Hamlin Street will remain open for I-5 access.
  • Access to the Shelby-Hamlin neighborhood will remain open.

 

KOMO: Metro riders fret about service cuts near 2 light rail stations

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Via Twitter @KaraKostanich

Photo @KaraKostanich Twitter

Via KOMO News
By Kara Kostanich

SEATTLE — Metro Transit bus service could be changing around the University of Washington and Capitol Hill in preparation for two new Link light rail stations that will open next year.

Metro Bus route 25 and route 43 are lifelines for some longtime Montlake neighbors, but with Link light rail service coming to UW and Capitol Hill in March, seven bus routes are now on the chopping block.

“It is a problem for us,” said Linnea Hirst.

Metro Transit says the purposed cuts will restructure the transit network around the new light rail stops, ultimately providing more service to more riders on designated corridors.

“There are some routes that are being purposed for elimination,” said Jeremy Fichter with Metro Transit. “Most of the rides on those routes will continue to have other options available with fixed route transit routes.”

But that’s the problem for neighbors Kathy Smith-DiJulio and Hirst.

Click Here to View Video and Continue Reading.

 

24th Ave East Bridge To Close Sept 8th

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closure

VIA WSDOT

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, crews for the SR 520 West Approach Bridge North Project (WABN) plan to close the 24th Avenue East bridge over SR 520 for up to six months. This necessary closure will allow crews to extend the overpass to the north and make room for a new off-ramp to East Lake Washington Boulevard at 24th Avenue East. This new off-ramp will replace the existing westbound off-ramp to Lake Washington Boulevard in the Arboretum, scheduled to be removed in 2016.

During the approximately six-month closure, all bicycles and pedestrians will be detoured to the Montlake Boulevard sidewalk via East North Street. Over the past several months, crews have upgraded sections of sidewalks along the east side of Montlake Boulevard to ADA standards and widened the sidewalks to 10 feet. To view the detour route, please see the map or online.

For more information about future phases of work in the Montlake area visit our website. To stay informed during WABN construction, you can also:

  • Call the 24-hour construction hotline (206-708-4657) with pressing questions or concerns.
  • Email WABN staff with your questions about the project or construction activities.
  • Join us for our monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Graham Visitors Center.
  • Visit the SR 520 Orange Page for the most up-to-date information on closures and construction impacts.
  • Visit the WABN project website to find general information about the project.
  • Follow us on Twitter @wsdot_520 to get key news and updates about the SR 520 program.

SDOT Seeks Input on Ship Canal Bridge Openings

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(Photo: Michael van Baker)

(Photo: Michael van Baker)

Seattle Department of Transportation would like to hear from neighbors regarding when the city’s ship canal bridges must open on request.

Ballard, Fremont, and University bridges are owned and operated by SDOT, while the Montlake Bridge is owned and operated by WSDOT. However, the Coast Guard has regulatory authority over the bridges and gave SDOT and WSDOT the authority to limit the opening of bridges on weekdays from 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. (The exception is for large commercial vessels of 1,000 tons or more; bridges must always open upon request, regardless of the time of day.)

While the number of bridge openings has remained steady in recent years, traffic has not and the impact of the bridge openings themselves has grown. An average 5 minute bridge opening creates a backup of  hundreds of vehicles and takes them longer to clear.

SDOT is strongly considering a petition to the US Coast Guard, seeking to better align the current closed periods to match the rush hour volume peaks.The petition could also ask for a procedure of scheduled bridge openings, similar to the Montlake Bridge which only opens at the top and bottom of the hour during the boating season, thus providing predictability for both boaters and motorists.

SDOT is asking residents to submit their comments by Wednesday, September 30. (SDOT hopes to submit any application by November 1, 2015.)

Comments can be submitted at ShipCanalBridgeOpenings@seattle.gov or via U.S. Mail to:

Ship Canal Bridge Openings
c/o Roadway Structures
Seattle Department of Transportation
PO Box 34996 (SMT-38-00)
Seattle, WA 98124-4996

Visit the SDOT project website for more detailed information about traffic volumes and bridge openings.

Hotel Montlake – Neighbor Shares Parody In Response to Traffic Issues

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trafficIn response to the traffic plaguing drivers, cyclists & pedestrians traveling thru Montlake, neighbor, Eddie Speer shared lyrics for an Eagles parody called “Hotel Montlake”.  You may find yourself singing this as you wait to leave Montlake, if you can….

On a dark floating highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of cement trucks, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a trail of red lights
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I encountered a frightening sight…

The traffic was stopped in the roadway;
I heard a driver curse and yell
And I was thinking to myself,
“This sure ain’t Heaven and it appears to be Hell”
Then a short detour appeared, and showed me the way
There were voices running through my head,
I thought I heard them say…

CHORUS:
Welcome to the Montlake Intercluster
Such a lovely park (such a lovely park)
Just don’t try to park
Plenty of cars at the Montlake Intercluster
Any time of day (Any time of day)
This is what they say….

The road is Tiffany-twisted, I saw a Mercedes Benz
There are a lot of pretty, pretty SUVs, packed end-to-end
How the trucks belch their diesel, sweet summer smoke
As I read the “best management practices”, is this some kind of joke?

So I called up the schedule,
And asked “Please explain this line..”
They said, “We haven’t met a milestone here since Nineteen sixty nine”
And still those jack-hammers call from right next door,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
As if you were asking for more…

Welcome to the Montlake Intercluster
Such a lovely park (such a lovely park)
Just don’t try to park
We’re livin’ it up at the Montlake Intercluster
Get used to being late (used to being late)
It’s our collective fate….

The back seat starts to lose it
A tantrum to be more precise
And I said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
And on the freeway off-ramp,
They gathered for the wait
They exit their cars just to stretch their legs,
And they just can’t believe this State

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
“Relax, ” said the bridge tender,
“We are programmed to receive.
You can start your engine any time you like,
But you can never leave! “

King 5 News: Proposed message signs spark debate in Seattle

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This message sign is on NE 45th St. near the University Village Shopping Center.(Photo: Josh Green, KING 5)

This message sign is on NE 45th St. near the University Village Shopping Center.(Photo: Josh Green, KING 5)

Via King 5 News – Josh Green

SEATTLE – Homeowners in Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood aren’t happy about a city proposal to put up a message sign along 24th Avenue E. near Lee Street.

Dynamic Message Signs are large overhead message boards that recommend different routes, limit travel speeds and warn of any other traffic problems. The signs are about 17 feet wide, seven feet tall and stand about 19 feet above the road.

“We’re appalled it’s being considered for a residential area,” said Seattle resident Heather Lowe. “It has no place and it shouldn’t be put up in that neighborhood, but only in industrial areas.

Scott Kubly, director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, told council members Tuesday the location is important for the sign because of Boyer Avenue E, a minor arterial, is the only arterial street in the area with a direct connection to an alternate crossing of the Ship Canal, the University Bridge.

Complete story & video available on King5.com

Join PBRP Community Council in Welcoming Senator Jamie Pedersen on July 2

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Montlake neighbors are invited and encouraged to attend the Portage Bay Roanoke Park Community Council meeting on July 2nd.  Senator Pedersen will be joining the meeting on Thursday where he will respond to submitted SR 520 topics, questions and concerns.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING
Thursday, July 2, 6:30 P.M.
Queen City Yacht Club – 2608 Boyer Ave. E.
Special Guest Senator Jamie Pedersen

Agenda:

6:30 p.m.             Welcome
6:35 p.m.             Safety and Block Watch
6:45 p.m.             SR 520 Neighborhood Planning Grant
6:50 p.m.             Furhman-Boyer Traffic Calming
7:00 p.m.             Senator Jamie Pedersen                                              

 

Dynamic Message Sign Planned for 24th Ave E & E Lee – Montlakers Seek to Halt Installation

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Residents of Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood complain that the city’s plan for a big driver-information sign will only encourage side-street traffic.

Via Mike Lindblom, Seattle Times Transportation Reporter

Proposal for big overhead traffic sign riles Montlake residents

In its fervor to use technology to give drivers better information, the Seattle Department of Transportation has stirred a hornet’s nest in the Montlake neighborhood.

Residents are annoyed by the city’s plan to erect an overhead, real-time traffic message sign at 24th Avenue East and East Lee Street, where northbound traffic flows downhill toward Highway 520 and the University of Washington.

For only the second time, the city would be putting one of these steel-supported structures next to single-family homes.

Read the complete story HERE

Online Petition

Montlake neighbors have been collecting signatures for a petition against the sign. An online petition has also been created for those who wish to show their support against the sign. Click HERE or copy and paste this link: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/we-want-safer-streets.fb52?source=c.fb&r_by=13439808

 

U-Link: Montlake to Downtown Seattle in 8 Minutes

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CHS has the first look details of U-Link’s Capitol Hill Transit station. The U-Link will take Montlakers to Downtown Seattle in 8 minutes and 3 minutes from the Montlake station to Captiol Hill.

Read all the details and view photos on CHS.

(Image: Alex Garland for CHS)

(Image: Alex Garland for CHS)