U-Link Restructure Proposals Coming This Week

Posted on by Zach Shaner
Capitol Hill Station in June 2014 (photo by the author)
Capitol Hill Station in June 2014 (photo by the author)

Later this week, Metro and Sound Transit will release their initial restructure plans for the opening of University Link next March. Broadly speaking, there will be two alternatives that will be taken to the public. The first will be an aggressive restructure and consolidation that markedly increases frequency and reduces network complexity, while the second will be a conservative restructure with only minor changes. The two alternatives seem designed for maximum contrast marking the poles of a wide range of possibilities, and undoubtedly the final product will be a mix of the two.

We have seen initial drafts of the plans and I have been serving on the Sounding Board, but Metro is still working on the plans and we expect there to be some minor changes prior to release, so we are holding off on writing for now. Once the plans go public, expect a series of 5 posts from STB staff, including:

  • 1 . Overview, or a broad analysis of the entire restructure from a network perspective.
  • 2. Northeast Seattle proposals
  • 3. SR-520 proposals
  • 4. Capitol Hill proposals
  • 5. Center City proposals, including proposed changes to tunnel operations, South Lake Union peak service, and more.

Also included in these posts will be a new mockup of the proposals using Oran’s Frequent Network Map, which will do an excellent job of quantifying the benefits and drawbacks of the proposals to the all-day transit network.

Stay tuned.

SDOT Will Finally Make Rainier Safer

Posted on by Erica C. Barnett
The 7 & Mount Rainier

Photo by Oran

Walking up Rainier Ave. S toward the Columbia School for a community meeting on SDOT’s latest Rainier Avenue safety proposal last Thursday night, I was struck once again by what a dangerous and inconvenient street Rainier is for pretty much anyone who isn’t driving a car. Once upon a time I biked to work on Rainier almost daily, a practice that prompted City Council member and fellow cyclist Sally Clark to write a blog post, titled “Hey, Erica,” suggesting three circuitous but very helpful safer routes from Columbia City to downtown. In 2008, the council quietly shelved a proposal to reduce Rainier from four or five lanes to three, including a turning lane, at a time when the street had nearly 30 times as many crashes, per rider, as the Burke-Gilman Trail. (In 2006, the city’s updated bike master plan acknowledged that “improvement [was] needed” on Rainier, but proposed no actual improvements.)

Screen shot 2015-03-01 at 7.41.11 PM
Photo via SDOT

After years of Band-Aid upgrades to nonmotorized street users’ safety – a pedestrian-activated crossing here, a safety-promoting yard sign there – it looks like the city is getting serious about safety on at least a portion of this fast-moving, accident-prone urban highway.

On Thursday, as part of Mayor Ed Murray’s “Vision Zero” transportation strategy (the zero refers to traffic deaths and serious injuries), SDOT staff presented three scenarios for reducing speeds and improving safety on Rainier. Notably, all three included rechannelization, or a “road diet.” Perhaps it’s a testament to Murray’s coalition-centric leadership style, or a reflection of his predecessor Mike McGinn’s more contentious reputation. Perhaps it’s changing attitudes and the shift away from driving alone. Whatever the reason, what was once unthinkable (a road diet? On Rainier?) is now Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. After years of indecision from SDOT, it finally appears there’s no turning back.

Continue reading “SDOT Will Finally Make Rainier Safer”