There has been a lot of advocacy for sidewalks and infrastructure coming out of Pinehurst and the North District over the years. Many of our local community members have been instrumental in pushing this as a priority and making people aware of the lack of equity in our current investments. While people have worked hard, the money isn’t there to solve many of the urgent needs.
A new group is forming to try to push this concept even further. It will focus on both short term and long term goals to try to fill in many of the gaps we face in walking, biking, and transit. In many ways it’s an extension of the ideas of Safewalks and already includes people who have worked on that as well as local projects like the NE 125th St sidewalk. They’re working closely with communities to find their priorities and trying to create a broad coalition of support. I’ll have more details once they make their official announcement next week.
In the meantime, I would like get feedback from the Pinehurst community. Sidewalks have obviously been a priority here in the past and we’re still working hard on NE 115th St. There is going to be a walking tour of the neighborhood with Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith on Monday, April 26 from 4:00-5:00pm and I’ll have more info on that soon. We’re going to continue working on these projects as they come up but I also wanted to get some broader feedback.
Do people have any specific concerns? What about specific priorities? Or suggestions? Please let me know by Friday, April 16th at Phillip@pinehurstseattle.org
My suggestion is that the City of Seattle plan to bring all areas within the city to the same safety infrastructure standards within the next 20-30 years. That is to say, if the city maintains sidewalks in one residential neighborhood, then it needs to install and maintain them in all neighborhoods. And it should prioritize those without before repairing those that already exist – to bring equity to the infrastructure. Much of the infrastructure was probably installed at the expense of developers initially, but that doesn’t mean that we should have substandard safety in some parts of our city because building permits were issued without these requirements in the past. Some of this can be done by forcing new infrastructure to be part of new building permits, but much should be undertaken to provide equity in the quality of safety infrastructure (like sidewalks, cross walks, etc.)
I’ve had street signs on my mind ever since moving into the neighborhood. Speaking as someone who depends on people being able to find her house for business, I think it would be extremely helpful to have larger more legible street signs like they do in Wedgwood.
I agree with Ya-Ling 100% We NEED larger and clearer street markings. Night time driving is a nightmare!
I have a huge concern about 123rd street.
There is a daycare on the corner of 8th and 123rd, and the children take walks along the street, and also the international school uses 123rd as a path to get to the Pinehurst Playfield.
A ton of townhouses have been built on 123rd (and accessed by 123rd) just east of Roosevelt. Many of these residents have been using 123rd as an arterial to reach 5th. And they drive really fast. To ensure the safety of the children we really need some kind of speed calming. I’m not up to speed (pun intended) on the kinds of speed calming devices and their expense. How expensive are speed bumps?
Thank you for sharing the neighborhood’s concerns with the new group and anyone else who will listen.
It seems that sidewalks on 15th north of N’gate Way would be helpful. Cars fly down that street and it’s difficult to safely walk on the side of the road to the bus stops that (normally) travel on 15th.
Northgate, Lake City, and Pinehurst are designed for cars. Pedestrians and bicycles on the streets of these areas were never considered when the neighborhoods were built. My dream is to get our neighborhood integrated in with Complete Streets and Safe Routes to Schools and someday have bicycle and pedestrian facilities as the norm rather than the exception… and certainly required for all new construction.
-Matt
I, along with my neighbors, have been fighting to get sidewalks on 115th for a long time. The traffic only seems to be getting heavier and the speed at which much of the traffic travels is also getting way out of control. We have a high number of children and some elderly folks who live on 115th and it is difficult to safely cross the street sometimes. The roundabout at 115th and 8th is nothing more than a slight hesitation for many drivers. Whatever I can do to help see this sidewalk issue come to a resolution I will do what I can.
I also need to point out that it is not only the people who live along this street who use walk here. The highly traveled 41 bus route has a stop on the corner of 115th and 5th. There is not a cross walk here, which would be extreemly helpful especially at rush hour. Also, there are field trips taken by the kids at AS1 and they walk along this street to take the bus. The shoulder is a mud pit when it rains and walking the street when it is dark out is another problem all together.
Thanks Phil and Eric for all your hard work on this.
Hi, All:
I second the suggestion to put sidewalks on both sides of 15th Ave. NE. I also support other ideas posted here to, over time, upgrade our pedestrian and bicycling facilities to the level of other areas of town.
LET’S DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BICYCLING UP HERE
I have been bicycling the Seattle streets (mostly south of here) for 22 years–not as long as some of you, who may have more-refined ideas about how to make our routes safer, but long enough to know that our area ***is one of the most-dangerous for cyclists in town.***
Traffic is fast and heavy. Bicycle lanes and sharrows are elusive. Shoulders–for those who prefer to ride there–are often nonexistent. Pavement conditions are tragic.
Think of the potted, cracked, and broken pavement on 15th Ave. NE, between Northgate Way and the U District. (Now you know why so many cyclists seem to ride toward the middle of 15th.)
Our streets are *prohibitive* to young and beginning-to-intermediate riders.
For example, I have been looking for an alternative return route for my Spokespeople North April 18 Northgate Mall-to-Greenlake bike ride (free, open to public), which I’m running to try to demo safer routes between us and adjacent neighborhoods (see http://spokespeople.us). The routes I’ve found are fast and dangerous.
SOME OFF-THE-CUFF IDEAS FOR BICYCLE LANES AND SHARROWS
I am sure that the Powers That Be have already declared where they think bicycle lanes and sharrows should go. So far, I’m not impressed, going by the 2010 city bicycling map.
We desperately need safe north-south routes and east-west routes as well as simply places where people can ride without getting squashed.
Here’re a few places that I think bicycle lanes and sharrows are needed:
o Roosevelt or 15th: dedicated lane
o 15th Ave. NE southward from NE 145th St.
o 5th Ave. NE: continue dedicated lane from Greenlake ALL THE WAY TO NE 115TH ST. or farther if possible; sharrow by the library helps only a little
o NE 125th St., Lake City Way westward: dedicated lane or *signed* alternative routes
o Northgate Way: dedicated bicycle lane from Lake City Way up the hill as far as possible, and then sharrows on perhaps Roosevelt or NE 8th Ave., leading cyclists to NE 115th St. to continue heading westward
o 24th Ave. NE: sharrows from Lake City Way to Northgate Way
o Lake City Way: Plenty of room for a dedicated bicycle lane along most of it; sharrows for the rest
ALTERNATIVE ROUTING
I’m sure the city has put some thought into bicycle-facility improvement for our area, but I’m not impressed with the routing on the its 2010 Bicycle Map.
Sharrows, bike lanes, and a bicycling map that pay more consideration to North Seattle are badly needed.
I’ve gotten lots of help from neighbors (Thanks, everyone!) finding best routes to the Burke Gilman Trail and other places. As generous as neighborhood cyclists have been with this knowledge, it seems to be kept by those in the know.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could pool that information–and then get it painted onto the roads or at least onto an improved bicycling map?
THIS IS OUR FUTURE
I’m not putting bicycling ahead of pedestrian routes. I think they’re both critical to our future.
We all understand that safe routes to key locations (schools, shopping areas, park-and-rides) and between neighborhoods are fundamental to a healthy Seattle, less dependent on cars and less threatened on their dog-walking route.
Well, I don’t think I have the answers, but I’m sure glad someone brought up the discussion.
Thanks,
Cindy
(Disclosure: I have a car, and I do use it.)
P.S. Know a good, short (<10 miles), less-steep route from the Pinehurst/VH/Ngate to adjacent neighborhoods? I'm all ears.
Get sidewalks in wherever you can get them. Yes, 15th Ave NE N of Northgate would be great to have sidewalks. I don’t see why builders of both single residential and multi-family/use buildings shouldn’t be mandated to install sidewalks in projects. I don’t care if they aren’t connected to anything yet, but it would be a start. Filling in the gaps is preferable to nothing at all. Lake City businesses, the library, parks, and the 15th Ave NE business corridor make our neighborhood, in theory, walkable. How lucky we are to be in such close proximity to many things. Unfortunately even things 5 blocks away are not walkable at times because of the safety risk (being hit by a car). So I have to get in my car with my kids. Pretty ridiculous.
When I walk home from the bus stop in the dark and rain and am forced out of the street which is running like a river onto the muddy verge I’m infuriated. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beautiful swales that were planted between 117th and 113th and 19th and 23rd – OMG they are so beautiful and filled with life — I would do whatever it takes to make those happen all throughout the neighborhood.
Hey YaLing – nice to see your name!!!
I would love to see more sidewalks in the neighborhood and as many as possible. As a runner I would feel safer running on the sidewalk than in the street. Currently I go to Greenlake to run on the path although would enjoy running closer to home if there were more sidewalks. Also more traffic circles with a slow sign perhaps to encourage drivers to slow down.
One final thought would be more lighting in the neighborhood.
I really appreciate the effort. Thank you.
Lots of good ideas here.
As far as street name signs mentioned by Ya-Ling and John Ryan,Pinehurst will have new signs. SDOT is replacing street names signs on all Seattle streets, and expects to complete the work by 2016.
–Marybeth Turner, SDOT
Anyone who can’t make a priority of protecting over a dozen children and a deaf man living on NE 115th St between 5th Ave NE and Roosevelt Way NE, the students who get picked up and dropped off by school buses, the pedestrians in motorized wheelchairs, and the other pedestrians walking along the street(many to and from metro bus stops)really needs to be removed from their office. Any government agency that takes the disgusting stance that the City of Seattle will be more likely to do something if someone actually gets hit by a car needs to be replaced by people who are at least semi-intelligent. Willfully expecting the taxpaying citizens to live in fear for themselves, their family, their friends, and their neighbors is simply appalling. The questions I wrestle with is, how do these people look at themselves in the mirror? How much booze do they need to sleep at night?
Sidewalks, Sidewalks, Sidewalks, everywhere, on my street, on 115th, everywhere. I HATE walking around this neighborhood but LOVE this neighborhood. Would love to not fear for my life when walking to the bus stop or strolling with my dog in the early evening. Did I mention sidewalks, I think we should have them EVERYWHERE!
I’d really love sidewalks everywhere. The swales and new sidewalks just north of Northgate way are wonderful. Then you cross the street and it’s like your suddenly in a different neighborhood. As someone with small children I would like NE 120th St with sidewalks since we walk on that to get to the park on 14th Ave and cars seem to speed along that road.
Ditto what Elizabeth said!!! Sometimes it seems like Pinehurst is some sort of third world country when it comes to the lack of sidewalks. Also, new street signs would be nice. Do we really have to wait until 2016 to replace the weathered street signs like the one at NE 123rd and 12th Ave NE? Seriously?
This is so encouraging to know that people are working on this. Thank you! I live on 123rd and see the people walking and dodging the speeding cars. I rarely walk my two small children to the park only blocks away because of it. The cars have absolutely no limit to how fast they race through here and it is a big problem. A very big problem. I can not stress that enough. Slow down! There are children in this neighborhood and people walking their dogs etc. I see the sweet little school children walking and it is so disturbing when they have to step to the side so some car can race past them. We need sidewalks and more lighting and better signs. Also some attention to drainage and traffic circles. Huge puddles collect all over when it rains. We need a traffic circle on 123rd and 11th to slow down the relentless speeders on this street.
As everybody has already stated, we really need sidewalks. Before my family moved here from Ravenna were would walk every evening. We simply do not walk around here because it is unsafe. Sidewalks would solve so many problems. And keep people from parking on my lawn! I’m not joking. People actually park on my lawn. It seems like this area has been neglected somehow but I am hopeful that we will see change here and it will blossom into a really beautiful neighborhood. After all that complaining I must mention that our neighbors here have been amazing and the people here are wonderful. This is a great place to live. Thank you for helping to make it even better.
More sidewalks? Less parking is the result… Is that what you want?
Hi Phil and all, I believe I left you another message on this subject before. Please have them consider 8th Avenue NE between 130th to 115th for sidewalks. Lots of people use this street for recreational walking in the mornings and evenings.
Maureen.
Wow. I just noticed today that we have a new street sign. Thanks SDOT, and especially Phillip for starting this dialogue thread. That was much quicker than I imagined and extremely helpful. I think branches must even have been trimmed so now people can actually see the street sign too. Fantastic!