I. Introduction
Pinehurst residents are pursuing funds from the Bridging the Gap levy to build a sidewalk on NE 115th St between 5th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE. This sidewalk is projects #2007-065 and #2007-530.
NE 115th St is the first east-west running street north of Northgate Way and is heavily used by shoppers, commuters, and delivery trucks. As there are no sidewalks, pedestrians are forced into the street to contend with vehicles.
The proposed sidewalk is between 5th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE. The sidewalk would be constructed on the south side of the blocks. It would be raised asphalt with an extruded curb, with landscaping and environmentally friendly drainage (“bioswales”) on the opposite side. See construction below.
The proposed sidewalk would provide safe pedestrian access to Northgate businesses, Pinehurst Elementary School (AS #1), Metro bus stops, the new Hubbard Homestead Park, apartment buildings, and senior housing.
A. How you can help
- Sign the petition below and forward it to others who may be interested. Please print the PDF of the petition and post it in your business, apartment building, etc. If you do so, please let me know.
- Please attend public meetings to show support for sidewalks in Pinehurst.
- If you have any content (photographs, documents, etc.) to contribute to the page, please send them to me.
- Subscribe to the blog for important project updates.
B. Petition to the Seattle Department of Transportation
Please sign the following petition to the Seattle Department of Transportation. You will receive a confirmation email at the address you provide below. Your information will not be published on this web site.
Seattle Department of Transportation, please fund the construction of a sidewalk on NE 115th St between 5th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE. NE 115th St is the first east-west running street north of Northgate Way and is heavily used by shoppers, commuters, and delivery trucks. As there are no sidewalks, pedestrians are forced into the street to contend with vehicles. The proposed sidewalk would provide safe pedestrian access to Northgate businesses, Pinehurst Elementary School (AS #1), Metro bus stops, the new Hubbard Homestead Park, apartment buildings, and senior housing. See www.pinehurstseattle.org/sidewalks for full information.
II. Traffic Conditions
There are no other east-west running streets across the superblocks between NE Northgate Way and NE 115th St, so drivers who wish to avoid the heavy traffic on Northgate Way use NE 115th St.
The intersection of NE Northgate Way and 8th Ave NE is right-turn only, which forces northbound or eastbound vehicles up 8th Ave NE onto NE 115th St.
The Seattle Fire Department uses NE 115th St (from 5th Ave NE to 8th Ave NE) as a “Primary Response Route”, which makes it illegible for traffic calming devices such as chicanes or speed bumps.
NE 115th St from Roosevelt Way NE east to 35th Ave NE is categorized as a level 3 street for snow response.
Data from the Northgate Coordinated Transportation Improvement Plan (CTIP) in 2003/2004 shows that traffic was 2,300 vehicles/day in the 900 block of NE 115th St and 2,600 vehicles/day in 1400 block of NE 115th St in the year 2003. Compare with the traffic along 8th Ave NE, which is only 590 vehicles.
The CTIP also shows that intersections along NE 115th St have high accident rates, 2.8 collisions/year at 5th Ave NE and 3.2 collisions/year at Pinehurst Way NE.
Significant redevelopment has happened at Northgate Mall and surrounding properties since the last traffic analysis in 2003/2004.
III. Pedestrian Conditions
There are no east-west sidewalks between Northgate Way and NE 125th St, which are 15 blocks apart or ¾ mile.
NE 115th St has a pedestrian signal to cross Pinehurst Way NE, making it a preferrable east-west walking route.
NE 115th St also provides a connection with a pedestrian trail which crosses I-5 on 1st Ave NE / NE 117th St.
The Northgate CTIP, Appendix 6-2, ranks a sidewalk of NE 115th St as the highest sidewalk project (45 points) which has not yet been implemented. Only the NE 125th St sidewalk ranked higher (47 points), and it has been built.
IV. Pedestrian Generators
Consider the following pedestrian generators for NE 115th St, all of which are on the superblock south of NE 115th St.
A. Northgate Businesses
There are too many to list, but notable businesses are Northgate Mall, Target, Best Buy, the US Post Office, Northgate Village Shopping Mall, Display and Costume, QFC, and Walgreens.
B. Transit
Many people who live in the neighborhood use NE 115th St to walk to the bus stop for route #41 to Downtown. Route #242 to the Eastside also serves this stop. A few years ago Metro recognized this ridership by installing a bus shelter at 5th Ave NE and NE 115th St.
Routes 347 and 348 connecting the Northgate Transit Center and Shoreline serve the bus stops on Pinehurst Way NE at NE 115th St.
Routes 73, 77, and 373 stop on 15th Ave NE at NE 115th St, serving the University District and Downtown.
The Northgate Light Rail station is expected to open in 2019.
C. Parks
The City of Seattle is building a 3¾ acre park on 5th Ave NE just south of NE 115th St.
The newly built Northgate Community Center, Northgate Park, and Northgate Library are ½ mile south of NE 115th St and are drawing many families from the neighborhood.
D. Schools and Children
Pinehurst Elementary School (AS #1) has 200 students. The current walk-to-school route is serpentine, directing children on a ½ mile detour down to Northgate Way and back up. Building a sidewalk would provide safe walking conditions and remove this ½ mile detour.
There is a KinderCare learning center at the corner of 5th Ave NE and NE 115th St, providing daycare and after-school care for many children.
Many children live on NE 115th St — 15 children between 5th Ave NE and 8th Ave NE, and 13 children live between Roosevelt Way NE and Pinehurst Way NE.
E. Senior Housing
- 198 units at Northaven Retirement Apts, 11045 8th Ave NE
- 122 units, Merrill Gardens Northgate Retirement Homes, 11501 15th Ave NE
- 118 units, Merrill Gardens Northgate Plaza Retirement Homes, 11030 5th Ave NE
- 46 units, Aegis at Northgate, 11039 17th Ave NE
- ? units, Evergreen Adult Family Home, 11339 8th Ave NE
- ? units, Pinehurst Homes Adult Family Home, 11536 7th Ave NE
- ? units, Foundation House at Northgate, 11301 3rd Ave NE
F. Low-income Public Housing
- 118 1/2-bedroom units, Cedarvale House, 11050 8th Ave NE
- 23 3/4-bedroom units, Cedarvale Village, 11219 Roosevelt Way NE
G. Multi-unit Housing
- 130 units, Court at Northgate, 11300 3rd Ave NE
- 29 units, 514-524 NE 112th St
- 21 units, Pinehurst Lane Condos, 11532 15th Ave NE
- 14 units, condos, 11401 Roosevelt Way NE
- 10 units, townhomes, 11308-11318 8th Ave NE
- 10 units, Northlane Apts, 11300 5th Ave NE
- ? units, Riviera Northgate Apts, 11540 Pinehurst Way NE
- ? units, Northgate View Apts, 11223 8th Ave NE
- ? units, Northgate Apts, 310 NE Northgate Way, 11060 2nd Ave NE
- ? units, City Gate Apts, 11355 3rd Ave NE
- ? units, Pinehurst Apts, 11500 Pinehurst Way NE
- ? units, Vista Apts, 1020 NE 112th St
V. Design, Construction, and Cost
A. Design
This project was previously selected as part of a Neighborhood Small Fund project, which funded the design of the sidewalk between 5th Ave NE and Roosevelt Way NE. The community is asking for an inexpensive raised asphalt sidewalk with a concrete extruded curb. The sidewalk would only be on one side of the street; the other side would have improved drainage (“bioswales”).
B. Cost
The Northgate CTIP estimated the cost of building 1.1 miles of raised asphalt sidewalk on one side of NE 115th St from 5th Ave NE to Lake City Way NE to be $1,150,000 in 2004 dollars. From 5th Ave NE to 15th Ave NE is 0.5 miles, projected cost $525,000 in 2004 dollars.
VI. Project History
The oldest documented plan for a sidewalk on NE 115th St was in 1993 in the Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan.
This project was previously selected as part of a Neighborhood Small Fund project, which funded the design of the sidewalk between 5th Ave NE and Roosevelt Way NE.
Blog categories: 115th Sidewalks, 125th Sidewalks, Sidewalks (in general).
Recent posts:
[catlist id=11,12,13]
VII. Documents
- Petition: PDF, OpenOffice document
- Design for segment between 5th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE; PDFs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
- Northgate Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan (CTIP)
- Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan.
