FOLLOWUP: How are 35th SW and SW Roxbury doing, post-rechannelization? SDOT goes public with first stats

(Photo from SDOT Blog)

Have you traveled on 35th SW and/or SW Roxbury since the recent rechannelizations (and other changes)? SDOT has just published its first report on the aftermath – see it on the SDOT Blog website, now that the work is mostly done. An excerpt:

… The project team has been monitoring the revised segments of 35th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street on a daily basis. We’ve also collected data in an effort to obtain preliminary insights into the effects of the recent changes.

To date, we’ve seen no change in volumes on 35th Avenue SW or SW Roxbury Street. Daily traffic volumes on these streets remain within the same range as pre-project volumes. During our public outreach process, some people commented that they were concerned about drivers diverting to nearby residential streets after the channelization changes. We’ve received no reports of diversions from residents and our volume data does not indicate diversions to residential streets. However, we will continue to keep an eye on this issue moving forward.

Our first look at vehicle speeds on 35th Avenue SW is encouraging. The street once commonly referred to as “I-35” in the neighborhood no longer sees the majority of drivers pushing speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Instead, most drivers now travel around 34 to 35 miles per hour. This is a significant improvement but we’d like to see drivers traveling at lower speeds which are closer to the new posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour. We will expand our speed data collection efforts in October and November and hope to see lower speeds as drivers adjust to the new conditions.

There’s no doubt that these corridors feel different than they used to, especially during the afternoon commute when traffic volumes are highest. With just one general purpose travel lane in each direction, vehicle queueing at signalized intersections is more substantial during the afternoon/evening commute period. However, longer signal cycles effectively mitigate the queues and vehicles are able to clear intersections in just one green phase. Occasionally, emergency response vehicles such as police and fire will preempt signals at SW Holden Street, so it can take up to two signal cycles to clear the intersection when traffic volumes are high.

Again, the corridor feels different but vehicle and transit travel times have been minimally impacted. During community outreach, we mentioned that traffic modeling projected delays on 35th Avenue SW of one-to-two minutes with a maximum delay of 2.5 minutes during the afternoon rush hour. Our travel time data, based on driving the 35th corridor dozens of times during peak hours, show that our models were a bit conservative:

The data tables are in the full post on the city website – with car and bus travel times – as are ways to get your feedback to the city.

P.S. If you missed the backstory on the 35th and Roxbury projects – check the links and slide decks in this story we published while the road work was under way.

116 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: How are 35th SW and SW Roxbury doing, post-rechannelization? SDOT goes public with first stats"

  • Paul October 13, 2015 (1:46 pm)

    Their assessment matches my experience. I use 35th frequently as a driver and a bus rider.

  • Liveon35th October 13, 2015 (1:53 pm)

    I live near 35th & Roxbury. There are still a lot of speeders who try to make the turn on Roxbury before the lights turn red. Bus rides take longer since no one gives way to busses merging back into the street, especially at rush hour. More people using the turn lanes as passing lanes too.

  • Eric1 October 13, 2015 (2:01 pm)

    Interesting data. I like the design and I feel much safer without all the aggressive drivers weaving in and out of traffic.
    .
    Travel times look good and oddly the only real slow down is PM northbound. Since there is no traffic and speeds currently average 35 or so, it looks like the 50 MPH crowd has finally been slowed down.
    .
    I guess the models were right and the sky is still where it belongs.

  • Stuck on 35th October 13, 2015 (2:02 pm)

    “Feels different”? This is a lie. 35th Avenue is miserable during school pick up and evening rush hours. I have no doubt that this street is safer now, but at what cost? 35th is now a parking lot.

    WSB, you really should go out and talk to drivers about what this change has meant for them. Don’t accept this propaganda uncritically.

  • Chris October 13, 2015 (2:02 pm)

    Obviously, SDOT has not traveled the new revisions on Saturday or Sunday when the back-ups have been blocks long! Or when the buses park at an angle across both the parking lane and the traffic lane blocking traffic as always!
    What a mess! FYI…I travel the route from Harbor Ave to Arbor Heights every day..several times a day!

  • Jack October 13, 2015 (2:03 pm)

    Sorry, but they are wrong about the queueing at the lights.

    It often takes 2 cycles to travel on 35th south of holden.
    I have seen it myself multiples times as has my wife. She drives that every day.

    anyway, thanks again to WSB for the reporting.

    For the record I sen
    t my comments
    to:
    walkandbike@seattle.gov

    which is referenced in the above links.

  • WSDriver October 13, 2015 (2:04 pm)

    I’ve been struggling to make left turn from 35th SB towards Westwood Village. With cars traveling in one lane instead of two, it is difficult at times to find a break to make the turn. Has anyone had the same issue?

  • wsn00b October 13, 2015 (2:04 pm)

    Meanwhile, the roads continue to be 2 lanes in each direction and 40mph at places where people were actually killed. 35th/Graham. But go ahead, read the above and feel irrationally warm/fuzzy. Meh.

    PS: This morning, it was very nice of the coca cola truck climbing the hill from Morgan to Webster at 20mph in the empty parking lane next to the Myrtle park. Cars were able to maintain the speed limit or more in the main lane.

  • D October 13, 2015 (2:06 pm)

    This report completely defies what is actually happening out there. My guess is they have based their conclusions on a 24 hour average to minimize what’s acrually going on: A total crawl on 35th on the morning and afternoon rush hours, a 3 cycle wait to get through stop lights, tons of traffic diverting into 34th, 36th and Delridge (bigger backups than normal in the morning to get on the bridge). It is as if SDOT wrote this report before they did the lane changes, hoping this is how it would turn out. This project is an unmitigated disaster.

  • Kimmy October 13, 2015 (2:07 pm)

    Thanks WSB! I am perplexed why they made the travel and turn lanes so wide, considering this project was to address safety, and wide lanes don’t encourage such safe driving behavior. I’ve emailed them with that feedback.
    .
    Unfortunately I have noticed a lot more red-light running on 35th since the rechanelization. Although that’s just my observation, I wish they would have addressed that behavior in their write-up, along with the speed data they did provide. Speeding is really just one aspect of safety, albeit it a big one.

  • Enid October 13, 2015 (2:15 pm)

    Love it. It feels so much more sane, and I’ve only seen one backup. Even then, it only slowed traffic – which is not a bad thing, especially during school pickup. Ironically, it’s parents driving like lunatics to pick up kids that dismiss the safety benefits of slower speeds. I’m in Arbor Heights, and my friends who visit from Admiral have remarked how much more pleasant the drive is on 35th.

    The only drawback I’ve seen is more road rage south of Roxbury, with drivers slamming down on the gas pedal to get their speed fix. I hope SPD is keeping an eye on the changes.

  • Scott October 13, 2015 (2:17 pm)

    I don’t believe anything SDOT states. I’m on 35th everyday as I live just off it and it is worse then it was before. Sometimes I cant even get off my street onto 35th or sometimes I cant even turn off 35th to my house. Traffic is backed up blocks when it use to not be. The cars that were traveling on two lanes are now compressed into one lane. I agree don’t accept this propaganda. SDOT will state anything to make themselves look good.

  • vincent October 13, 2015 (2:17 pm)

    I love how angry this makes people, going slower saves lives, but its so unfair speeding to the next red light is so much more fun.

  • Sunuva October 13, 2015 (2:21 pm)

    I travel 35th multiple times a day and my experience has not been as rosy as SDOT claims. Having my travel times increased is frustrating, but I do hope it is improving safety for pedestrians. However, I’m also concerned that they’ve created a new danger of increased rear-end collisions. I’ve noticed the backups at Holden and Thistle particularly can be more than a couple blocks during parts of the day. I’ve had to hit the brakes pretty hard a couple times and I’ve seen other cars have to do the same. People aren’t expecting traffic to just hit a dead stop a few blocks back from the traffic lights! Have they been collecting data on minor fender benders and rear end collisions?
    .
    One other new behavior I’ve noticed is people getting in the right hand turn lane at the intersections so they can speed past the front of the line when the light turns green. I’ve noticed this several times at 35th and Roxbury especially.
    .
    Lastly, I occassionally travel California Ave south of Alaska and I’ve noticed what seems like a lot more traffic than previous. Are they monitoring traffic on California?

  • PG October 13, 2015 (2:26 pm)

    This seems really optimistic. Mornings (at 6:30) aren’t bad, but the afternoon commute is unpleasant. Since the re-channelization speeds seem very inconsistent. Drivers slow down abruptly and for no obvious reason. I also seem to wait at red lights a lot more than I used to going southbound at 4 pm.

  • anw October 13, 2015 (2:32 pm)

    I love it! My morning and evening commutes on 35th don’t seem to be taking any longer than they did before and it has been much easier to make left turns, with greater visibility. I wish this had been in place before–I would have been able to avoid the accident that totaled my vehicle.

  • Monica October 13, 2015 (2:33 pm)

    I don’t believe anything that SDOT says either – they seem to do whatever they want with no regard to what the PEOPLE want!! So frustrating. I happen to be one of the unfortunate people that live on 35th – SDOT should come to my house one day and see how it has REALLY changed!

  • Jeanie October 13, 2015 (2:33 pm)

    SDOT is patting itself on the back, but I’m not so sure it’s being truly objective in its assessment of itself. And note the pretty photo SDOT provided. I have to agree with Scott. People were already slowing down before this money-waster. And, yes, I drive 35th daily.
    Note that the email above for comments is “walkandbike@seattle.gov.” Much as I love to walk and bike, I fear SDOT is overreaching its agenda. I’m not going to get into the “war on cars” discussion, but it makes me wonder.

  • ca October 13, 2015 (2:38 pm)

    I hate this new layout, it takes me 30-40m to get to one end of ws to another and I work and live locally. I think it is just ridiculous. tons of traffic and waits and very frustrating.

  • GAnative October 13, 2015 (2:38 pm)

    I don’t drive 35th all the time but I went to Target last night.
    *
    6:30pm – East on Thistle trying to turn South on 35th. Couldn’t turn right on red as there were cars lined up as far as I could see headed South on 35th. But driving on 35th was OK as I hit all the green lights.
    *
    No problem turning East onto Barton.
    *
    7pm – Couldn’t turn right on red from Barton to 35th North bound as there is now a dedicated left turn lane and cars going straight are now in the right lane.
    *
    No cars on 35th North but backed up South bound all the way to Morgan.

  • ACG October 13, 2015 (2:38 pm)

    The back ups definitely suck. One Tuesday I got stuck behind a school bus going one direction (with traffic backed up for blocks) and then on my return trip i got stuck behind a garbage truck doing its pick ups (again, traffic backed up for blocks as the truck stopped every 15 feet to empty a can). And, have experienced the metro busses on many days/times, barely pulling over and blocking the only lane of traffic. Not having that second lane to sanely and safely pass these vehicles is causing a lot of back ups and will cause unsafe driving as people try other methods to swerve around them and actually get moving on the roads. I am waiting for those accidents to occur as more people get fed up. I personally am diverting and taking other streets to avoid the mess.

  • WSDriver2 October 13, 2015 (2:39 pm)

    WSDriver I am experiencing the same thing as you. When I try to turn East from 35th on to Barton to go to Westwood Village the shortest wait time I have had was two light cycles. Only one car can get through the light per cycle.. Unless they run the red light. Sometimes you can’t even get one car through before the light turns red. I’ve had it and will be using side streets from now on unless something changes.

  • Koni October 13, 2015 (2:40 pm)

    Now I have people tailgaiting me from the fire station at Holden to the point where it splits to two lanes before Morgan…if I go 30…the new speed limit…I can see steam coming out of their ears! Then, once the lane splits they speed off at 50 or more and usually run the light at Morgan….so safe! This happens every morning so far…

  • Frustrated on 34th October 13, 2015 (2:40 pm)

    I live between Morgan and Holly where the one lane breaks back into two. This change is frustrating and has made it near impossible in my opinion to make a safe left or right turn onto 35th. There is little opportunity to find a break in between the stream of single file cars on 35th. The light at the Holly doesn’t respond to cars waiting at the stop sign, so I’m lucky if a pedestrian is trying to cross 35th and hits the crossing button for the light to turn. Cars are continuing to speed and it’s extremely dangerous to attempt even a right turn on 35th at Holly, because it’s here the lanes move back to two which results in a free for all for the single line of cars to jockey for positioning from one lane back into two. With cars parked on 35th as well, you can’t see a thing and to me it has made the experience for those of us who live off of 35th a lengthy and dangerous situation to just get into 35th in a timely and safe manner.

  • don October 13, 2015 (2:51 pm)

    i say we have a new tax in seattle. anyone who owns a car will be taxed say 500$ a year. we can use this to improve infrastructure on the roads. I am sure the traffic will be lighter and buses and bikes can get around a lot safer.

    d

  • 35th Resident October 13, 2015 (3:03 pm)

    I commute on 35th daily, and really haven’t experienced the nightmarish backups so many are reporting. I actually like the revised lanes – 30 mph through a residential seems plenty fast. If my drive takes an extra 5 minutes (and honestly I haven’t experienced even that much delay), I’m fine with it.

    I agree that more people are now driving on California and Delridge, but I tend to think traffic levels on those streets are just getting to where they ought to be. Rather than people driving from California down to 35th so they can speed, they just stay on their own street.

    it is ridiculous that there aren’t a few left turn signals along 35th (Trenton, Barton, etc), but this really is the dictionary definition of “first world problems.”

  • urn42 October 13, 2015 (3:06 pm)

    I came to hate-read the griping about the change, and was not disappointed.

    I live near the SDM and use 35th every morning around 7-7:30 to head to the eastside, and the change in my commute isn’t all doom and gloom like the naysayers (nay) say. Yes, it takes a few minutes longer. Yes, busses block the lane when they don’t get all the way over. Yes, the fed-up drivers and their tantrums make it worse for everyone. But most everyone out there is just trying to get from A to B, and we’re all working together to make it happen safely. And it’s working.

    Suck it up, whiners. If you don’t like it, send your complaints to the SDOT and lobby to get it changed back. It’s already happened, and there’s going to be more done. If it’s provably worse, it’ll be a few years before they change it back. Until then, leave your house 5 minutes earlier. And try not to hit anyone on your way down the street.

  • DEF October 13, 2015 (3:10 pm)

    The change is an overall improvement from my perspective, making it much safer to make left turns from 35th onto side streets, and calming the traffic to safer speeds more generally. Have definitely seen some of the downsides, though. It’s a trade off.

    I’m hoping that the traffic light timings can be adjusted to reduce (not eliminate) the southbound back-ups during the evening commutes. Like others, I’ve found it’s now more difficult to turn onto 35th from the side streets, and I expect over time we’ll learn if/when we need to drive over to an intersection with a light to avoid the problem.

  • Casey October 13, 2015 (3:12 pm)

    Yep SDOT is full of it. I supported half of their plan, reducing the speed limit to 30mph is reasonable, in the name of safety. There was no reason to drop 35th to one lane though! And their claim you can get though a light in one cycle is total BS, anyone else seen pm traffic back up south bound from myrtle to morgan? Cuz I have.

  • slb October 13, 2015 (3:22 pm)

    Trying to get out of Safeway going west bound has been a challenge. It seems like this is the only place on Roxbury where they didn’t put in a middle turn lane. It doesn’t make sense with the business that are on the south side of the street. I have seen people cut across oncoming traffic after getting frustrated at waiting so long to turn.

  • ca October 13, 2015 (3:24 pm)

    thanks urn42 we are able to whine and complain all we want and trust me complaints have been sent to SDOT 5 minutes doesn’t help when destination is 10min prior and now 30-40min. so thanks for letting me know what I/we can do.

  • BJG October 13, 2015 (3:38 pm)

    A couple of observations on the SW Barton changes:
    It’s not possible to turn R at 35th intersection without working forward for blocks and several light cycles. There are several R turns available to move to 36th and travel S. Many will do so and it’s tempting me. (only resist because our side street is now a thoroughfare for traffic avoiding Junction traffic)
    Traffic headed E on Barton through 35th intersection is only allowed to go straight in the curb lane. New “L turn only” lane is not apparent if one car is at the light and on top of L arrow marking. Nothing on the traffic light indicates a dedicated turn. I’ll learn, but it should be more clearly marked for those who aren’t locals.
    Also, why was it necessary to lower the speed limit AND make the lane revisions? It seems that safe travel is everyone’s goal so why not do one thing first and evaluate?…then lower the speed limit if results warrant additional restrictions. It is a main arterial after all. You can’t call California SW anything but a bottleneck now.

  • sam-c October 13, 2015 (3:40 pm)

    My experience (while limited) is very similar to Scott and Frustrated on 34th

    I turn right onto 35th at Othello many mornings of the week, around 7:30 AM. With this reconfiguration, it takes more time for a break in traffic to find a space to turn. This morning in fact, someone impatiently honked at me to turn, even though the space they wanted me to turn into was NOT big enough to safely squeeze myself in with traffic moving at 35 mph. All in all though, I am not enraged as some people are. I drove it yesterday afternoon (southbound) (5pm) and traffic was moving very nicely.
    (what is SDM?)

  • trickycoolj October 13, 2015 (4:06 pm)

    Echo the sentiments trying to get to WW Village from High Point. It’s very difficult to make the left on Barton since there are no breaks in the traffic. The light needs adjusted if this is permanent. I don’t even know how folks who live on streets without lights manage to make the left turn. I also found traffic to be slowed to a 25mph or less crawl both directions on Saturday and Sunday. Slower speeds are good but let’s at least go the new posted limit. And like others I hate people who cut through my street and alley as well but pretty soon I’m just going to take Holly from High Point all the way to WW Village.

  • Elisabeth October 13, 2015 (4:14 pm)

    Stuck on 35th: WSB is not “accepting this propaganda uncritically,” they are merely relaying what comes out of SDOT. WSB does not need to “go out and talk to drivers about what this change has meant for them.” WSB has invited drivers to comment here. Duh.

  • Jen October 13, 2015 (4:36 pm)

    They’re very wrong. I’ve diverted off 35th and onto neighborhood streets to get around the traffic on an almost daily basis and get to my destination faster. I watch several other cars do the same in front and behind me. Another example of SDOT collecting the data that is convenient to their means versus reality as they clearly know better than the rest of us what’s right for the city. I’ve stopped shopping to the north as I’m fed up with the nasty traffic. Fauntleroy, Delridge and California, all arterials, now forced to be neighborhood streets. The answer is to prohibit parking on 35th to make the streets safer and channel traffic to main arterials.

  • wetone October 13, 2015 (4:37 pm)

    During rush hour times and on weekends traffic has changed for the worse. One of the big things I have noticed is how people are changing driving routes using more side streets to avoid 35th also see samething happening on California ave due to all the building and slow traffic. Seems like a false fix from the city and SDOT, as their just moving issues elsewhere, not fixing a thing. What happens as population grows from all the new builds and SDOT continues its road diets ? “Gridlock ” Glad I recently sold a house I had on 35th. as it was a bear before all this to access. Have little faith for any vehicle traffic improvements in Seattle with Murray and Kubly at the helm…..
    On a different note saw a interesting thing today and that was a person cleaning wiping the glass cover on bike counter at lower WS bridge. Is the counter turned off when cleaning ? and who’s responsible for that job ? Didn’t have time to stop and see if counter was changing with every swipe ; )

  • Gatewood gurl October 13, 2015 (4:40 pm)

    It’s a cluster….long single lines of traffic make turning right onto 35th or left off 35th a test of patients……

  • JRR October 13, 2015 (4:42 pm)

    I live just off Roxbury and have felt a profound difference in my quality of life since traffic no longer regularly goes highway speeds. It feels safer to walk along and safer to drive, too. Something about having four lanes before made people think it was a freeway. I’ve heard less racing at night, too. Yay for road diets!

  • dane October 13, 2015 (4:43 pm)

    are you yuppies so new to west seattle that you dont remember when going from 35th and avalon to 35th and roxbury only took ten minutes? didnt change commute times? what are you smoking?! developers want apartments on 35th, and couldnt have them without a suicide lane. commute times are worse and theyre going to get even worse.

  • Oakley34 October 13, 2015 (4:48 pm)

    I love the changes and hope they continue. wsn00b I think the area you commented on (35th and Graham) is part of the proposed changes being phased in over the next year (pending cont’d review of the area and the impacts thus far) but I may be wrong. I haven’t noticed any difficulty making heading east on barton from 35th as some have, but I guess I haven’t seen it during rush hours. Hope SDOT stays the course on the rechannel.

  • Eric1 October 13, 2015 (5:06 pm)

    @Elizabeth. Don’t try to use reason or logic. Some people love to hate and blame. The blame everybody but themselves because they are the most important.
    .
    10 minutes late? Choose from the following: Traffic changes on 35th. Stupid driver going too slow. School bus blocking my way. It was faster XX years ago… Never mind this happens every day and you should have left 15 minutes earlier.
    .
    The best one yet is “they must be using 24 hour data to compute AM and PM figures” Huh? The next complaint will be that they are using multiple days to compute averages. They should only take singular measurements when I drive on a bad days.

  • Cainipoo October 13, 2015 (5:13 pm)

    Ugh, what a mess. I head south on 35th in the a.m. and for the last week I’ve had to stop at each intersection from Thistle to Roxbury for red lights. Fix the light cycles!

  • Chris S October 13, 2015 (5:19 pm)

    Here’s an anecdote that I think demonstrates that the new design of the road improves driver behavior: I was walking on Roxbury when a car pulled out of the Shell station by Safeway onto westbound Roxbury. (Young male driver. Extra loud muffler. Green lights under the car chassis. You get the idea.) He started revving his engine but found himself in the middle of a pack of 3 or 4 cars going the speed limit. He kept revving and you could sense that he was looking for an opportunity to pass them but wasn’t seeing one. So, he was forced to obey the speed limit all the way up to 35th, revving futilely the entire way.

  • NormInWS October 13, 2015 (5:20 pm)

    This Rechannelization really really sucks.

  • ws12man October 13, 2015 (5:21 pm)

    Anyone who thinks traffic is not a lot worse now is kidding themselves. I live on 102nd st and now because of the long lines of traffic I have a hard time even getting on to 35th ave. It has gotten really dangerous. Also if has gotten so safe why didn’t they continue the single lane all the way down 35th? Yes it may have made it a bit safer. It did slow vehicles down on 35th. Like someone said before at what cost. Today at 3:30pm I had to wait for two green lights to pass Roxbury. That is not progress. I wish I could post pictures and show some that I have of long lines of traffic. It is not whining to those of you who consider it to be. It’s our responsibility to voice our concern. I hope at some point SDOT will hold a meeting in W, Seattle to hear what the people think of the change. This article seems to be flawed. It is in no way what I see on the roadway. I wouldn’t expect anything less. They are the ones who made the change and wouldn’t want to say it’s a mess. That it was a good idea that didn’t work. They will leave it this way till people forget about it then change the lanes back and consider themselves hero’s for fixing the traffic problem. I know that these are the type of actions that will make me change my voting habits.

  • Joe Szilagyi October 13, 2015 (5:22 pm)

    I am baffled at all these claims of nightmare drives. I drive 35th daily. Here, I just did, JUST now. I used my Strava GPS app to record the drive, like I do on my bike sometimes. Less than NINE MINUTES from the intersection of 35th & Fauntleroy going south to Roxbury.
    .
    Link: http://i.imgur.com/RMIZkLF.png
    .
    From about 4:58pm starting time, literally just now. Look at the speed per mile segment. See how much more consistent my drive is once I reach the awful road diet? Once you go from 2 lanes to 1 the ride gets easier and more consistent, because there are now turn lanes!
    .
    The accusations that the city is cooking the books are ridiculous. I’ve driven this literally daily since the road diet and it’s a far better experience.
    .
    Does anyone actually think <9 minutes is too long to drive that route?

  • ALISON October 13, 2015 (5:26 pm)

    It has made traffic worse, very much slow. People that drive 5 miles under the speed limit also cause issues with traffic. And it takes 20-30 minutes to get from one end of w.s. to the other. You stop at every single light. I avoid 35th and take the back streets just because it’s so bad. I’d rather spend my time moving if it’s going to take me a 1/2 hour.

  • Joe Szilagyi October 13, 2015 (5:28 pm)

    @ALISON ” And it takes 20-30 minutes to get from one end of w.s. to the other.”
    .
    How am I doing the drive in 8-12 minutes twice a day during rush hour from Roxbury to Fauntleroy and back again?

  • Joe Szilagyi October 13, 2015 (5:30 pm)

    @DANE “are you yuppies so new to west seattle that you dont remember when going from 35th and avalon to 35th and roxbury only took ten minutes? didnt change commute times? ”
    .
    Uh, I’ve done Roxbury to Fauntleroy in 8 to 12 minutes Monday through Wednesday around 840am daily, and the same in reverse around 5pm, same times.

  • Tamera October 13, 2015 (5:32 pm)

    I live near 35th and Barton. I love the revision. I am a walker/busser and haven’t been nearly killed crossing Barton on foot in weeks. My life is more important than someone in a car being mildly inconvenienced by sitting through 2 light cycles,sorry.

  • Joe Szilagyi October 13, 2015 (5:33 pm)

    How does it take 30 minutes to go from one end of West Seattle to the other? I’d have to start at the very bottom of 35th by the south tip of Arbor Heights and drive all the way north to the water taxi…?

  • LP3 October 13, 2015 (5:42 pm)

    I love it! Feels so much safer, and the delays are minor. Totally worth it. I do think there really needs to be a turn signal from 35th SB onto Barton EB, though.

  • Jennifer October 13, 2015 (5:48 pm)

    No impact. Except that I had to sit through two light signals before I could turn off of 35th to Thistle the other afternoon. It was the perfect storm of a long queue, a bus at the bus stop and cars parked along 35th.

  • Paul October 13, 2015 (5:49 pm)

    I think the issues here are simple.

    1. The data has been summarized and represented by the department pushing for the project. I can make the data say anything I want when the methodology and data are opaque. Be transparent.

    2. SDOT has confused speed with safety. Speed is but a component of safety. If you are not addressing the interconnected web, you have only addressed one issue and the net effect might be a reduction in safety.

    3. Emailing your complaints to some email address is fine, but once again it hides the community concern behind an opaque machine. We have to trust that someone out there is listening. Be transparent and collaborative. (And I don’t mean only with those who have the time to attend community meeting and pull teeth at city hall)

  • West Seattle since 1979 October 13, 2015 (5:56 pm)

    Wetone, wouldn’t someone cleaning the bike counter screen just be like someone cleaning a non -touch computer screen and not affect the data onscreen one way or the other?

  • RationalThought October 13, 2015 (5:58 pm)

    35th is NOT – I repeat – NOT – a residential street. It is a main thoroughfare and just because there is some housing along the street does NOT make it a residential street. What are true residential streets are being used even more as though they are thoroughfares because people cannot get anywhere on 35th. I lived on 35th for years. I walked that street and walked my dogs on that street and I never once had a close call as a pedestrian because I paid attention to how people were driving, irrespective of whether or not they were adhering to the speed limit. THAT is what one does when crossing a thoroughfare. But instead of expecting people to act like responsible pedestrians and because of a few unfortunate accidents, everyone in West Seattle has to have their ability to drive further restricted. It’s lovely that some of the drivers have nothing but time on their hands and think that everyone else has extra time to sit at traffic lights, but for those of us who recognize that we live in a CITY – not Mayberry – added drive time and the inability to navigate efficiently around WS makes a difference. If you want to live in a small town, then move to one. If you want to live in a city, then be prepared to deal with drivers in a city with places to go.

  • Joe Szilagyi October 13, 2015 (6:06 pm)

    @ RationalThought and everyone else:
    .
    What is a reasonable number of TOTAL minutes to go from 35th & Roxbury to 35th & Fauntleroy, or vice versa?

  • Jeff October 13, 2015 (6:33 pm)

    Just not true. it’s taking me at least a couple minutes longer to travel this corridor, up to four minutes if I miss a light (which is now more likely) or if I’m caught behind a bus/truck on the single-lane uphill grade.

    Bottom line: an extra 2-4 minutes to travel this segment. Question: WHY?? I wasn’t passing accidents before. I drive a fuel efficient car, but it’s still wasted gas, extra pollution, more time, and wasted money.

    Perhaps excessive volume/aggressive driving before spoke to a lack of capacity on this, the major N-S arterial on the large WS peninsula. SDOTs answer? ARTIFICIAL RESTRICTION! Brilliant!

  • Eric October 13, 2015 (6:52 pm)

    Well as the old saying goes. There are 3 types of lies. Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

  • Hoku October 13, 2015 (7:12 pm)

    SDM = Super Deli Mart?

  • WSEA October 13, 2015 (7:43 pm)

    I usually drive south on 35th at 4:45 and didn’t notice any extra time speed in traffic. I guess it happens after 5pm. I actually like the center turn lane to avoid backing up traffic. I would agree with others about the lack of a gap in cars to turn off or into 35th. To overcome this difficult issue I, wait for it, used the closest traffic signal. Yeah it was 2 whole blocks later but I’m willing to eat the extra 30 seconds.

  • Oakley34 October 13, 2015 (7:50 pm)

    Joe Szilagyi your data matches my experience with the rechannel, and am also baffled at the 20-30 minute N-S WS drivetime reports. From the comments it seems a lot of drivers just want to be able to keep going 40 (and many above that). It is going to feel slow if you were always speeding before I suppose…

  • Cainipoo October 13, 2015 (8:26 pm)

    @RationalThought, thank you!!!

    It also takes longer to access 35th. Is SDOT adding that into their calculations?

  • Bloicer October 13, 2015 (8:35 pm)

    As a Resident near Fauntleroy I have noticed a definite increase in my commute times, both weekday and weekend. I’d say +\- 5 minutes at times. I can obviously put up with this but I fear if they continue rechannilization that time could triple. I truly believe west Seattle needs a two lane arterial connecting the north and south. With population growing and 1 funnel to get you out(west Seattle bridge) there really needs to be an arterial that has more load carting compactly. It’s bad enough that I can’t get anywhere in The city of Seattle, I don’t need that in west Seattle too.

    Please maintain a proper arterial in west Seattle!

  • TheKing October 13, 2015 (8:53 pm)

    I have sat at Myrtle southbound waiting for the light at Holden. I sure feel safe sitting there as people come up to the crest of the hill to parked cars.

  • Anon October 13, 2015 (9:05 pm)

    My commute on the bus has extended 20 min each way and with the way the busses have to pull back into traffic after making a stop im surprised there hasn’t been a huge wreck yet

  • NW October 13, 2015 (9:05 pm)

    As population grows in West Seattle and Seattle in general drive times for your commute will only increase. Start carpooling and lessen the amount of cars on the road.

  • KBear October 13, 2015 (9:19 pm)

    It is a 3 mile long street. A slight slow down does not mean a huge inconvenience. Also, if everyone would have been driving carefully and obeying the speed limit, the road diet never would have happened. You brought this on yourselves.

  • Arbor Heights Resident October 13, 2015 (9:34 pm)

    I live in Arbor Heights and work in Admiral, and I have taken 35th for years. I’ve opposed the re channelization and in protest have been taking California. Today I took 35th and it was definitely a slower commute. I was lucky to not be behind a bus, but if I was I can seen traffic backing up for blocks without a lane to pass. People will use the turn lane, how is that safer? On weekends when I’ve use 35th it’s been much slower and harder to turn into and out of the library parking lot.

    If the city is trying to force residents to take the bus they shouldn’t cut service to Arbor Height and make it harder to drive anywhere.

    We have more people living in West Seattle, shouldn’t that mean more lanes?

  • MOVE! Seattle PLEASE! October 13, 2015 (9:58 pm)

    Roxbury to Fauntleroy is approximately 3.25 miles. Travelling 35 MPH would take about 5.5 minutes but time must be allowed for red lights, rolling slow downs….so for me a 6 to 8 minute drive Roxbury to Fauntleroy would be an acceptable drive time and that is what it took with 2 lanes in each direction. Driving 35 to 40 MPH wasn’t dangerous. As Paul above writes ” SDOT has confused speed with safety. Speed is but a component of safety.” 35th is not a residential street, it is a main arterial that moves traffic.
    The 3.25 miles traveled at 30 MPH would take 6.5 minutes… but more time must be allowed for those travelling under 30 MPH holding up the lane of travel, one lane in each direction, red lights, blocked lanes…
    The city wants to kick in 5 million for a Pronto bike rental rescue because Director Kubly says riding a bike is like using your cell phone, people will get used to it. I want Kubly to subsidize a sturdy pair of walking shoes for me. If the city is going all out for bike riders who happen to be a tiny minority, how about buying pedestrians shoes?

  • What a waste October 13, 2015 (11:17 pm)

    My experience on 35th has been a slower drive, harder to access from side streets (feels like ferry traffic – impossible to merge into flow) and longer travel times. It does not feel like my experience is reflected in the SDOT data… unless that little comment about conservative estimate is an admission of SDOT blowing their best guesstimate and we are stuck with the result of incompotent calculations (or they lied to us?) Will they recalculatebprojections on other road diets? Anyway, hoping my employer will go to 7.5 hour work days so I can enjoy the slower pace and not worry about family responsibilities while sitting in traffic and running late. This has slowed traffic (perhaps safer?), but and it’s a big but, I (we) are spending more time in our cars and that negatively impacts quality of life and the environment.

  • Watchdog October 13, 2015 (11:21 pm)

    this change is awful.

    It’s 3 PM and there’s already a line of cars down 35th Ave. from Roxbury all the way to Holden. I know the intention of the street diet was to save lives and I’m down with that…, but the new signaling on 35th Ave. is just creating one big traffic jam. I’m willing to be patience, but cars are not moving now

    Its just a matter of syncing the lights. They changed the signaling but didn’t sync it up. Some lights are green on the street now for about 7 seconds.

    Is SDOT really this stupid? I’m now resorting to side streets to pick up my kid from school.

    Whatever.

  • pupsarebest October 13, 2015 (11:35 pm)

    Turning left from 35th onto Trenton eastbound is a cluster****, which, of course, is totally predictable…one car per green light, thank you.
    What used to be a free-flowing thoroughfare has been reduced to a snarled mess, again, predictable.
    That this corridor is now “safer” is a cruel joke.
    Drivers already frazzled and frustrated from the hell of getting TO their home-turf are now further tortured by hell ON their home-turf.
    If the powers-that-be believe this solution without a problem is an answer to safer roads, they’re crazy.

  • SaraS October 14, 2015 (12:18 am)

    Reading this, all I can say is I am SO glad to have moved out of West Seattle.

  • Trafficsucks October 14, 2015 (6:19 am)

    It made traffic a lot worse good job on. Making us waste more time sitting in traffic sdot. Vocal minority’s getting there way as usual.

  • Dunno October 14, 2015 (6:41 am)

    Enough damage has been done to 35th. Doing everything I can to avoid it during most of the day. Holden is a mess. South bound traffic backed up to Morgan at times. Roadway (35th) is in bad shape. Northbound at Morgan step up traffic enforcement but leave it alone! Why at rush hour is the 35thSW and Fauntleroy light changed. Westbound would flow much better in the PM if all Westbound light were green to start. Don’t traffic engineers have anything better to do than screw up streets? Take away street parking on one side of 35th, West side would be best because all have alleys. Then create middle turn lane from Morgan to Fauntleroy?

  • AHresident October 14, 2015 (6:49 am)

    I, along with many of the other commenters, live in arbor heights and work both downtown and in admiral. Both of these places involved traveling the full length of 35th in order to get to, and I don’t think it is ok to have my travel time be 5 minutes longer. Including the red lights, people who go below the speed limit, etc I normally don’t even take 35th anymore (take beach drive to get to admiral) because of the extra long times spent sitting in traffic in my neighborhood. If Seattle wants to invest in other forms of transportation, I fully support that, just not taking away a main thoroughfare as even more people are moving into west Seattle. I agree with other commenters about close rear ending because of lights backed up and passing in the suicide turn lane. #bringbackI-35

  • AHresident October 14, 2015 (6:54 am)

    Also speed is not the only component of safety. Stopping for pedestrians should be important to drivers just as pedestrians should value their life by using crosswalks and lights instead of running out on 35th (a main thoroughfare) where they shouldn’t. If SDOT wants us to not take our care, then we should have a viable mass transit option that goes all the way to arbor heights, they owe it to us after 1) cutting the bus service and 2) impacting travel times on 35th.

  • Enid October 14, 2015 (6:56 am)

    35th IS – I repeat IS – a residential street. To claim otherwise is absurd. Most of the claims made by the naysayers are rife with hyperbole.

  • PG October 14, 2015 (7:35 am)

    Enid, if you look at this website: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/streetclassmaps/planweb.pdf, 35th is marked as a “principal arterial”. According to the street definitions (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/manual/4_2.asp), the adjacent use can be “Industrial, Commercial, Residential”.

  • Chris S October 14, 2015 (7:49 am)

    My wife and I have driven 35th several times a day since the changes, both in and out of rush hour traffic, and we haven’t seen any major changes in travel time, let alone nightmarish 30 minute backups. (Whoever claimed that it takes 30 minutes to travel this might need to get a new watch.)

    We have noticed, however, that it is much less stressful to travel in the single lane, without cars jockeying for position. Also, crossing the street on foot is much easier.

    Also, I have noticed only one complaint about the Roxbury Street changes on this thread of 80+ comments. Does that mean that everyone agrees that the Roxbury Street rechannelization was a success?

  • Kim October 14, 2015 (8:12 am)

    As someone who lives in this community, I really appreciate feeling safer on this stretch of road, both as a pedestrian and a driver. Now we just need extra speed patrols from Holly to Alaska to slow down the folks who think 35th is a freeway.

  • AmandaKH October 14, 2015 (8:20 am)

    There is some high drama here. I just can’t help myself….
    *
    Careful everyone, if you don’t let the buses back into the flow – they will make the stops bus bulbs.
    *
    How could taking Beach Dr Possibly be faster than 35th? Or any side street with round abouts? Or it taking 30-40 minutes. Let’s do some time trials!
    *
    I have seen more peds and bikers on Roxbury in the past month than I ever have seen before! It is so much nicer to use that street.
    *
    Did you know that when turning left, you can use the center turn lane to wait to merge? Just make sure to use your turn signals.
    *
    The sky has yet to fall…

  • Peter October 14, 2015 (8:28 am)

    @Enid:

    Although perhaps not as well versed in the *technical* definition as you, 35th is hardly what most people would consider a “residential street. Yes, it has sidewalks and houses along it. It also has stop-light controlled intersections, (previously) multiple lanes in each direction, higher speed limit, etc. As does Aurora Ave. N. and many other arterials and thorough-fares in multiple cities. Which, I think is closer to accurately describing 35th.

    My single experience, driving south during rush hour between Thistle and Roxbury since rechannelization, was unpleasant and measurably slower. Although I freely admit it didn’t kill me, I’d hate to deal with it every day and would be seeking alternate routes. SDOT’s task is to move traffic safely AND efficiently. They’re failing miserably on the latter. To echo others: It’s bad enough that I don’t want to go anywhere in this city anymore that I don’t absolutely have to. I’d really hate to feel that way about West Seattle, too.

  • flimflam October 14, 2015 (8:41 am)

    behind all the transportation jargon of the Move levy is the fact that this is what the city wants to do with that billion dollars they want from us.

    .
    hey, if we’re all stuck in DOT made traffic, it’ll be harder to have an accident!

  • Clayjustsayin October 14, 2015 (9:13 am)

    SDOT says traffic volumes remain the same. That may be fine for north/south (their opinion mot mine). But additional cost is to the west/east travel directions. You sit at the light and wait. And wait. And wait. Huge gaps in n/s traffic slugs that can’t be used by w/e light waiters.

  • Kimmy October 14, 2015 (9:18 am)

    Arbor Heights Resident-

    You make some great points. With more people, more lanes might be spot on. Not for cars though, for transit, and good transit, which they keep cutting in your neighborhood, and which has become unreliable in mine (was it ever reliable to being with)? I drive for errands, not my commute, and I could really take or leave this road diet, but I’m not outraged either way. I think it’s created other safety issues while speed has been slowed, and it’s a distraction from what I consider to be a bigger issue — a major, growing city with an unreliable transportation system and a distrust of our leadership to properly plan and spend to improve transit for any mode.

  • Neighbor October 14, 2015 (9:34 am)

    I don’t have any complaints about new speeds on 35th because I don’t drive it often. I am however on foot frequently and I feel that it is less safe. I cross at 35th and Myrtle (crosswalk) to get the bus and every day, each day, each way) at least 1-2 people drive through the light while I have the green crosswalk. Cars turning from Myrtle heading South seem especially desperate as they can’t get in between stream of cars. Anecdotally there seems to be increased traffic volume on 36th between Myrtle and Othello but not sure why.

  • Greystreet October 14, 2015 (9:39 am)

    I hate everything about it, and I’m just going to start blaring my horn during backups to show my frustration with the stupidity of the whole project…of course SDOT would show promising numbers, did anyone think they would show any negative data? #westseattleisbecominglessliveable

  • seattletimebandit October 14, 2015 (10:13 am)

    This is a perfect forum to discuss when it’s OK to pass a school of bus with it’s red lights flashing and you are traveling in the opposite direction. Washington State law says it’s OK when there are 3 or more lanes, including the middle turn lane on the road diets. Here’s a link to the RCW: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.370

    Washington State drivers guide (page 3-23):
    http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/docs/driverguide-en.pdf

    And here to an article:
    http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2008/12/02/when-can-i-pass-a-school-bus-with-lights-going/

    So please, folks, don’t stop if you don’t have to. It’s a bad enough, don’t make it worse. Know your driving laws.

  • au October 14, 2015 (10:17 am)

    “Did you know that when turning left, you can use the center turn lane to wait to merge?” – That’s true and part of what makes 35th less save. Say I’m merging onto 35th using the turn lane and your using the turn lane to turn off of 35th. We both have legitimate legal use of the lane, who is at fault when we collide? – I’ll go after SDOT for crappy arterial engineering.

    I’ve only been on 35th a few times since the change but both times (on the weekend) southbound I’ve been stopped for two cycles of lights. This has never happened before. And no, this isn’t about me and my inconvenience, its more about vehicles idling unnecessarily on our roadways. And SDOT wasting sums of money with little (to no) beneficial results.

    If you haven’t experienced worsening conditions on 35th, that’s fine but let’s not mock or ridicule those who have.

  • au October 14, 2015 (10:39 am)

    Wow! One needs only to look at the SDOT photos from their website (linked above) to see that they aren’t in anyway interested in traffic flow and congestion but rather their focus is getting toddlers out on their bikes.

    We are screwed!

  • Detaljen October 14, 2015 (10:51 am)

    We live at 34th & Trenton, the lineup to turn east from south bound 35th takes multiple light cycles during heavier commute times. As a result I have started going through neighborhoods to avoid this since it is also dangerous to make the left turn onto Trenton. This turn has always seemed dangerous but with the unending flow of notthbound traffic without break, it is worse with people trying to dart in front of cars. This left turn is deceptive given the angle of the hill & approach of northbound traffic which makes it appear that cars are further away than they actually are. There was what appeared to be a serious wreck blocking this intersection just last night. A left turn signal seems important at this intersection given the heavy traffic on Trenton to the mall, ballfields & arterial route to Delridge.

  • S October 14, 2015 (11:23 am)

    I rarely travel 35th but one recent experience that I will share…I was traveling north on 35th and a bus was stopped picking up passengers on the north side of Thistle. The bus did not pull over completely so there was a line of cars behind it, all the way to the intersection. There must have been a disabled person getting on or off the bus because it was there for a while. Meanwhile, gridlock behind the bus. Cars wanting to cross Thistle heading north that could not despite a green light. Cars on Thistle facing east wanting to turn left onto 35th but could not once the light cycled green to them because of the blocking bus. None of this was an issue when there were two lanes in each direction.

  • S October 14, 2015 (11:26 am)

    Is SDOT going to respond or is this just a forum where we complain and nothing gets done?

  • Rick October 14, 2015 (12:43 pm)

    People,quit whining and take your government mandated social engineering pill and all will be well.

  • LolaP October 14, 2015 (12:55 pm)

    Not directly germane but… I live on Fauntleroy where this has been a nightmare for some time. For those of us who actually *live* on the street and park in front of our homes, it sometimes takes up to 5 minutes just for an opening to pull away from the curb. The timing of the lights sucks, too. My guess is that residents along 35th are having the same issues.

    As for the changes to 35th… it used to take me 10 minutes to get to the chiropractor in White Center (going speed limit always). Now it takes 15.

    I think SDOT is using the arterials as an attempt to manage traffic volumes on the highways. It’s not working.

  • David October 14, 2015 (1:21 pm)

    Look at it this way. Everyone commenting here, whether pleased or displeased with the changes to 35th, has one thing in common: a motorized vehicle and the means to operate it. Elsewhere in the world, many people walk miles and miles to work (and the market, etc.) in all kinds of weather and make a tiny fraction of the income that people make here in WS. I wonder what they would think if they read all these comments?

    As I always say in situations like these: First World “Problems”

  • Freemovingcitizen October 14, 2015 (1:55 pm)

    I thought that America, West Seattle included, was still a democracy. I have counted 60 comments against this unwanted, unintelligent road design masked as a “safety” improvement. I commend MOVE!SeattlePLEASE! for noting the pedalpower behind this erroneous change: SDOT’s Scott Kubly. For history and legitimacy, my family has been in West Seattle for over 100 years, a few after it was annexed in 1907. BTW, it IS an arterial, yes people live on it, as I have, but you cannot say that because there are houses along it-it’s “residential.” I love bike-riding, however not in the rain, longer distances, uh big hills, with things to carry, kids, sports equip. and I agree with the “War on Cars” statement-for another day. I am bringing all of these comments and meeting with WA state government official to hopefully halt & and reverse this mistaken, dangerous project. The families of those killed 2 in 5 yrs in dusk or darkness, just wanted a marked crosswalk, or even more ped controlled crossings along the corridor. All in all, 35th is a pretty safe street. Speeders should slow down, but they speed on EVERY street and this pushes them to the real “residential streets. We don’t call it “I-35,” we NEVER did! Now, just stop it!! Yes, I have found a petition over at change.org about this & it has many more signatures than the previous one for the road diet – ha ha, I get it now: make it “skinnier.” 4 to 2+ – I like the comment “collision lane in the center.” Obviously. Determined to Succeed in West Seattle.
    Thanks everybody!

  • wetone October 14, 2015 (3:51 pm)

    Quite a few comments here from “West Seattle Transportation Coalition” board members. Agreeing very much with SDOT and city on road diets, re-channelization and many other subjects related to new builds in area. Also sounds like many of the people happy with SDOT’s road diet/channelization projects in WS are people that work downtown corridor area or closer to WS and have option to ride transit, bike, scooter, walk and use car little. That’s nice, but only works for a small percentage of people living in WS. Being a very longtime WS resident I haven’t meant one person happy with 35th project or other traffic issues traveling California, Fauntleroy, Alaska aves. Very soon we will have a couple thousand more people living in junction area, filling builds under way or near finished and more coming. Most I know use side streets at certain times of day to avoid the slowness (short time fix)…. It would be nice for a group that calls themselves WSTC to listen to a broader band of WS people. Helping with traffic issues for all instead of siding with city and creating more problems for most.

  • seattletimebandit October 14, 2015 (6:26 pm)

    @Freemovingcitizen

    Not to mince words, but actually we are a republic. Which of course means we abide by a representative government. Problem is the representatives we choose don’t always represent very well (i.e., Ed Murray who appointed Scott Kubly). Oh that we were a true democracy where we could decide policy matters directly (at least in the case of the 35th road diet fiasco).

    btw: I agree with everything else you said. :)

    “A democracy is a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” -Merriam-Webster

    “A republic is a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law.” -Merriam-Webster

  • Actually Live on 35th October 14, 2015 (7:42 pm)

    Yes agreed David, first world problem indeed. The complainypants on this thread–whaah, my commute is now ten minutes longer. You know what takes even longer? Walking.

    More questions. Do you really need to take your Toyota Tundra to Thriftway to pick up dinner? Could your self-worth stand to leave your Chevy Tahoe in the driveway when you walk to the junction? Do you have to drive up and down 35th nine times a day for “critical” errands?

    @Freemovingcitizen did you attend any of the public forums on this topic? That would allow you to be part of the democratic process. You could even have counted all the people who were for it! Or did you just wake up one morning and wonder who moved your cheese?

    From the presentation:

    • 488 parcels
    • 73% single family residential (359)
    • 11% apartment, condo, townhouse (55)
    • 10% commercial/industrial (48)
    • 4 churches or religious service
    centers
    • 3 schools within two blocks
    • 2 libraries, parks and community
    centers
    • 2 daycare centers
    • Retirement/nursing homes, medical
    services

    You may say it’s not residential, but guess what! People live there.

    Also, for those who think s-dot dreamed up Vision Zero to irritate you here in Seattle, you may want to check out vision zero in Sweden. http://www.visionzeroinitiative.com/en/Concept/Does-the-vision-zero-work/. Yes, it’s been around a while. And proven.

    It’s big wide world, and people are going to have put on their big boy pants. Step up and try to be world class in a safe city.

  • Wsgal October 14, 2015 (9:13 pm)

    I love the changes. I live very close to 35th and often walk my toddler across the street, it feels much safer to not have 4 lanes going 59mph. I also appreciate the turning lanes, lower speed. Anyone who purchased a home or that lives in Deep South west Seattle must have considered these changes hapening with density? If not, shame on you and I can’t imagine it takes more then 5 extra minutes each day. When it starts pouring and it’s dark- these changes will be more noticeable. Not to mention, 35th is and never was a highway. It’s a residential street that’s become a causeway. Slow down and leave yourself enough time to get to work or move closer to your job. I live and work in west Seattle drive 35th 10 times a day and I’ve notice WAY more slowdowns from Reb construction on back roads than 35th. It’s a breeze to get north until 35th nearly ends and you end up in a cone maze until admiral.

  • freemovingcitizen October 15, 2015 (12:33 am)

    Yes, I’ve heard. It’s a Democratic Republic, but thanks seattletimebandit!;) Vision Zero is a really big wish and not a “Seattle” idea. All politicians say “Fewer accidents, fewer lives lost…”, and genuine care for the environment – while they kiss a few kitties, babies and help an old lady across the street while smiling for the camera. Do we have to have our own crew? No, I will not take a chill pill when I feel strongly about things that I have within my power to change. I did attend meetings, WSTC, Seattle City Council, etc. I actually woke up one morning and couldn’t cross 35th to get my children to school on time. 15 min. late. Okay – 15 minutes 8 x/day x 5 days/week = 10 hours a week. Time is money/productivity. This is a waste of both from an economical perspective.
    Cheers-gal.

  • Chris S October 15, 2015 (6:59 am)

    I just returned from a weekend visiting inlaws in Omaha, Nebraska. We were mostly in the sprawling newer parts of the city, where every arterial was a 5 lane monstrosity ferrying people to and past malls and big box stores. And there were ZERO pedestrians. Sure, you could drive at 45-50 MPH on just about every street in a giant grid pattern, but is that what we want here? Those highway-like arterials were only possible because of low density. With increasing urban density, street traffic necessarily has to slow down. It’s inevitable.

  • Bradley October 15, 2015 (11:49 am)

    Only in Seattle are stopped, idling cars (which pollute more) an improved traffic situation.

    • WSB October 15, 2015 (12:08 pm)

      Oh, speaking of which, someone suggested “time trials.” We happened to be coming back from school district HQ last night and decided to time our southbound drive from 35th/Fauntleroy to 35th/Thistle. Counting an immediate :40 stop at the 35th/Avalon light, and time at the 35th/Holden light, it took 7 1/2 minutes to go that distance (2.5 miles, according to Google Maps) at 5:45 pm. We Periscoped it live, too. Have nothing to compare from pre-rechannel, but if you have a dashcam or are a passenger, record and upload video!

  • SDOT is the Worst October 15, 2015 (6:53 pm)

    I live in the Admiral area, and I just experienced this for the first time earlier in the week on the way to Target.

    Like virtually everyone else in this comment section I thought it was an awful and pointless change, reducing capacity on that busy stretch of road presumably because of people who moved into a house along 35th and THEN decided there was too much traffic in front of their house?

    So, no more Westwood Village for me. I would literally rather drive to the Target in Tukwilla than do that again. I bet I’m not alone in that and all those businesses there will start to feel the hit. I will be interested to see if they manage to get them to do it or Westwood Village starts to have that dying mall feel.

  • MOVE! Seattle PLEASE! October 15, 2015 (9:41 pm)

    I drive Roxbury twice a day from 35th on eastward down the hill towards Southpark. I haven’t noticed an increase in pedestrian use of Roxbury – appears to be the same amount of walkers as prior to the SDOT road diet. There aren’t many options to travel east or west right near Roxbury, so there has always been a lot of sidewalk use on Roxbury.
    And for the person who comments on someone driving their Tundra or SUV to Thriftway….keep in mind we are free to make our own choices. I drive a Tundra but I drive about 7000 miles a year or less….between 2 vehicles! I care about my gas consumption, pollution output, and the environment. Last time I polluted using airline travel was 6 years ago!!

  • George T. October 15, 2015 (11:04 pm)

    The priority of these changes is safety. If SDOT cared about the fastest possible commute for all residents we’d have subways and monorails crisscrossing the entire metro area. Regardless, having lived on 35th for years, not bothered so much by rapid residential growth as I am about the ever increasing number of obnoxious speedsters treating 35th like the Indy 500 and other uncooperative drivers who have not yet learned how to share the road. The rechannelization is working fine on Fauntleroy and if nothing else maybe it will teach people how to merge properly — as in your turn/my turn — and respect fellow drivers. Give the adjustment time and take tho opportunity to try alternatives like Metro or even cycling.

  • NW October 16, 2015 (7:38 pm)

    George T brings up great suggestions to drivers like sharing the road giving space between you and the next vehicle to give driver going in opposite direction time to make turn thereby easing traffic behind to move forward, give and take, be traffic. Aim high in steering and get that device out of your hand and drive your vehicle rather than steer it about. Anything that slows drivers down from upwards of 40 to 50 mph on 35th ave I support.

  • Jon Wright October 17, 2015 (2:50 pm)

    I like it. I feel a lot safer driving.

  • Robert October 17, 2015 (9:58 pm)

    35 is more like a parking-lot, but with about 60%phone-booths with wheels. where are the motor-cops? the only motorcycle cops i have seen on 35th are funeral escorts.the city could pay off the national debt if they started ticketing the four-wheel phone booths just on 35th alone..we need left turn lanes on a few more intersections and fix the potholes PLEASE.

  • SDR October 20, 2015 (10:35 pm)

    I drive 35th at least twice a day, every day of the week. The SDOT report is completely inaccurate. They have caused more unsafe conditions by channeling cars into one lane each direction than ever existed previously. Already a terrible collision happened close to the SW Library last week. Now I see drivers going in the center lane to go around school buses, people are going through the neighborhoods to get around the 15 block backups, people are going through red lights because the wait is so long. How much did we spend to make it so much less safe?
    I guess I don’t understand why West Seattle, a population of well over 70,000, can’t have one arterial? SDOT has choked Fauntleroy completely with this same approach. SDOT now has buses stopping traffic at Morgan Junction, making it more dangerous now for both cars and pedestrians. The placement of the bus stop at Westwood Village is pure lunacy–ruining what previously worked. Their motive seems to be to increase commute times and make our streets less safe.
    What options do they have? If there is too much speeding or too many accidents then increase traffic patrols and change light sequencing.
    Now you have cars putting sometimes double or triple the emissions into our neighborhood because of the increase time on the road.
    I don’t think SDOT even took into consideration the number of school buses that now stop traffic BOTH directions each morning and evening.
    Why doesn’t SDOT have a blog on which we can comment? They appear to be completely disconnected from reality.

  • GC October 23, 2015 (10:32 pm)

    If you don’t like the changes to 35th send email to Jim Curtin at SDOT : jim.Curtin@seattle.gov

    I have lived in West Seattle my whole life. I commute everyday to Bellevue via 35th Ave. I agree people have been driving to fast. However why on earth did they think reducing this street to one lane each way was a good idea? How about reducing the speed to 30 and adding some police presence?

    From about 3:30pm to after 5:00pm every evening, 35th just becomes a nightmare to drive. I have started to use 37th from about Webster to well past Thistle to avoid the mess. Although I have to slow at every intersection, it’s still faster than 35th. I never thought in a million years they would do this to 35th but they did. There is no street left in West Seattle that SDOT has not applied this road diet to.

    Going east on Barton you now have to wait in this long line of cars to turn right onto 35th due to the changes they have put into place.

    I have signed every petition I can find to revert these changes. We have to take back our streets. I am for safe roads. But this is not the answer. More and more people are moving into West Seattle. These changes just make the traffic problems worse. SDOT didn’t even try to simply reduce the speed limit.

    You do know what’s coming next right? Bike lanes on 35th. They left lots of room for it. These days its all about buses and bikes which is a great combo on the roads by the way. You think you had accidents before.

    Can you imagine applying this road diet crap to grocery stores. Sorry folks you are going to fast so we’ll have you line up in one line to travel the full length of the store. I know its a silly analogy, but if it did happen would you want to shop there?

    Let Jim Curtin know your experience on 35th and also Roxbury. I think there have already been some accidents on these streets. Great job SDOT.

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