35th SW Corridor Safety Project, Phase 2: Meetings next month

Casey April 6, 2016 (12:41 pm)

Drop the speed limit to 30 if you must but for gods sake, leave us two lanes in each direction!

jack April 6, 2016 (1:23 pm)

yes PLEASE!
JC April 6, 2016 (2:34 pm)

I agree!!! Traffic has gotten worse since they did that stupid lane change reduction or whatever the heck you wanna call it. Same thing on Roxbury!!
Kevin April 6, 2016 (2:45 pm)

I certainly understand it’s a complicated issue and evokes a lot of passion. No one likes their commute increased. However, 35th Ave has become I-35, dangerous and narrow. I drive it everyday and see close calls, rapid lane changes, excessive speeds, and drivers speeding through yellow lights constantly. It has become a serious safety concern, and the proposed reductions are absolutely necessary.

Jort Sandwich April 6, 2016 (1:04 pm)

I am beyond pleased that the city is taking steps to prioritize safety above other factors (i.e. “travel time” or “how fast I deserve to go”) on this corridor. I do not care if I have to add 5 more minutes to my rush-hour commute. I will grow up and adapt because I recognize that the safety of our neighborhood is more important.

I know that people don’t like it when lanes are reduced, but keep in mind, it could be worse: we could remove all of the lanes and force you on the bus. This is an option, too.

Please remember two things: there is NO thriving, beautiful city on the planet that is traffic-free; part of the price of living in congested cities is dealing with traffic congestion. No city has ever “solved” traffic problems. Even cities with the greatest alternative transportation networks still have terrible car traffic.

Also: if you’re complaining about traffic — while sitting in traffic — you’re part of the traffic. Somebody else is complaining about you, too.

JanS April 6, 2016 (1:43 pm)

Dear Mr or Ms Sandwich…thank you
MH April 7, 2016 (10:10 pm)

“we could remove all of the lanes and force you on the bus. This is an option, too.”

Welcome to the Peoples Republic of Seattle

Rick April 6, 2016 (1:15 pm)

O gosh no, make it a pedestrian corridor. Ya know, family friendly and all.

Time it to Sound Transit April 6, 2016 (1:16 pm)

Consider making any reduction in lanes on a timeline with expansion of lightrail. The mobility N/S on the peninsula is already problematic. As is E/W to cross 35th or to turn onto 35th where it has been placed on a road diet. Can’t wait that long? Tally up the lost minutes, hours and days stuck in traffic annually and the years we will be waiting for viable rapid transit (not at grade light rail) will seem doable.

JanS April 6, 2016 (1:44 pm)

or take the bus…we all need to stop sniveling about this. It’s not life or death…oh, wait…
- Stan April 7, 2016 (10:09 am)
  
  It isn’t life or death but the bus is not feasible for everyone, some people use their vehicles for the work they do! Plumbers, contractors, electricians, etc. cannot just hop on a Metro with all their tools and supplies. It would be great if the answer was that easy but to say we should all take some form of public transit just is not realistic. The public transit system we have in place for West Seattle, “Metro” has a lot of work to do to accommodate those taking it now, so it would have been great if SDOT had planned this “road diet” a little bit better around more options for those who do utilize them. It is very easy for those who CAN take the bus or those who CAN ride their bikes to throw that answer out there and place blame on those who do drive as the only ones sniveling.

chemist April 6, 2016 (1:45 pm)

Nah Casey, both options A+B talk about re-channeling Raymond to Willow where instead of two 9 ft travel lanes and the outside parking lane (also 9 ft, but not divided from travel by paint), they plan to make it an 11 ft travel lane (because wider lanes help people decrease speeds now?) and 12 ft turn lane with 10 ft parking/bus lanes. Slide 24 – http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/35thSW/35thSW_July2015FINAL.pdf The question was if they’d go with an option B where they don’t rechannel from Raymond N to Edmunds.

Chas Redmond April 6, 2016 (2:21 pm)

One question we should ask Jim Curtin is why is SDOT the outlier with regard to “average daily traffic” for numbers of vehicles using a roadway where a road diet is considered. 35th is not only at the absolute upper limit for what SDOT previously stated (20k – it’s 22k now), but SDOT is the only road-diet applying DoT for cities which uses numbers above 11 to 16k vehicles/day. This is why it’s so congested – SDOT has basically broken the common sense rule for when to use a road diet – versus installing lights or other speed-limiting measures. See http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/road_diets/info_guide/rdig.pdf

Jon Wright April 6, 2016 (4:27 pm)

All that tells me is Seattle puts more of a priority on safety than other jurisdictions and I have no problem with that. I appreciate that SDOT is a leader in unwinding a car-centric transportation model. I am grateful for the changes made so far on Roxbury and 35th–I feel much safer driving there. I look forward to the rest of 35th being modified.

Darlene April 6, 2016 (2:35 pm)

I really love and support the changes. I think it is working really well. 35th is not a two lane highway. My daughter lives on 35th and she can actually pull out of the driveway without risking life and limb. I can park on the side of 35th now, to visit, and not worry that my car will get sideswiped. It is better. It is safer. I have not notice any problems with my commute either.

PG April 6, 2016 (2:52 pm)

I hate the idea of changing 35th to 1 lane each direction any further north. I wish the city were willing to pursue other traffic calming and safety measures. The times of day I drive 35th it only takes a few minutes longer, but ironically feels less safe due to people turning right onto 35th in tight spaces, slowing, swerving and stopping abruptly due to obstacles and people turning unexpectedly, etc. When 35th was two lanes I felt I could see what was coming up ahead of me and change lanes to compensate, but now people leave very little following room, and drive less predictably. It has turned into a very stressful drive many times of the day.

raybro April 6, 2016 (2:53 pm)

Folks, we have to have arterials – you know, actual roads you can use to get somewhere. I will no longer go to Westwood Village from the North Admiral area, as the last time it took me an hour to get home using 35th. That is just assinine. As for SDOT having common sense, I have to ask, since when? They are a joke. So is Ed Murray as mayor. His only solution to any issue is to just throw more money at it.

AMD April 6, 2016 (3:05 pm)

Wider lanes make it safer for pedestrians. They have more room to see if a car is coming when they have to step around one to look and see if a car is coming at intersections without crosswalk signals (of which there are many). There is more room for a car who noticed too late that someone is getting into or out of a parked car to swerve and avoid hitting them (or another car when they swerve). There’s more room in general to swerve if you see an object on the road, a puppy runs out in the street, or any other number of things that happen all the time on streets in residential neighborhoods happen.

If you want someone to direct anger at about the extra, what, 26 seconds it takes you to get in line for bridge traffic, be mad at the people who drive like they’ve never heard of pedestrians. I really don’t get why people think 35th needs to have so many lanes (and yes, I lived near 35th and Holden before and after the road diet). Both California and Delridge are one lane in either direction, both back up daily during rush hour, both are major thoroughfares. And both have major bus lines. But we don’t hear anyone complaining that their lives are being turned upside down by waiting on either of those streets. Welcome to a life in a city where everyone wants do drive in their own car.

Sunuva April 6, 2016 (5:36 pm)

Delridge definitely shares the same issues we are discussing with the added fun of a moon-scaped road surface, but this post is about 35th. I’m sure you’d hear plenty of crowing about Delridge too if that’s what the posts were about. I don’t believe California gets near the volume of traffic that these other routes get either.

I don’t leave WS too often but I drive 35th, Delridge, and Roxbury regularly in and around WS, so I can’t relate as much with getting delayed just to get in line for bridge traffic.

Sunuva April 6, 2016 (3:27 pm)

Oh, here we go again. I’ll reiterate what I’ve said before; I’m opposed to the road diet on these high-volume roads BOTH because it is creating congestion and slower traffic AND (more importantly) because it has created other dangerous situations that never would have existed before. It makes no sense to me to do something in the name of safety that actually creates new hazardous situations.

I’ll give an example from a few weeks ago where I got the living daylights scared out of me in a near head-on collision on Roxbury. The circumstances that caused this only exist now because of the road diet.

I was traveling EB on Roxbury just past 26th St. Traveling in front of me there was a street sweeper partially in my lane with a huge arrow on the back indicating that I should go around this very slow vehicle. I slowed down well below the speed limit, made sure the center lane was clear, and started to pass the street sweeper. Just as I got beside the vehicle, a sedan heading WB pops out into the center lane and accelerates right at me so they could get around a slow dump truck in their lane. They seriously gunned it when they saw their mistake and barely squeaked back into their lane before contact. Had there been only a small difference in timing, we would’ve hit head on and our vehicles would’ve been forced into the path of the large vehicles we were overtaking. Before the road diet, both of us would have been able to use the other lane to get around the big slow vehicles and no near collision would’ve been anywhere close to happening.

That is just one example, and it is partially caused because this road diet has made people so frustrated that they do dangerous things. I’ve seen the center lane being used to pass several times now. If this example had gone for the worst, well, I certainly wouldn’t be happy to say I told you so.

chemist April 6, 2016 (3:57 pm)

Well, that’s silly… the street cleaner vehicle shouldn’t be directing traffic into a center turn lane that can’t be used to overtake another vehicle. Same for passing a slow garbage truck. Maybe the city needs to reschedule those routes so garbage pickup and street cleaning happens in the middle of the night.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.290
(3) Two-way left turn lanes.
(c) Upon a roadway where a center lane has been provided by distinctive pavement markings for the use of vehicles turning left from either direction, no vehicles may turn left from any other lane. A vehicle shall not be driven in this center lane for the purpose of overtaking or passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction. No vehicle may travel further than three hundred feet within the lane. A signal, either electric or manual, for indicating a left turn movement, shall be made at least one hundred feet before the actual left turn movement is made.
- Sunuva April 6, 2016 (5:43 pm)
  
  Maybe the city needs to reschedule those routes so garbage pickup and street cleaning happens in the middle of the night.
  
  That is hilarious but please don’t suggest that out loud, they might take you serious! I already have enough trouble sleeping once the buses start pounding the potholes near my house at 4:45 AM.
  
  You’ve clarified exactly the problem I’m getting at though, they’ve created a situation where you have to do something that is illegal to overtake slow vehicles. I’d love to imagine I’d never need to get around a street sweeper going 5 miles an hour, but it does happen. Further, if I didn’t do it, the next person would.

Sunuva April 6, 2016 (3:29 pm)

Off-topic question; is there any way to edit your posts after they’ve been made? I don’t know how I got such huge line breaks in the post I just made, but I see no way to edit it. I’ve checked Edge and Chrome browsers on Win10. Sorry for the huge line breaks. I wish I could fix it.

WSB April 6, 2016 (3:38 pm)

Sorry, the old plug-in allowing comment editing for a short period has not yet worked with the new everything-else. Hoping to solve the problem eventually. Apologies are ours.

Fauntleroyville April 6, 2016 (4:35 pm)

I would very much have liked to have a bus-dedicated outer lane in each direction, at least during peak commutes. Giving that space to Cars, bikes or anything else is ridiculous given the handful of people that commute up the hill.

This would be the highest and best use of that right of way. And an obvious one, at that.

Alkiobserver April 6, 2016 (4:53 pm)

I support the need for tweaking this arterial, BUT… It would be funny if it was funny, but the way the city has gone about this “diet” is utter nonsense considering the main problems/fatalities were related to the area/intersections shown as “Phase 2”. Phase one area was not a problem until they created the mass of confusion SB on 35th near the intersection of Thistle. Yeesh! I have seen a number of rear-end collisions there since the rechannelization. On top of that, the portion listed as having “No Change” is an utter mess as anyone that tries to turn right on Avalon off of NB 35th can attest when dealing with buses that may or may not be pulling out off the shoulder from the bus stop that moved to the absolute worst location for that block. These city traffic engineers on this project do not have my vote of confidence… Hacks in my opinion.

KISS April 6, 2016 (5:03 pm)

The 1/2 mile long stop-and-go backups between Othello and Barton are glorious, especially on the weekends. Thank you SDOT. It’s hard for pedestrians to be injured or killed by cars that aren’t moving so I guess we can say it is a bonafide success? Good for the 1% that live on 35th, but bad for the 99% that live elsewhere.

Time it to Sound Transit April 6, 2016 (5:12 pm)

Why not simply remove parking on 35th, add a few signals (synced of course) and keep it two lanes each way? The volume of traffic justifies (necessitates) two lanes each way unless or until we have real rapid transit (grade separated.) Two lanes each way and no parking would make the side streets much safer!!!

Joe Szilagyi April 6, 2016 (5:26 pm)

Removing all parking would be a political fiasco to eclipse any road diet, and would be brutally devastating for a number of businesses on 35th, and that’s just the tip of the problems and icebergs in that idea (unfortunately).
MH April 7, 2016 (10:17 pm)

That would make too much sense.

Joe Szilagyi April 6, 2016 (5:25 pm)

“I will no longer go to Westwood Village from the North Admiral area, as the last time it took me an hour to get home using 35th.”

I’m sorry, but huh?

I do this drive at all times of day, on weekdays, and on weekends. I think my worst drive from 35th & Roxbury to Admiral going all the way up 35th and then cutting over to California across Fauntleroy and Oregon to get to the Admiral District was maybe 20 minutes.

Add maybe +5 minutes if I foolishly cut through California & Alaska, which is as dopey as cutting down 16th from Roxbury in White Center if you don’t need to go to White Center proper, and your destination is further south on 16th or Ambaum.

I constantly see people with anecdotes like this and whenever I ask, “HOW are you taking an hour? Spell out exactly what you’re doing, please?” no one ever can say what the heck they’re doing and just get angry at being asked.

How on Earth does it take 60 minutes to get from Westwood Village to Hamilton Viewpoint? Are you going north to very end of 35th, then cutting down to W Marginal, back to Roxbury, over to Fauntleroy, then up Beach Drive to Admiral and up the hill to North Admiral? It makes no sense.

themightyrabbit April 6, 2016 (7:48 pm)

obviously they’re taking an hour due to the hills on the bicycle. Been here 20 years, never does it take that long by vehicle.

Wsgal April 6, 2016 (6:10 pm)

I live one block from 35th, often cross with my child and I’m all for 30 and one lane. It’s not a highway and is often treated as one. alow it down. People will adjust or move closer to where they work.

Time it to Sound Transit April 6, 2016 (7:19 pm)

Clearly, I hit a nerve on the removing the parking suggestion. It would make it safe with some cost born by residents and businesses who can adapt. Residents should have off street parking and businesses can encourage patrons to park on side streets and walk. Think how nice it will be to have a more safe arterial that does not negatively impact the majority – the thousands who drive the Avenue daily.

Sunuva April 6, 2016 (7:37 pm)

I think your suggestion is a good one personally, but yes, you hit another of the many sensitive nerves in this.

Look at how Ambaum as an example. They have two lanes each direction and a center turn lane, without all the space reserved for parking. Traffic flows very well and both pedestrian and vehicle traffic is safe. When I drive down 35th, there are a few sections with businesses where you’ll see cars parked outside, but other sections you can travel for several blocks while barely seeing a car parked on the street. I think a solution like Ambaum would work for 35th, but the “nerve” you hit will raise all heck to stop it.

Monica April 6, 2016 (7:21 pm)

WHERE and WHEN are the meetings?

WSB April 6, 2016 (7:30 pm)

The dates and locations are not set yet. See the quote from Jim Curtin. We’re reporting this because it’s at least the first hint of the timeframe.

evil twin April 6, 2016 (8:00 pm)

Darlene,

I have lived on 35th since 2003 and I must repectfully disagree about it being easier to get out into traffic after the road diet. Also, maybe it exists but where is the data that drove this change? Was 35th SW soooooo much more dangerous than other arterials in Seattle and other cities that we had to do something? My completely uneducated guess is no. I know it’s happening elsewhere in the city too so maybe we abandon arterials all together! They are just plain unsafe! So now instead of someone going 45mph on 35th we have people whipping into the turn lane to pass slow drivers, whipping in and out of traffic to and from side streets and even people jumping over to 34th and blazing down that, also unsafe. Personal choices but concequences that need to be accounted for when planning. I also run for exercise and cross 35th at signalized intersections and all the others. Never had a problem. Look both ways wait for a break in traffic, cross. Maybe add some illuminated crosswalks with beacons. Pretty cheap and lots of increased visibility and, (insert buzz word) safety. Also, let’s not forget that California and Delridge are already one lane so 35th was a good place to get N/S a little faster. All of my b/s aside here. I really do want to see numbers on if this reduced the amount of accidents and near misses on 35th. I may be wrong but don’t think it did. Seems more like going from 1 moderate crash a month to 9 fender benders or something.

sam-c April 7, 2016 (8:25 am)

I agree with your points, evil twin.

It takes a long time to find an opportunity to turn onto 35th from a side street. And I often dart out when I see a hint of a space, surely that is not safer.

Speeding traffic has moved to other streets parallel to 35th. I drop off/ pick up on 34th every day and it is shocking how fast drivers come flying down the street.

And yes, there is occasional traffic back ups on 35th. At least one time, I was getting picked up around 35th and Willow. My husband called (a couple blocks s. of Roxbury) on his bluetooth of course, and said, I’ll be there in 5 minutes, I am almost to Roxbury. It ended up taking him a little more than 15 minutes. this was at 9:30 on a Sunday morning. I asked him if he had stopped somewhere- Nope, he said… traffic moving very slowly on 35th. 15 minutes to go about 1 mile on a Sunday morning- you don’t think that is a little unreasonable?

Neighbor April 6, 2016 (8:09 pm)

I like the road diet. It feels safer as a driver and a pedestrian. Not to mention being able to make a safe left turn without angsty speedsters honking and swerving around left turning vehicles. Unfortunately, those engaging in excessive speed to shave a minute or 2 off their commutes have migrated over to 37th and 38th and do 40 mph through residential blocks with lots of kids, and the city refuses to address the negative externalities of their actions, or just install some damn stop signs on residential streets.

Chris Stripinis April 6, 2016 (8:40 pm)

My wife and I have a friend who visits from North Seattle. She has commented that now when she hits the rechannelized portion of 35th, it is so much more relaxing to drive.

I feel the same way. I drive 35th almost every day, at almost all hours, and I have never noticed any “massive backups” or whatever hyperbole people claim to be involved in.

Also, to the person who claims it took took ONE HOUR to drive from Westwood Village to North Admiral, I have to suggest that if you are going to exaggerate, at least make it plausible. (i.e. “It took THREE DAYS! UPHILL BOTH WAYS! IN WAIST-DEEP SNOW!”)

qc April 6, 2016 (9:56 pm)

This will make crossing 35th by foot, car, and bicycle so much safer. Thanks Jim and SDOT!

chemist April 6, 2016 (10:23 pm)

I don’t recall any presentations committing to any new crosswalks or even upgrading existing ones.
Very early on they were talking about doing some islands or crosswalks at 35th and Juneau, but that’s not been mentioned recently. Latest presentations leave the bullets at “opportunities for new crossings” which may just suggest fewer lanes will make passage easier.

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/35thSW/35thSW_07162015.pdf

KM April 6, 2016 (10:08 pm)

Like many things in life, I find the road diet to be fine and not fine all the same time. I just want to know if it will be family friendly.

wb April 6, 2016 (10:47 pm)

Yay! can’t wait until this part of 35th is done. So many in their bloated SUvs or on their crotch rockets blast down 35th like they’re on hwy99. Perhaps this grave confusion can be cleared up once and for all.

.

pom normandywilliams April 7, 2016 (8:38 am)

Does anyone know where you can get the statistics on # of cars using 35th daily and the # of cars expected to use 35th from the new dwellings going up around W. Seattle. Also I would be interested in knowing if there are any plans to put an additional East bound road from 35th down to Marginal Way and what the impact would be in terms of traffic flow?

pom

j April 7, 2016 (8:39 am)

35th is deteriorating so fast with all cars in one lane of travel that you won’t even be able to drive over 30mph anyway.

Had a woman behind me pumping double middle fingers at me cause I was doing the speed limit with my 7 month old daughter in the car.

Maybe at some point we could have humans back patrolling these areas instead of relying solely on cameras. Crazy idea huh?

Cops before cameras!

Mat April 7, 2016 (1:06 pm)

I’m excited about the prospect of having the dedicated turn lanes in more areas. I feel like it’s made getting on and off of 35th so much easier and I’m not so worried I’m going to get rear ended by someone swerving around when I’m waiting to turn left.

Roger Andre April 7, 2016 (3:34 pm)

The effect of the reduction to one lane on 35th Ave SW between Roxbury and Morgan Street has been awful. Here are a few of the things I have noticed while either driving, or riding the bus:

– Buses actually have a harder time getting back into traffic now, as there is a solid line of cars that they have to break into.

– It is much, much more difficult to turn left across traffic now because the line of cars leading up to a light no longer has any breaks in it, which it did before, and because there still are no left-turn arrows onto streets like Holden or Othello.

– More and more frustrated drivers are cutting through on residential streets now – at unsafe speeds – to avoid the congestion on 35th.

– It has become very difficult to get onto 35th from a residential side-street because there are no breaks in traffic.

– There seems to be much, much more stop-and-go driving now, with people slamming on their brakes and accelerating abruptly than there used to be.

It really does seem to me like we went back in time here. I assume that the road was made into a 4-lane arterial at some point in the past to accommodate a higher volume of vehicles. It seems asinine to have gone back to one lane, instead of adding better traffic control devices like turn restrictions and lane dividers. Personally I find 35th to be MORE stressful to drive on now than it used to be.

Amie April 7, 2016 (3:51 pm)

Have you tried getting to the West Seattle Bridge on Delridge at rush hour lately? It’s a parking lot from the bridge back to Holden. Get ready for the same on 35th if it’s reduced to one lane in each direction too. I truly don’t understand WTF the City is thinking.

Safety can be achieved without creating gridlock. Simply installing lighted crosswalks at every block would do wonders for pedestrian safety. Why does the City feel the need to completely cluster traffic under the guise of pedestrian safety? I see one and done for Murray.

Roslind April 7, 2016 (5:19 pm)

I truly don’t understand WTF “Amie” is thinking. There are no “gridlocks” or “parking lots” on Delridge or 35th. Why don’t you leave the house 15 minutes earlier then.

Wayne April 7, 2016 (5:31 pm)

i would like to know what the Fire Department Station #37 thinks about the one lane traffic on 35th ave. ?

chemist April 7, 2016 (10:27 pm)

Fire trucks generally go ahead and use the center lane. Unless they start putting ped islands in there all over the place, the SFD will be just fine.

Time it to Sound Transit April 7, 2016 (5:54 pm)

Thank you Roger and Amie! Safety has been comprised as Roger illustrates in detail. Likwise, travel times and backups will surely increase as Amie notes. A win win of more safety and modest travel times would be to remove parking and have it two lanes each way with center turn lanes. That plan should be on the drawing board! Why create gridlock and that ruins the residential streets and adds significant time to commutes. (Note: an additional 6 minutes each way adds up to 12 minutes a day, 1 hour a week, and more than two full days – 50 hours a a year assuming two weeks vacation. We can have safety (it can be improved by other means tha redtricting arterisl to one lane each way) while maintaining or improving commute times. We don’t have to wait for self-driving cars or Sound Transit Light Rail to make 35th and other aterials throughout the city safer and efficient.

Cainipoo April 7, 2016 (6:19 pm)

Keeping 35th a dedicated N/S arterial prompts drivers to stay on vs taking residential side streets as a short cut.

The intersection at 35th and Roxbury is a mess. The congestion is awful when headed N on 35th. This will only increase as Arbor Heights El. returns next fall (and possibly the charter school the following year).

Amie April 7, 2016 (9:55 pm)

Rosalind – do you travel north on Delridge early weekday mornings? I turn onto Sylvan way (in front of Home Depot) to take my daughter to daycare. Every morning it is a solid line from the light at Orchard back to Holden.

You try leaving 15 mins early with a 2.5 year old. Ain’t gonna happen.

WSB April 7, 2016 (10:22 pm)

Someone mentioned that recently in our morning traffic coverage and said the light appears to be out of sync. I’m hoping somebody has reported it to SDOT, if so. (206-684-ROAD)
- sam-c April 8, 2016 (9:47 am)
  
  I reported it yesterday. It seemed better this morning when I drove through at 7:25ish- no back up of cars past the precinct like it has been for the last couple of weeks. I wonder if they did something to fix the light or if traffic was lighter due to Friday.

SlowDownon34th April 7, 2016 (11:16 pm)

Does anyone know if residents on 34th near Trenton can do anything to slow down the cars that are racing insanely fast down our street since the road diet? I’ve almost been hit walking across the street many times. Can we get speed humps on residential streets? The roundabout and our bump out rain gardens aren’t slowing anyone down.

WSB April 7, 2016 (11:41 pm)

SlowDown, you can check into various traffic control programs online but even better, work with your neighborhood council, which happens to be the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council. Like most CC’s, they’re small, volunteer-powered, and not there to do the work for you, but certainly a source of support and of info – such as the grant funds we’ve written about repeatedly in recent months.

Dawn April 8, 2016 (6:56 am)

I actually live on 35th where the lane channelization has taken place and I commend Seattle on doing this…

The benefits are: much increased safety and noise reduction…

the negative: it adds and additional 2 to 3 minutes to get to west seattle bridge….

in my book a GREAT trade off and honestly I usually don’t like what the local govt does….

Carol Wagener April 8, 2016 (7:38 am)

When driving 35th Ave SW from north to south, I now really look forward to crossing Morgan and entering the area where the road diet has taken place…. the stress level just drops right down. I haven’t really noticed if it takes me any longer to get to Westwood Village…. but I DO know the drive is much more pleasant; less worry about folks trying to get in and out of their cars parked along 35th, less watching for people whipping out in front of me to get around cars making left turns, no more nervousness that the person driving in the lane next to me is drifting into my lane as they’re driving and texting. Yes, perhaps it may take a few minutes longer to travel the length of 35th on a day when there are no accidents…. accidents that can shut down big portions of the road altogether and REALLY add to commute time. I think it’s entirely possible we’ll have a lot less of those days with accidents when the road diet is complete and wind up improving average commute times. We’ll certainly reduce accidents, too many of them fatal, and that alone makes it a good change in my book.

SeattleFran April 8, 2016 (7:04 pm)

I don’t understand how the city justifies approving condo after condo, tearing down homes to pile on more people and do nothing that positively affects flow of traffic through this part of town. People have to get from one end to the other, this impedes cars, and buses and your transit reports claiming otherwise are just not evident in the daily, miserable commute. I don’t support this, the majority of comments on it are negative and yet, I really don’t believe this city will take that into account one bit.

Roshele April 15, 2016 (1:06 pm)

I understand the need for safety. I support the need to set the speed limit to 30 mph for safety reasons. However I do not support restricting lanes down to one lane rather than two going north and south. With the lane restrictions that have occurred I have noticed several cars using the center lane to pass others even though it is illegal and of course quite dangerous. I’ve also noticed the side residential streets being used more often for those drivers trying to get around the back up on 35th and trust me, they speed through these side roads. Another point whether anyone would like to admit it or not, idling cars on 35th are also emitting pollution into the air as they sit there in traffic. Lastly most of the residential houses are on the area where has been restricted to one lane but what I don’t understand is where it is two lanes the majority of the buildings are businesses and not a residence so why restrict it down to one lane? Why not just reduce the speed limit to 30? Please don’t make the rest of West Seattle gridlock traffic. That’s just my opinion whether you agree or disagree.