ROXBURY CHANGES: Days left to answer SDOT survey asking which option you prefer

If you didn’t go to the SDOT open house about the as-soon-as-2019 SW Roxbury repaving project, you might not know the city’s also proposing more channelization changes (as they’re also doing with the SW Avalon project). This Friday (June 9th) is the deadline to take the newest survey and tell them what you think of the proposed options.

Here’s the overview of how the roadway is configured now in the repaving zone, between 35th SW and 16th SW:

Here’s the overview of the Option 1 proposal:

Here’s the overview of the Option 2 proposal:

The “boards” from the open house also break down the two options, and current configuration, into five detailed cross-sections you can scroll through below (or see here as PDF):

The survey asking you whether you prefer existing configuration, Option 1, or Option 2, is here. You’ll have to click through several pages to get to that point – and also note the question about a “family-friendly bike route” that would NOT be on Roxbury. SDOT is looking for survey responses by this Friday.

16 Replies to "ROXBURY CHANGES: Days left to answer SDOT survey asking which option you prefer"

  • SpaceDust June 6, 2017 (1:24 pm)

    In my 50+ years living in West Seattle, I’ve never seen a bicycle on Roxbury. So why do we now need bike lanes ?

    Where does SDOT come up with this sh*t, They just have to spend the tax payers money on something.

  • AmandaK(H) June 6, 2017 (1:30 pm)

    I see people on bicycles on Roxbury all the time. What I would like to see is pedestrian improvements for the sidewalks and curb ramps.  With light poles smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk in places, it makes it hard to walk.  

  • Mongo June 6, 2017 (1:47 pm)

    Where’s the option to vote to re-prioritize the funding for this project to be used instead now to get the pavement on 35th back to at least minimum standards for a major city in a first-world country.  It would be nice not to have to drive with one set of wheels in the turn lane to find an area of payment that’s of sufficient quality that it doesn’t rattle my fillings when I drive on it.  Never ceases to amaze me that the city focuses on bells-n-whistles while it ignores the basics of maintaining streets.

    • Jort Sandwich June 6, 2017 (2:42 pm)

      Pavement conditions rarely contribute to serious injuries or deaths of non-automobile street users, but poor cycling and pedestrian infrastructure DOES contribute significantly. 

      But, potholes do hurt peoples’ feelings, so there’s that. 

    • AMD June 6, 2017 (8:18 pm)

      If you think 35th needs the money more than Roxbury, why don’t you take Roxbury to work instead?  What’s that you say?  Even the turn lane isn’t safe on Roxbury?  Well maybe they need to take care of it ASAP.

      Friendly reminder that it’s the Department of Transportation, not the Department of Cars.  Their job is to make all modes of transportation as safe and smooth as possible, not just your favorite.

      To me the most interesting part of this proposal is that they seem to be under the impression there is no street parking on Roxbury between 17th and 15th.  Like, ever.  (I had some comments about that when i filled out the survey).

  • Chris Stripinis June 6, 2017 (1:52 pm)

    Two observations to note about these proposed changes:

    1) The center turn lane is mostly or entirely removed in the the two change options.  Since the rechannelization a few years ago hinged on the idea of creating a center turn lane to pull turning vehicles out of traffic and maintain flow, I don’t see how these changes would work on Roxbury.

    2)  Regarding creating bike lanes on Roxbury vs. Barton, this is not shown on the SDOT slides but Roxbury has much steeper hills than Barton/Henderson.  From the low point in front of Safeway, Roxbury climbs
    95′ to 35th Ave and 98′ to 21st Ave.  From the low point on Barton,
    however, the climb is 85′ to the east but only 46′ to the west, a
    significant difference. 

  • Chris Stripinis June 6, 2017 (1:57 pm)

    @ Spacedust – To be fair, I never saw bicyclists on Roxbury before the lane changes a few years ago either.  It was just too sketchy. 

    Since then, I do occasionally see them in the median areas on Roxbury, so I would think that creating something more official and protected would encourage more bike use.  The “build it and they will come” approach seemed to work somewhat in this case, although it’s still quite an unpleasant stretch of road for cyclists.

  • No way June 6, 2017 (2:13 pm)

    I ride my bike all the time. I will never use Roxbury even if the bike lanes go in. I always use Barton, less hills, and feels safer.  I think we should focus more on the completion of bike lanes on Delridge. Way more use by bicyclists.

  • waikikigirl June 6, 2017 (2:14 pm)

    @Chris Stripinis…and it’s quite an unpleasant stretch for at least my car. It’s a wonder I don’t get honked at for swerving the pot holes and going so slow! LOL!!!!

  • Mark June 6, 2017 (2:22 pm)

    Removing turn lanes reduces safety!  

    SDoT on one hand promotes restriping to provide TWLTL’s as a safety improvement and now is depicting a plan that removes them!  

    SDoT needs new leadership, someone that truly understands transportation not a political hack that has no clue.

    • Jort Sandwich June 6, 2017 (2:48 pm)

      Hi Mark,

      Actually, removing center turn lanes and replacing them with improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure improves roadway safety for all road users. SDOT is basing their decision in science and in studies, not in transportation design practices from the 1970s and 80s, which have been thoroughly disproven in terms of road safety. At the root of the changes is a realization that streets should safely serve a variety of road users, and not exclusively automobiles. 

    • Andros June 7, 2017 (1:58 pm)

      Amen. And don’t pay any attention to Jort. He’s just the WSB traffic troll now. 

  • dcn June 6, 2017 (3:12 pm)

    If they remove the left turn lane from westbound Roxbury into the Safeway, how will I get my cheap soda and plastic bags? 

    Joking aside, if there is no left turn lane, and/or left turn signal from East-bound Roxbury onto Northbound 26th (towards Westwood Village), and there’s only one lane there, there will be backups all the way to 35th. Or are they going to preserve left turn lanes that already exist at certain intersections? 

  • JRR June 6, 2017 (5:27 pm)

    Considering how many people walk this unsafe, hazard-filled stretch, I’m for widening the sidewalk and encouraging Barton/Henderson as the connecting bike route. We need a city built at human scale. 

  • Mark June 6, 2017 (6:32 pm)

    Jort – the data clearly shows TWLTL’s improve safety.  Please provide me the study that you inferred to?

  • millie June 6, 2017 (8:50 pm)

    I don’t like either Option #1 or Option #2.  I would suggest the City use taxpayer dollars to bring Roxbury to up to standards (i.e., repave the entire roadway and improve sidewalk/crosswalk access).  This would be more effective than eliminating left-turn lanes, putting in bike lanes and transit lanes).   The old adage “why  fix something that isn’t broken” is true in this case.

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