DELRIDGE PROJECT: See what changed in RapidRide H Line’s design

| Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

Though one West Seattle road project now literally looms over everything – repairing the high bridge – planning has also continued for a major project long in the works, repaving much of Delridge and more for the conversion of Metro Route 120 into RapidRide H Line. SDOT has finalized the design and provided a summary today – see it here in PDF.

In the non-COVID-19 days, there would have been a big community meeting to unveil this, but instead, we have a summary and website. The latter, by the way, links to detailed documents/maps – go here to find them. We have followup questions out – for starters, how the bridge situation might affect this, and also the timeline, since there’s a mention here of 24 months, though the H Line’s most-recent launch date is supposed to be September 2021, a year and a half from now.

AMD March 31, 2020 (5:48 pm)

I had the same thought about the timeline when I read the e-mail, but the milestones on the RapidRide H line page shows both construction from 2020-22 and service beginning in 2021, so I’m guessing/hoping that means some construction elements (greenway diverters?) will be completed after the RapidRide is running.

Annoyed Local March 31, 2020 (6:06 pm)

Removal of all west side street parking between Juneau & Graham in front of an apartment complex for a ‘bike lane’ is stupid. Especially as there is alternate access for bikes to a greenway at both of those streets. That section of street south of Juneau is always filled as the complex there only allows for 1 car per unit in the lot and no visitor parking. With the reduction in street parking due to the bike lane on Juneau west of Delridge and the rain garden east of Delridge there is already a lack of parking. The ‘bike lane’ that would restrict parking should be put in on the east side in front of the school, as that is already and area that doesn’t allow parking. Sharing the road is great, but as a daily commuter I just don’t see the number of bikes on the road that would justify this.

Foop April 1, 2020 (7:50 am)

If only there was a bus you could take…
tsurly April 1, 2020 (10:18 am)

“Sharing the road is great, but as a daily commuter I just don’t see the number of bikes on the road that would justify this.”You will in the coming months with the bridge being closed.
- Jort April 1, 2020 (11:02 am)
  
  Additionally, you’ll see more people on bikes when there are protected bike lanes for people to use. Interestingly, more people bike when it’s safer and easier to bike.
- nf April 1, 2020 (11:45 am)
  
  That’s a lot like my father’s argument against having to build handicap bathroom stalls in the 60’s. “Those people don’t go out in public and when they do they have someone to help them.” O-o Every driver should bow down and thank bicyclists who represent one less car taking up roadway.
Steven Lorenza April 1, 2020 (12:25 pm)

A bike lane at least is public – unlike squatting on free car storage on an arterial. If one needs parking where they live, just like laundry or a second bedroom, it’s not the government’s responsibility to provide that.

Landscaper March 31, 2020 (6:37 pm)

Those landscape median islands will look good for the first couple years. But then they’ll slowly turn into eyesores. I can’t think of any well maintained landscaped median. All I can think of are failures. Who wants to work on a skinny piece of land, while cars are wizzying by at 40mph? I don’t. When I was a temp at a city on the eastside, even the city workers didn’t want to work on the medians. They contracted it out. Some failures, that come to mind (Aurora / Shoreline medians, Ballard 8th Ave, and Montlake Blvd. There’s more that I can’t think of right now, I haven’t been out lately. Even worst are the landscapes that are at bus stops. I cringe every time someone gets off the bus and trample plants. Why put a landscape? Just pave the bus stops. Look at the beds at the PCC. I see cattle trails everywhere, people walking across the planting beds. Why even put them? Is it to fulfill a ‘green’ quota’? Just pave it…..

rb March 31, 2020 (7:57 pm)

I agree with you. Have you seen the plant strip outside the YMCA? It gets stepped on more than the asphalt because of its location. What puzzles me is how professional designers and landscapers have missed that. I could have told them even without being in the field.
- Landscaper March 31, 2020 (9:28 pm)
  
  I haven’t noticed the YMCA plant strip. I mostly ride the 120 or bus to the Junction. I live in south Delridge. Are you a landscaper as well? If not, good for you for noticing what professional designers and landscapers with fancy degrees could not. Bad design bothers me. I remember taking a survey for the H Line. It asked me how important a nice pretty landscape was. Most people who take the bus, like the 120, do it because they have to. Pick up the trash, make it appear safe with lights and have the bus come on time. Do I want a nice pretty landscape? No. Bus stops are like parking lots, people will use them, no matter how they look. Public planting strips around the city have become a collection point for cigarette butts and needle caps.

KB March 31, 2020 (7:02 pm)

Well, sorry to be that guy but IMO this looks like trash. They’ve prioritized parking, bikes and lower speeds instead of creating a robust rapid transit corridor of the future. Such a wasted opportunity. This could have been a real high quality connector to the future light rail. But what they’ve done here won’t improve transit times much, if at all. Ive been involved in providing feedback and attending community meetings since they started this. What a waste of time. Take “Rapid” off the name.

Hammer in hand March 31, 2020 (8:02 pm)

At least it is at ground level no chance it collapses under its own weigh another fine project brought to you by SDOT and the fine folks at Metrobeam me up Scotty

KM March 31, 2020 (7:35 pm)

Excited to have a PBL at least part of the way to White Center! Returning is dicey, but I remain hopeful we’ll have a safe route both directions someday.

Craig March 31, 2020 (9:51 pm)

I don’t see any crosswalks on the attached visual or within the text. Early designs included “suggested” crosswalks if I remember correctly- one of these was to be at SW Graham. Are there any crossing improvements tied to this project?

DRO March 31, 2020 (10:53 pm)

The design shows a crossing at Graham with rapid flashing beacons

https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/TransitProgram/RapidRide/RapidRide%20H/Delridge_RR_roll_plot_Full_Project_Chann_low.pdf

1994 March 31, 2020 (10:29 pm)

Pack your patience on garbage truck day on Delridge. If no one can go around the truck then everyone will pile up behind it.

Sam-c April 1, 2020 (6:02 am)

This point has been raised almost every time this project is mentioned here on WSB. I know I’ve brought it up. (Even sent a comment to SDOT throught the proper channels) Don’t understand why they keep ignoring it.
- KM April 1, 2020 (8:05 am)
  
  I’m not sure they’re ignoring it, but maybe have just decided against it. Maybe they want to design the roadway to fit the majority of the use/achieve other goals, rather than accommodating a short weekly event? It’s unnerving to see cars whip around garbage trucks on California, they might want to avoid designing a roadway that encourages it, but I haven’t seen reasoning either way–and unfortunately the law is muddy on if it is even legal to use a TWLTL to pass a loading vehicle. https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.290
  - sam-c April 1, 2020 (1:20 pm)
    
    I imagine the buses will get stuck behind the trucks also. A well, the the median plantings will enjoy the fumes of the traffic stopped for ~ 45 minute stretches as the tucks make their way from Juneau to Dakota.
    - KM April 1, 2020 (2:52 pm)
      
      Between the two streets you named, the curb lane on Delridge is near exclusively reserved for parked cars. Any easy solution is implementing “no parking” rules for the day(s)/time(s) of the week waste collection occurs. “Day/time” restrictions occur in our city as well as others already, and it still allows SDOT to implement the roadway design that accommodates desired outcomes the other 90% or so of the time. And SDOT already has peak time restrictions in the design for bus/parking hybrid curb lanes. It would be a super easy solution that doesn’t encourage reckless driving by design, and can likely be implemented after this Final Design stage.

Sorry, comment time is over.