By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Since a brief West Seattle Bridge update was on the agenda, we listened in on last night’s monthly meeting of the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee.
That wasn’t the only item of interest, though – the meeting also touched on two curiosity-piquing potential future tools in the ongoing Vision Zero safety program, and an unsurprisingly dour budget update.
First, the bridge. While its emergency needs obviously aren’t part of the original plan for the levy that voters passed in 2015, which is what this all-volunteer advisory group monitors, SDOT put it on the group’s radar last month. So deputy director Lorelei Williams presented a short update last night.
She noted that they’re inspecting the bridge in person daily and “almost done” installing monitoring equipment that “includes an alarm system.” She recapped the recent announcement of a stabilization contractor, adding that the department is “working toward moving capital delivery forward for the repair option and replacement option” – saying the two planning processes are “simultaneous … so we aren’t losing time.” And she briefly summarized the recent repaving/reconfiguration of the 5-way intersection at the west end of the low bridge. As for other traffic-flow issues: “Our traffic engineers are continuing to evaluate intersections and arterials to see what else may need to be done.”
A short time later, when Williams’ connection to the meeting was briefly lost, SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe added that they’re continuing to work on “all the transportation mitigation (but) don’t have specifics yet.” (He was responding to a question from levy committee member Joseph Laubach, a West Seattle resident, noting that the bridge closure will lead to more bicycle use and wondering if SDOT was looking into “high-priority” parts of the city Bicycle Master Plan that could be expedited to help.)
Later in the meeting, in general committee discussion of levy projects’ fate given the overall COVID-19 budget effects, another member wondered aloud if projects could be prioritized “to help people NOW” in the wake of the bridge closure.
That was it for bridge discussion. The two-hour meeting also included a lengthy update on SDOT’s Vision Zero program, now headed by Brad Topol. (The slide deck starts on page 4 of this combined presentation posted on the committee’s website.)
Earlier this year, Topol noted, there was a 74-day gap between traffic deaths in the city – just a few days short of the record. Vehicle volumes are down 50 percent right now, but speeds are up 10 percent – that’s according to a sampling of 26 locations. He updated the installation of new 25 mph speed limit signage on arterials citywide, saying it would take until spring of next year – 16 months in all – to finish. Case-study sites show they’re effective, he said:
He also reviewed some new tactics that will be tested: One is a “hardened center line” to further protect pedestrians:
They’re working on “a few pilot locations” to try those out. Also: “Distracted driving cameras,” an idea that’s about to go into the city’s technology-review process:
Topol said these wouldn’t/couldn’t be used for enforcement, but rather for data gathering – AI would detect if the “very high angle” camera showed the driver using a phone, and then theoretically after that was logged, the photo would be deleted but the data kept. They’re being used now in Australia (more about that here).
The only West Seattle mention in the Vision Zero presentation was that Phase II of 35th SW is complete.
As for the budget presentation – you can see the numbers at the end of the meeting’s slide deck. The most ominous note: Even the “slow recovery” projection might be too optimistic.
The committee also got an update on its main mission – the Move Seattle levy itself – and you can read the 1st-quarter report here.
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