READER REPORT: ‘Quiet Zone’ update

| Transportation | West Seattle news

If you travel along the north end of West Marginal Way SW, you’ve seen the work that’s part of the Terminal 5 Quiet Zone project, changing some of the railroad crossings so that trains headed to and from T-5 won’t have to use their horns as much. Don Brubeck sent these photos and update earlier this week:

The T5 Quiet Zone project crew was removing detour barriers and putting signs in place at Chelan/Spokane/West Marginal Way/Delridge to allow bike riders to start using the new curb cut and crossing from the Alki Trail to the Bridge Trail and Duwamish route. The dedicated bike signal is not installed yet. The shared-use path and driveway paving looks like it is nearing completion on east side of West Marginal Way SW from Chelan to 16th/17th SW.

Here’s what the project is meant to provide:

When last we checked in with SDOT at the end of November (also after a photo Don sent), the project was scheduled for completion in May. The project website now says “summer.”

Wseattleite March 6, 2024 (4:53 pm)

Is this going to extend south on the East side of W Marginal Way so that bikes won’t need to cross West Marginal Way further down the road?

Don Brubeck March 6, 2024 (10:07 pm)

No. It will go to the existing traffic signal and crosswalk at 17th and Marginal Place SW. There are actively used railroad tracks close to the roadway further south.

WS Resident March 6, 2024 (8:07 pm)

Another project on schedule and on budget for sure! I watched workers redoing the sidewalk in my street today. 10 guys. 3 actually working. 2 chain smoking and leaving cigarette butts on the road. 2 in theirs car. The others … not sure. They’ve been at it for weeks already and no end in sight. This is ridiculous. The sidewalk is not even as bad as the road itself. Total waste of money and no supervision. Why don’t people take pride in the work they do? Why do we have to pay for this waste?

Jay March 7, 2024 (12:54 pm)

Infrastructure work is done in rotation so that the work can go continuously. You can’t work people that hard for 8 hours. They trade off doing work while the others rest and recover. The stereotype of lazy infrastructure workers needs to end.

Skipalapondo March 7, 2024 (4:44 pm)

As someone who moved to West Seattle the month the bridge closed, I applaud the reorganization and wish them Godspeed. I don’t drive Marginal Way as much anymore, but every once in a while when coming back from Burien I take the route and enjoy flashbacks to the bumper-to-bumper traffic of the bad old days. Closing those driveways and redirecting the path of traffic will cause some headaches, but I think it will make for a much safer, more efficient intersection.

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