Home › Forums › Open Discussion › So painful: the 5-way intersection at Chelan/Spokane/Delridge/West Marginal?
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July 30, 2014 at 7:52 pm #612171
Jay99ParticipantHow do we get the city to improve the 5-way intersection at Chelan/Spokane/Delridge/West Marginal?
As anyone who drives or bikes through this intersection just north of the Chelan Café on a regular basis can tell you, it is poorly timed and a real time suck. As one of the main entrance/exit points for the lower level bridge, it stacks up during rush hour almost every day. The lights seem to suffer from a both poor timing and a lack of sensors in the road.
Making it worse, there is a railroad crossing on the NW side of Chelan Ave (the least of the used 5 streets). When it closes for a crossing, which it does frequently, the entire light cycle seems to freeze and then reset. The end result is that cars and bikes are backed up on the other four streets when almost all of them don’t need to cross the street that is blocked. I see this all the time here—cars backed up with red lights and the one way that has the green has no traffic.
Also, cyclists coming off the lower level bridge get dumped into a mix of cars waiting for the light from Delridge ave. There really needs to be a bike lane where cyclists can wait for the light out of the way of cars and get across to the Alki trail safely without blocking traffic. Also, if there are sensors there, they do not pick up bikes so you’re stuck until a car comes along.
This intersection will always be a tough one since it’s so heavily used. Nothing is going to make it super fast at all times. But it could really stand from a look and improvement by the city. I filled out a form on the city’s transportation website, but I’m guessing it will take a lot of people complaining to get any action. If you’re interested in making something happen, post here with suggestions. Hopefully we can find the right person at the city and make our case.
July 30, 2014 at 10:05 pm #811594
skeeterParticipantThe amazing folks at West Seattle Bike Connections are aware this is a problem area. Feel welcome to connect with them on Facebook or email.
July 30, 2014 at 11:06 pm #811595
Jay99ParticipantThanks Skeeter, Looks like they have had a workshop on it: http://westseattlebikeconnections.org/2014/02/26/west-seattle-5-way-intersection-workshop/
I hope they implement a bike fix (that’s how I usually go through the intersection), but I think the whole thing needs an overhaul for both cars and bikes.
July 30, 2014 at 11:13 pm #811596
skeeterParticipantI agree it’s a problem Jay99. Also a problem for me because returning from SODO to West Seattle we ride our bikes over the lower bridge and then south on Delridge. The trail over the bridge and under the freeway is great but it dumps you off on the sidewalk and there is no safe place to cross the street for a block. So bicyclists are basically forced to ride on the sidewalk which creates a problem for pedestrians.
July 31, 2014 at 1:30 am #811597
PDieterParticipantI love it when out of town guests go astray and end up down there (amazing how often it happens though). Keeping them out of there would probably speed things up now that I think about it.
July 31, 2014 at 1:58 am #811598
singularnameParticipantWell … I’m there about twice a day on average, and being a patient sort it just is what it is.
July 31, 2014 at 3:30 am #811599
sam-cParticipant‘being a patient sort’ am I as well, seeing as I am the sort of person who so frequently leaves early enough…. for any surprises, that I am usually early anywhere I go….
but anyway. I frequently get annoyed with that light and that intersection. it seems like anytime there is a train alarm, the traffic coming from northbound Delridge to W. Marginal gets skipped a light cycle.
(and don’t chastise me, bus riders, carpoolers, pedestrians and bike riders, I know you want to) I live a mile from work (and am tired of being vilified for being a single occupant vehicle driver), and the only time i go that way is when I am on my way to a meeting OUTSIDE OF SEATTLE which is like, a couple times a month.
BUT YEAH… I’ve notices how messed up that light is, especially when a ‘train’ is coming through.
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