Guess what the main topic was tonight at the packed town hall meeting just off of Northeast 125th Street …
You got it, the Q-and-A with Mayor Mike McGinn just north of us at St. Matthew Parish Hall, 1240 N.E. 127th St., largely revolved around the proposed “road diet” that would take the main east-west arterial of 125th street down from four lanes to two lanes, with bike lanes on both sides and a turn lane down the middle.
And the verdict? About as mixed as the comments on our first post about the proposal.
Fans of the plan embraced the idea that it would slow cars down and be safer for pedestrians, while those in opposition countered that it might have the opposite effect if 125th got so backed up that it led to more vehicles speeding through side streets that don’t have the benefit of sidewalks, or if the long lines of cars behind buses refused to stop for pedestrians.
And although those opposed to the plan seemed the most outspoken, some of their biggest concerns were that the city simply wasn’t listening to them.
That’s where Maple Leaf comes into the story.
Remember the plan to eliminate parking on the west side of Roosevelt Way Northeast from Northeast 75th to Northeast 85 streets? Remember how opposed many of our neighbors were to the plan, arguing that the extra lane traveling southbound was needed during the morning commute?
Turns out the city listened, since that part of the plan is now on hold, making us the poster child demonstrating that the proposal for 125th Street is just that: a proposal, and one that isn’t yet set in stone.
Actually, the Seattle Department of Transportation is still in the analysis phase of the project and has yet to study how the changes would affect transit, as well as how it could alleviate any potential backups, such as through consolidating bus stops as Metro will do when Maple Leaf’s buses return to 15th Avenue Northeast.
The department expects to have the analysis available on its website by October or November, and it also plans to hold additional public outreach sessions.
There were plenty of other issues that came up at the town hall meeting, which originally was intended as part of the North District Council meeting until it became obvious it needed its own two hours, forcing the council to meet separately afterward.
But the theme of safety remained prominent, with residents from throughout Northeast Seattle saying how dire the need for sidewalks in their neighborhood is.
When McGinn asked how many people thought the city needed more sidewalks, nearly every hand shot up.
But he also warned us to not get too excited, since at the city’s current rate of spending, it’ll take us 400 years to get sidewalks throughout the city. And that wasn’t a joke.
McGinn says he’s proposed an increase in the commercial tax and vehicle licensing fees to help pay for more sidewalks. However, it’s not just up to him.
“If you want more money for sidewalks,” he added, “let the (Seattle) council know.”
Peter Hahn, director of the city’s Transportation Department, took the topic to the next level, asking the audience if they’d be willing to help pay a portion of the cost for sidewalks if it would mean getting them in, say, five years instead of 20?
A resounding “Yes!” rang through the audience.
Would you be willing to chip in for sidewalks if it meant you could actually see them in your lifetime?
7 to 9 am used to be an easier than average ride. It’s more wrong now than it used to be. I think I’ll drop down to greenlake and avoid all the mess you made of Rooosevelt. How about getting rid of the parking lane on the right hand side instead?!
Dang! I had to work and couldn’t make this town hall meeting. For one, I am for bike lanes. BUT, the striping that has been done has been dangerously a bunch of BS. Why is it that the removal of paint has to be done with grinders?
I’m riding the old right lane lines, and stick to the far right because of the grinding of the roadway. Was it really necessary to eff up the pavement? Because of the grinding, I’m still riding to the far right side, and now there is parking from 7-9!
Thanks DOT, once again you’ve messed up.
Thanks to the mayor and Peter Hahn for coming out and taking the flak. SDOT need to release the accident information they repeatedly cite and SPD needs to release the ticketing rates they are seeing. Finally, SDOT needs to release their rules or rationale for the current speed limits on NE 125th. Until there’s some disclosure, no one is going to take the bureaucracy’s word for anything.
I would definitely.
Obviously many people couldn’t afford that, however, so it is important that the city continue to provide one of its BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE FUNCTIONS regardless of residents’ ability to pay.
The city routinely ignores Maple Leaf’s traffic concerns: Sacajawea has only one sidewalk leading to it (and Olympic View has only recently been given fuller sidewalk connections); crosswalks on N/S arterials have been needed for 20 years; speeding E/W cut-through traffic remains a hazard on most side streets; you can’t turn left onto Northgate Way from Lake City Way, which dumps traffic into Maple Leaf; no one can see to the left when turning onto Roosevelt or 5th because of parked cars; etc. ad nauseam.
My guess is that Maple Leaf is too middle class, so we don’t donate to political campaigns enough to get the infrastructure attention that, say, Madison Valley gets . . .