One-way streets abound throughout Maple Leaf in an effort to keep non-locals from jetting through our neighborhoods to and from Northgate Mall and our various arterials. But one of those one-way streets, Northeast 105th, has been unique in that it allowed cars to travel both directions despite being large enough for only one car at a time.
Looks like those days are over. This weekend, we noticed that there’s now a “Do Not Enter” sign at the corner of 105th and Eighth Avenue Northeast for cars traveling west.
In the minute or so that we were in the area, we also saw two cars drive right past the Do Not Enter Sign and up the road in the wrong direction. Perhaps they didn’t see the sign, or perhaps they just didn’t know where else to turn if they’ve been traveling up that road for years.
What are your thoughts on the new truly one-way version of 105th? Did you even notice it?
I like the change. I regularly take 103rd to Northgate mall and the theater from the neighborhood and then I take 105th or 98th back. 103rd should be one way west bound and 105th should be one way east bound. I hate it when people ignore the sign on 103rd.
Close 105th! Great idea. Connect the park to the library, create more open wetlands and provide an excellent pedestrian option . That street is worthless and dangerous. Turning into it from Northbound 5th Avenue there is hardly any visibility because of the slope but quite a bit of pedestrian traffic. Oh, and it’s has a single lane bridge!
We shouldn’t have to deal with non-local East-West traffic through our neighborhoods, there are enough arterial alternatives. On 103rd I’ve had several near misses with people breaking traffic laws. Drivers that ignore the signs are inherently dangerous because they usually fall into one of the following categories:
1. don’t know where they’re going/lost
2. in a hurry and speeding
3. nervous and gunning it
4. just bad drivers with no concern for the rules or locals.
Compounded with that, pedestrians and legitimate drivers aren’t expecting traffic in those directions so aren’t prepared to avoid these people.
We need more signage and much more SPD presence, things are only going to get worse when the light rail arrives.
See SDOT’s blog: http://sdotblog.seattle.gov/ask-us-a-question/
SDOT did not post the sign and will remove it.
We just bought our home on 104th on 11/30. We do love it here, but I am often thinking how happy I am living on 104th and not 105th due to the speeding traffic! 105th Street would be better off not being open to through traffic. I have noticed so many cutting through, speeding by that corner as I walk my dog, and it seems unsafe in many ways. It also makes it feel unrespected as a neighborhood street. 104th has people speeding down it as well. It’s logical to have a plan for 104th considering 105th and 103rd are having their traffic diverted.
The meeting coming up is definitely an interest to me. Considering the future light rail station will be within blocks of these streets, the traffic planning is very important now to save us later. If it is bad now, when the light rail gets started, all the commuters will be landing on our street.
Thanks for sharing this story and starting the discussion!
Folks are wondering but is anyone going to find out how the sign got there. Could be just temporary for all we know.
FWIW, this is new to us. This sign wasn’t requested by the MLCC.
Everyone has the chance to discuss this and other Maple Leaf transportation issues at our January 30 General Meeting. 7-9 pm at Olympic View Elementary. Professional, state-certified, and FREE child care provided on site by the folks from Collaboration Station.
We will spend 90 minutes during the meeting hearing your ideas for pedestrian, bus, vehicle, and cycle improvement in our neighborhood.
David Miller
President
MLCC Executive Board
That’s a good idea, Ruth.
Closing NE 105th to cars would be wonderful! It would feel like and extension to the park. They could block the east end and leave the west end open for local access for the apartments.
Living on 104th, this is often a great way to avoid the mess on Northgate–used to be quiet & folks understood waiting until it clears. But the few times I’ve used it w/ the recent road construction, appears more non-local folks are using it, and longer lines of cars waiting for a longer line to clear. So some control makes sense–but ONE WAY ONLY seems too restrictive, since there so few options. I also have to agree w/ other comment that more drivers are using 104th to cut across 15th to Roosevelt, and sometimes getting the mail becomes dangerous! Too many won’t slow down on what is obviously a neighborhood street!
I don’t understand why the streets are signed this way when I see locals driving past “do not enter” signs all the time. I agree: close the street or keep it 2-way.
I like it! Heck, make it a no-way street – just a really big sidewalk next to Thornton Creek (at least up to the condo drive)
I am a Maple Leaf local and gotta admit, I drove right through this morning in the dark fog on my way to the park-and-ride. Would have done it tomorrow, too, if I’d not seen this. Seems like SDOT ought to at least put up a temporary sign to alert drivers to the change in traffic flow. But advance notice to the nieghborhood would have been noce, too.
We need to get Stanley Roberts of KRON-4 to do a segment on this
I’m glad for the change. The intersection was getting too busy and trying to have two cars squeeze by each other on that little street was spooky.
The cut through traffic on NE 104th and NE 105th from Roosevelt Way to I-5 or wherever folks are in a hurry to go is a problem, too.
This is a frustrating development, and I dont understand why or how it was approved. Local access should be allowed, and if they really want to cut down on drive-through traffic from the mall, they should address it from the opposite direction as well. There needs to be a more comprehensive plan to support E-W traffic, esp. given the addition of Light Rail to Northgate.
Can we hear more about the process that went into this do not enter sign? Can’t really be called a one way because about mid block I am sure the condo owners turn west bound on 105th. Also wondering their reaction and if they are following the rules.
People routinely drive right through the “Do Not Enter” sign on NE 103rd St, just east of 5th Ave NE.
Regarding NE 105th, it makes sense to make that a one-way street, since it is literally only one lane at the east end, near 8th Ave. NE. Anybody who needs to go west toward 5th Ave NE at that spot can go 2 blocks south on 8th Ave NE and then go west on NE 103rd St.
Obviously, we would prefer little to no cut-through traffic, but there will always be some, primarily local access. I would hope that SPD would stringently enforce the 25 mph speed limit on all of those side streets (20 mph in school zones, of course), but I realize that speed limit enforcement on non-arterials is near zero priority for SPD.
Seems unnecessary, unless there have been needless accidents or significant traffic issues as a result.
On a separate but similar note, the “dead end” sign at 103rd coming up from Northgate is ridiculous because it’s obviously not a dead end. If consistent and logical, that sign would say “Do Not Enter”, but as is most people ignore it. I think that sign should be “Local Access Only”, since we have also managed to prevent ourselves from being able to get to and from Northgate without pulling our hair out.