The focus on Maple Leaf traffic brought on by closing the bridge over 15th Avenue Northeast is introducing several changes to the neighborhood.
One of the most visible was pointed out by Midge, in comments on Thursday’s story:
I wrote to the city recently about the difficulty of turning left onto 80th from Lake City Way, after exiting I-5 northbound. They told me that they plan on installing a left turn signal at that intersection by the end of June. It should help traffic flow, and perhaps stop people from cutting through the parking lot of Chiang’s, or the dry cleaner.
Kit Loo, with the city Department of Transportation, confirms that a signal should be installed next month.
Loo also says he’s received over a dozen e-mails and a handful of phone calls about traffic since the bridge closed. “The emails from the neighborhood have been a great help for us to focus our efforts on determining the best approach to mitigate the concerns that they have been expressing.”
Most, he said, “have been related to concerns about the increased volume and speed of cars along Northeast 104th Street and also errant drivers driving around Northeast 105th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast.”
Eric had pointed this out in comments on our previous story:
People are driving north on 15th ave ne until 15th ave ne ends at the bridge and then going west on NE 104th street at high rates of speed instead of taking the detour route. Cars are even passing each other on NE 104th Street to get to Roosevelt Way. With children living on NE 104th street and no sidewalks this is a very dangerous situation.
Loo said the city is about to erect additional signs at the corner of Northeast 104th Street and 15th Ave Northeast “to advise drivers that the street is not designated as a through street around the construction area to alleviate some of the pass-through traffic.”
We have also contacted the Seattle Police Department to alert them to potential speeding issues so that they can take enforcement actions if appropriate. In the meantime, we will be setting up a temporary Speed Trailer along NE 104th St to notify drivers of their current speed so that they would be more cognizant of the speed limit and area that they are driving through.
