August 3

Tree down on 105th between 5th and 8th

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Tim warns us that there’s a tree down on 105th between 5th and 8th.

He adds, “Not sure what/when it happened, but somebody must know something since the tree fell on to some power lines.”

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  1. The “fall” into the creek is a few feet. The creek is not deep. Why does everything need to be ultra-safe?

    Asking for guard rails or hand rails is silly without data that indicates people or cars have actually fallen in.

  2. I would love to see 105th one way eastbound. I have called and emailed several entities with this idea over the last 8 years with no progress. The condo has a gate and driveway opening onto this road (emergency use) so I dont think closing it altogether would work.

    As for the trees on that corner, the other ones are ready to fall as well, which would block 8th ave. I know the condo association has attempted to remove them in the past, and were unable to because of restrictions.

  3. I misspoke, NE 103rd could remain westbound (no change from the present), and NE 105th could be eastbound only. It would make a decent circulation pattern, alleviate some of the stress on 105th, and avoid head to head confrontations between drivers.

    Thanks for your patience. Let’s hear your ideas!

  4. I did some more reconnoiter work and found that 98th only gets to 8th before a Do Not Enter sign is encountered.

    So, from 97th thru to Northgate Way (110th), 13 blocks use NE 105th as their only east bound access to Roosevelt off of 5th NE. And 97th has a chicane on it as a traffic calming device.

    Let’s at least consider a Do Not Enter sign at 8th and NE 105th to block the westbound traffic, and we would then have an east bound (103rd) and a west bound (105th) one way street.

    Another thought is to have NE 103rd be two way from 5th to 8th NE only, put a Do Not Enter sign there, and open NE 103rd at Roosevelt to westbound cars. We could then close NE 105th at the creek, everybody could get around OK without encouraging too much cut through traffic.

    Why do all these streets but NE 105th have restrictions? NE 105th is only ten feet wide and drops directly off into the creek. Not a good place to have two way traffic. Drivers often get head to head with both refusing to back up.

    I also would like to see pedestrian handrails over the creek, so people don’t fall into the water or into traffic.

    Just trying to come up with a more equitable distribution of traffic. This tree falling down may be the catalyst for some productive dialog and may lead to a change that works for everybody.

    I urge all residents of North Maple Leaf to contact Sound Transit and demand pedestrian improvements, from 5th NE to Roosevelt, or all the way to 15th, to serve the pedestrian traffic bound for the new Northgate Light Rail Station and the planned increases in density surrounding it. We are a designated Urban Center and we have no sidewalks?

    NE 105th has a completed sidewalk plan for one side of the street, curb, drainage, planting strip, with native plantings envisioned on the other side of the road along the existing drainage ditch. This plan could serve as a template for all streets on up the hill.

  5. The tree must have fallen between about 1:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon, because I drove down that road on Friday at 1:00 and by the time I tried it at 4:00 the tree had fallen.

    I have to agree that without opening 103rd to two-way traffic, leaving 105th open is a necessity. With 105th blocked travel to my house from Northgate (especially due to the construction) is now a much bigger hassle. So I have to disagree with the commentator who said that bypassing the street poses little difficulty.

    It would be nice to have either 103rd or 105th improved to handle east-bound traffic. I agree that 103rd would be the better choice. I see cars disregarding the one-way traffic rules on 103rd almost every time I go by there and I’ve never seen anyone stopped for it. So 103rd might as well be two-way if the one-way rule isn’t going to be enforced.

    And while the construction on Northgate Way will eventually go away and traffic flow will hopefully be improved, there will still times (like Christmas) when people in the neighborhood are going to want an eastbound route away from Northgate that doesn’t take you miles out of your way or put you in the middle of a traffic jam. Closing all the streets will just lead more people to ignore the rules the way they already do on 103rd.

  6. I just did a drive around the neighborhood from the west of the blockage. There is no way to drive east off of 5th NE from Northgate Way all the way south to 98th.

    Why does 12 blocks of traffic have to drive on a one lane road with no guardrail over Thornton Creek?

    Doesn’t opening NE 103rd Street to two way traffic make more sense? It has a roadbed wide enough for traffic in both directions without a drop off into a sensitive wetland area.

    At least make NE 105th Street a one way street opposite the NE 103rd one way direction, put up a guardrail next to the creek, lets get this problem solved.

    One DO NOT ENTER sign at NE 105th and 8th would be sufficient. What does that cost, 80 bucks?

    The City needs to improve NE 105th to modern standards, or CLOSE THE STREET. Put this traffic on a road that can handle the volume.

  7. Honestly I’d probably use the library a lot less if I couldn’t drive that road anymore. There is such a massive chokepoint at Northgate Way and I don’t see that changing. The road is getting a good amount of use right now (by locals it should be noted) and I think should be kept going. Sure I’d love my road to be closed off to cars too sometimes but it’s not realistic. Use what we got!

  8. Very well put, John O. Closing NE 105th between 5th and 8th NE to motor vehicles would be a wonderful thing for the neighborhood, the park, and the cars that stand with their motor running while waiting their turn to get through.
    There is a story that this section originated as an Indian trail. I’m sure it functioned much better that way.

  9. The residents of NE 105th between Roosevelt and 8th NE have a completed design plan for adding sidewalks to the north side of NE 105th.

    In meetings for this design plan, many residents on the street suggested that we continue the sidewalk all the way to 5th NE by CLOSING NE 105th between 5th and 8th, making it a pedestrian and bike path only, adding the balance of the right of way to expand the park.

    This temporary closure of NE 105th is a good place to start considering a complete and permanent closure of the street. It has two way traffic on a substandard one lane roadway that drops off sharply into the creek. It is dangerous, and would never pass muster if attempted in the present day. Traffic is bypassing this street with little difficulty.

    Any thoughts? We are the short cut for hundreds of cars a day. It is peaceful on NE 105th Street with that section closed.

    Since those trees are just feet away from, and crossing, a protected wetlands, removal of those trees should require oversight from the Department of Ecology and Corps of Engineers in coordination with Seattle Parks and Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities.

    Since these trees appear to be owned by the Condo at this corner, the City may not remove these trees. It is my understanding that the Condo Association is to pay for these trees removal.

    I urge the Condo to consider the implications of working in a wetland area without permit or permission.

    Leave the trees there for now. They are doing no harm. Consider closing the road, it would take three ecology blocks to do it.

    Cheap, easy, effective.

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