Cars and pedestrians on Northeast 125th Street near Lake City.
UPDATE Aug. 15: The Seattle Times is now covering this issue.
When we wrote last month about a proposed “road diet” to slow traffic on Northeast 125th Street and boost pedestrians and bicyclists, 17 readers chimed in even though the busy arterial is north of Maple Leaf.
Opinions ranged from, “I live on right off 125th and drive on 125th. I am THRILLED for this project and cannot wait for it to happen,” to “this plan is a serious mistake. 125th is the only east – west arterial in north Seattle that works reasonably well.”
Since then neighbors have organized against the project, saying it will create “major traffic congestion between Interstate 5 and Lake City Way,” and several other news sources have stepped up coverage.
You can read more about it in The Stranger here and here, and in PubliCola here (skip down to No. 5) and here.
@ML Resident Bus Commuter, how can you say that when the Nickerson project isn’t even complete yet?? Have a look at the results of the Stone Way re-channelization for more reliable evidence.
Another fine project by Mayor Tweety Bird!
It brings up a good question, which is do you design a road to handle the peak condition, or do you cap the peak condition through road design.
I am not familiar with the Nickerson St. changes, but perhaps SDOT felt it was handling a disproportionate load and by their metrics it is a success? I’m not saying it is great for all parties, but traffic planning takes place on a much larger scale than a single road at a time.
Unfortunately SDOT continues their campaign of misinformation by claiming how well their reconfiguration is working on Nickerson St.. It is no longer an viable option for travel for anyone driving during rush hour due to the single lane configuration in order to accommodate a new bike lane NEXT TO the Burke Gillman Bike trail. Between 15th and the Fremont bridge in the evening commute is a disaster. SDOT simply ignores the facts and continues to tell it’s fairy tale endings.