Take caution of work crews when driving on Roosevelt Way Northeast for the next week or so.
Crews this week got started on the restriping project that will add a bike lane on the uphill portions and “sharrows,” a shared car-bike lane, on the downhill portions of Roosevelt Way between Northeast 85th Street and Northeast 105th Street.
Carol McMahan, with the Seattle Department of Transportation, says the work should take about a week, depending on how much the weather cooperates.
Today crews were working at moving the center line – and marking it with new yellow buttons – to make room for the bike lanes, and McMahan said that within a few days they will probably start painting new parking lane stripes, which means there also will be some temporary parking restrictions on Roosevelt to allow enough room for the striping to take place.
So in addition to keeping your eye out for work crews, take heed of any temporary parking signs before you park your car on Roosevelt.
When a van veers into the bikelane on an otherwise empty street after midnight when I’m using it (lit & reflectors) , a little obstruction would have felt welcome. But Nate is correct, they’re just paint and taxpayers on bikes will use our streets with or without stripes. Archie also has it right, safety for everyone- drivers, pedestrians, bikies alike is the goal, set and planned long before McGinn first dreamed of running for mayor.
The Times, PI, and other local media fanning driver anger about bicyclists to whip on their least favorite mayor is going to kill somebody soon. Road rage is a powerful emotion without encouragement.
Bike lanes don’t create obstructions. As a cyclist I will be on the street whether or not it is marked, but the lanes add clarity to all road users regarding who should be where. Do you want to complain about the added cost of all that extra paint for new crosswalks too?
Lottsa money for restriping, but arterials, some of them, so rough its seems like a Third World country. Thanks, Mayor McSchwinn. I suggest $10 per hour parking fee everywhere, that will get the cars off the streets, which is what this is all about. Why should people be allowed to park in front of their houses for free? $10 an hour 24/7 everywhere. That’ll do the trick.
How much more do these changes cost compared to just re-striping it the old way (which they’d have to do anyways)? Plus, these type of changes generally improve safety of all road users, including pedestrians and other drivers. What value do you put on injury reduction?
nice to know we have all the extra money to waste on making the road cluttered with yet more bicycle lane markings. How about fixing potholes instead.
I agree with CohoMike. More bike lanes?! When will it stop? How about fixing pot holes and placing sidewalks on every street before we slow down traffic and create obstructions for drivers?