Busy intersection could get improvements

The Ballard District Council is currently considering asking the city to improve the intersection at 32nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 77th Street.

This proposal is one of 19 applications submitted from citizens and citizen groups for renovations funded by the Neighborhood Street Fund/Cumulative Reserve Fund as part of the Bridging the Gap Levy passed last November.

The residential intersection receives high pedestrian traffic, in part because it is located two blocks away from Sunset Hill Park. One of the major problems cited on the proposal is a large radius curb-line set back from the intersection, which reduces pedestrian sight line.

"What people tend to do is stand out to see whether they can cross and traffic ends up cutting behind them," said Ryan Haines, who wrote the proposal. "You're basically standing in the middle of the intersection while traffic moves all around you. Numerous times we've cringed because it looks like someone is about to get hit."

According to statistics from the Seattle Department of Transportation, there have been no reported vehicle-pedestrian collisions at this intersection for the past five years.

"When I look at pedestrian collisions around the city, or look at in an engineering standpoint, it's not an area that comes to us as one we have a lot of problems with from a pedestrian/motor vehicle standpoint," said Gregg Hirakawa, a spokesperson for the department of transportation.

Haines also said that many drivers on the street drive faster than the posted speed limit of 30 mph. His proposal calls for filling in the large radius curb to form a standard squared corner and adding curb bulbs to all four corners of the intersection.

"Those curb bulbs create a narrower area to have to make it across safely," he said. "Secondly, it makes it a better place for crosswalks to be established, which I also suggested. Lastly, by necking down the intersection like that, it slows the traffic down a lot, because people aren't as confident driving fast when the road isn't as wide."

According to Hirakawa, adding curb bulbs to an intersection can be an expensive undertaking.

"It can be significantly expensive, like hundreds of thousands of dollars," Hirakawa said. "We have to do the engineering to find out, but it's more than just putting up four wooden concrete forms and saying, 'Pour that and make it smooth.' The cost of the project is in surface water management, not in pouring the concrete."

The addition of curb bulbs to a street changes the flow of water run-off and runs the risk of overtaxing the sewer system. When adding curb bulbs to intersections, in some cases engineers must redirect the channel of rainwater by digging new sewer inlets.

In June, the Ballard District Council evaluated all proposals submitted by citizens and narrowed them down to a list of top 10 priorities, the top five of which have been evaluated for cost and feasibility by the Seattle Department of Transportation. The proposal for 32nd Avenue and 77th Street is currently number 10 on the list. According Haines, the application almost did not make the list of prioritized changes.

"What's funny is the committee members who selected the short list never saw that piece of paper," Haynes said. "I made a presentation describing the situation, and they put it back on the list. I'm surprised, thankful, but surprised, that we haven't seen anybody get injured there, and I hope we can get something done."

The Ballard District Council's review committee is currently evaluating all prioritized proposals. They will present their recommendation on projects to fund at its next meeting, July 11.