It was scheduled to be completed in 2015. Now SDOT says January 2016. Seems a bit optimistic from ground level, and looks like some of it needs reworking to be safe and convenient to use, according to riders who use the route daily. Here are some photos of a ride on Monday this week mid day, and one from a daily commute in the dark. Click any to enlarge. But the best way to find out about it is to go walk or ride and decide for yourself. We invite you to give feedback here or to SDOT directly.
SDOT website for the project is here, including maps and drawings.
The good: lots of new ADA curb ramps on 21st SW at north end. This at SW Genesee, the route to Pathfinder K-8 school, with intersection painted by the community. Speed humps, most old, some new, along this stretch.
The bad and the ugly: The stretch on 21st Ave SW between 22nd Ave SW and Dumar, It’s a busy arterial. Really scary with high speed traffic in the dark and wet and a tiny gravel shoulder east side, and rough gravel 4′ sidewalk on west.
The good: a flashing beacon convenient for pedestrians. Not for bike riders.
hmmm…
The bad: sidewalk only on one side, and only 4 feet wide. Bike riders use this who want to avoid riding in the arterial traffic without bike lanes or shoulder.
The ugly: no temporary safety measures during construction while the sidewalk is torn up,
Approaching SW Dumar.
Does this look “safe for all ages and abilities”?
The grand old speed hump and semi-permanent potholes and cones, at Stanislo Elementary School.
Nice new smooth asphalt on SW Myrtle from 21st to 17th. Except for a half block on north side.
Work has not started on the switchback ramp to link two cul-de-sacs on 17th SW
Crossing 16th SW on SW Webster to go from 17th to 15th, then 2 blocks to Kenyon, then back again to 17th!
Would you do this? Would you let your pre-teen use this route instead of crossing at the light at Holden?
No stop sign, no flashing beacon, no traffic signal = no greenway!
On 15th SW. Work started at curb bulbs at SW Holden.
From 15th & Holden you can see the light at 16th. Will car drivers stop for people on foot or on bikes or in wheelchairs at 15th?
SDOT ignored WSBC and other community input on route choice, especially regarding the zig zag from 17th on Webster to 15th and then two blocks south crossing Holden on 15th to Kenyon, and two blocks west back to 17th. Who in their right mind will go 4 blocks out of the way, crossing busy arterials three times without stoplights or even flashing beacons, to avoid crossing at a light at Holden? Prediction: the lumpy narrow sidewalk on 16th will be the route of choice. Should be changed.
Crossing 16th SW again at Kenyon. Signs and curb ramps. No stop sign or traffic signal, no flashing beacon.
Green stormwater work started by SPU on 17th.
Crossings at the south end of the route between Holden and Roxbury at busy streets are likewise unprotected.
At this point, no curb ramps, no re-aligned stop signs, no traffic calming, no signs.
South end of the route, just short of Roxbury and White Center. No work evident at this end yet.
I just went there to check on this (since I’m tracking SDOT’s progress on Bike Master Plan implementation) and had similar reactions. The arterial block of Andover between 22nd and 21st at least has a nice wide sidewalk, which is good because it’s steep enough that a lot of people will be walking their bikes along it. My positive notes sort of ended there.
The short arterial stretch of 21st near Dawson would be perfectly appropriate for one of the city’s old sharrow routes (an experienced rider will be fine even during rush hour, and there’s not much traffic much of the day), but like you say, it’s not a greenway, and no amount of speed humps will make it one. It’s a short enough stretch that decent-quality sidewalks would probably do the trick.
In general SDOT hasn’t done much to help greenway users across arterials. Most of Seattle’s greenways have arterial crossings as bad as this one; I think the only exceptions are Fremont Ave (signals at 80th, 85th, and Northgate Way predated the greenway program), 26th Ave SW, and maybe 25th Ave NE (too short to cross anything). This one is unique, though, in going out of its way to cross and re-cross 16th.
I also noticed that they’ve painted in turn boxes at the 5-way but can’t detect bikes waiting in ’em yet. But that’s another story.
When I approached the green box this morning from the Spokane St Bridge, a car was occupying it until the signal changed.
I would rather bike on Delridge Way than a narrow, poorly lighted greenway with unprotected crossings.
Yesterday night I noticed a speed bump disappeared. That one on 21st Ave SW in the “valley” by Sanislo School, just north of Myrtle Street. There goes my launching pad!
“Crossing 16th SW on SW Webster to go from 17th to 15th, then 2 blocks to Kenyon, then back again to 17th! Would you do this?”
No. Thats a pretty silly idea indeed. I know of no one who understands that part of the plan at all. Bikers don’t generally go out of their way, cross a busy street twice, for such a small if any gain. On the way north I just bomb down 16th, signal and hit the left turn/west at webster. Southbound I find it no problem to just keep slogging up 16th till rox. Plenty of room (so long as the busses do what they are supposed to do and give me a couple of feet).
I do like the smoothed out bits by the school now and all the other road and drainage improvements. For local pedestrians, I don’t understand not having a sidewalk eastside 21st greenbelt access to the buss stop. Wouldn’t want my kid having to cross there, no car visibility. Don’t care for the replaced speed bump, just causes car vs bike issues. I also find the new stop signs on webster and 21st pretty silly. Will generally just be ignored