Tag Pedestrian

We're excited to announce that construction of the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is expected to begin in early 2020.

The City of Seattle is hosting 3 drop-in sessions in early January. At the sessions you can learn about how this project will connect communities on the east and west sides of I-5 in north Seattle, review information at your own speed. get one-on-on engagement from project experts, learn about the project schedule and what to expect during construction.

Tuesday, January 7: 12 - 1:30 PM
North Seattle College (The Grove)
9600 College Way N

Wednesday, January 8: 8 - 9:30 AM
Aljoya Thornton Place
450 NE 100th St

Thursday, January 9: 5 - 6:30 PM
Olympic View Elementary
504 NE 95th St

Additionally, the North Seattle Park and Ride (10001 1st Ave NE) will be closed starting January 9, 2020 until fall 2021 for construction of the Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge project. The lot will be used to stage equipment and materials for the duration of the closure. For more details, including alternative parking areas, view the full notice here.

To find out more, visit the website here or contact the project team at [email protected]

Significant progress has been made since we originally introduced the Licton Spring's Home Zone Pilot back in August. Just recently the City passed $350K in funding for Home Zone Pilots (the Licton Springs pilot being the first such in North Seattle), following an article about the project on Crosscut. If all goes well, some of this funding will help to compliment the Small Sparks grant the community was awarded for the project as well as funding received from Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. All of which, was accomplished after the community gave valuable input, shaping what such a project would look like in Licton Springs.

After discussion with the community and collection of initial traffic counts, we've coalesced on some simple initial steps:

• Intersection / Street Art
• Planters placed along the roads without sidewalks
• Pedestrian Wayfinding / newsletter signs
• A professionally performed traffic study

Despite the progress that has been made - walking around the neighborhood, for the most part, everything still looks untouched. While the community has identified many locations that they believe would be suitable for street art, it is not feasible to paint the street during Seattle's rainy season, leaving such work to wait for next year. And, while there have been some areas identified as potentially suitable for planters, this work will not begin until permits are secured and impacted households are contacted and give their direct approval.

Meanwhile, there is at least one physical reflection of the project, as the first prototype wayfinding sign was installed at the corner of N 88th and Burke Ave N right before Halloween:

The sign was constructed by volunteers using basic material and equipment:

• A standard pre-treated 4 x 4 inch x 8 feet post.
• Outdoor & weatherproof resilience paint from the Licton Spring's Sherwin Williams (6797 Jay Blue, 6740 Kilkenny, & 7077 Original White)
• 2 inch and 1 inch white vinyl letters
• 2 1/2 x 4 x 8 Hemlock Boards cut into 2 foot sections (for the direction signs)

During the construction of the sign, which costs well under $200 to build, significant lessons were learned that will be applied to any future wayfinding signs:

• The directions were painted on one side of each direction sign, with a solid color on the other, this can lead to the wayfinding sign seeming blank from some angles. Future signs will be 4 inches longer and have the locations printed on both sides.
• Some of the direction wood pieces split slightly where they were attached to the main post. Having the directions not use the 4 inches where the connection needs to be made, as well as making pilot holes into the connection points, should remedy this issue for future signs.
• Over-sized rubber bands are an amazing tool to line up letters.
• Stencils tend to bleed, and even if they don't they have an amateur appearance. Vinyl letters are cheap, easy, and if done right, resilient.
• A clear coat, such as Polyurethane, should be applied after letters are placed to ensure they stay in place and offer extra protection against the elements.
• These really are fun to make!

Finally, to both this wayfinding sign and future ones, we will be adding a brochure box where community members will always be able to physically pick up a community newsletter and know about upcoming events and happenings in the neighborhood.

Want a wayfinding sign in your lawn strip?

As part of the Home Zone project, there is an opportunity to get a wayfinding sign installed on your lawn strip! If you are interested, please sign up here. This opportunity is available to any homeowner within Licton Springs.

Want to help out?

Want to help move the project forward? Have artistic ability or are willing to help build planter boxes or signs? Willing to reach out to neighbors or host a meeting? Please sign up here!

What's next?

Over the next few months expect to see the first prototype planter/traffic calming measure installed. Expect opportunities to provide feedback on the initial traffic calming measures, as well as initially proposed street art. Then as, weather permits, expect street art painting to begin.

What do you think about the Home Zone project? Have any feedback on the initial wayfinding sign? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you are as excited about the ongoing art project on the Aurora Pedestrian Bridge as we are, you will be thrilled to hear there is now an opportunity to meet neighbors and help enhance the project! This coming weekend (Saturday the 17th and Sunday the 18th), neighbors will be meeting 10:00am-4:00pm to prepare the soil and then plant over 3 thousand daffodil bulbs.

The project will be completed in two steps, first preparing the soil on Saturday and then planting on Sunday:

• Aurora Bridge Art Installation - Ground Prep
• Aurora Bridge Art Installation - Daffodil Planting

Wear heavy gloves and yard shoes. Bring your own planting tools: shovels, trowels, hand clippers (for cutting ivy roots). Rain gear if it is wet!

You can find out more on ALUV's website, who first alerted us to this community project.

Hope to see you there!

Earlier this month, residents of North Seattle gathered to share information, resources, and get connected at U District's Let's Go Transit Talk. The U District, Roosevelt, and Northgate Link light rail stations will arrive in 2021 which means these neighborhoods, as well as Licton Springs, will be better connected to each other and Downtown Seattle.

Panelists included:

• Amy Gore, Seattle City Councilmember Rob Johnson's Office District 4
• Inga Manskopf, Ravenna Bryant Community Association
• Laura Loe, Share the Cities
• Mark Crawford, U District Partnership
• Joe Gruber, University District Food Bank
• Jeffrey Young, North Seattle College
• Scott Cooper, Roosevelt Neighborhood Association
• Bill Bryant, King County Metro Transit
• Ellen Blair, Sound Transit
• Ann Sutphin, Seattle Department of Transportation

Of particular interest to those in the Licton Springs area, we heard from Jeffrey Young about the upcoming pedestrian bridge connecting Licton Springs to Northgate's light rail station with plans to focus on preserving the wetlands while achieving safety in the design:

Additionally, Jeffrey mentioned upcoming plans (in the next two years) for additional student housing at North Seattle College including a 300-bed residence hall:

You can find the full recording of the session here: http://www.seattlechannel.org/misc-video?videoid=x98788

As well as more information about U District, Let's Go Transit Talks here:

https://udistrictgo.org/transit-talk-were-in-it-together/

The Aurora Ave N corridor is about to see some welcome color and vibrancy on its pedestrian bridge at N 102nd St. Crews will be focused on cleaning and painting the pedestrian bridge through the next three weeks. The pedestrian bridge will be open during cleaning and painting, although a worker may escort you through the work zone. There may be temporary bridge closures. In six to eight weeks, Vicki Scuri's art installation will be installed.

Inspired by the sunrise, this project adds color and pattern to an aging pedestrian bridge, transforming it into a community landmark gateway. Hundreds of translucent colorful fins transition through the hues of the sunrise across the span of the bridge. The four foot tall and six and half inch wide fins sit on the outside of and attach to the railings. The fins elevate the bridge into a unique art experience for both the cars traveling under and the pedestrians above. The colors on the translucent fins will shift and blend as the viewer moves through the site, creating a dynamic experience. The bridge's columns and stair hold colorful painted graphic, connecting the artwork directly to the site.

This project was funded by the Neighborhood Street Fund program to enhance safety and add visual identity for the Aurora-Licton Urban Village.

Visit the project's webpage at www.seattle.gov/transportation/NSFAuroraCorridor.htm to learn more or sign up for the project's email list.