Pedestrian Issues:
Business and Commute
Travel in South Park
Existing Facilities, Gaps and
Recommended Improvements
About Feet First
Feet First promotes walkable
communities by:
•Mobilizing people to take action
•Informing policy makers to prioritize
funding/policies
•Educating and energizing the community
•Providing relevant programs, tools and
infrastructure
Goals of Study
• To provide safe pedestrian facilities for commuters to walk
or access transit in South Park
• To further educate the South Park business community
about pedestrian commute opportunities
• To provide viable facilities for pedestrian access to transit
and promote non motorized business commuting for
employees
__________________________________________________________
The Congestion Management / Air Quality (CMAQ) grant specifically
addresses non motorized commutes (to and from worksites) in, out and
through South Park.
Approach to Study
Reviewed the following plans/reports:
• South Park Action Agenda/Neighborhood Plan
• City of Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan
• Feet First Walking Audit Report
Consultations with:
City of Seattle-DON/SDOT, Concord Elementary, Sea
Mar, SPNA Traffic Subcommittee, King County Metro
Conducted Field Assessment
Community Walk
March 31st from Concord Elementary to Sea Mar
Developed Recommendations
Presentation Contents
• Existing Inventory/Facilities
• Major Gaps
• Recommended Improvements
Traffic Volume
(8th Avenue S)
The majority of traffic on
8th Ave S, from the north
and south industrial
areas, is distributed onto
Cloverdale St.
Note: RED lines indicate
highly traveled walking
routes
Source: SDOT
Traffic Volume
(Cloverdale St)
Buses use Cloverdale St as
their main corridor. There is
a high level of pedestrian
activity accessing transit
service here.
Currently, most of the
vehicles on Cloverdale St
arrive using the South Park
Bridge. The upcoming
closure of the bridge may
shift this pattern.
Note: RED lines indicate
highly traveled walking
routes.
Source: SDOT
Truck Routes In,
Out, and Through
South Park
Official SDOT routes:
•Highway 99
•SR 509
Unofficial truck routes exist on
most streets, e.g.:
•S Cloverdale St
•8th Ave S
•14th Ave S
Note: The effect of closing
the South Park Bridge on
these and other unofficial
routes is unpredictable.
Source: SDOT
Current and Revised
Bus Routes
There are currently four major
bus routes in South Park:
1.Route 60 – Service from White Center
to Capitol Hill
2.Route 131 – Service between Highline
Community College and Downtown
3.Route 134 – Peak hour service
between Burien Transit Center and
Downtown
4.Route 132 – Service from Highline
Community College to Downtown
(Route 23 includes service between
White Center and Downtown in the
northernmost part of South Park.)
Note: Although these routes
share start and endpoints, they
serve different communities
along the way.
Source: King County Metro
Transit Service
Changes/Re-routes
Transit will be re-routed to
the 1st Ave S Bridge after the
closure of the South Park
Bridge in June, 2010.
• Route 60 will drop service
on S. Cloverdale St to the
South Park Bridge and
reroute north to 1st Ave S
Bridge.
Transit Service
Re-Routes
• Routes 131, 134 will travel
through South Park to the 1st
Ave S Bridge.
Routes 132, 23 will not be
affected.
High Priority Area
for Walking
Improvements
City of Seattle’s Pedestrian
Master Plan identifies high priority
areas for improvements, both for
walking along the roadway and
crossing the roadway.
Tier One projects receive high
priority for improving pedestrian
conditions. Along-the-roadway
improvements may include traffic
calming and sidewalks.
Note: Improvements in these
identified areas are dependent on
dedicated funding in the
Pedestrian Master Plan.
Source: SDOT
Sidewalk Inventory
Sidewalks and walking
conditions in the
manufacturing/industrial
areas function poorly, if at all.
Most lack any pedestrian
infrastructure and are given
high priority in the South Park
Action Agenda and mentioned
in the Pedestrian Master Plan.
Sidewalk data from the City of
Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan.
Employer data from Reference USA.
Lighting Inventory
Lighting inventory is
currently being studied.
Recent & Planned
Improvements
A new pump station (7th Ave S &
Riverside Dr) is going to be
installed, which will solve drainage
problem
Paved bus platforms both
ways at 5th Ave S and S
Kenyon St and 5th Ave S and S
Holden St
Traffic bulbs on 8th Ave S in
front of the South Park
Community Center.
New sidewalk 7th Ave S and
Concord St
(Bridging the Gap)
Plans for improving the Pedestrian
Bridge at 8th Ave S and S Henderson St
(Grants currently supporting this effort:
Neighbor to Neighbor and SDOT)
New sidewalk on 7th Ave S between S
Director St and S Henderson St (Bridging the
Gap)
Recent & Planned
Improvements
• Updated, replaced and relocated
drainage catch basins and inlets and
resurfaced asphalt, pavement and
rebuild portion of roadway with
concrete paving on 14th Ave S
• Restriped crosswalks on 14th Avenue
South and S. Cloverdale St/14th Ave
S and S. Henderson St
• Installed traffic camera on corner of
14th Ave S and S. Cloverdale St
• Installed new curbs on 14th Ave S
Restriped crosswalk 8th Ave S and
Cloverdale St
Constructing a multiuse trail between S
Henderson and S Director Streets
Source: South Park Action Agenda
Installed curb ramps and
repaired sidewalks throughout
South Park
Major Gaps #1
Lack of signage at intersections to identify
stairs (10th Ave S and 12th Ave S, at
Trenton St). Debris, moss, and overgrown
foliage on the staircase make it difficult to
use the stairs safely.
The 12th Ave S and 10th Ave S staircases
are direct links to Sea Mar Administration
Building, South Park’s largest employer.
Homeless encampments and loitering
discourage their use for commuting.
The RED lines indicate highly traveled
walking routes.
Major Gaps #2
Lack of sidewalks along bus stops
in the northwest part of South
Park contributes to low bus
ridership.
Bus platforms, installed in recent
years, provide protection from
poor stormwater drainage in this
area. A bus platform is needed at
2nd Ave S and S Holden St, in the
eastbound direction.
(South Park Action Plan)
Photo: bus stop eastbound direction
of S Holden St & 2nd Ave S
Bus Route
Major Gaps #3
Along 8th Ave S there are
trees uprooting the sidewalk
creating a hazard.
Crime and trash are barriers
to pedestrians accessing
transit on 8th Ave S, 14th
Ave S and Cloverdale St
On 14th Ave S and
Cloverdale St drug dealing is
a major deterrent to
pedestrians
Major Gaps #4
The unmarked crosswalk
and the lack of pedestrian
scale lighting make the
walk along Cloverdale St
between 14th Ave S and
5th Ave S difficult and
potentially dangerous.
Intersection of Highway
99 and Cloverdale St
pictured
Major Gaps #5
High levels of traffic along
S Cloverdale St and 8th
Ave S make it difficult for
commuters walking to
transit, particularly peak
period weekday business
commutes.
Both streets provide direct
access to bus service to
White Center, Beacon Hill
and downtown.
The RED lines indicate
highly traveled walking
routes.
map
Additional Pedestrian Commute Concerns
•
The intersection of W Marginal Way, S Holden St and 2nd Ave S provides
access to Pioneer Human Services, Northwest Center and several other
South Park businesses from nearby transit. Crosswalks are needed in two
places:
–
–
•
•
•
Crossing 2nd Ave S on the north side of S Holden St
Crossing the off-ramp from W Marginal Way on the south side of S Holden St
Drainage issues and flooding of the unpaved streets from stormwater runoff,
particularly in the manufacturing and industrial area, restricts pedestrians
from walking to and from transit stops
S 96th St (located in unincorporated King County) lacks sidewalks to serve
businesses at this location
The south side of SW Michigan St, just west of 2nd Ave SW, lacks a
sidewalk. There is a bus stop here for Route 23 and several businesses
across the street, including Seafreeze Cold Storage. The crosswalk at 2nd
Ave SW and Michigan should be re-striped.
Preliminary Recommendations
HIGH Level of Investment
•
•
Complete pedestrian lighting. (Supports South Park Action Agenda) Lighting
inventory is currently being studied
Complete sidewalk network in South Park, including:
–
–
–
•
Develop a program to pave roads in South Parks’ manufacturing industrial area:
–
–
•
•
•
•
Arterial bus route in northwestern South Park: 5th Ave S, S Holden St, and S Kenyon St
S 96th St in unincorporated King County
South side of SW Michigan St, west of 2nd Ave SW
Re-pave old arterials, such as S Holden St, 5th Ave S, Kenyon St, and 8th Ave S south of
Trenton St.
Pave gravel roads
Provide/improve bus platform for transit users at 2nd Ave S and S Holden St.
Complete drainage work in lower basin creating improved pedestrian transit access
Repair, rebuild and realign stairs at 10th Ave S and Trenton/12th Ave S and Trenton
Work with community, government officials, agencies etc., to advocate for funding to
replace the South Park Bridge in an expedited manner.
Preliminary Recommendations
MEDIUM Level of Investment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improve the intersection of W Marginal Way S and S Holden St with additional
crosswalks to provide transit riders access to nearby worksites.
Investigate opportunities to connect bike and pedestrian infrastructure adjacent to the
new transfer station (5th Ave S west of Highway 99)
Post signage to identify stairs at intersections
Evaluate drainage issues in the lower basin of South Park
Create an “Adopt a Walkway” business maintenance program to keep stairs free of
debris. Adopt similar program for sidewalk cleaning in retail core
Identify and paint unmarked crosswalks and determine the need for signage near
transit service for pedestrians (S Cloverdale St.) For example, provide a crosswalk at
Cloverdale St and Highway 99 intersection.
Work with the freight community to identify patterns of unofficial truck route use so
necessary pedestrian commute improvements can be implemented.
Develop a “Neighborhoods on Foot” Walking Map to highlight key transit access
locations and walking routes with business identification for commuter use.
Provide on-street pedestrian wayfinding signage throughout South Park, highlighting
transit locations.
Preliminary Recommendations
LOW Level of Investment
•
•
•
Create/Maintain bilingual South Park business announcements (via designated block leaders) with
updated information including: South Park Bridge public mtgs/notices, changes in access to transit
and walking routes, etc.
Use existing resources/collaborate with non-profit agencies such as ECOSS and the Duwamish
TMA to identify opportunities to pool/match funds to complete pedestrian improvement projects.
Work with business community to secure small grants to cover costs of business outreach programs
and materials (bilingual) to include:
o
o
o
o
o
•
•
•
Incentive programs/Pre-tax benefits offered by TMA / King Co. Metro for pedestrian/transit commuters
Business Watch programs where businesses watch streets and report incidents to increase safety for pedestrians/community
Develop a map of South Park identifying rerouted transit stops and businesses to inform pedestrians of new access to transit
Work with King Co Health Dept to distribute literature about the health benefits of walking as a means of commuting
Anti-litter campaigns: Seasonal schedule for business clean up days to make walking more desirable
Advertise Feet First Walking Ambassador program to encourage walking. Provide “practice”
walks/walking buddies from their worksite as start up program incentive
Host a Feet First business community “Walk and Talk” with Councilmember Tim Burgess to discuss
barriers to walking: crime and safety issues.
Create a brochure for businesses/employees with customized commuting information for their
worksite. Provide a map showing their worksite and key residential areas (highlight theirs) Provide
employees with pedestrian commute options: best walking routes, access to transit and transit
schedules.
Things to Keep in Mind
• In addition to the closure of the South Park Bridge, there are two larger transportation projects
that will impact the South Park neighborhood: the Viaduct/Tunnel project and Spokane St
Viaduct. Both will cause increased pressure on the 1st Ave S Bridge. The South Park Bridge
replacement should be built without delay to absorb congestion from those projects. During the
bridge “down” time, marketing alternative commuting options and providing improved facilities
for pedestrians to access transit will help offset the resulting increased congestion.
• The South Park Bridge closure will force the majority of the freight community, (local, regional
and statewide) to shift north to the 1st Ave S Bridge. The demands on the 1st Ave S bridge to
accommodate additional commuters and freight traffic will grow exponentially.
• Non motorized commute options (biking, walking to work/walking to transit) save money, are a
healthy alternative and a green solution. Collaborate with the King County Department of Health
on outreach/marketing activities.
• The Duwamish Transportation Management Association (TMA) is South Park’s local non-profit
organization that provides assistance with non motorized commute needs. They are a resource
and referral organization that serves as a liaison to WSDOT, SDOT, City Councilmembers, King
County Metro, the Port of Seattle, and other Seattle transportation leaders. They are available
to help South Park businesses .