Save Richmond Beach urges City to adopt higher standard for road capacity
Friday, December 9, 2011
There will be a City of Shoreline Public Hearing on December 12 at 7:00pm for the Adoption of the Transportation Master Plan. The following statement is from the community organization Save Richmond Beach
"The City is revising its transportation master plan. This plan is directly linked to future development in all of Shoreline. As it relates to Point Wells it will determine the amount of traffic (and subsequent back-ups) that the City deems acceptable.
"Please join us on December 12 at Shoreline City Hall to communicate to the City Council the importance of improved levels of service in Richmond Beach.
"The details
The City is moving to change the acceptable Level of Service (LOS) for traffic from E (which is bad), to a LOS of D (which is better) for the entire City. This allows for less congestion and public safety issues. While this is encouraging and we are generally supportive of the changes to the transportation plan, we do have a suggested amendment.
"While the Richmond Beach community is just one of 14 neighborhoods in Shoreline, it is unique from the perspective of transportation access. Richmond Beach Road serves as the only arterial access to a neighborhood with more than 2,200 homes. While 20th Avenue W does provide additional circuitous connectivity to Edmonds via Woodway, Richmond Beach Road serves as the only connection between the neighborhood and the City of Shoreline.
"Local conditions such as steep topography, Puget Sound, and the County border prevent additional access from being developed and while local street connections that serve single-family lots within the community do provide internal circulation within the neighborhood, these streets are not designed to serve "through" traffic needs.
"A major collision on Richmond Beach Road between 8th Avenue W and 15th Avenue NW would not only block access out to the rest of the city, it would also effectively block fire/emergency response into the neighborhood should a resident living west of 15th NW have an emergency.
"Single arterial access makes circulation needs, fire/emergency vehicle access requirements, and acceptable congestion levels different for this neighborhood than for other residential areas within the city. We believe these unique conditions justify a higher level of service standard than other city neighborhoods.
"We strongly urge the City to go one step further and adopt a transportation LOS standard of C for the Richmond Beach community."
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4 comments:
The entire city deserves a level of service of C, not just Richmond Beach and surrounding neighborhoods.
Another example of the city giving special treatment to the west side and ignoring the rest of the city. Why should we get stuck with traffic jams east of I-5 while the city spends all its time making improvements to the roads and parks in Richmond Beach?
@Anonymous#2, did you even read this letter? First, the city hasn't done anything yet so how can you say this is an example of the city providing preferential treatment? The letter is someone's suggestion/request to the city.
The old lament that the city does more on the west side than the east is worn out and invalid, especially when it comes to traffic improvements. Beyond the simple fact that we are all one, rather small city that has no need to divide into jealous pacts, let me remind you of a few of the things the city has done or is working on in east side neighborhoos. Maybe we can lay this to rest that way.
City projects on the east side of Shoreline: North City Business District; 15th Ave NE improvements; purchasing of South Woods and the property adjacent to Hamlin Park; SE Neighborhoods Subarea Plan; Aldercrest Subarea Plan and Zoning; improvements to Hamlin Park; two new street signals on 15th Ave NE; Cromwell Park improvements; Paramount Park Master Plan and Improvements; new Connie King Skateboard Park; Neighborhood Traffic Safety Plans for all east side neighborhoods were done first; traffic calming demonstration project on 10th NE; Southwood improvements including a new walkway; Twin Ponds and Shoreline Center soccer field improvements; and tennis court improvements at Shoreline Center. I'm sure there are more since this list is just from memory and a peek at the city's website.
So is it possible now to pull together as one city? We all benefit when the city is able to invest in our infrastructure and we've been fortunate that it has. Those of us who lived here before incorporation can vouch for the significantly improved condition of our roadways, parks and storm water systems. If you need a reminder of what it looks like in a city that doesn't/can't invest in its infrasture, simply cross into Seattle to take a drive on just about any neighborhood street; most them look and feel like they've been bombed they are so beat up and (un-)filled with potholes. We have it so good in Shoreline, in all of Shoreline.
There were 2 new street signals on 15th Avenue NE because people were killed, and it took years to get them installed -- David Townsend (god rest his soul) filed suit against the city and used his own funds to purchase signal equipment but the city attorney and city staff harassed him until he moved out of Shoreline.
Aldercrest is unfunded, and increases density and traffic, as does the SE Subarea Plan, so what is your point? Paramount Park's skate park increases traffic and included no monies for traffic improvements, it is one of the problem areas for pedestrian traffic safety, so what is your point? When is Cedarbrook going to get any consideration from the city, tell me that little piece of information?
Cromwell Park improvements were to improve surface water flooding from overflow at Ronald Bog, which regularly closed 175th & Meridian, where folks from Richmond Beach get onto I-5. Once again, what is your point? LOS in those neighborhoods is E.
Hamlin Park - take a look at the field, the city public works botched the project, the turf is sub-standard but the parks department doesn't want the public to talk about that issue.
There are traffic calming devices on the west side as well, but more sidewalks were put into place on west side first.
What about the millions of dollars spent on the overpass bridge to Apple Tree for a few houses worth millions of dollars, not to mention the fact that the city had to rip out the approaches they designed because fire trucks couldn't drive over them?
What about the Sunset Elementary Park the city put money into when they don't even own the property? What about the 2 dog parks on the west side when the original dog park plan included a dog park for the east side and one for the west side? What about Kruckeberg, where the city budget subsidizes operations in the amount of $44,000 per year?
Don't even mention Twin Ponds, the community is upset about the parks department cutting 13 trees without a clearing and grading permit or a critical areas permit and it was subject of a lengthy lawsuit to protect it, but the city rammed in a senior center that parks 15-18 cars in the parking lot and on the street daily in violation of a court order.
I can go on and on, but evidently you don't know what is going on in the rest of Shoreline, we need LOS C in the rest of the city too. If you wanted LOS C for your neighborhood, then you should have spoke up when the city council was discussing the updates to the transportation master plan.
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