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| The locations of three new projects added to the Transportation Improvement Plan are marked on a map |
By Oliver Moffat
At the May 20 meeting, the city council approved a new Transportation Improvement Plan with some amendments, discussed Electric Scooter and Bike Sharing, and provided feedback on the Comprehensive Plan.
Every year, the city council is required to approve a list of transportation projects for the subsequent six-years. The city council made three amendments to the Transportation Improvement Plan before approval: an unfunded bike bridge to Edmonds over SR 104, proposed improvements to Firlands Way, and splitting the 185th project into separate east and west projects.
Regional bike advocates lobbied the city council to build a non-motorized bridge over SR 104 where a one mile gap in the Interurban Trail between Shoreline and Edmonds drives cyclists onto busy streets. The city council agreed to pitch in $40,000 to study the project but (given staffing shortages) the city did not sound eager to commit to yet another big bike bridge project.
One block to the east of the CRISTA retirement community and one block west of the new Canopy apartment complex is Firlands Way N. A citizen-initiated proposal could convert the road with 90 feet of city-owned right of way into a six acre, tree-lined pedestrian friendly public space.
The proposal could be both a transportation project and a park project and bring badly needed open space to the rapidly urbanizing neighborhood near Aurora. The city council added a plan to study the Firlands Way proposal to the transportation plan.
After hearing safety concerns about 180th Street from residents in North City, council member Eben Pobee sponsored an amendment to separate the 180th and 10th Ave segments of the 185th corridor project into a distinct project called the “North City Light Rail Connector”.
After hearing safety concerns about 180th Street from residents in North City, council member Eben Pobee sponsored an amendment to separate the 180th and 10th Ave segments of the 185th corridor project into a distinct project called the “North City Light Rail Connector”.
Largely symbolic, the name change doesn’t increase the priority or funding for the project, but raises the visibility of a smaller project that was previously buried inside a larger project.
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| A screenshot shows council member Betsy Robertson saying “All those folks who don’t want to see the additional housing, they are all comfortably housed.” |
Although it wasn’t on the agenda, the topic of what kinds of Middle Housing the city should allow came up while discussing the Comprehensive Plan.
Mayor Chris Roberts said he wants to “double down” and “embrace middle housing of all types” not just meet the minimum density rules required by state law. “I hope the planning commission brings back policies that give us the big version of what middle housing could look like in Shoreline. And then we can work with our affordable housing developers to say ‘okay, what do you need’ and how do we get really truly affordable housing in our city,” said Roberts.
Council member Annette Ademasu disagreed with the push for more middle housing. “I’m hearing from people out there… they don’t want to see corner to corner… townhomes. They would rather see more green space interspersed when we are looking at middle housing,“ said Ademasu.
“All those folks who don’t want to see the additional housing, they are all comfortably housed,” council member Betsy Robertson said in response. “And we have a housing crisis and we need to add more units. And Shoreline is committed to doing that,” said Robertson.
More housing density, more sidewalks, more bike lanes, more street parking and narrower roads is the perfect storm for a huge backlash against this city council. Tiny Shoreline is not the place for such a social experiment. The council members must be aware that biking and walking is not the favorite past time for Shoreliners because the weather does not make these activities inviting most of the year. The wishful thinking that everyone will hop on a bus to go shopping or to work or to appoints is wishful thinking and has no factual basis. In Shoreline roadways are for cars not busses or ebikes.
ReplyDeleteI support council member Annette's comment. I support the need for more housing, but we should consider set backs or other design options that save some existing trees and/or allow for more street level green space.
ReplyDeleteHousing and sidewalks aren't social experiments, they're entirely normal things that operate similarly in Shoreline as they do anywhere else in the world. Busses are also a totally normal thing that already operate in Shoreline and are in fact used today. There is no expectation that everyone will use a bus, similarly there is no expectation that everyone will use a car.
ReplyDeleteTrees are wonderful, and Shoreline benefits from a lot of wonderful trees. What Shoreline lacks, painfully so in some areas, is any semblance of pedestrian safety. In some areas this is acute, and will get worse with planned developments. We should protect trees where we can, but not at the expense of significant human safety. How many trees is a human life worth?
So true!! More of thus
DeleteTrees and greenspace are important; yet they must be cost effective. Shoreline is responsible for funding it's existing parks and greenspaces. The plan to turn Firlands Way into a park with reduced traffic flow is unnecessary. The Interurban trail is < 0.25 miles away! The Interurban trail nearby and area behind Fred Meyers have become areas that attract criminal behavior, with open drug use, prostitution, illegal camping, parking, and dumping grounds. The people who live on Firlands Way, except one, have repeatedly fought to stop this plan. Against our wishes, that one individual has been trying for years to turn Firlands Way into a " six acre, tree-lined pedestrian friendly public space". The rest of us are concerned about the expanding criminal activity and the increased housing density in our neighborhood. What will it take for us to put an end to this attempt for good?
ReplyDeleteFirlands Way is already a tree-lined public space however the sidewalks are not pedestrian friendly or safe. Last year an elderly woman tripped and fell on the uneven asphalt sidewalk that was damaged by tree roots. Due to the complaint and potential liability the City repaired that small section of sidewalk. Pedestrians commonly walk in the street because the sidewalks are uneven trip hazards.
ReplyDeleteMany of the residents on Firlands Way paid city assessment fees for sidewalk/gutter improvements. The assessment fees are not insignificant, they are in the ten’s of thousands of dollars. The city pocketed the money and has no plans to make sidewalks improvements. They can’t afford it.
It's the City’s responsibility to provide sidewalks that are convenient for the public health, safety or welfare (Shoreline Municipal Code Title 12, 12.05.040 and Revised Code of Washington, Chapter 35.68 RCW).
How can the city consider “a transportation project and a park project and bring badly needed open space to the rapidly urbanizing” Firlands Way neighborhood when they can’t afford to provide safe sidewalks, especially when the citizens have already paid for them?
Firlands Way is already a tree-lined public space. All it needs is the safe sidewalks that we paid for!
Perhaps the city has more money than they know what to do with. I could have used that money when I paid the HUGE assessment fee.