Mayor Ed Murray joined by SDOT Director Scott Kubly, Traffic Safety Coordinator Jim Curtin, City Traffic Engineer Dongho Chang, and others presented SDOT’s plan for changes to 35th SW in a meeting July 15, frequently interrupted by angry outbursts from people opposed to the plan. They were joined by City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. The planned changes would affect the street from Roxbury SW to SW Avalon Way.

This was the fifth in a series of public meetings to address safety issues on the road that has come to be called “I-35” due to the speeds some drivers reach and the 128 traffic injuries from crashes and 2 deaths that have occurred along it in just the last 2 years. “If we were talking about assaults or homicides those numbers would be terrifying to us,” said Kubly.

The average daily traffic on 35th SW as reported by SDOT:
16,500 vehicles per day at SW Roxbury Street
24,600 vehicles per day at SW Alaska Street

Using the Swedish model of Vision Zero aimed at reducing crashes and increasing overall public Safety, Curtin outlined the plan that is a refinement of what has been discussed in the past as Option A.

The changes due to be implemented soon will mean:
• One lane in each direction
• Center turn lane
• Bus and turn lanes at Barton, Thistle, Holden and Webster streets SW ( buses can go straight)
• Speed reduction to 30mph
• Signal optimization
• North of SW Morgan speed will stay 35
• Channelization on SW Barton
• No changes on approaches to SW Roxbury

During the community meetings Curtin and SDOT said the public feedback they got stressed a laundry list of items including:
• Make it safer
• Reduce speeds
• Improve parking
• Put or Don't put 35th on road diet (they heard both)
• Repair pavement
• Provide bike facilities (SDOT said this will be part of their long term thinking)
• Provide more enforcement
• and two petitions that were circulated in opposition to changes

Curtin explained that the changes would be made incrementally in the next couple of months and the monitoring process would mean all the changes would be evaluated for their impacts and adjustments made.

Then in 2016 SDOT would perform:

• Evaluation of 2015 changes
• Neighborhood greenway study
• SHA development of 35th and Graham
• NPSF partnership
• Channelization on SW Morgan with left turn pockets

Mayor Murray in his remarks said, “One of the things we know is that most of this city was built in the 19th century and wasn't built to handle the number of cars we have now. I like to point out that when I was a kid there were more people than cars but today there are more cars than people. Some of the negative impacts of that you see right on this street. It's the fourth most dangerous street in the City of Seattle. Hundreds of collisions a year, hundreds of injuries over a series of years and five fatalities. People have died on this street." He went on to explain that "Two years ago we had a staff person in Olympia who was killed crossing the street." And as a fourteen year old he himself was injured in a car accident as a boy requiring months of recovery, "so I take this personally."

"I wanted to come down here tonight to let you know that this problem, and not just this problem but a whole series of transportation problems has my attention."

The benefits SDOT stressed were:

• Reduction in crash frequency
• Lower speeds results in fewer severe crashes
• Improved parking conditions
• Addresses correctable collision patterns
• Less exposure for pedestrians
• Potential low cost crossing improvements
• Maximum capacity turn pockets
• Easier turns to and from 35th
• Transit efficiency treatments (no bus bulbs)
• Minimal impact to traffic

Curtin said the computer models of travel times on 35th showed that "for most of the day it will be like 40 seconds of difference." But SDOT acknowledged previously the delays might be closer to three to four minutes during peak travel times. "Our models indicate a maximum delay during peak hour traffic of up to 2.5 minutes. Three to four minutes was our best guess that we shared with the public back in March."

This was met by challenges from more than one audience member who contended that computer models don't account for drivers who drive well below the posted speed limit. "I was on 35th today and was behind a woman driving 20 miles an hour," said an audience member.

Others challenged SDOT on the need for changes stating that the problems on 35th are overstated. Bob Neal rose to display a series of hand made charts to illustrate his points that the population has risen by 14%, traffic is down by 8%, and collisions are down by 35% for the years 2011-2013.

A question about the proposed zoning changes (the HALA proposal) suggested that with more people moving to West Seattle, it would mean more cars, less parking, more traffic. Curtin said there was no correlation between increased population and more traffic which was met with jeers from the crowd. He pointed to the fact that even as Seattle's overall population has grown, traffic is actually down for the same period. Mayor Murray rose to address the zoning question noting that "94% of all single family homes in Seattle are not affected by the plan," which allows for an additional floor to be built in multi family dwellings as part of the proposed zoning changes.

Curtin said that in 2008, "The majority of people were doing about 42 miles an hour on 35th and that's come down slightly since then."

Charles Worden and J.P. Vidicans of Locol and The Westy located near SW Kenyon Street spoke to the crowd with Vidicans noting that "I see people playing 'Frogger' on 35th every day (a computer game that depicts a frog crossing a road). I watch students get ignored," as they attempt to cross and he frequently will, "help kids across the street." He's seen many accidents and personally bends customer side mirrors in to limit side swipe accidents. "I don't want to see anyone die out there."

SDOT also said they are working with the Seattle Police Department on increased enforcement with target areas, north of Morgan Street SW, near Barton and Raymond Streets SW and in school zones.

Repaving and new curb ramps for 35th will be coming, pending the results of the Move Seattle levy set to appear on the ballot in the fall.