The proposal to make four blocks of Southwest 98th Street in White Center a pedestrian corridor is getting traction so people checked out some of the preliminary ideas at a recent open house.

The concept is to create a pleasant walking and bicycling route on 98th Street between the sprawling new Greenbridge housing development and the White Center business district. A study by King County discovered that people who live in "walkable" communities are healthier. The county received money from the state for the corridor improvements.

At the most recent open house, held at White Center Heights Elementary School, architects from the firm Mithun presented suggestions previously gleaned from the public. Architects stressed that design of the corridor is a work in progress. All ideas are still preliminary.

Roxbury Street runs parallel to 98th Street a couple of blocks north. Although Roxbury Street is fine for cars, its sidewalks are not exactly brimming with pedestrians. The busy arterial street is not inviting to walkers, runners or bicyclists.

The terrain at the western end of the 98th Street corridor, in the business district, is flat. Walking east from 14th Avenue, the land rises and crests at 13th Avenue. From there, 98th Street descends, ends and curves northward into 12th Avenue.

East of 12th Avenue is the White Center Ponds Natural Area. It includes a string of small ponds populated by mallard ducks. The drakes, with their iridescent black-green heads, paddle around the ponds accompanied by brown hens.

Just east of the ponds area, a formidable hill rises upward to the edge of the Greenbridge development. That hill is proving to be one of the most challenging design problems of the corridor.

In late November, King County officials gathered ideas from the public for making 98th Street more appealing to pedestrians and bicyclists. Architects presented ideas collected at that meeting and listened to new suggestions at the Jan. 9 open house.

Drawings of the planned pedestrian corridor showed sidewalks would be about 18 feet wide and include special paving.

More street trees and other landscaping could be planted in the new corridor. Some people suggested building plazas, overlooks of the ponds, areas for public seating and other amenities to make 98th Street more appealing.

Some people previously suggested public art be included. Perhaps some kind of "vertical landmark" could be installed near 12th Avenue.

There could be a community plaza platform near 13th Avenue.

The corridor also could have signs showing the way to the business district.

Curbside parking would be allowed at the western half of the 98th Street corridor near the business district. There could be restricted parking at the eastern end of the corridor as it approaches 12th Avenue.

Besides the stores and restaurants occupying buildings in downtown White Center, some people also want to encourage the taco trucks to stay.

The architects recommend installing a natural drainage system along the four-block corridor, similar to what's being done as part of the makeover of High Point in West Seattle. Grassy swales and deep, compost-enriched soils could help drain rainfall from the street and into the ground.

Some people think 98th Street would be a good place to build townhouses and artist lofts, but housing is not part of this proposal.

King County aims to apply for money in April to build the corridor. Construction is scheduled for next year.

Tim St. Clair can be contacted at tstclair@robinsonnews.com or 932-0300.