As the Seattle Department of Transportation determines whether the city's 2009 budget will allow for the repaving of Fauntleroy Way Southwest, the department is exploring the idea of restriping the road to better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.

Between Southwest Alaska Street and California Avenue Southwest, Fauntleroy Way would be restriped so that the existing two-way, four-lane street would have bicycle lanes on both sides with one car lane going in each direction and a two-way, left turn lane in the center. All existing parking will remain.

Bicyclists, like West Seattle resident Dan Jensen, have hesitated to use the roadway in the past. But Jensen says that if bicycle lanes were added he would likely commute across the gradual hill instead of traveling on side streets nearby.

In the past, local community members have expressed a desire for more crosswalks to be added to Fauntleroy Way, which Widstrand says could be included in the project. Pedestrians would certainly have fewer lanes of traffic to cross if the road is restriped.

"Cars don't tend to yield to pedestrians in that area," said Jensen.

The Seattle Department of Transportation will carefully consider how the changes might impact traffic heading towards and from the Fauntleroy Ferry dock.

"We feel the stretch can function pretty well as a three lane section," said Eric Widstrand.

Gary Dawson, a resident of the Fauntleroy community, says he hopes that the changes might help to manage traffic in a slower and safer manner, perhaps by reducing the speed limit to 30 mph.

"We complain chronically down here about speeding traffic on Fauntleroy," said Dawson.

But some local residents have argued that reducing traffic lanes on Fauntleroy could increase congestion caused by cars coming from the Fauntleroy Ferry terminal.

Martha Callard, who lives near the ferry docks, says that it is only when Fauntleroy becomes a four-lane road after crossing California Avenue that congestion begins to break up. She expects that traffic conditions could worsen if a new route from Southworth to Vashon is added, as the state transportation commission is considering.

"We'll never get out of West Seattle," said Callard.

A nearly identical concept was voted down 10 years ago as a part of the Morgan Junction Neighborhood Plan. While it was called a "boulevard concept" in 1998, today, such lane reductions have been analyzed across the country and referred to as "road diets."

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration "road diets" are unlikely to impact traffic congestion on streets with an average of less than 20,000 vehicles. Fauntleroy Way averages approximately 9,000 vehicles each day.

Nonetheless, if the section of Fauntleroy is not repaved, then Widstrand says restriping the street would no longer be a priority for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

The Seattle Department of Transportation will consider community response from the Dec. 1 meeting before determining any future action on the project.

If approved, Widstrand says that the restriping could start in the first half of 2009.

Rose Egge may be reached at 932.0300 or rosee@robinsonnews.com