[nfbwatlk] Seattle-3rd Avenue imput sought by City, Metro

[Marci Carpenter]

I thought that some on this list might want to attend some of these events.

Marci

Join us on Third Avenue

Last fall you helped us create a list of potential improvements to Third Avenue. Next week, we invite you to meet us on the street to hear about design updates and share your thoughts:

Monday, August 31 – 3-6 p.m. on Third Avenue between Battery and Bell streets
Wednesday, September 2  – 3-6 p.m. on Third Avenue between Pike and Union streets
Thursday, September 3 – 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Third Avenue between Yesler Way and S Washington Street
Third Avenue is downtown Seattle’s most heavily used transit corridor. More than 2,500 buses travel the corridor every weekday and about 42,000 people board at bus stops on the corridor each day.Thousands of visitors, workers, shoppers and area residents also use Third Avenue daily.

To help create a positive and inviting environment for transit users and pedestrians, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and King County Metro Transit are working together to make the corridor an inviting, accommodating, safe and attractive place where people want to be. 

The Third Avenue Transit Corridor Improvements Project will complement and be coordinated with the many other improvement projects underway in the downtown area.

Project Updates

August 5, 2015

3rd Avenue Pike to Pine sidewalk & transit improvements nearing completion

Sidewalk and transit improvements begun in the spring along both sides of 3rd Avenue between Pike and Pine streets, as well as on Pine Street between 3rd and 4th avenues, are almost complete.

The temporary construction barriers on the sidewalk of the 1500 block of 3rd Ave (Pike-Pine) have been removed, restoring full access to the sidewalk. 
The new "flexible loading zone" on the southbound (west) side of the street has been completed a week ahead of schedule and is in use.  The loading zone accommodates business deliveries and temporary parking during off-peak hours, while expanding bus transit load capacity during peak hours.
Pine Street between 3rd and 4th avenues has been restriped, creating 10 new back-in, on-street parking spaces, a commercial load zone, and 24-hour police parking. 
During construction, the City also trimmed the street trees and improved the tree wells, upgraded the street lights with new LED lamps, and cleaned the pedestrian areas for a safer and more enjoyable pedestrian experience.
The project has been designed to improve the operational efficiency and commuter experience at these very heavily used bus stops, while improving also safety.  

This work was coordinated closely with the City's "9 ½ Block Strategy," a safety initiative which SDOT supported through modifications to the physical environment.  

SDOT and Metro are planning on keeping transit service at the temporary zones on Third between Pike and Union until the September service change on September 26th.