CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES OF BUSINESS MEETING
Monday, May 14, 2007 - 7:30 PM
Shoreline Conference Center
Mt. Rainier Room
PRESENT: Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, Councilmember Gustafson, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember McGlashan, Councilmember Ryu, and Councilmember Way
ABSENT: None
|
1. |
At 7:33 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Ransom, who presided.
|
2. |
Mayor Ransom led the flag salute. Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.
|
|
(a) Proclamation of "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month" |
Mayor Ransom read the proclamation recognizing the month of May as "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month." Shoreline residents Lola Oh and Fred and Christine Chou accepted the proclamation and thanked the City for this recognition.
Fred Chou said that Shoreline has matured since its incorporation in 1995 into a very livable City, and he is proud of it and the community. He commented that Asian Pacific Americans must remember their forefathers contribution to great nation. Furthermore, he stated that each of us should try our best to make a difference and leave a legacy for future generations. He thanked the City for the recognizing Asian Pacific American heritage and its community here in Shoreline.
|
3. |
Robert Olander, City Manager, discussed the Off-Leash Dog Park Study Group. He announced that the City is seeking volunteers for the group and applications are due to the Parks Project Manager by Friday, June 8. The City is sponsoring an Interurban Trail Bike Station on May 18 from 6:00 - 9:00 am. The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a small business forum on May 19 from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at the Richmond Masonic Center at 753 N. 185th Street. On May 21 there will be a meeting concerning the proposed lighting for tennis courts at the Shoreline Center. There will be a second meeting on May 24 at 6:00 pm at the Spartan Recreation Center in the Cascade Room. King County Metro will be hosting a community meeting concerning the Brightwater Treatment System on May 22 at the Richmond Beach Library from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The next Planning Commission meeting is May 17 at 7:00 pm in the Mt. Rainier Room. Finally, he said the next 2010 Speaker Series session will be held May 24 at 7:00 pm in the Mt. Rainier Room with Mr. Ron Sher the CEO of Third Place Books. Mr. Sher will be discussing community gathering places.
|
4. |
Mayor Ransom commented that he attended the SeaShore meeting on Wednesday, and King County Executive Ron Sims indicated that one city bidding in more than one jurisdiction would be prohibited. He noted that SeaShore would be voting for officers soon. He added that the Suburban Cities Association (SCA) Public Issues committee postponed the vote on Medic One. He stated that King County is pushing for a levy lid lift instead, and SCA will bring back additional data about costs and effects next month.
|
5. |
(a) Dale Wright, Shoreline, on behalf of Vision Aurora, discussed the cost for the first 1.2 miles of the Aurora Corridor Project. He outlined that the amount for the project including utilities was $31.7 million. He added that the utility firms pay $5.3 million in utility costs, leaving a balance of $26.4 million. He continued detailing the cost breakdown and concluded that the City spent $2.9 million on a $31.7 million project, which represents a 993% return on investment. He contrasted that if the City had spend the same funds on sidewalks there would only have been able to install 1.8 miles of sidewalk on one side of the street or 0.9 miles on both sides. He urged the Council not to reduce the scope of the project, but continue to move forward with the original vision for Aurora Avenue.
(b) Judy Allen, Shoreline, said 600 people attended the Council meeting in January 2006 and were concerned about integrity and ethics in Shoreline. She said Councilmembers are not voting for the best interests of the City but for selfish interests. She read an e-mail from Councilmembers to Michael Bolasina and others concerning a proposal to hire George Mauer as the city manager. She commented that this information is a matter of public record which can be found at www.wakeupshoreline.com. She asked Mr. Olander how much money has been spent to defend this type of attitude. She noted that a Key Award was given to Beth and Doug O’Neill by the Washington Coalition for Open Government. She asked the public to support Benefit Shoreline events on May 18 and June 23.
(c) David Hiller, Advocacy Director of the Cascade Bicycle Club (CBC), said he was speaking on behalf of over 300 CBC members residing in Shoreline and the 8,000 members overall. He discussed the Complete Streets presentation and said the public right-of-way should satisfy the needs of all the public. 15th Avenue is an exercise in providing a safer environment, and every peer-reviewed academic study has shown a decrease in injury accidents in a three-lane environment. He added that if the capacity is increased on 15th Avenue the road will be less safe.
(d) Dennis Heller, Shoreline, thanked the City for the Bike-to-Work station. He also thanked the present and past Shoreline Councilmembers for the bicycle trail along the first 1.2 miles of Aurora Avenue. He noted that the trail is easily accessed from Aurora Avenue, and he hoped the trail would be around for next 50 - 60 years. He urged the Council to move forward with the Aurora Corridor project as Mr. Wright outlined.
Mr. Olander said the legal
defense costs will be provided to Ms. Allen.
Councilmember Ryu wanted to know what Ms. Beth O’Neill
had the City staff doing and how much time it took. Mr. Olander
said he would be glad to forward that information to the Council.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked the City Attorney to announce the outcome of
the legal cases discussed.
Ian Sievers, City Attorney, responded that the O’Neill matter was heard
in Superior Court and their claim was dismissed. He said an appeal
was filed and she has been given until May 24 to file a brief on the appeal.
Deputy Mayor Fimia added that all records were provided to Ms. O’Neill.
Mr. Sievers also clarified that the City staff doesn't track billable
hours.
Mayor Ransom asked why the
60-block distance from 145th Avenue to 205th Avenue along Aurora is deemed to
be only 1.2 miles when normally one mile is 20 blocks.
Mr. Olander responded that he would find out and report back; however, not
all City blocks are the same length.
Mayor Ransom referred to Mr. Wright’s statement regarding costs for
building 1.8 miles worth of sidewalk. In previous Council meetings
it was discussed that it would take $200 - $225 per lineal foot. He
wondered if Mr. Olander had any comment on this.
Mr. Olander said he doesn't have access to Mr. Wright’s analysis.
He added that it depends on variables such as the cost of concrete.
Mayor Ransom added that the size of the sidewalks on Aurora may be
different size.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked if the
utility costs will be paid by Shoreline ratepayers and not distributed to
the utility companies’ ratepayer base.
Mr. Olander responded that there are a number of utilities involved. He
said Seattle City Light (SCL) will charge Shoreline residents at some
point through their billing process. The other utilities
will spread the amount throughout their entire rate base.
He added that this is a fairly normal procedure. Nonetheless, the City’s ratepayers
will not be charged for undergrounding in Seattle.
Deputy Mayor Fimia pointed out that it isn’t just the $2.9
million but the utility costs for all the electric, and then a portion of
the others that will affect the City’s residents.
|
6. |
Councilmember Gustafson suggested adding item 8(e), YMCA Request for Funding, prior to moving into the executive session.
Councilmember Way wondered if the City staff and the Council are prepared to
discuss the request for funding.
Mr. Olander said two Councilmembers can put it on the agenda for next Monday and it would allow
the City staff to prepare a staff report and recommendation with
alternatives. He said it could be put on a future agenda, perhaps June 4
or June 11.
Councilmember McGlashan requested that the City staff check with Steve
Dunn, noting that it is sponsored by Councilmember Gustafson and himself.
Deputy Mayor Fimia moved approval of the agenda, removing item 7(d) from the agenda and adding an executive session. Councilmember McGlashan seconded the motion, which carried 7-0.
|
7. |
|
|
|
|
Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Fimia, seconded by Councilmember Ryu and carried 7-0, the following items on the Consent Calendar were approved:
(a) Minutes of Workshop Dinner Meeting of April 9, 2007
Minutes of Special Meeting of April 9, 2007
Minutes of Special Meeting of April 19, 2007
Minutes of Workshop Dinner Meeting of April 23, 2007
Minutes of Special Meeting of April 23, 2007
(b) Approval of expenses and payroll as of May 2, 2007 in the amount of $1,438,122.92
(c) Motion to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Discretionary Work Request with King County for the 2007 Road Overlay Program
|
8. |
|
|
Mr. Olander introduced Public Works Director Mark Relph, Operations Manager Jesus Sanchez, and Traffic Engineer Rich Meredith.
Mr. Relph said 15th Avenue has a long history and he wanted to make sure Council has good information to consider.
Mr. Sanchez said they would be presenting the key findings of fact and reviewing snapshots of time to highlight what has transpired over the past two and a half years.
Mr. Meredith discussed the data that was collected and the final findings of the Traffic Study. He said the impacts were measured during all phases of construction. He outlined that the original objectives of the project were to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety in the corridor, to maintain the integrity of arterial and the neighborhood street network, and to accommodate the impacts of a three-lane conversion in the North City Business District north of NE 175th Street. He highlighted that a center turn lane creates more pedestrian crossing opportunities and lowers the accident rate and injuries. He also said that traffic diversions into the neighborhoods, which was a stated concern by some when the project started, did not materialize. He pointed out the data for the study parameters was collected at numerous times (3/03, 2/05, 2/06, 10/06, 2/07) and they attempted to take the measurements at the same time during each day. He said the findings show that the overall speeds have been reduced and there has been a decrease in traffic volumes to 1,339 cars, or 8 percent. He also stated that there have been 3 percent fewer collisions and a 31 percent reduction in injuries in the area. He noted that there was less traffic in the area than there was in 2003, which seems to indicate that some drivers have avoided the entire area. He displayed the measurements of the average weekday traffic volumes, accidents, and reported injuries. He commented that the weekday traffic volume was lower during the time of construction. However, it has rebounded since then, but it is still less than it was in 2003. He noted that public comments indicate there were complaints about peak hour congestion. As a result, the City retimed the lights and reduced travel time by 20-30 seconds through the corridor. In conclusion, he said, based on original assumptions, traffic patterns are as anticipated for this roadway and the City will continue to work on adverse impacts through Neighborhood Traffic Action Plans (NTAP). The next steps for this area will be the construction of two or three traffic islands and to continue implementing traffic calming devices through the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSP) and NTAP.
Mayor Ransom called for public comment.
(a) Dennis Heller, Shoreline, submitted a letter from his neighbor, who advocated against any restriping on 15th Avenue NE. He said he has been a resident for 15 years and for most of that time he has been a bicycle commuter. He said he is a member of the Cascade Bicycle Club and the Bicycle Alliance. During his commute he said he saw a "road diet program" in Seattle and it made a big difference on Phinney Ridge. He said he is happy that Shoreline has implemented such a program and congratulated staff for the study and the results. He said he spoke to Councilmembers about this and hopes for a unanimous vote not to restripe 15th Avenue NE to four lanes.
(b) Chris Eggen, Shoreline, said he resides in Ridgecrest, which is two blocks from 15th Avenue NE. He stated that he and his neighbors oppose three lanes on the 15th Avenue corridor. He noted that the problem is people speeding down 12th Avenue NE during peak hours. Additionally, he said there is a noticeable increase of traffic on 5th and 8th Avenues. He noted that the neighbors in the area avoid 15th Avenue, and it may have impacted recovery of businesses in North City. He said the only issue in the neighborhood is peak hour traffic. He wondered if this is such a good solution, why isn’t this configuration considered for Richmond Beach Way? He said it was voted down because there were Richmond Beach Councilmembers on the Council at the time it came to a vote.
Councilmember Gustafson asked
about the improved signal coordination and the reduction in traffic
flow time by 20-30 seconds between 155th Avenue and 180th Avenue North. He wondered if there is any information pertaining to bicycle
traffic prior to the reconfiguration. He also inquired if traffic will
continue to increase, and asked about improving bus traffic through having
turnouts and similar traffic devices. He wanted to know if
there were any plans in the future to resolve bus issues.
Mr. Meredith confirmed the data and said the traffic light timing change
was implemented in February. He noted that the data wasn’t kept
prior to reconfiguration but there is an average of 35 to 85 bikes on that
corridor each day. Mr. Meredith said the City should expect to see a
slight increase because the flow has been improved. He guessed that there
should be a higher traffic count than what the count was
in February. He pointed out that the City doesn’t have
the right-of-way space to build bus pullouts. He added that the
average bus stops for 20-30 seconds, and if a bus pulls over to the curb there
is room for vehicles to pass.
Councilmember Gustafson asked the Council whether the primary need
on the 15th Avenue corridor is to move high volumes of traffic or improve
safety for motorists and pedestrians. He questioned if the Council is
going to yield to those who want to increase traffic flow. He said studies
have shown that three traffic lanes create a sense of community, enhances
pedestrian safety, eliminates multiple threats, calms traffic, improves access
to adjacent properties, provides a safe commercial zone,
decreases collisions and injuries, reduces speeds, lower traffic
volumes, and increases safety. He added that three traffic lanes
also improve intersection visibility and help with emergency vehicle
pass through. He added that islands would also make the corridor
safer. He pointed out that three lanes also accommodates elderly
drivers better, noting that Shoreline’s elderly population
is increasing. The City of Kirkland won’t construct four
lane streets, and the City of Redmond is doing the same thing, he said.
There are many other cities moving from four to three lanes. He concluded
that he would like to see that occur on 175th Avenue to 195th Avenue and the entire corridor.
Councilmember Way asked if there was any data from 2007 on accidents,
speeds and volumes.
Mr. Meredith said the speed and volume data was collected in
February 2007 and there is some accident data from 2007 but he
doesn’t have any accident data prior to 2001. He added that since
he didn’t have any historical data the latest accident data he presented
was from December 2006.
Councilmember Way noted that Meridian Avenue wasn’t included in
the traffic studies. She felt that if drivers aren’t using the 15th Avenue corridor they must be using Meridian and other streets.
Mr. Sanchez agreed, noting that staff looked at Meridian, I-5, and other
streets.
Councilmember Way added that since the businesses notice volumes are not the
same as back in 2003, there has been an impact. She said
it seems that the goal shouldn’t be to increase speeds; they
need to be lowered to get people into the corridor and utilize
the businesses. She added that the route is a north-to-south arterial,
which benefits the City. She said the goal should be to provide
opportunities for people to use the corridor safely through bike and
pedestrian enhancements. She asked what the law was concerning buses
pulling over or vehicles passing a transit bus.
Mr. Meredith responded that vehicles can’t lawfully use the center lane
to pass, and that’s why the City opted to widen the center lane
and narrow the turn lane.
Deputy Mayor Fimia pointed out that the state law says vehicles must yield to the buses that pull out into traffic.
Councilmember Way felt that 10th Avenue NE could accommodate bike
lanes much safer. She inquired if there are plans to do that.
Mr. Meredith said there are no plans to stripe bike lanes on 10th Avenue NE. However, he said there have been lots of changes on 10th Avenue NE to include reducing the speed limit to 25 miles per hour and adding a traffic
circle. He encouraged bikes on 10th Avenue NE, but
it isn’t getting bike lanes. He added that 15th Avenue NE frequently
has several commuter cyclists on it because it has few stops and is
so attractive. On the other hand, 10th Avenue NE has crossings
and stop signs, he said.
Councilmember Way said 10th Avenue NE seems like it provides
opportunities to go up to 185th Street NE and west to Richmond Beach. She added that there are some Cascade Bike Club (CBC) members who say that it’s
a good route. She felt it is an obvious choice to work on.
Mr. Meredith commented that he would rather use 10th Avenue NE
rather than 15th because it is calmer. He said he would like to
create a bicycle map.
Councilmember Way supported the idea of a bicycling map. She
addressed speeds near some of the school zones. She encouraged
slower speeds and said there have been modest improvements in speeds and
accidents. She hoped the City can keep the numbers down if
traffic volumes increase.
Mr. Meredith noted that he measured from 2003 to 2006, and 2004
to 2006 should be lower by 30% than the numbers reported in 2001.
Councilmember Way concurred with his assessment.
Councilmember Hansen concurred with Councilmember Gustafson’s comments. He pointed out that he led the fight against turning 185th Street into three lanes. However, he said he was wrong and since the conversion to three lanes the area is much safer. Speeds on a four lane street are increased because they provide the opportunity for cars to go a lot faster. Three lanes, he said, help control the speed and provide for easier access to get on and off of 15th Avenue NE. He said the physics concerning this are clear, and you have to ignore the statistics in order to support a four lane road.
Councilmember Ryu noted that there
are two Counclmembers in support of changing Richmond Beach Road to
three lanes, but she doesn’t share that opinion. She concurred
with Councilmember Way and stated the City should look at alternative bike routes.
She felt bicyclists are able to find alternate routes to 15th Avenue
NE. She noted that the City has lost over 1,400 vehicle trips per
day and only gained about 35 to 85 bikes per day. She asked to
see the overall collision graphic that reflected accidents up to the
4th quarter of 2006. She noted that the difference in
collisions from previous years is getting narrower, and she would like to see
the numbers in 2007. She felt it would make more sense to take into
consideration the accident rate, which is the industry standard.
She asked when the accidents occurred, and where they correlated with peak
traffic times. She added that the businesses have contacted the City
about this. She said Frank Lumber reported that most business
occurs in the afternoon, and there has been a reduction in evening volume
on 15th Avenue NE. She added that this business is not rebounding as
much as they thought it would as result of construction. She asked if
there have been any businesses that have closed in North City. She highlighted that the examples in Kirkland impressed her, but there are
some existing four lane roads and it is great to see they’re willing
to meet the community’s needs. She expressed concern about using a
center turn lane as a passing lane. She noted that if a center island is
added, then it becomes a two lane road. She questioned how something like
this would impact volumes. She asked how someone would pass a bus if
it is blocking as it travels up 15th Avenue.
Mr. Meredith said the City staff have identified three locations for
islands. Islands, he noted, prevent people from driving the entire length
of the center turn lane. He added that they shouldn’t
interfere with turning movements, driveways, or bus stops.
Councilmember Ryu asked how emergency vehicles are expected to pass a
bus that’s blocking the road.
Mr. Meredith said there won’t be islands next to bus stops, and if
an emergency vehicle needed the center turn lane they’d have to get
around. Hopefully vehicles will pull over like they’re supposed to.
Councilmember Hansen noted that emergency vehicles go through on the wrong side
of the street if necessary.
Councilmember McGlashan asked if
bicycles trip the vehicle counters. He also asked why there were not studies
done during the summer months.
Mr. Meredith said they do trip the vehicle counters and that they are
registered in the system as bicycles. He said studies were done on 170th Street NE. The studies were taken during the school session because traffic
volumes are significantly impacted when school is in session.
Councilmember McGlashan asked if the City has contacted Metro about the
bus issues.
Mr. Meredith responded that the City staff has discussed it with them.
Councilmember McGlashan discussed turning Richmond Beach into three lanes
and asked if there was a comparison done between North City and Richmond Beach.
Mr. Meredith said Richmond Beach carries the same amount of traffic until 8th Avenue. He noted that Richmond Beach Road and 3rd Avenue has a high accident
rate, but there hasn’t been any specific analysis explaining the reason.
Councilmember McGlashan supported keeping the North City corridor three
lanes because he said it is safer, there is less traffic, reduced
accidents, slower speeds, and the bike lanes give a four to five foot
buffer. On the other hand, he said, if there is a change to four lanes,
citizens have to step into road to check their mailboxes. He commented
that Martin Luther King Way in Everett is safer because it was
revised to three lanes. He agreed with having bike routes, noting that if
bikes have to “zigzag,” then cyclists will get back into
their cars. He pointed out that Frank Lumber is a proponent of four
lanes, but he bought more property on 15th Avenue, so he obviously sees a
value there. He said the City should look at more bike lanes. He
noted that 15th Avenue is becoming more congested and the City isn't doing
what is needed to get people to use alternatives. He pointed out that if
bike lanes are taken away then people will get back in cars.
Deputy Mayor Fimia commented that
when there’s still so much controversy regarding an item, it means
there’s still room to improve it. She said the peak hour
traffic volumes are going somewhere else and it looks like it is moving
into the neighborhoods. She noted that there is 34% more volume on
5th Avenue NE, 82% more on 8th Avenue NE, 10% more on 10th Avenue NE, and 9%
more on 25th Avenue. She commented that if traffic calming drives traffic
back to 15th Avenue, then we’ll get more congestion. She noted that
pedestrians don’t feel safe on 15th Avenue NE and there needs to be
more aggressive speed enforcement. She suggested lowering the speed
limit to 30 mph. She added that fewer cars hurt the
businesses and there needs to be some quantitative data from these
businesses reviewed. She said it doesn’t make sense to fix one
problem and create another. Reducing 15th Avenue to 30 mph would accommodate
bicyclists better, noting she would like other corridors to
accommodate non-commute bicyclists. She added that she is not convinced
that a road diet is the best answer. She wondered why another lane on 155th Avenue was added, which made it wider and less safe for pedestrians. She urged
the Council to be consistent and not make a rule that the City reduces
every road. She pointed out that there is not an increase in
pedestrians in the corridor, and speeds are still too high. The City
of Kirkland, she commented, had creative solutions to meet all the
demands. She directed the City staff to come back with options. She
highlighted there are possibly three projects and properties that may be
developed in the next five or ten years. Growth in this corridor must be
considered, she concluded.
Mayor Ransom commented that the City’s Public Works Department “sold” the Council on the three lane project. He said there were comparisons made with Seattle which has bus turnouts, but we don’t. He called attention to the references made to the City of Kirkland and their lanes, which were two lanes going one way, a two-way left turn lane, and one lane going the other direction, which is a clear difference from our three-lane road configuration. He noted that there was a site in Kirkland, which was in the middle of nowhere, that has three lanes in the style of 15th Avenue NE, but seeing it didn’t accomplish anything. He said he strongly disagreed with the statistical conclusions that were conveyed to the Council. The traffic volume has dropped significantly at 175th Street and 15th Avenue NE, from 22,000 to 17,000 vehicles per day, and there is a difference in collisions. He noted that prior to construction, there was an average of eight to nine collisions, and approximately the same after construction. The traffic engineer concluded that there wasn’t a major drop in accidents from pre to post construction. After the North City construction there was a further decrease. He concluded there was no major drop in accidents from pre to post construction. Additionally, Mayor Ransom said there is no major difference in the collisions. He said the conclusions presented were grossly incorrect, as there has been no major decrease in accidents or personal injuries by scientific standards. He added that the sample of personal injuries was too small, and while there is a suggestion or tendency in personal injuries, the difference is random, or “beta” error. It is not statistically significant. Mayor Ransom asked staff to display the slide showing personal injuries. He pointed out that the personal injuries over an 18-month period with 5 studies each, averaged 6 before the lanes changes, 5 after the lane changes, and 4 after the North City work was going on. The 30% reduction referred to by staff was this decrease from 6, to 5, to 4. These small samples are not statistically significant but only reveal a trend, or suggestion, he concluded.
Concerning public sentiment, Mayor Ransom stated there were over 1,500 letters in support of four lanes, with only 150 supporting three lanes. He said he received over 150 personal phone calls from residents that wanted four lanes, and only 30 phone calls from people who wanted three lanes. He said he also went door-to-door and talked to people west of 15th Avenue NE, and they did not want the four lanes by a clear majority. He encouraged the Council to support four lanes, as there is no significant statistical difference between having three or four lanes on 15th Avenue NE.
Deputy Mayor Fimia suggested the
Council ask staff to come back with alternatives on how to do different
configurations on 15th Avenue NE to reduce speeds and neighborhood
impacts. She also asked for the City staff to take into consideration the
need for bicycle access and usage in the corridor. Additionally, she
said the City staff should discuss with Metro how to ensure the
bus system isn’t affected by any of the proposed
configurations. She added that the City has to make all of
this work, and asked if it is possible to bring this back to the Council
on June 18th.
Mr. Relph said it is possible and the staff can come back with a proposal
in June.
Deputy Mayor Fimia added that the recommendation was also to see what
a four lane corridor would look like. She added that the
Council needs several options, including an option for a four lane road if safety
can be maintained.
Mr. Olander commented that the corridor can always be better, and there
will always be differences in how statistics are interpreted. He said a
major factor is the severity of accidents, and he rejected the characterization
that the Public Works department “sold” this to the
Council. He added that the City staff recommended this with no false
pretenses and made the Council aware of the advantages and disadvantages.
He felt that June would be too soon to return to Council with options.
Mr. Relph said more time would be appreciated because this is a difficult
issue. He added that more time would help with being able to look
into better options.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said the Council needed to get a clear understanding of
the problems. She suggested the Council and staff come up with
problem list.
Mayor Ransom commented that there is a majority that feels 15th
Avenue should revert back to four lanes. Deputy Mayor Fimia noted that
this is not an action item. Mayor Ransom said he is asking whether
there is agreement to reconfigure 15th Avenue to four lanes.
Councilmember Ryu asked if the City has ever had a four lane corridor where the inside lanes are pass through lanes and the outside lanes are different. She encouraged thinking about the right lane being the bus and bicycle lane. The passing lane would be on the far left.
Councilmember Gustafson noted that the City staff has worked on this for four to five years and they have come forward with a valid recommendation. He added that the City staff has more expertise on this subject then the entire Council does. He noted that this item was for information only, not scheduled for action. He said the Council should allow the City staff to do what they need to do. He said the decision should be made to leave it at three lanes and all the reasons are there.
Councilmember McGlashan referred to the City of Kirkland street and said it isn't quite a four lane road. He said he is not a statistician, but the trends are good. He said with four lanes there have been fatalities, but there have not been any with three lanes.
Councilmember Way believed the staff has done an excellent job over the
years, but would like to see more work on all the options because the public in
the neighborhood deserves the City staff’s expertise. She
added that the traffic increases on 25th Avenue NE and the traffic
decrease on 24th Avenue NE is an interesting anomaly.
Mr. Meredith said the City had an increase in traffic on 175th Avenue NE between I-5 and 15th Avenue NE and an increase through the North City
Business District before construction. He interpreted that drivers
were staying on I-5 and getting off on 175th and into the business
district. Since project end, he commented, alternate routes have
been taken, and that is probably why there is a drop in traffic
numbers on 24th Avenue NE.
Councilmember Way expressed concerns because this is close to
schools. She commented that cut-through traffic is perceived as the
problem by the residents.
Mr. Olander noted that it is important to remember that even before we changed to three lanes, cut-through traffic was a problem. He said that there will always be some, but the City is making good progress in addressing the problem. He noted that this is happening all over the region. Additionally, it will take time to get good information on the alternate concepts. Modeling, he said, will give reasonable estimates but it depends on the level of detail. Nonetheless, he clarified that the City needs to do it right.
Mayor Ransom said his
position is that if a clear majority of the public wants four lanes, the
Council should give it to them regardless of what the studies show.
Mr. Olander asked the Council to have the City staff prepare a concept
paper concerning what the alternatives might be and bring it back to the
Council in three to four weeks.
Deputy Mayor Fimia reiterated that
there needs to be a statement list of problems which can be done
rationally. She translated that the City needs to determine what is
still not working and how to achieve the original goals. She said
she would like to hear from the Council, City staff, and from the
community. She suggested a targeted survey to that whole study area.
Mr. Olander said the City staff can bring that back to the Council.
Councilmember Hansen commented that he has taught statistics to businesses and the 30.9% drop is significant. He added that Councilmember McGlashan’s point about no fatalities in the three-lane configuration is important. He said the City’s liability will be a lot higher if there is a fatality and the City has such clear statistics showing the three-lane road is much safer. He was concerned about who will take responsibility if the City builds a four lane road and someone is killed.
|
9. |
Councilmember Hansen moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion, which carried 7-0.
At 9:58 p.m., Mayor Ransom declared the meeting adjourned.
/S/ Scott Passey, City Clerk, CMC