Neighbors working together to bring sidewalks to Evanston Avenue North between North 90th and North 92nd streets will have their second Greenwood Streetscapes workshop on Sunday. The meeting is from 4:30-6 p.m. Sunday at Liz Sullivan & Helene Bourget’s house, 9053 Evanston Ave. N.

We had our first workshop on this block on October 21st…In case you missed that last one, another introductory Greenwood Streetscapes workshop is coming up on Nov 21st. Your opinion is essential to this effort. Please mark your calendar and join us to learn about your street right of way and give your input to this Block Study.

Together we can look at a block map, discuss a typical street configuration and receive your comments so that the Block Plan (to be developed in January) responds to all neighbors’ interests and concerns about pedestrian safety, parking, drainage and more.

If you have any questions, please contact your neighbor:
Crystal Perry, 9042 Evanston Ave N, c_perry@msn.com, 781-9727

The Seattle Department of Transportation today activated the new traffic signal at the intersection of Fremont Avenue North and North 105th Street. The signal was installed because the intersection is on the Interurban Bike Route.

The improved four-lane arterial crossing, which also helps pedestrians move across a busy roadway, completes signal upgrades for the bike route identified in the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) and ends the need to detour to a signal two blocks west.

Here’s what the intersection looked like when SDOT was just starting the signal work in July.

The new traffic signal is a significant enhancement to the Interurban North signed bicycle route that connects downtown Seattle to Everett via Fremont Ave N before transitioning to the Interurban Trail. Similar signals already exist along the route at N 80th and N 85th streets. Bicyclists and pedestrians will be permitted to continue straight along the route, while motorists on Fremont Ave N will be directed to turn right or left from the signal, restricting the straight through movement.

Other than the section of trail between N 110th and N 128th streets, the Interurban Trail in Seattle utilizes residential streets. It is identified in the BMP as a designated bicycle boulevard, a route that prioritizes bicycle travel by using a variety of design elements such as improved intersection crossings.

Seattle Department of Transportation crews started work this morning on the new crosswalk across 8th Avenue NW and NW 73rd St. Here they’re creating a new curbcut that will make it easier for wheelchairs and strollers.

Nearby residents have long complained about the safety of crossing 8th Avenue NW, because NW 73rd St. is offset by about 100 feet from the east and west sides of 8th, making it appear that you’re crossing mid-block instead of at the corner.

An SDOT survey found that nearly 30 people cross at that intersection during peak commute times, to reach the number 28 bus stops on either side. Children from several nearby daycares and a preschool also use that intersection frequently.

The new marked crosswalk will include one new curb ramp on the east side of 8th Avenue NW, and two new curb ramps on the west side.

New pedestrian crossing signs will be installed, as well as “No Parking within 30 feet” parking restriction signs. SDOT estimates the work will last a maximum of five days.

Our sister site Maple Leaf Life is reporting that last night’s Seattle Night Out could have been the last one, due to budget cuts. Here’s the full story from Maple Leaf Life:

By Mike Ullman, Maple Leaf Life

Wednesday evening thousands of Seattle residents joined in the giant block party that is National Night Out against crime. Our news partners The Seattle Times reports more than 1,000 blocks in the city celebrated.

It might be for the last time.

Night Out in Seattle is a function of the city’s six civilian crime prevention coordinators, who work directly with the neighborhoods but could see their positions axed, as we reported earlier.

Seattle faces a multi-million dollar budget shortage, and the six, including North Precinct coordinators Diane Horswill and Neil Hansen, have been told they’ll lose their jobs next spring when grant money runs out.

Today Marc Phillips, president of the Maple Leaf Community Council, let us know that “this is likely the last year (for Night Out) due to budget cuts.”

Horswill confirms: “I think it is important for neighbors to know that the services we provide including block watch, community meetings, security consultations, personal safety and Night Out will be gone,” she e-mailed today.

“Although the budget won’t be official until late Fall we (Crime Prevention Coordinators) were told that the 3-year-grant that we have been working under for the past year or so will be applied to other positions/programs as of 3/31/2011.”

The crime prevention coordinators do the time-consuming administrative work of orchestrating the neighborhood programs under their city contract, in addition to working directly with residents doing everything from setting up block watches to going door to door to warn about recent crimes. They were part of the police budget up until last October, when the positions were funded with the federal grant money.

“We’re encouraging folks to contact the mayor, Councilperson Burgess, and Chief Diaz to fund this vital service,” Phillips said.

Greenwood Streetscapes is holding a “Field Day” from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 12, to conduct field surveys and brainstorm ideas for sidewalk-less blocks in north Greenwood. The group is using a grant from the City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund to help build sidewalks and safer “streetscapes” to connect the neighborhoods north of 85th Street.

If you’d like to help out on Field Day, meet in the parking lot of the new Greenwood Food Bank, 9041 Greenwood Ave. N. For more information, email Jim Jackson or call 617-3970, or Kate Martin at 579-3703.

In the Seattle Times’ Bumper to Bumper column today, a neighborhood resident asked why there’s no left-turn arrows from N. 80th St. onto Greenwood Avenue, and from Phinney Ave. N. east onto N. 65th St., two of the busiest intersections in the neighborhood.

Seattle Department of Transportation explains in the column that a left-turn arrow will be installed at N. 80th and Greenwood Avenue, but not until next year. And SDOT says the Phinney and 65th intersection doesn’t meet standards for a dedicated left-turn signal.

Read the full column here.

A Seattle city street crew is installing rubber “speed cushions” on NW 73rd Street today. This one is going in just east of 2nd Avenue NW.

A second row of cushions will go in a couple blocks to the east. The crew will be back Monday to complete the job, because some homeowners apparently didn’t know about the work and didn’t move their cars.

At some later date a concrete traffic island will also be installed at the intersection with 1st Avenue NW.

According to the city’s Web site, speed cushions are used on arterial streets and non-arterial streets commonly used by emergency vehicles which have a wider wheelbase that can straddle the humps. This stretch of 73rd is commonly used by nearby Fire Station 21.

A group of street residents have been lobbying the city for some time for traffic calming measures to slow the speed of traffic on North and Northwest 73rd between Greenwood Avenue and 3rd Avenue NW.

The faded crosswalk lines at the offset intersection of NW 73rd St. across 8th Ave. NW show that there once was a safer way to cross that busy road. And soon there will be a new crosswalk to help pedestrians get to the #28 bus stop on either side of 8th Ave. NW.

You can see that NW 73rd St. doesn’t line up on either side of 8th Ave. NW. (That’s the other side of 73rd waaayyy in the back of this photo.)

A neighbor who lives on NW 73rd St. contacted Seattle Department of Transportation about the issue recently, and just received this reply from Jim Curtin, SDOT’s Community Traffic Liaison.

I recently received the pedestrian volume data for the offset intersection of NW 73rd St and 8th Ave NW. Our count found that more than 25 pedestrians cross 8th NW per hour during peak commute times. As a result, we will mark a crosswalk across 8th Ave NW.

The likely location of the new crosswalk will be between the two legs of NW 73rd St. This location provides the best sight lines for both drivers and pedestrians and would not trigger new parking restrictions. The new facility will include pedestrian crossing signage at the crosswalk as well as advanced warning signs for northbound and southbound traffic on 8th Ave NW. In addition, stop bars with “stop here for pedestrians” signs will be installed to provide additional guidance for drivers.

I am currently working with staff to identify funding for the construction of new curb ramps that would accompany this new marked crosswalk. The absence of curb ramps does not preclude the installation of the new crosswalk, however, I would like to ensure that this facility is fully accessible. I should have more information in early January.

Here are the remnants of a crosswalk that was once here.

(Full disclosure: We cross at that intersection several times a week while walking the PhinneyWood Kid to preschool. We even bought our own bright yellow safety flag to help make the crossing a little safer. But because NW 73rd St. is offset on either side of 8th Ave. NW, no matter where you cross, it looks like you’re either starting or ending in the middle of the block and not at the true intersection, leading some drivers to give you the stink eye.)

We’re still catching up on a slew of information that’s come in to our inbox lately, so here’s a roundup:

Due to tough economic times, Woodland Park Zoo is laying off some staff and closing the Nocturnal House.

We understand how popular this indoor exhibit is to our millions of visitors and how many of you will be disappointed, for where else can you get up close with creatures of the night. However, budget constraints force us to operate with a smaller overall staff. After reviewing the entire zoo operation, we elected to close this exhibit. It is an older building that is expensive to operate, and we can move some of the animals to other exhibits in the zoo. Because this exhibit is our highest energy user, closing it will allow significant savings and help us to achieve our goals of sustainability and carbon reduction. Over the next few years, we will examine how to remodel and retrofit the building so that it can be operated efficiently.

The good news is you can catch many of the zoo’s animals celebrating the holidays at the zoo’s Winter Celebration, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 28-30.

Grizzlies, otters, elephants, and more will play with holiday-themed treats such as wreaths trimmed with fish or assorted fruit, evergreen trees with ornamental fruit or wrapped boxes containing favorite snacks.

(WPZ photo by Ryan Hawk.)

And the zoo’s 2010 Annual Plan is on their website, and awaiting public comments through Jan. 4.

8 Limbs Yoga opened in Phinney Ridge on Thanksgiving Day with a benefit class that raised $1,300 for Solid Ground. Owner Anne Phyfe Palmer tells us that 67 people worked out mat-to-mat on that first day. (8 Limbs Yoga is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

A reminder to be careful driving through the neighborhood, especially around schools. Diana sent us a note today saying she saw a car run a red light at the intersection of Greenwood and 80th today. The driver was holding a cup of coffee and obviously in a hurry. There are always a lot of children around that intersection, as both Greenwood Elementary and St. John’s Catholic School are right there. So, please slow down.

The Ballard branch of HomeStreet Bank has dedicated its annual Giving Tree to the victims of the Greenwood arsons. The bank is collecting gifts from their wish lists. The branch is at 8050 15th Ave. NW.

Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors (GAIN) is expanding north of Greenwood to Broadview. The new GAIN Broadview group aims to bring together neighbors from 105th to 130th and Aurora to Greenwod, for regular community walks to be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood.

Susan would like to remind drivers to be extra cautious while driving on streets without sidewalks.

In the past few weeks I seem to continually be faced with morning drivers who refuse to move over the (non-existent) “center line” in order to allow me and my dogs some room on our daily walk. (I generally observe this on Dayton Av, and to a lesser degree on Evanston and the cross streets.) This is deeply disturbing, as it makes me feel my health and safety, and that of my dogs, is at risk each morning. It may be that regular drivers through the neighborhood are driving no differently than they do in the summer months, but I’m putting in a plea to all drivers to please give pedestrians some room, especially at this time of year, because:

1) We have no sidewalks. I would certainly use them if we did. I would love the safety of a sidewalk — and then I wouldn’t be in your way!

2) On summer/dry days it’s easy for pedestrians to move to what I’ll call the “shoulder” (*if* it’s not occupied by a car/ditch/bush as so many are) but on wet days we would more likely than not be stepping directly into a large pothole-puddle or slick patch of mud if we stepped onto the “shoulder”.

3) I’m sure dog walkers are not the only people experiencing this issue, and it must be a lot worse to be trying to push a stroller and/or walk a young child while avoiding drivers who don’t give way on one side and puddles/mud/parked cars on the other.

4) It’s scary when you don’t!

Even though a suspect has been arrested in the Greenwood arsons, community members still plan on conducting safety walks in the neighborhood tonight.

Despite today’s arrest, GAIN (Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors) is going ahead with its organized community walk scheduled for tonight, starting at 7:30pm from the Greenwood Fire Station at 73rd and Greenwood. King 5 has confirmed they will be there, as well as a Battalion Fire Chief and a Police Sergeant. The event is a chance for us to gather as a neighborhood, to show our strength and to continue to be the “eyes and ears” of the community. I hope to see some of you there! We expect the walk to be about an hour.