Greenwood Streetscapes is a group of volunteers helping neighbors work together to get sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Their first block study is of NW 86th to NW 88th streets between 3rd Avenue NW and 6th Avenue NW. The block study workshop is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Northwest Neighborhood Service Center, 8515 Greenwood Ave. N.

Greenwood Streetscapes Volunteer Kate Martin provided this information:

The smallest unit of study that seems to make sense so far is a whole block, all the way around the block, including any shared alley. Alleys seem likely to play a role in streetscape projects and project organization.

The purpose of this first workshop is to share information, provide a forum for discussion, and utilize our professional volunteers as facilitators and scribes in the exchange of information so that blocks can make progress toward whatever streetscape projects they decide to get involved in. It’s a starting point for developing a block plan that you and your neighbors can implement over time.

Please email Kate if you plan to attend.

Other upcoming block study workshops:

Oct. 14: Block bordered by North 95th and 97th Streets, Greenwood Avenue North, Dayton Avenue North. “Special emphasis on making a plan for the undeveloped street end that exists on the wooded slope between Greenwood and Phinney.”

Oct. 21: Four blocks – Evanston Avenue North, North 90th Street to North 92nd Street. “This region includes the N-S oriented long blocks between Phinney Ave N and Dayton Ave N, Dayton Ave N and Evanston Ave N, Evanston Ave N and Fremont Ave N between N 90th St and N 92nd St. including the around the block areas on N 90th and N 92nd.”

Oct. 28: North 101st to 103rd streets, Greenwood Avenue North to Dayton Avenue North.

Seattle Department of Transportation will close one lane of NW 80th Street, between 3rd Avenue NW and 8th Avenue NW, on Friday to perform pavement maintenance work.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. one lane on NW 80th Street will remain open with each direction of traffic taking turns, assisted by traffic flaggers. From 5 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. on Saturday, the street will be open for westbound traffic, and eastbound traffic will be detoured at 8th Avenue NW to NW 85th, returning to NW 80th at 3rd NW.

Seattle Department of Transportation is closing the right-hand, southbound lane on the Alaskan Way Viaduct this week, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today through Wednesday. The lane will be closed from S. Massachusetts St. to S. Holgate St., so that crews may repair a damaged railing. Allow extra time to get through downtown on the Viaduct.

Next Wednesday is the city’s monthly Traffic Safety meeting, and lucky for us, it’s at the Greenwood Library. A number of PhinneyWood readers have expressed concern about what can be done about speeding on residential streets. Attending the Traffic Safety meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Wed., Oct. 21, looks like the best place to start.

The meetings will include a power point presentation, with a brief overview of different traffic calming options, what steps a neighborhood must take to be considered for traffic calming, criteria staff use to prioritize projects, and possible funding sources. Residents will also be trained in the proper use of radar speed guns

If residents want to enroll their street in the traffic calming program, a representative from their street must attend one of these meetings.

Under both state law and the Seattle Municipal Code, the speed limit on our non-arterial streets is 25 mph.

Check out the city’s Traffic Calming website and there’s a ton of information about what people can do to slow down traffic on their street. You can fill out an application to have Seattle Department of Transportation staff assess traffic on your street, learn more about gathering the support of neighbors, and find out how to check out a radar speed gun to track traffic speeds on your street.

If you can’t make this meeting, you can attend any of the monthly meetings in various sectors of the city.

Thanks to Christo for mentioning the meeting in the comments section of an earlier story about a cat killed by a speeding car.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is restricting Greenwood Avenue North from N. 105th to N. 115th streets to just one lane of traffic in each direction starting today. The restriction is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through Friday, Oct. 23.

Parking will be prohibited on both sides of Greenwood Avenue in that 10-block stretch.

SDOT’s contractor will be working in the inside traffic lanes between N 105th and N 112th , saw cutting, and asphalt grinding and paving.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is widening this part of Greenwood Avenue North from four lanes to a five lanes with a center median and left-hand turn pockets. New sidewalks and curb ramps will be added, street trees planted and new street lights installed. These improvements will enhance pedestrian safety and keep people, goods and services moving.

This project will be substantially completed by November 2009.

After last December’s disastrous snow response, the city has come

up with a new plan that includes using more salt and hired a new street maintenance director who has considerable snow removal experience.

Here’s the full press release:

City Debuts New Snow Plan for Seattle

Applies national best practices, hires new Street Maintenance director

SEATTLE – The city of Seattle today announced the completion of a comprehensive effort to revamp and upgrade its winter storm readiness and response plan. In addition, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) welcomes aboard Monty Sedlak as the new director of Street Maintenance.

“Based on nationwide best practices, our new plan will ensure Seattle is ready for any kind of winter storm,” said SDOT Director Grace Crunican. “With an aggressive, high-tech oriented approach and new leadership, SDOT will keep people and goods moving in Seattle during challenging winter weather.”

Plan highlights include:

-A new approach to snow that includes an expanded use of salt brine and salt, and limited use of sand;

-Significant improvements to facilities and fleet to include GPS technology and weather awareness;

-An improved organizational structure and significant training for winter storms;

-A commitment to better communicate with the people of Seattle and agency partners; and

-Performance measures to objectively evaluate accomplishments.

Designed in consultation with King County Metro Transit, city agencies and other key partners, the plan will facilitate a coordinated response that keeps buses moving and critical institutions accessible, including hospitals. Businesses and residents are reminded of their obligation to shovel sidewalks near their properties.

Mr. Sedlak, formerly the Road and Bridge Division manager for Arapahoe County, Colo., possesses significant winter storm experience and will be a key leader in applying SDOT’s new snow response procedures as of October 26. To learn more about the plan and the new snow map, visit http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/winterweather.htm.

The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates Seattle’s $12 billion transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’ goal to get Seattle moving, the department manages short- and long-term investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect the city with the region.

The city is selling off some old street signs that are a little worse for wear. Now, for as little as five bucks, you can own a piece of Greenwood or Phinney.

The city has 42 Greenwood Ave. N. signs (36×7 or 42×7 inches), and one N. Greenwood Circle (36×7). Each one is $5. They are listed as either “below average” or “average” condition.

Other available street signs from our neighborhood are Phinney Ave. N., Dibble Ave. NW, NW Carkeek Pk. Rd., Dayton Ave. N., Fremont Ave. N., and Linden Ave. N.

City street signs that are being replaced due to damage or wear are now available for purchase by the public. Signs…can be purchased at the City’s Surplus Warehouse. The warehouse is located at 3807 2nd Ave S. Additionally we will periodically post signs on EBay that have historical or novelty appeal. For information regarding EBay postings or if you have questions about this program, please call our warehouse at 206 684-0827.

(Thanks, CentralDistrictNews for finding this story!)

The intersection of 85th and Greenwood is a mess today as Seattle Department of Transportation crews fix the road where the water main broke two weeks ago.

Westbound 85th Street traffic can’t cross Greenwood Avenue at all, so you’ll have to turn right or left on Greenwood. There’s only one lane of eastbound 85th Street traffic from Palatine Avenue to Greenwood Avenue. North-south Greenwood Avenue traffic is fine, although, obviously, you can’t turn westbound onto 85th. Officers are directing traffic around the area.

Crews are digging up the surrounding crumbling street so they can lay new asphalt.

Here they’re using a mighty big wetsaw to cut out the panel.

Crews continue to install sidewalks and new roadway around the new Piper Village development between N. 85th and N. 87th streets. So, for the next two weeks, one westbound curb lane on N. 85th St. between Greenwood Ave. and 1st Ave. will be closed from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Work should be finished by April 3.

Palatine remains closed between N. 87th Street and N. 85th Street for construction.

The Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group wants your stories about pedestrian issues, so that it can make the city’s Pedestrian Master Plan work for all.

At our February PMPAG meeting, we talked about the importance of using the Pedestrian Master Plan to tell the stories of various groups…and to address the challenges presented in those stories through the plan. Over the many months we’ve spent together, we’ve heard a variety of stories from all of you: Paul has spoken about the needs of people in an isolated nursing home; Richard has mentioned kids that want to walk to school; Becca has reminded us of the challenges faced by people in low income and traditionally underserved neighborhoods; Kate has talked about people in neighborhoods with missing sidewalks north of 85th; and BettyLou has advocated for the needs of seniors and those in SHA housing. These are only a few examples of the many stories you’ve shared.

If you’ve got a pedestrian story to share, please email it to Jennifer Wieland, Associate Transportation Planner with Seattle Department of Transportation, by Wednesday. Or call her with questions, 206-733-9970.

Stories don’t need to be long, just a paragraph or two. And if you have a photo to go with it, that would be helpful.

Seattle Department of Transportation just announced it will be working in the center through-lanes and
center turn lanes in both directions of Holman Road between Greenwood Ave. N. and 3rd Ave. NW on Saturday.

There will be no parking on either side of the street in order for traffic to travel in the curb lanes through the work zone. Turns will be permitted. The sidewalk on the south side of the roadway will be closed.

Lane closures begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and end Sunday at 9 a.m., although the lanes could open earlier if the work is done. Seattle police officers will be directing traffic.

SDOT is restoring the roadway at the site of previous underground utility work.

As promised, the winner of the Piper Village lane naming contest received a $300 gift certificate to Top Ten Toys, and immediately went on a shopping spree. That’s 6-year-old Kathleen Brown (a kindergartener at St. John’s Catholic School) with Gary Brunt, property manager and developer representative for Piper Village, and Allen Rickert, owner of Top Ten Toys:

Kathleen didn’t waste any time grabbing a shopping basket to start picking out her loot:

Kathleen’s winning entry was Morrow Lane, which was the name of the family who owned the land that Piper Village is on, behind the Blockbuster and Top Ten Toys building on 85th and Palatine. Piper Village is currently completing construction on The Sedges apartment building. Morrow Lane will run directly south of the apartments.