Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 12, December 2003

Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.

Solution to 522 down the road

Community and city representatives appear close to accepting a compromise proposal for future changes to the section of Lake City Way Northeast between Northeast Northgate Way and Northeast 123rd Street.

City Traffic Engineer Rob Spillar has proposed a total of 17 changes to his original plan, based in part on an alternate proposal prepared by the Lake City Chamber of Commerce, the North District Neighborhood Stewardship Committee, and the Thornton Creek Alliance.

Spillar's proposed changes receieved general support at an early November meeting of stakeholders in the process, says Cheryl Klinker, North District Neighborhood Stewardship Committee representative. While none of the affected groups were completely happy, she notes, "I came away from that meeting feeling like everybody had kind of given the nod of approval to go ahead."

Some medians will be included in the final project for safety reasons, says Spillar, who points out that 1,036 of the 1,471 accidents recorded in the Lake City Way/State Route 522 corridor over the past decade were mid-block collisions.

But the city traffic engineer agreed to several new provisions which will maintain access to the Pierre auto dealerships, the largest businesses in the affected area. Spillar agreed to use his authority as traffic engineer to close the short stretch of 27th Avenue Northeast between Lake City Way and Northeast 117th Street (the street is bordered by Pierre-owned properties), while allowing Pierre Dodge to widen its main driveway. A new signal phase would be created at the intersection of Northgate Way and Lake City Way to maintain northbound vehicular access to the Pierre maintenance facility on the west side of the street.

Spillar's compromise plan would also set up posted U-turn locations and would allow for non-peak, short-term parking on the west side of Lake City Way.