Through cooperation from the City of Seattle, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), and a small group of community members and Lighthouse employees who call themselves the Action Team, a series of much needed pedestrian improvements have recently been completed near Seattle Lighthouse with still more on the way.
Through guidance from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the Action Team was established through a neighborhood discussion regarding plans to develop the area around the Mt. Baker Central Link light rail station. Since its inception this team has provided city representatives with cultural exposure to issues of blindness and deaf-blindness, performed a neighborhood assessment of problem areas that needed to be addressed, and applied for small improvement grants through the Neighborhood Parks & Street Fund.
Audible Pedestrian Crossings
Armor Tile accessible material
In addition to being awarded funding that resulted in the upgrading of sidewalks and intersections and the installation of new tactile Audible Pedestrian Signals (APS) close to the Lighthouse, this process has also reinforced the reputation of the Lighthouse and its employees as an important resource for issues of transportation and pedestrian accessibility. The city has adopted a model of “accessibility for all” for their waterfront project and has embarked on an ambitious project to redesign aspects of the Rainier Avenue corridor and 23rd Avenue from Hill Street to the Montlake Bridge. It is anticipated that over the coming months and years, every traffic light intersection along 23rd Avenue will be fully equipped with tactile APS, improved sidewalks, curbs, and ramps.
As a result of the efforts of the Action Team the following projects have been funded and completed:
- 2013 Neighborhood Park & Street Fund grant:
- Hill Street improvements at 24th Avenue and 25th Avenue with new curb ramps at each corner and a raised bed project to clean-up a messy shoulder of the road and parkway strip at the top of Hill Street at 25th. **This also included the resurfacing of the west side of 24th from Hill Street south to the pharmacy parking entrance and redesigned curb parking to keep cars off the 24th Avenue sidewalk.
- 2014 Neighborhood Park & Street Fund grant:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Way S and S Walker Street – rebuilt the complete intersection, relocated tactile APS to more standardized locations next to new ADA quality accessible ramps, increased the size of the NE corner and repainted pedestrian crosswalks.
- Redesign of the sidewalk on Walker Street from 24th to Rainier Avenue on both the north and south sides, creating more pedestrian space and adding curbs to better define the pedestrian sidewalk and pharmacy parking. Redesigned eastside crossing at Rainier Avenue and Walker Street making it easier to cross and impacting vehicle speed for cars turning off of Rainier onto Walker with new ADA quality accessible ramps. **This improvement creates a safer and easier option for Lighthouse employees to patronize local businesses such as Taco Time or Subway for lunch.
- Rainier Avenue and Walker Street southbound bus stop and sidewalk improvements: For years Lighthouse employees traveling to and from work have experienced poor quality sidewalks and the intrusion of cars parking on the sidewalk at this location. As a result of the latest project, the sidewalk has newly poured concrete, an enlarged bus zone, and yellow Armor Tile accessible material installed to create a durable, consistent, and detectible edge for cane users to follow. On the interior side of the sidewalk, parking bumpers have also been installed to help keep cars off the sidewalk. This new design has much improved the walking experience to and from this bus stop, but despite the design improvement, at this location there are still challenges in managing vehicles entering and exiting the parking lot for the community fruit stand. **Members of the Action Team are in the process of assessing the result of this project and will be working to address traffic issues.
Out of appreciation for this work, the Action Team would like to thank the construction crew of Tital Construction, SDOT, and the Department of Neighborhoods for their support and cooperation with us. The work was done in a safe manner that minimized the disturbance of such a large undertaking. They have been very flexible and responsive to our needs, even allowing us to make last minute changes that have made the outcome even better for our employees who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities.
Submitted by Orientation and Mobility Specialist David Miller.
