Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn’s ‘Walk. Bike. Ride’ initiative means some big changes for Nickerson Street.
It was announced today that this summer Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will change West Nickerson Street to include one driving lane in each direction and a center two-way turn lane. The new configuration, between Warren Avenue North and 13th Avenue West, will reduce the number of motor vehicle lanes and add an uphill bicycle lane. The downhill traffic lane will have sharrows, shared lane markings for bicycles. There will be marked crosswalks installed at Jesse Avenue West, Cremona Street, and Dravus Street.
The city expects the changes on Nickerson to reduce vehicle speeds and collisions. The speed limit on Nickerson is currently 30 mph, but SDOT says that average speeds are significantly higher. The report claims that narrowing the space for motor vehicles has been shown to reduce travel speeds and the kinds of collisions common on Nickerson.
Our sister site, MagnoliaVoice, first reported in March, 2009 that the city was planning to reduce Nickerson to one lane of traffic each way and add bicycle and center turn lanes. The plan was not well received and after a number of concerns were raised, the city backed off the plan and put changes to Nickerson on hold.
Many organization and individuals in Queen Anne and Magnolia have spoken out against the change, as Nickerson is a thoroughfare frequented by many in both neighborhoods on the daily basis. The Magnolia Community Club (MCC) took a strong stand against the plan, saying that Nickerson is the primary route for Magnolia residents traveling to Fremont, Wallingford and the University district and that the route is already frequently congested. Randall Thomsen, MCC president at the time, sent a strongly worded letter to the city, stressing that Nickerson is the alternative to West Mercer Way to access the proposed bored tunnel that will replace the viaduct.
The MCC said that when the viaduct comes down there will be a substantial increase in vehicles seeking access to I-5 and the tunnel by using Nickerson. Even with four lanes, Nickerson will be congested. With only two lanes, it will likely be overwhelmed. The MCC said that the changes to Nickerson are meant to improve safety for bicycles and pedestrians but the improvements will be marginal when weighed against the potential for congestion. There are 19,300 vehicle trips on an average day on Nickerson.
The cost for the changes is about $200,000, coming from the voter-approved Bridging the Gap transportation funding measure. Work will begin this summer with completion by spring 2011.
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16 responses so far ↓
1 John Watt // May 12, 2010 at 1:55 am
I live a block away from Phinney/Greenwood Avenue North, which was converted from four lanes to two and a turn lane with bike lanes years ago, and this has really worked well. It should work well on Nickerson as well. It might help slow down traffic a bit on a 30mph street where this is rarely observed.
2 Travel World // May 12, 2010 at 5:17 am
Great idea from safety point of view,as per implementing new strategies are really appreciating.Thanks for the recommendation.
3 mjd // May 12, 2010 at 7:03 am
Many individuals in QA and Magnolia have spoken out FOR this change as well. Kind of a biased slant to this article.
4 Brent // May 12, 2010 at 10:09 am
I count one organization that the author could cite opposing the Nickerson St pedestrian safety improvements. Recall that this organization, the Magnolia Community Club, also tried to push carpools back into the bus lanes on 15th, and has opposed any effort to clear parked cars out of that bus lane.
I’m sorry, MCC, but pedestrians, bus riders, and bike riders are collectively the majority in this town. Other neighborhoods (like North Queen Anne) don’t exist to provide you freeways everywhere.
5 Patrick // May 12, 2010 at 11:41 am
Brent you are right we use mass transit a lot in this town and I hope you remember that while you are sitting in traffic on Nickerson Street because of all the trucks trying to get into Ballard. I’m all for bike lanes but g i dunno maybe it would have been prudent to put these in after we finish with the viaduct work. I understand McGinn wants to “wean” us off fossil fuels but interupting people’s commutes home isn’t going to help him with this request.
6 Justin Baird // May 12, 2010 at 12:28 pm
I live along that stretch of West Nickerson St. I am overjoyed! Average speed westbound is over 45mph and eastbound approaces 50mph. In spite of the fact that while marked intersections are suggested as safer, drivers continue to be ignorant of the fact that all intersections, unless marked otherwise, are legal crosswalks. Aggravated that a pedestrian doesn’t walk 1/3 mile to cross at a light, motorists quite often speed up, honk and curse at a legally crossing pedestrian who has usually waited for the best break on traffic to cross.
7 Elizabeth // May 12, 2010 at 12:37 pm
I also live on West Nickerson St. and am concerned about this. While the turn lane is useful in some ways – I nearly get creamed every night trying to turn left into my parking spot no matter how far in advance I signal – I am worried that the backup to the Ballard and Fremont Bridges will increase.
I think a bike lane is fine if the bicyclists stay in it. The curve as you pass 7th/8th West on Nickerson heading towards Fremont is dangerous without a bike lane, and will probably continue to be dangerous with one. However, I rarely see bicyclists actually following the rules of the road on Nickerson, Dexter or Westlake (lots of blown stoplights, switching to the sidewalk when convenient for them, and impeding traffic). Hopefully this will remedy some of that.
8 AT // May 12, 2010 at 1:08 pm
I can understand complaints of potential congestion, but after two years with only 15th W and W Nickerson as access to my neighborhood, I think this is the right solution. I’ve never seen congestion west of Warren Ave N, except when the Ballard bridge goes up, but plenty of times have I seen pedestrians, bikers, and left-turning vehicles nearly creamed in these areas (especially after they took out our crosswalks). This solution does not greatly affect areas where cars wait for the bridges, but it does affect the areas where it is all too easy to drive unsafely.
9 MB // May 12, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Swell. No doubt that will mean that other cut throughs across from QA from Magnolia/Ballard will be even more conjested. Hello Mercer mess on steroids.
10 taxpaying workingperson // May 12, 2010 at 8:49 pm
1. Bicyclists along Nickerson and Dexter routinely drift out of their bike lanes, usually for zero reason other than to deliberately impede motor vehicles. Often, they ride 2 or 3 abreast in the car lanes. So, with only car lane, those of us who need to drive to work will be really fucked when bicyclists self-righteously decide to make their “point”.
2. If bicyclists want more of the road, they should be required to have their bikes registered with license plates, and be pulled over for traffic infractions (including driving too slow) and have the exact same penalties as if they were in their cars (oops, sorry….Subaru Legacy with Kerry/Edwards stickers) on their way to Whole Foods.
3. The mayor is a fool. Weaning Seattle off fossil fuels? Really? Uh huh. And how are all those people who can’t afford to live in Seattle but need to commute in here for work supposed to get to their jobs? Spend 4 or 5 hours a day on a bus to the light rail to another bus or two? Nonsense. Some of us work at low paying jobs and require our cars and delivery trucks to get into town conveniently so that clueless Seattle liberals in day-glo biking gear can have their shade-grown espresso lattes.
11 Matt the Engineer // May 13, 2010 at 9:23 am
This is great news. This area is terrible to walk or bike, and I even hate driving on Nickerson. There is never congestion except at the bridges, and having 2 lanes each way doesn’t help that at all.
I haven’t heard a single good reason for the current configuration, just a lot of ranting and hate (I’m talking to you, [tpwp]).
12 Jordan // May 13, 2010 at 11:46 am
I live at 14th ave w and w nickerson and I’m happy for this change. The speeds along nickerson are rediculous. I regularly will be going the speedlimit and have people honking, tailgating, and passing me. The bike situation is also not great, there are a lot of students who use this corridor to get to/from SPU on bikes and walking. The curve at nickerson and 8th is always frightening, and I hope this can help that a little.
13 Tiktok // May 14, 2010 at 3:04 pm
This is great news!
and to the Telepathtic Taxpaying Workperson, who can apparently read the minds of cyclists to determine why they “routinely drift out of their lines”:
“those of us who need to drive to work will be really fucked”
That was true years ago, without even considering cyclists. You’ve just grown accustomed to your previous level of misery and now consider is both acceptable and unfixable. Turn up the radio in your car, and enjoy the wait.
14 Ken // May 28, 2010 at 8:56 am
I think we should close Nickerson to all wheeled traffic and make it a pedestrian mall.
15 snicelisleshY // Jul 2, 2010 at 3:35 pm
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