The Nickerson/15th Ave W ramp to southbound 15th Ave W (north of W Emerson Street) will be closed for several days this week and next so that Puget Sound Energy (PSE) may relocate a gas line that runs under the intersection. The work is being done in preparation for the final phase of the Ship Canal Trail construction, which is set to begin next month.

PSE will close the Nickerson/15th Avenue W ramp to southbound 15th Avenue W from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. beginning this coming Wednesday, August 24, and continue for up to five days, resuming next Monday, August 29 and Tuesday, August 30 as needed. The roadway will remain open over the weekend.

During this utility work PSE will detour most traffic from W Nickerson Street to W Emerson Street heading east, to access southbound 15th Avenue W. Due to the tight turns, large trucks will be detoured onto westbound W Emerson Street, south along Gilman Avenue W to 20th Avenue W, and then eastbound on W Dravus Street to 15th Avenue W.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be closing the two right-hand southbound lanes of 15^th Avenue West, from West Emerson Street to just south of the Emerson Street Overpass, between 11 p.m. on Monday, July 5 and 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6 so crews may install a License Plate Reader (LPR) camera.

According to SDOT, the camera will enhance and expand SDOT’s existing system, and will be used to provide travel times for key corridors. All license plate data is discarded once the travel time information has been recorded, SDOT said.

During the closer, one southbound lane on 15th Ave W will remain open. The work will not impact the on-ramp from West Emerson Street. An area will also be reserved for Metro Transit to access the bus stop just south of Emerson on 15^th Avenue West. Uniformed officers will be on site to help guide traffic.

The BAT lanes on 15th Ave have generated lots of controversy since they were implemented in early 2009.  This morning  reader Bruce Carter wrote in to our sister site, Magnolia Voice, and sent these pictures of the commute coming into the city. He noted that the BAT lanes are often empty while cars are backed up.

He writes:  Are these photos typical of our morning commutes?  Are these commuters happy?  Is this the best way to move  people and commerce?  Do Mayor McGinn,City  Council Transportation Chair Tom Rasmussen, Vice Chair Jean Godden, and Committee Members Tim Burgess and Nick Licata know how much commuters enjoy McGridlock?

How much have the 15th NW/ Elliott commute trip times and greenhouse gas emissions changed since introduction of these glorious BAT lanes?  There are occasional  scheduled Metro buses and bicyclists who inhabit the BAT lane, though bicyclists who are not training for the Tour De France seem to prefer the waterfront trail past the grain terminal.

Do you agree with Bruce?  Tell us what you think in comments below.

In what has been an ongoing issue for Queen Anne, Magnolia and Ballard, King County Councilmember Larry Phillips is asking Mayor Mike McGinn to convert the current bus-only lanes on 15th Ave W to HOV lanes. Our sister site, MagnoliaVoice, reports that Phillips wrote a letter to McGinn asking him to support the Magnolia Community Club (MCC) in their effort to switch the lanes, citing under-utilization of the lanes by buses and heavy traffic in the area. Phillips says there are carpools full of students who attend Ballard High School who could use the lanes. Read the entire article here.

Our sister site, MagnoliaVoice, has been covering the issues surrounding the new bus and transit lanes (BAT) along 15th Ave W. Outside of the posted hours, these lanes are like any other, but from 7 to 9 a.m. – during the morning rush hour – they are reserved for buses only. A ticket for violating the BAT lane restriction is $124.

Now the Magnolia Community Club (MCC) is asking the city to allow carpools and taxis to use the BAT lanes along 15th Ave West, saying in a letter to the Department of Transportation that the BAT lanes do not accomplish their primary purpose, as the implementation of Rapid Ride bus service is now uncertain due to budget shortfalls. They believe the increased cruise ship traffic at Pier 91 is just another reason for a conversion from BAT lanes to HOV lanes, while also alleviating daily congestion for Queen Anne, Magnolia and Ballard rush-hour commuters.

The MCC also wants to arrange a meeting of representatives from SDOT, the Queen Anne Community Council, Ballard Community Council, the Port of Seattle and th Seattle Police Department to discuss this issue. Read the full story at MagnoliaVoice.