Here are stories making headlines in nearby neighborhoods:

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) completed the repaving of Dexter Ave N between Fremont and 4th Ave N and McGraw Street on Friday, but construction along the thoroughfare is not quite over yet. A contractor working with SDOT will be continuing construction on bus islands and installing new traffic markers, including buffered bike lanes, along Dexter over the next two weeks in order to stay on track with completing this phase of the project by the end of May.

The second phase of the project, which stretches from McGraw Street to Garfield Street, is scheduled to begin next week and to be completed in early August. From SDOT:

Crews will start with installing an underground storm water detention pipe near Garfield Street and a bio-retention / “rain garden” near Crockett Street. Other work includes repaving the roadway, installing bus islands, adding a buffered bike lane, and making pedestrian improvements.  During this second phase of the project, Garfield Street will be closed for seven days between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

SDOT says drivers should expect lane closures and on-street parking restrictions along Dexter Ave N during this period, though some of the work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled or adjusted as the project progresses. To learn more about the Dexter repaving project, check out SDOT’s project website.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is planning changes along Dexter Avenue N between Roy Street and Fremont Avenue N in 2011. This project is funded by the “Bridging the Gap” transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in November 2006 and is expected to help ease congestion caused by car, bus and bicyclist overlaps. This project will also improve the pavement condition by repaving the street.

Specifically the work is expected to:

• Install a buffered bike lane on each side of the street
• Remove the two-way left turn lane
• Provide dedicated left-turn lanes at busy intersections
• Provide dedicated load zones for businesses that need them
• Provide in-lane bus stops to improve transit speed and reliability
• Install dedicated bus islands
• Install street lighting upgrades
• Construct new and upgraded curb ramps
• Construct sidewalk improvements
• Install drainage upgrades

Roadwork is scheduled to begin in March and will begin just across the Fremont Bridge, spanning Fremont Avenue N (Fourth Avenue N) to McGraw Street. That phase is expected to last 2-3 months.

During construction, you can be expected to experience lane closures, left turn restrictions, pedestrian detours, parking and loading restrictions and instances of weekday and night work.

For more information on this project, visit the SDOT web site.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is prepping Taylor Ave N. for some new bikes lanes this week.

Unlike the dedicated bike lanes, the lanes on Taylor will be “sharrows,” which is short slang for “shared lane arrow.” This is just one bike lane project that will be coming to Queen Anne, and around the city, as part of the Bike Master Plan. From Publicola,

A 2004 study done on San Francisco’s (then) trial sharrows found that while placed and highly visible sharrows significantly reduced sidewalk riding and riding in the door zone and that drivers gave bikes more room when passing.

(Thanks to Brian Fabella for the picture!)