You may soon be able to enjoy a drink at one of Queen Anne’s most adored dive bars, Streamline Tavern, out in the summer sun, as well as inside the dim-lit bar. On Monday, July 18 the Streamline, located at 121 W Mercer Street, applied for a sidewalk cafe permit with the Seattle Department of Transportation.

The permit would allow the bar to install outdoor seating adjacent to the sidewalk on Mercer, provided it is blocked off from public by a railing, and offer table and alcoholic beverage service.

The public is invited to comment on the Streamline’s sidewalk cafe application through Thursday, August 4. Comments should be submitted via email to annualpermits@seattle.gov, or by mail to SDOT, Attn: Annual Permits, PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA 98124. Comments should include the application number, project address and commenter’s contact information. Details on how to comment on this project can be found here.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is again closing down the Mercer Street on and off ramps to I-5 this weekend, from 11 p.m. on Friday, July 22, to 5 a.m. on Monday, July 25, to do some construction work related to the Mercer Corridor Project.

SDOT will also be concurrently closing all lanes on Broad Street between Westlake Ave N and 9th Ave N during the same times. Crews will be taking advantage of the anticipated reduced traffic volumes due to the Mercer closure during this time to perform some storm drain work in the intersection of Broad Street and 9th Ave N. From SDOT:

Travelers who planned to use westbound Broad Street over the weekend will be detoured to southbound Westlake Avenue N to Denny Way for access to the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle, or to northbound Westlake Avenue N to 8th Avenue N for access to lower Queen Anne and Dexter Avenue N.

As with previous weekend ramp closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane on I-5. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street, and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N.

Updated detour route maps are available on the project website at: www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm. Detour routes will be signed on roadways and may be heavily used, particularly Denny Way in both directions. Travelers are advised to consider alternate routes, SR 99 or alternate I-5 exits and entrances, and to carpool or use alternate modes of transportation.

During these closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street, and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N. All detour routes will be clearly marked.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will be concurrently closing all lanes on SR 520 from 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 8, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, July 11, between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and Interstate 405 in Bellevue. SR 520 from I-5 to Montlake Boulevard will remain open to traffic. Details of the closure and detour maps are available at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/WeekendClosures.htm.

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

Seattle’s Department of Transportation is encouraging people to walk, bike or ride public transit in July and August to get in shape, reduce greenhouse gases, and save money on gas and car repairs.

Enter the Walk Bike Ride Challenge, switch at least two car trips per week to walking, biking or riding transit, and be entered to win one of the following:

• Electric bike from e-Moto
• Apple iPad
• Pan Pacific Hotel stay
• Zipcar $250 gift card
• REI $100 gift card
• Nordstrom’s $100 gift card (supplied by Commute Seattle)
• $100 gift card good at seven farmers’ markets

“Summer is a great time to try walking, biking or riding transit to work, to get to know your neighborhood and to start lifetime habits that keep you healthy,” Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen said in a press release.

Those entering the challenge get weekly emails with tips on walking, biking and riding and can track their individual progress and the program’s collective impact online. The more trips one reports, the higher the chance they have of winning.

The WBR Challenge is part of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Way to Go, Seattle! program. It encourages people to walk, bike, ride transit and carpool more by offering incentives, tools and information and runs on a two month cycle. The current cycle is for July and August.

Click here to sign up for the Walk Bike Ride Challenge.

There are going to be added congestion and possible traffic delays around Queen Anne over the next few days due to some construction work at two different sites in the neighborhood.

On Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8 Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews will be grinding and removing existing asphalt on Dexter Ave N between McGraw and Garfield streets, as part of the Dexter repaving project. There will be one lane of travel in each direction, and parking and loading zone restrictions near the work zone, with periodic cross-street and driveway interruptions. SDOT will have uniformed police officers on site to direct traffic. From SDOT:

Drivers should reduce speeds when traveling through the area. Bicyclist should consider utilizing sidewalks or alternate routes. When riding on Dexter Avenue North, bicyclists will share a lane with motor vehicles and should expect grooved pavement and loose asphalt as well as raised utility casting and man holes in the street. There will be increased construction truck traffic.

Once the asphalt removal is complete, crews will begin to repair Dexter Ave’s base pavement and repave the street, which is scheduled to take place later this month. After repaving, SDOT will continue the Dexter Ave N street channelization, installing bus islands, a buffered bike lane, applying new traffic markings and other finals steps.

On Thursday, July 7 SDOT crews will also be performing maintenance work along the eastbound ramp of the Emerson Street Viaduct Bridge to Nickerson Street. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday traffic flaggers will be on hand to help direct traffic as crews repair expansion joints on the bridge. Commuters should be mindful of the work and allow extra time during their regular commutes.

The Rock ‘n Roll Marathon and Half Marathon will be taking over parts of Seattle on Saturday.

A look at the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon and Half Marathon route. For larger image, click here (.pdf)

The Alaskan Way Viaduct and Aurora Avenue North will be closed at 5:45 a.m., starting at North 39th Street in Fremont. The Seattle Department of Transportation anticipates the southbound lanes should re-open by 1:15 p.m., and the northbound lanes will re-open by 4 p.m. The full list of road closures is here (.pdf.)

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be closing down the I-5 on and off ramps at Mercer Street again this weekend, as part of ongoing work needed as part of the Mercer Corridor Project.

The closure will begin at 11 p.m. on Friday, June 17, and go until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 20. Detour route maps are available here. From SDOT:

Detour routes shown will be signed on roadways and may be heavily used, particularly Denny Way both eastbound and westbound. Travelers are advised to consider alternate routes to their destinations such as SR 99 or alternate I-5 exits and entrances.

After this weekend’s closure, the Mercer Street access to and from I-5 will not be closed again until the weekend of July 8-11, and is scheduled to take place during the same hours. From SDOT:

During these closures, the I-5 on-ramp at University Street will be concurrently closed to provide more efficient traffic flow around the closed Mercer Street exit lane. Fairview Avenue N will also be closed between Mercer Street and Valley Street and Mercer Street will be closed to through traffic between Westlake Avenue N and Fairview Avenue N. All detour routes will be clearly marked to support traffic flow around the closures.

SDOT is advising travelers heading to the Fremont Solstice Parade and Fair to use SR 99 or to the alternate I-5 off-ramps at Olive Way (northbound) or Stewart St. (southbound) and Denny Way to Westlake Ave. N. More information on routes to the Fremont Fair can be found at the fair website.

Travelers are encouraged to carpool and use alternate modes of transportation. Transit information can be found at:

• King County Metro at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or by calling 206-553-3000
• Sound Transit at www.soundtransit.org
• Community Transit at www.commtrans.org

Starting next week the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin lengthening the left-turn lanes on Elliott Ave W at W Mercer Place, as part of Phase II of the Mercer Corridor Project.

In preparation for the project, SDOT will be working on adjusting the rim of a utility access hole along Elliot Ave W this week. All construction will take place on weekdays only, during non-peak travel times. Crews will complete the work over the next three to six weeks. From SDOT:

Starting next week, SDOT crews will first remove the current asphalt island, traffic post, overhead sign and concrete curb. Next, they will pave and restripe the roadway which requires fair weather. Finally, they will adjust the traffic signal timing and install a new overhead sign.

The left-turn from Elliott Ave W onto W Mercer Place will remain open during construction, and signage will guide through traffic, according to SDOT. Drivers should expect congestion and added traffic due to the work and lane restrictions. The work will not interfere with access to nearby businesses, and all closed lanes will be re-opened to traffic during the morning and evening peak commuting periods. For more information, visit the project website.

Neighborhood retirement community Merrill Gardens, located at 800 4th Ave N in Lower Queen Anne, celebrated the completion of a brand new and long sought-after crosswalk on Thursday, June 9 with a ribbon cutting with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.

Merrill Garden’s Lower Queen Anne location is home to around 190 senior citizens who live in two buildings on either side of 4th Ave, a busy street which has been a safety concern for the many residents who cross it frequently.

The seniors living at Merrill Gardens and its administrative staff have been trying to get the City to approve a new crosswalk in the middle of 4th Ave since 2006, only to be met with repeated denials. In September they reached out to Councilmember Rasmussen, who got involved and helped bring the project about. From the press release:

He [Rasmussen] convinced the Seattle Department of Transportation to take another look at the request and upon review, SDOT approved plans for a crosswalk with curb cuts and signage. The crossing now provides residents with easier access between buildings, and Thursday’s ceremony will celebrate the retirement community’s victory.

“I’m so glad that Merrill Gardens brought this issue to my attention,” Rasmussen said in a statement. “It’s important that our City responds to requests from its residents. I am thrilled that we were able to get the plans approved.”