Beacon Alliance of Neighbors

*Transportation*
Proposed Improvements for Metro Service on Beacon Hill The South Beacon Hill Neighborhood Council has conducted a comprehensive study of Metro routes on Beacon Hill and has proposed several improvements. The study's summary follows. Current Route Numbers 30 - No schedule was found. 31 - To CENTRAL MAGNOLIA from UNIVERSITY DISTRICT 32 - To BEACON HILL, RAINIER BEACH – Express 33 - To DOWNTOWN from DISCOVERY PARK 34/39 - To RAINIER BEACH (from DOWNTOWN) 35 - To HARBOR ISLAND (from DOWNTOWN) 36 - To BEACON HILL, RAINIER BEACH 37 - To ALASKA JUNCTION (from DOWNTOWN) 38 – From MLK to Sears 60 - To GEORGETOWN from White Center 61 - No schedule was found 106 - To RENTON from DOWNTOWN The Rte 30 series is in use, except for #30. There are numbers in the 60 series open for use. Current Constraints for Rte 36 Servicing Beacon Avenue Diesel service to Rainier Beach only (no trolley wire) Only diesel service after 7 PM to the VA Hospital at Jefferson Park Current Assets Not Employed Trolley wire turnback south of Columbia Way (Dawson) Trolley wire turnback south of Myrtle Street (Othello) Metro-King County Proposal Run wire from Myrtle & Beacon to Myrtle and MLK to intercept Link Light Rail. Add evening/night runs on Rte 60 to service the VA. All Electric on Rte 36. Reroute Rte 106 to cover the non-wired remainder of Rte 36. Reroute Rte 106, using 15th Ave. S to Columbian Way, instead of I-5. Recommendations Extend the wire from Beacon through MLK to Rainier with turnaround at Henderson, covering the Rte 106 stops from Henderson to Myrtle and Beacon. Use Rte 36 “Beacon Hill/Rainier Beach” turning around at S Henderson & Rainier. Use Rte 36A “Beacon Hill / Columbian Way” turning back at S Dawson. Use Rte 36B “Beacon Hill / Myrtle” turning back at S Othello. This means that service from Columbian Way to Downtown could be every 5 minutes, with the added bonus of an empty coach starting at Columbian Way, instead of loaded buses starting from further south. Trash at Metro Bus Stops: the Story of 14th and College In 2007, Metro representatives met with a large group of neighbors at an event endorsed by many community groups on Beacon Hill, also attended by King County Council Members Larry Gossett and Dow Constantine. When confronted with photographic evidence of the trash situation at 14th and College, and a request to have Metro remove the garbage, Metro refused over a policy that states trash cans are only placed at covered bus shelters. Covered bus shelters cost $15,000 Secure trash cans cost about $100 The covered bus shelter at 14th and Massachusetts does not have a Metro trash can, so Metro's out of whack there, too. Metro decided to remove the small, 1.5 gallon canister trash can from the bus stop pole at 14th and College. Now neighbors must do Metro's work. Metro makes excuses and does a lousy job of cleaning its bus stops on Beacon Hill. Share your concerns with Larry and Dow.	Southeast Transportation Study (SETS) May 9th, SDOT released for public review the draft final report for the Southeast Transportation Study. The draft report is a comprehensive assessment and set of recommendations for improving transportation in Southeast Seattle for the next several decades. The public comment period is through May 31. For a summary of the study and a link to its findings, go to: *SDOT Southeast Transportation Study* Lander Festival Street July 2006, the Pedestrian Taskforce's plaza project for Lander Street was endorsed by the Greater Duwamish District Council as a priority for Neighborhood Street Fund / Cumulative Reserve Funding (NSF/CRF) traffic projects. It will be built behind the Sound Transit station in the Beacon Hill business core, and has wide community support, promising mitigation for the light rail station. Plans for a plaza date back to 1992. In April, the Pedestrian Taskforce and the City held a successful charette with the Department of Planning and Development. May 22, Thursday, 6-8 PM, the taskforce will report back to folks on the results and the next steps. The community will convene at the Beacon Hill Library. Come early to look over the enhanced design for the plaza, zoning maps, and other documents. There's a lot of ground to cover: farmer's market, beat walk, Beacon Boulevard, and more. Bring a friend and meet the challenge of a changing neighborhood! Light Rail Comes to Dearborn Sound Transit's route for East Link light rail to the Eastside would run through Dearborn, along I-90. It's the route Seattle voters approved for the South End line, the reason for the Dearborn cut. East Link Project East Link FAQ East Link Board Briefing Book (3 MB PDF), Nov. 9, 2006 Map of Proposed Seattle to Bellevue Route 14th-15th Avenue Capital Improvement Plan This project puts curb bulbs at 12 locations along Beacon Hill arterials and other busy streets, cuts traffic speed and increases pedestrian safety. This project from the Beacon Alliance of Neighbors has been endorsed in 2007 and 2008 as a priority for Beacon Hill by the Greater Duwamish District Council. *Project Description* *(Word doc)* *Map of Proposed Curb Bulb Locations* *(3 MB PDF)* 13th and Atlantic Traffic Circle In 2005, SDOT approved a traffic circle for 13th and Atlantic, the second time. A majority of neighbors in a one block radius must sign a petition. North Rainier Valley Traffic Proposal Bill Mallow, President of the South Beacon Hill Neighborhood Council, offers a real fix for problem intersections. It changes traffic flow with four-way stoplights. These allow turns on the light only, with better timing and turn lanes. North Rainier Valley Traffic Proposal