Vote Now For Safer Crossing At Mary Gates Memorial Drive

The Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) encourages the community to vote now for safer crossing at Mary Gates Memorial Drive near the University of Washington family housing. It is across from Clark Road, which is the entrance to the University of Washington golf driving range.

LCC told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff: 

We encourage the community to vote for safety crossing improvements. The deadline is September 30th and  neighbors need to cast a vote for the project to move forward.  We encourage electronic voting to make the deadline. 

The program is a new iteration of the old neighborhood street fund through SDOT and the Department of Neighborhoods.  Each of the City's 7 districts decided priorities for small improvements in local pedestrian and traffic safety. That program was dismantled by former Mayor Murray.  

A new program evolved in 2017, and is called Your Voice, Your Choice. It funds the same type of smaller pedestrian and traffic safety improvements by district, and each resident can vote on their top choices.  

There has been a lack of publicity about this opportunity to vote.  In the past 2 years, Laurelhurst did not receive enough votes to fund ANY improvements. 

This year, the crosswalk located across from the U of WA family student housing on Mary Gates Memorial Drive and across from Clark Road at the golf range, is the sole Laurelhurst candidate for safety improvements. 

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), has done some preliminary analysis, and recommended that the visibility of oncoming vehicles to see pedestrians and bicyclists would be much improved with a bulbing out of the sidewalks.  

Users of that road often see baby strollers, young students, golfers, Light Rail users and bikers cross while folks are looking ahead at the stoplight at the 5 corners. It can be very dangerous as drivers accelerate to make that light. Having a better set back from the parked cars near the crosswalk will allow the people in the crosswalk to be better seen.   

LCC supports this as a #1 safety priority, and if neighbors agree, it is fine to just vote for that one project. as the top 3 will move forward. 

Voters can vote on-line or by filling out the form and dropping it off at any Seattle Public Library BEFORE 9/30/19.

Go here for more information.