Experienced Neighbors Involved in Landscaping Existing Traffic Circle Offer Tips For New One A Few Blocks Away

Traffic circle at NE 50th Avenue NE and 46th Avenue NE

After reading our recent post on the upcoming landscaping to start in the Fall at the new traffic circle on NE 50th Street and 44th Avenue NE, a nearby neighbor, Barbara Asmervig, an avid gardener whom we have previously posted about, offered some tips from her experience landscaping another traffic circle two blocks away.

Barbara's beautiful garden at her home on 46th Avenue NE near Laurelhurst Elementary School, where she has lived for almost 25 years, was featured in the Pacific Northwest Magazine a few years ago.

Barbara and Catherine Kalke, a nearby neighbor, were instrumetal in the design and landscaping of the traffic circle at NE 50th and 46th Avenue NE.

Barbara told us that Catherine organized a neighborhood fundraiser to have the traffic circle cleaned up and designed. Catherine raised enough money through donations to have two trees removed and to purchase the plant material, fertilizer and compost mulch.

Barbara designed the traffic circle with "drought tolerance and cold hardiness in mind though the plants still need water in such an exposed and hot space."

Both Catherine and Barbara maintain the traffic circle and Barbara's husband waters the circle "using the very generous neighbor's water at the corner lot," she told us.

Barbara also mentioned that since many cars and trucks drive right over the top of the circle and through the plants, intentional in some cases, that they chose to use Euphorbia Mrysinites (Donkey Tail Spurge) for the border, as it is "tough and will bounce back."

Other tips Barbara suggests:

• Keep the traffic circle "well maintained as it reflects directly on the neighborhood" 
• Organize a committee to maintain the space
• Keep the "plan simple and uniform to keep the space neat"
• Select plants low in height for the circle, otherwise the plants can block vision on all sides of the circle defeating the purpose of traffic safety

Barbara and Catherine offer their expertise to anyone who would like assistance in starting or maintaing a traffic circle. Please email us and we will put you in contact with them.

Traffic Circle Installed in North Laurelhurst At NE 50th And 44th Avenue NE

A new traffic circle has been installed at the intersection of NE 50th Street and 44th Avenue NE., in order to slow down the speed of cars on NE 50th Street, a residential street with no center line divider, but with a high traffic flow in and out of the neighborhood.

Jeannie Hale, Laurelhurst Community Club President told us that this project is part of LCC's Laurelhurst North Neighborhood Transportation Management Plan, developed in 2002, with a comprehensive analysis identifying transportation improvements and traffic calming needs.

The traffic circle at the busy intersection was rated the number one priority in the 2010 Neighborhood Street Fund process which is "grassroots" where District Councils ranks projects and makes decisions "assuming that the projects are engineeringly feasible, " Jeannie explained to us.

The city requires 60% approval of surrounding neighbors for traffic circles to be installed. In this case, there was 98% approval, probably in large part due to the high volume of speeds clocked on 50th, Jeannie added.

The LCC Transportation Plan, which includes numerous other recommendations for North Laurelhurst says: 

High speeds were observed on NE 50th Street between 47th Avenue NE and Sand Point Way. This is a residential street that already has one traffic circle located at 46th Avenue NE. Speed-reduction would be more effective with a pair of traffic circles. Therefore, this additional traffic circle is recommended at the NE 50th Street/44th Avenue NE intersection.

Traffic circles are preferred by the City of Seattle, as a calming device, as they are effective at reducing speeds along the approaching streets. 
 
The circles are "raised islands constructed at intersections that cause motorists to decrease speed in order to maneuver around the circle. Traffic circles are also very effective at reducing angle accidents at intersections, by slowing drivers down and drawing their attention to the intersection," the Plan says.

Vegetation will be installed in the NE 50th Street traffic circle in October, according to nearby neighbor, Kathleen, an avid gardener, who will take the lead to ensure maintenance of the new traffic circle with assistance from LCC.

Completion of the traffic circle is on hold until that time when the next step before the planting starts, Kathleen told us, is meeting with  the Urban Forestry Section, along with other community members and landscape volunteers to discuss and get the desired planting for the traffic circle off based upon their approved planting list.