A Ravenna resident’s perspective on NE 75th Street

On Wednesday, March 27, Ravenna resident Megan Watzke shared her thoughts on NE 75th Street with members of the NE Seattle Moms Yahoo Group (a private Yahoo group of which I am a member [added April 26 for clarification]).

After I read her words, I thought the community-at-large might like to read them as well. Watzke agreed, and here they are:

My feelings about this are very strong because my partner and I live with our three small children in our house that has its side facing NE 75th St, but I will try to be as objective as possible in my comments.

In the past year, I have contacted SDOT, the Mayor’s Office, and the offices of the members of the Seattle City Council who serve on the transportation committee regarding 75th. It’s no secret to those of us who live near this street – or those who even travel on it occasionally – that people drive recklessly and dangerously on this road.

The response from SDOT has been, at best, muted. They claim that it is technically wide enough to be a 4-lane road. They also claim that recent studies do not show a problem with speeding on 75th. Without this proof, there is little, the officials I spoke to say, that can be done.

If you have ever walked along 75th or even poked your car out slightly to make a turn onto it, you will have experienced how dangerous it is to have four lanes of traffic on the road. The cars traveling closest to the sidewalk are often just inches away from the parking strip or curb. While this is anecdotal, cars often seem to be traveling much faster than the unmarked speed of 30 mph.

My feeling is that one of the worst aspects of 75th – in particular the stretch between 35th Ave NE and 12th Ave NE – is that it is unclear whether the road supports one or two lanes of traffic in each direction. This leads to confusion and bad driving, with people passing on the right, weaving in and out of the “lanes,” and more. This ambiguity is dangerous and maybe, as we have all heard about tragically in the past couple of days, even deadly.

SDOT claims that 75th needs to be the way it is for the exodus of UW football games. I don’t believe that this reason – that only applies to a handful of Saturdays each fall — warrants keeping the status quo. They also claim that it is understood that arterial roads have a speed limit of 30 mph. I would bet significant money that most drivers who use this road would *not* know this.

At the bare minimum, I feel there should be lane markers to designate the supposed two lanes of traffic. Better yet, let there be a dedicated and painted bike lane and a parking lane as there is on stretches of NE 65th St and other nearby roads. Undoubtedly, there are other traffic solutions to correct the situation on 75th that a professional traffic engineer could provide. The important thing is that something needs to be done.

I hope that the city takes some sort of action as soon as possible. I ask that each of you who feels like this road is unsafe takes the time to make a phone or write an email to SDOT and/or the Mayor’s Office to encourage this to happen. My partner and I have taken to parking our car on 75th when the parking restrictions allow it to force cars into one lane. While this makes us feel mildly better, it certainly does not fix the problem. Until the city does something, consider parking your car there as well when possible. Ask your neighbors to do the same if you live nearby.

I love living in NE Seattle. It is a wonderful and welcoming community. We knew we were signing up to live on a busy road when we bought the house. We accept this as part of living in a rich urban environment. I do not, however, accept living on a dangerous and now fatal road. Please join me in demanding some sort of change so that we may all have a safer neighborhood for everyone.

Best regards,
Megan Watzke (and Kristin Crymes)

Megan Watzke, her partner, Kristin Crymes, and their three children live in North Ravenna. Watzke is the press officer for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the co-author of “A Ticket to the Universe: A Guide to Exploring the Cosmos.” (She happens to be doing an author event at Ravenna Third Place Books on Thursday, April 25.)

Watzke and Crymes have started a “Make NE 75th St Safe” Facebook page to help gather people interested in the cause.

And don’t forget: There are three community meetings about NE 75th Street coming up where residents can share their frustrations about and ideas for the arterial, as well as discuss these issues with SDOT staff.

Comments

  1. Glamgrrl says:

    Parking on 75th creates more weaving in and out of traffic. And regarding unsafe driving, most users are your and my neighbors, people who live in the area. I implore that we all consider personal behavior and slow down, leave home earlier for school pick up and drop off, ask your kids not to push and play when walking home or crowding the sidewalks waiting for the bus (I’ve seen kids accidentally get pushed off of the sidewalk), stop and LOOK before crossing all streets (believe me, they don’t when texting and talking etc). And leave bicycle lanes off. Keep 75th a four lame road or parents will take to speeding down the side (neighborhood) streets even more to get their “running late to whatever” selves to where they need to be. Lets ask for more personal responsibility. I have lived in this neighborhood for over 20 years and see THIS behavior every day. People don’t come from let’s say Ballard, to speed across 75th. Oh, and ask parents waiting for their kids from Eckstein to not block intersections so traffic can function. Ask SDOT and the Seattle School Board to come up with a safe pickup and drop-off plan that includes traffic patrol and cross walk guards (like Assumption does on 65th), that gets kids off 75th. AND, get the school yard gate unlocked on weekend so families using the field all day long can park safely, and kids don’t have to run across the street to get to their parents cars. If ever there is chaos on 75th, watch it on any Sunday during soccer season. I could go on.

    • Unfortunately, no amount of traffic markers would have prevented the tragedy that occurred. Alcohol caused the incident. I have lived in this area my whole life (over 40 years) and I completely agree with Glamgrrl. Her points are all spot on. People from the neighborhood definitely need slow down and be more aware of their surroundings, but I also agree that a lot of the problems around Eckstein during school time are the result of parents dropping their kids of in areas marked “NO STOPS”. There needs to be a pick-up/drop-off area that is not located on NE 75th.

  2. Agree completely. You can’t plan your city around a handful of events each year. 75th, 65th, and probably dozens of other roads need a careful redesign to prioritize every day life. “Just don’t go there is not a realistic options for a lot of these roads.”

  3. Though I no longer live in the area, my parents and many family friends do. I have been following this tragic story and I agree with much of what has been said. However, tragic car related incidents are not new on 75th. I am sure if someone did some digging, they would find a long record of people who have been hit between 35th and 12th along 75th. It might help in the fight to make some change for the sake of the neighborhood and not for the benefit of football traffic!

  4. Anonymous says:

    The reason the data don’t support you conclusion is because you are wrong. What happened is tragic, but it had nothing to do with speeding and reckless driving. It had to do with the fact that the driver was 3x the legal limit. I have never lived in another city where people drive as slowly and cautiously as Seattle drivers. If you think people drive recklessly here, I would suggest going somewhere else for while – anywhere else – and see what that word actually means.

  5. Steph Olson says:

    So well said! I feel the ambiguity of whether or not it is a 4 lane road is a huge issue as well. It would be much safer if it were only a 2 lane road. If not, mark it clearly as a 4 lane. Similar roads – 25th and also 50th in Wallingford – are marked as 4 lane roads. 75th is not. There need to be changes to make it clearer.

  6. Starace1919 says:

    All good points. The community meeting with SDOT present on April 2nd would have been the perfect forum for Megan and/or Kristin to remind SDOT that they’ve made efforts to raise these issues. I don’t recall seeing either of them at the meeting, unless I missed them? I would have enjoyed hearing SDOT’s response and hearing community’s reaction on the four unmarked lanes being done due to planning around football traffic instead of considering the safety of the residents. I had to leave early, so maybe I missed this as a topic of discussion?

    Our front door faces 75th and we have witnessed many fender benders and cars getting side swiped as a result of the confusion on two vs. four lanes. I feel strongly that as a country we are at the mercy of flawed/bad decisions made by our citizens, our neighbors and our community. I agree with Glamgrrl, the changes have to start with us (the residents of Ravenna). I’ve been at the intersection of 75th & 20th and had neighbors in a rush to work honk at me because they want to turn onto 75th and want me to move forward further into the intersection so they can get around. Slow down, think twice before you act out of frustration and remember your sense of urgency isn’t really my issue (especially when I have my three children in my van). Leave earlier, plan ahead and above all else consider the safety of your neighbors. I’m guilty of being in a rush and I’ve definitely made efforts to change my driving behavior for my neighbors.

  7. Yikes! However noble the agenda, please don’t pin it on the back of a completely separate issue – drunk driving. This sentence in particular is simply dishonest: “This ambiguity is dangerous and maybe, as we have all heard about tragically in the past couple of days, even deadly.” Really? You think the driver who couldn’t see four people in the middle of the road would have been aware of another strip of white paint on the road? This is a tragedy caused by a drunk driver. For the sake of the victims family and all future victims, let’s focus on the actual cause here and not use this disgusting tragedy for personal agenda’s.

    • Glamgrrl says:

      Agree.

      • Megan Watzke says:

        I realize that NE 75th is a major road that carries a high volume of traffic. That’s obvious. I have lived on busier streets in bigger cities. What is dangerous is people weaving in and out of “lanes” that aren’t marked and driving between 30-40 mph just inches from where pedestrians are walking. Whether you live on or near NE 75th or not, I would think it would matter to you whether it’s safe for people to be on that road as a pedestrian or cyclist — including the hundreds of middle school kids that walk up and down it every single school day.

      • Megan Watzke says:

        As I said, the main cause of the accident of March 25th was drunk driving. My “personal agenda” is making the street safer for everyone to use. That accident highlighted what many people feel is a dangerous stretch of road. Of course, if someone is drunk, that’s the main cause. But I don’t think it’s a bad thing to use this tragedy to re-examine this stretch of road is used and ways to improve it for the entire community. If you want to focus on getting the DUI issues resolved, I would certainly support that.

    • William Wilcock says:

      I rather disagree. Driving drunk dramatically increases the chance of a serious accident but I am pretty sure that it is more likely that a drunk will have their accident on a dangerously configured road than a safely configured one. So it is perfectly reasonable to argue that outcome of this tragic accident should be less tolerance of drunk drivers AND safety improvements to 75th Ave NE.

  8. Will Cone says:

    Thank you Megan. Well said. 75th needs to be lined properly as well as others like 65th. Hopefully if there is enough pressure they will act.

    • Anonymous says:

      What really disturbs me is the crosswalk at NE 68th/35th Ave NE—the Library…It’s really difficult to monitor that one since it’s on an arterial so to speak…I swear I have come so close at times to hitting someone…I am a really careful driver, it’s just a weird spot for a non discript crossing area, probably since it’s a very busy place??i

  9. NE 75th St. is the preeminent east-west arterial in NE Seattle. Two lanes with wide shoulders simply wouldn’t move the traffic volume required.

    Realize that by buying on a major arterial, you signed up for traffic. Suck it up or move.

    • Megan Watzke says:

      I realize that NE 75th is a major road that carries a high volume of traffic. That’s obvious. I have lived on busier streets in bigger cities. What is dangerous is people weaving in and out of “lanes” that aren’t marked and driving between 30-40 mph just inches from where pedestrians are walking. Whether you live on or near NE 75th or not, I would think it would matter to you whether it’s safe for people to be on that road as a pedestrian or cyclist — including the hundreds of middle school kids that walk up and down it every single school day.

      • Anonymous says:

        I agree! After all that has happened the drivers don’t seem to get the message! I continually witness drivers running red lights and not paying attention to pedestrians! It took me at least 5 minutes to cross NE 75th/35th at 2pm! The signals are all out of whack, this in my opinion needs to be addressed! On a brighter note, I have noticed that the Eckstein kids are a lot more consciencious and following the rules of the crosswalk thank goodness! Prior to this incident they were completely out of control! ( I travel the road daily at 2:30) This intersection (NE 75th/35th Ave NE is a nightmare!

  10. To all the folks who think that “alcohol caused the accident” and “no amount of traffic markers would have prevented the tragedy that occurred”–you are only partially correct. Sure, alcohol was involved, and may have been a but-for cause of the collision, but it is also true that speeding makes it much more likely that a car/pedestrian collision will be fatal to the pedestrian. According to one study, a car travelling at 30mph has a 40% change of killing a pedestrian it hits, whereas a car travelling at 40mph has a 80% chance of killing a pedestrian it hits. (http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/pub/hs809012.html)

    Bottom line: slowing down traffic saves lives.

    People drive slower in narrower lanes, and adding lane markers would likely slow people down.

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