Route 40 - Transit-Plus Multimodal Corridor

Why is a bike lane being added on Fremont Ave N if this is a bus project?

During our comprehensive review at the beginning of this project, Fremont Ave N between N 34th St and N 35th St was identified as a priority street in all our modal plans (i.e., Frequent Transit Network, the Bicycle Master Plan, the Freight Master Plan, and its designation as a Pedestrian Zone).

Given our unique opportunity with this project to completely rebuild the right-of-way on this block, and our commitment to fulfilling our modal plan goals, we are including a new northbound bike lane on this block in our design plans. This block has been a gap in the bike network and adding the bike lane will enhance the safety and efficiency for those who bike across the Fremont bridge and up the Fremont hill.

What are bus bulbs and why are they being added?

• Bus bulbs are curb extensions that widen the sidewalk to meet the traffic lane, allowing buses to stop and board passengers without ever leaving the travel lane.
• Bus bulbs help buses move faster and more reliably by decreasing the amount of time lost due to
  merging in and out of traffic.
• Bus bulbs also provide ample space for passengers to wait without obstructing the sidewalk.

Why is the bus stop on Fremont Ave N being split into two stops?

There are two primary reasons why the existing bus stop will need to be split into two stops:

1. Improving travel times and reliability for all routes that serve the existing stop
2. Increasing safety and predictability for all travel modes, whether you are biking, taking the bus, driving, walking, or rolling

The bus stop on the east side of Fremont Ave N between N 34th St and N 35th St serves Routes 31, 32, 40, and 62. It is heavily used by all types of riders, including commuters, students, or people wanting to visit and shop in the Fremont neighborhood. Near this bus stop, you can find:

• An average of 5,250 transit riders across all routes on an average weekday
• An average of 9,630 total vehicles driving by this stop each day
• An average of 360 bikes traveling northbound on this block each day

All of this traffic makes this one block highly congested, particularly in the afternoon peak period and after bridge openings.

The high volumes of traffic and high frequency of buses pose challenges for all users, whether you are walking, biking, taking transit, or driving a car. Our data shows that the various routes can arrive at the singular stop at the same time, causing the buses to “bunch” at this stop. Bunching causes all traffic to be delayed. With the existing stop, buses also need to weave in and out of the curbside lane to rejoin traffic. These movements slow down traffic for all users on this block.

Splitting this bus stop into two separate stops will reduce congestion on this block and reduce travel times for all modes of travel.
Additionally, we want to increase safety and limit the number of conflicts between people biking and other modes of transportation. With the proposed northbound protected bike lane on this block, we have explored several options for designing a street where the existing bus stop could be maintained.

However, a shared bus stop and bike lane design on this block would not work due to limited street
width, increased travel delays, and a higher level of conflict among all who travel on Fremont Ave N.

What are the improvements coming to Ballard?

The improvements in Ballard include calming speeds on Leary Ave NW by reducing the number of travel lanes, adding a new traffic signal at 20th Ave NW and Leary Ave NW, an upgraded pedestrian crossing on Leary Ave NW north of 20th Ave NW, and northbound BAT lanes. You can view our Ballard design plans here.

Why are you going from two lanes in each direction to one on Leary Ave NW and what vehicle traffic impacts do you anticipate? 

Going from two lanes in each direction to one along Leary Ave NW and installing a two-way left-turn lane in the center encourages people to drive at the posted speed limit, reduces weaving, and limits delays resulting from crashes. Similar changes that were made on W Nickerson St, which is a similar street that has higher volumes (19,000 to 23,000 average weekday daily traffic compared to 10,000 to 13,000 on Leary Ave NW). The vehicle traffic impacts were minimal and the changes were successful without increasing congestion on W Nickerson St or neighboring streets.

What traffic studies have been done for this neighborhood?

Our traffic analysis shows that constructing the Route 40 project results in a 14-17% bus travel time savings in Ballard, contributing to a 5-10% overall transit travel time reduction for the entire route. The biggest time savings come from the bus-only lanes throughout the project corridor.

We compared the Level-of-Service for Build and No Build options and learned that most intersections perform similarly. The tables below show anticipated LOS at the studied signalized intersections, all way stop control (AWSC) intersections, and two-way stop control (TWSC) intersections.

One exception is the AM peak hour at the two-way stop at Leary Ave NW and NW Dock Pl. It operates at a lower level of service (LOS E) in the Build Option compared to LOS C in the No Build Option. This is because changing the number of lanes on Leary Ave NW to one through-lane in each direction makes it harder for people stopped at NW Dock Pl to find a gap to proceed onto Leary Ave NW. The travel times for vehicles on Leary Ave NW would be similar to current conditions. The other exception for LOS change is at Leary Ave NW and 20th Ave NW, which improves in the PM peak hour due to a new traffic signal being installed at this intersection.

How many parking spaces will be removed?

We recognize that the removal of on-street parking can be impactful. We aim to only remove curb access and parking spaces when necessary.

When we make curb changes, we consider a wide variety of factors, including addressing needs for goods and services delivery, encouraging vehicle turnover, the availability of curb access elsewhere, and how enhancements to the multimodal transportation system can encourage less driving. While some paid parking on NW Market St will be removed, we will maintain commercial and passenger loading zones for buildings on this block. Additionally, we have plans to install a new loading zone near the NW Market St and 24th Ave NW intersection, north side, to provide more curbside space for other businesses in the area.  We will also continue to work with businesses to address loading and unloading zones.

SDOT Curbside team is examining as part of the Route 40 project to add paid parking on currently time-limit blocks on parts of NW 20th and parts of Leary way. As an example near the game store, 4-hour paid parking as is out there already would provide time for customers and help with vehicle turnover on the main streets.

Will new loading and unloading spaces be added?

We know that load zones are vital for businesses. We have plans to install a new load zone near the NW Market St and 24th Ave NW intersection, north side, to provide more curbside space for other businesses in the area.  We will also continue to work with businesses to address loading needs, and if businesses have a request, please let the project team know or email DOT_ROAD@Seattle.gov.

How much travel time is this going to save transit riders in Ballard?

Our traffic analysis shows that constructing the Route 40 project results in a 14-17% bus travel time savings in Ballard, contributing to a 5-10% overall transit travel time reduction for the entire route. The biggest time savings come from the bus-only lanes throughout the project corridor. 

What are the improvements coming to North Seattle?

A new northbound business access and transit (BAT) lane will be added to Holman Rd NW.

The two-way center turn lane will be maintained to allow left-turns onto side streets. You can view our design plans here.

What is a business access and transit lane and why is it being added?

Business access and transit (BAT) lanes are proven tools that improve travel times and bus reliability for riders. BAT lanes restrict access to buses to increase reliability for riders. These BAT lanes allow people driving and other vehicles to enter the lane to make right turns at intersections or to turn into driveways.

The upgrades to Holman Rd NW increase transit travel times and reliability for Route 40 by giving it a dedicated lane. Mid-block left turns will be maintained in the two-way center turn lane to maintain access to and from side streets and Holman Rd NW.

What traffic studies have been done for this neighborhood?

You can read through SDOT’s full traffic analysis as well as the summary submitted for the State Environmental Policy Act to learn more about the data the supports the need for improvements along Holman Rd NW.

Can you add a crosswalk here? How are the decisions made to install crosswalks?

We understand the importance of pedestrian safety and welcome feedback from community members who would like a crosswalk to be marked in their neighborhood. When considering locations for new crosswalks, signals, and intersection upgrades, we first conduct an engineering study to determine whether a marked crosswalk is the best improvement for that location using a set of criteria, such as the number of lanes to cross, traffic volumes, and expected usage.