South Ballard Transportation Corridor Study

Study Information

South Ballard Transportation Corridor Study Purpose Statement

The South Ballard Transportation Corridor Study (SBTCS) will identify ways to improve mobility and safety for all modes of travel in and through South Ballard. This study will serve as a blueprint for financing transportation improvements in the corridor.

Study Area

The South Ballard Corridor study will analyze traffic and transportation operations along an east-west corridor generally defined by NW Market Street, Leary Way NW, Shilshole Avenue NW/NW 46th Street, and Ballard Avenue NW between 3rd Avenue NW and the Hiram Chittenden Locks. It will include parallel arterial streets in this area.

This corridor is important for freight mobility (trucks and rail), as well as for transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and automobiles. In addition, the streets provide customer and employee parking for the businesses within the corridor.

Industrial uses seek easy access, and often need the flexibility to maneuver trucks in front of their businesses. This can potentially cause unsafe situations and interruptions to the flow of traffic. Trucks from this corridor connect to 15th Avenue NW and Aurora Avenue N (SR 99 - two major arterials for freight movement. The corridor is also used by commuters and others to access 15th Avenue NW (Ballard Bridge), I-5 and the University of Washington, as well as recreational areas to the west and north. It is also a shopping and recreational destination for residents and visitors.

The Burke-Gilman Trail ends near 8th Avenue NW, with long-term plans to complete the trail through Ballard. West of the study area, the City is designing the trail from the Locks to NW 60th and has purchased right-of-way from NW 60th to Golden Gardens.

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to:

• Identify measures to improve access and mobility for all modes in and through the corridor.
• Increase safety for all modes of transportation.
• Identify measures to reduce automobile trips in the study area.
• Improve regional industrial mobility.
• Identify and prioritize traffic congestion solutions.
• Determine the allowable and preferred uses of street rights-of-way, including parking, and identify the best way to allocate the different, and sometimes competing, uses among the streets within the corridor.
• Evaluate alternatives to complete the Burke-Gilman Trail through Ballard.
• Enhance the Connection between the Chittenden Locks and the business and historic district.
• Coordinate with other transportation projects already under way in the area.

Potential Results and Products

The study will identify and prioritize improvements to meet the objectives outlined in this purpose statement and further developed through the study process. They may include:

• Capital improvements in the South Ballard corridor. This may include short-term and long-term improvements.
• Traffic operational improvements, such as changing signal timing or phasing, signal coordination, and revised lane configurations.
• Design configurations or other measures that support or encourage the preferred (or priority) mode(s) on specific streets.
• Changes to on-street parking configurations and regulations.
• Actions that developers, businesses, or the City can implement to reduce traffic demand.
• Transit service improvements.
• Implementation Plan
• Identification of issues to be addressed in separate studies around the Chittenden Locks and other areas near the study area.

Project Advisory Committee

The Project Advisory Committee (PAC) represents a broad range of stakeholders in the South Ballard Transportation Corridor Study Area. The PAC is building on previous efforts by stakeholders in the Ballard area, and provides guidance on the study, including potential solutions to be considered, criteria for evaluating alternatives, preliminary evaluation and prioritization of alternatives, and final recommendations. The PAC also assists in public outreach for the study.

Committee Member's Names and Affiliations

Warren Aakervik - Ballard Interbay Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center (BINMIC)
Tom Bayley - Chamber of Commerce
Davidya Kasperzyk - Groundswell NW
Steve Cohn - Ballard District Council
Byron Cole - Ballard Terminal Railroad
Jody Haug - Neighborhood Planning Committee
Jennifer Macuiba - Friends of Burke-Gilman
Paul Nerdrum - North Seattle Industrial Association (NSIA)

Workshop Notes

The workshop first sought input related to issues for all land modes of transportation. The second half of the workshop was spent brainstorming potential solutions to the issues. Some of the issues and ideas go beyond the scope and purpose of the SBTCS, but all ideas are recorded here. This workshop is not to be considered the only source of information for the study. Additional issues and potential improvements will be identified through analysis of transportation data and community input as the study progresses.

Summary of input received from participants at the June 19, 2001 SBTCS workshop. Participants were selected to represent a broad range of interests and users in the Ballard area.