University Community Urban Center
Approval and Adoption Matrix

I. Key Strategies

Each Key Strategy consists of activities for a single complex project or theme that the neighborhood considers critical to achieving its vision for the future. While the Key Strategies are high priorities for the neighborhood, they are also part of a twenty-year plan, so the specific activities within each Key Strategy may be implemented over the span of many years.

E. THE AVE/ 15TH AVE. NE CORRIDOR

Description

Encompassing the properties on both sides of University Way NE (the Ave) and 15th Ave. NE, the Ave/15th Ave. NE corridor includes the community's most lively pedestrian-oriented retail strip, two important north-south transit routes, and the western edge of the UW campus. Situated between the campus and two residential neighborhoods as well as the mixed-use core, the Ave/15th Ave. NE corridor is a kind of keystone, important in tying other activities together. Over the past decades, the Ave has experienced decreasing retail sales and a lack of property and business investment. However, during the past few years, local merchants have formed a Business Improvement Association for increased cleaning and security, and the University Saturday Market attracts visitors from throughout the region. These and other efforts have had a positive impact. New, high-quality businesses have opened, and retail sales have risen. Looking to the future, new Sound Transit stations planned under 15th Ave. NE at roughly NE 45th St. and NE Pacific St. will increase the area's role as a transportation hub and promise to bring significant changes and opportunities to the community.

The community sees this area as a vibrant retail shopping district, with both regional attractions and local services. With the Burke Museum, the Henry Gallery, Meany Theater, and other attractions, it is also the focus of cultural activities. Finally, its role as a regionally important transportation hub should be explored, but not allowed to overrun its role as a community and retail focus.

The community's vision for this area includes:

Integrated Executive Response

The Ave is the central artery through an urban center. Improving its look and function as a vibrant retail shopping district is essential to the success of the urban village strategy in this urban center. 15th Ave. NE is the boundary between town and gown. The community's desire to soften that boundary, and to strengthen the ties between the UW and the surrounding community is a laudable goal that will also contribute to strengthening the University Community's role in Seattle's growth management strategy.

Department responses included below: DCLU, SEATRAN Compiled by SPO.

Lead Department: SEATRAN

Participating Departments: DCLU, SEATRAN

Activities Already Underway:

  1. Development of an overall conceptual design is currently underway along NE 43rd St. with a one block demonstration project to improve the pedestrian link between the Ave and the campus on NE.
  2. A six-month pilot project testing the effectiveness of bus bulbs on the Ave at NE 42nd and 43rd Sts.
  3. The City has received funding for an overall conceptual design of a street improvement project that envisions constructing pedestrian and transit improvements along University Way NE, between approximately NE 50th St. and NE Pacific St. Improvements include: wider sidewalks, repair of the sidewalk surface, constructing sidewalk bulbs at selected intersections, upgrading lighting, constructing bus bulbs, and consolidating bus stops. The project design will be evaluated and refined once the first block is constructed. Construction of temporary bus bulbs is now complete.
  4. The community has completed and Council approved a preliminary street design plan for the Ave. SEATRAN and SPU are in the process of refining cost estimates for desired street improvements.
  5. Signal improvements, new pavement, sidewalks, wheel chair ramps and lighting and drainage upgrades will enhance pedestrian/bicycle safety and convenience on 15th Ave. NE between NE 45th St. and NE Pacific St.
  6. The King County Council has adopted transit service changes for Seattle's north end that will take effect this fall which will likely address some of the community's concerns.

Activities to be Undertaken in 1998-2000

  1. Feasibility evaluation tasks:
    1. Prepare scopes of work and preliminary cost estimates for recommended transportation improvements.
    2. Based on preliminary project budget, identify which elements of the proposal, for example, physical improvements to the Ave or green street improvements on the cross streets, would be good candidates for a neighborhood bond or levy.
    3. Identify alternative funding sources.
    4. Prioritize with strategies from other neighborhood plans.
  2. In 1999, identify a project manager to work with the community to develop local matching resources (e.g., Local Improvement District, UW contribution as well as City contribution). The Neighborhood Business Council, through its contract with OED, may be able to facilitate the participation of local businesses in some of the recommendations for the Ave improvements.
  3. Coordinate with Sound Transit station planning and the City's station area planning in 1998-1999, especially in the evaluation of the area's transit corridors (NE Pacific St., NE 45th St., NE 50th St., 15th Ave. NE, and University Way NE), transit facilities and staging issues.
  4. Encourage UW to soften the campus edge and provide open space enhancements on the campus at NE 45th, 42nd, and/or 43rd Sts. Coordinate with UW Master Plan process in 1998.
  5. Identify next steps for continued implementation.

Specific Activities Associated with Key Strategy

E. The Ave/15th Ave. NE Corridor
# Activity Priority Time Frame Cost Estimate Implementor Executive Response
Land Use and Economic Development
A7 Rezone properties on both sides of University Way north of NE 55th St. from NC-2 (40) to NC-2 (30) (see rezone action A7).   Rezone upon adoption of plan. Staff work. Community, DCLU. Rezone may be adopted upon approval of UCUC plan.
Transportation
B1 Transit Corridors. Evaluate the existing operations and future conditions (including Sound Transit station and increased service) of the key UCUC transit corridors of NE Pacific St., NE 45th St., NE 50th St., 15th Ave. NE, and University Way NE and develop a set of strategies that will improve transit speeds under future conditions.   Plan provides scope of work. $50K to 100K for study. Must be part of Sound Transit station area planning. KC/Metro, SEATRAN, Community, UW. Strategies to improve transit speeds can benefit response times for emergency vehicles, something the Fire Department is currently interested in for this part of the city.
B5 University Way NE. Move forward with the construction of wider sidewalks, installation of bus bulbs, and other features as outlined in The Ave Street Design Plan. High Plan ongoing. Approximately $5.5M Multiple sources. SEATRAN. Funding must be identified. SEATRAN is working with KC/Metro as a partner to identify funding.
B6 NE 43rd St. between the Ave and the campus. Improve the pedestrian link between the Ave and the campus on NE 43rd St. without closing the street and maintain alley access. Study in conjunction with the Sound Transit station design to determine the scale and scope of improvements. (See D8)     Could be developed in conjunction with station area planning, UW master plan, and the Ave improvements. SEATRAN, UW, Sound Transit. Coordinate with abutting property owners. Can be addressed as part of station area planning and the UW Master Plan process.
B7 NE 42nd and 41st Sts. between the Ave and campus. Add pedestrian bulbs and other amenities where possible. (See D8)     Could be developed in conjunction with station area planning, UW master plan, and the Ave project. SEATRAN, UW. Can be addressed as part of station area planning and the UW Master Plan process.
B9 NE 43rd and 45th Sts. between the Ave and Roosevelt Way NE. Install pedestrian bulbs and other amenities where possible. Provide a traffic signal for pedestrian crossings at NE 43rd St. and Roosevelt Way NE. Add a pedestrian crossing at NE 45th St. and 8th Ave. NE.     Could be developed in conjunction with development on Roosevelt. SEATRAN. Neither intersection at NE 43rd St. and Roosevelt NE currently meets warrants for a signal. These locations will be reviewed periodically to see if signal warrants are met. Due to the volume of traffic on NE 45th and 8th, pedestrians should use the signalized crossing at 45th/7th.
B16 Transit facilities. Using existing and projected ridership volumes, design and construct inter-modal facilities at key transfer points on NE 45th St., University Way, and in conjunction with Sound Transit station entrances. Note: A list of planning assumptions and EIS scoping issues has been prepared through this planning process.     Could be developed in conjunction with Sound Transit station planning. (See B1) KC/Metro, Sound Transit, Community. This issue can be addressed as part of station area planning.
B18 Transit Service. Improve transit linkages to community destinations, including University Village, Ravenna Urban Village, the UW campus, the Ave, and Sound Transit stations, through shuttle bus service and/or the use of existing KC/Metro bus routes to provide frequent, convenient and economical service within the UCUC. Conduct a headway analysis for KC/Metro bus routes that provide parallel or substitutable service along the same corridor whenever there is a schedule change. Headways between route pairs should be as even as possible in order to achieve shuttle service to destinations within and outside the Urban Center.     Could be developed in conjunction with mitigation for Sound Transit LRT station. KC/Metro, UW, private business. See comment for B16. The City will forward the request for a headway study to KC/Metro and encourages the interested community members to follow up with KC/Metro directly.
Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Urban Design Features
D5 Improve 15th Ave. NE with landscaping and transit amenities. Encourage the UW to soften the UW campus edge and provide open space enhancements on the campus at NE 45th, 42nd, and/or 43rd Sts. Do not reduce transportation capacity. High Coordinate with Sound Transit and the UW campus master plan. Undetermined; depends on the scope, campus master plan, Sound Transit design, and KC/Metro system. SEATRAN, KC/Metro, UW, Community, Sound Transit. Can be addressed as part of station area planning and the UW Master Plan process.
D8 Improve NE 42nd and 43rd Sts. from I-5 to the campus as green streets. Focus special attention on sections between the Ave and the campus. (See B6, B7, B9) High Timed with Sound Transit station development. Undetermined; depends on the scope of the improvements. SEATRAN, Sound Transit, KC/Metro, UW. Both NE 42nd and 43rd Sts. are designated as key pedestrian streets in Seattle's Comprehensive Transportation Program. Designation as a "green street" or "key pedestrian street" does not automatically mean that physical changes to the street will occur. A detailed streetscape plan first has to be developed, usually by the community. Other neighborhoods have used Neighborhood Matching Funds for design. Next, funding has to be identified from new private development, a public agency, or a LID for installation of improvements. improvements provided by new development may not be contiguous or extensive.

E. The Ave/15th Ave. NE Corridor - Council Action Taken:

Approve Exec.'s Recommended Action.

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