09/07/2022 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/08/2022 14:07
Please note: You can click on the headlines to go directly to any specific blog post (#1-5) - or just read on for a shorter recap of each post and a photo.
Our work to improve accessibility and inclusion within public spaces is varied and ongoing. To increase public awareness and understanding of ADA standards, we thought it would be helpful to highlight some ways these measures show up in the day-to-day. This blog post points out features important to making our pedestrian network more accessible, such as curb ramps and detectable warnings at street crossings. We also talk about the funding and processes we use to build them.
Beyond it just being a legal requirement, we strive to improve accessibility and inclusion within the public right-of-way because it's the right thing to do. In alignment with our key values and goals - equity, sustainability, livability, mobility, safety, and excellence - we're going to keep working with you, Seattle community members, to learn how we can do better and improve accessibility in all our projects.
[Link]Equity is one of our key values and goals. Graphic: SDOTWe're planning improvements to Aurora Ave N as part of the Aurora Ave Project and want to hear from you via our quick survey, which is open through September 30.
Aurora Ave N connects communities, people, and goods throughout north Seattle and beyond. However, like other major arterial streets in Seattle, Aurora Ave N has continued to see a concerning and tragic trend of life altering and life ending crashes. In addition, access to transit must be improved. The Aurora Ave Project will create a design for the Aurora Ave N corridor that enhances safety, mobility, and accessibility for all travelers.
We're seeking community perspectives to inform the project through an initial round of public outreach. Please take our quick survey and share your experiences traveling on Aurora Ave N. Your responses will help us better understand community priorities and interests, and design improvements to help address your concerns.
[Link]Safety is one of SDOT's core values and goals, and a top priority. Graphic: SDOTThe Ride Now pilot program tested the public demand and feasibility for a program of this kind. We found that there is public interest in a flexible, easy to access program for on-demand ride vouchers.
Some quick stats on the program:
We plan to use the lessons we learned from this program to inform our ongoing work, including considering similar programs in the future. While we don't have any specific programs currently planned, this pilot program helps provide valuable information for the future.
The bridge is stronger and safer now that we have repaired cracking and added nearly 60 miles of steel cable "backbone" to the bridge. The new post-tensioning system works in tandem with other repairs to the bridge, including an extensive network of reinforced carbon fiber sheets wrapped inside and outside the bridge walls like a cast on a broken bone. Crews have also extensively injected epoxy into cracks to prevent further deterioration or corrosion and fuse the cracked concrete. These systems of repairs have prepared the bridge to handle decades of heavy traffic, changes in temperature, and extreme summer and winter weather.
At the end of August, construction crews removed the final two hanging work platforms that were attached to the bridge for repair access, signaling that repair work is nearing completion.
The three bridges-each a movable bridge along our city's busy Ship Canal, and three of the many bridges we own, operate, inspect, and maintain throughout the city-were built in the early 1900s. Our work to keep these bridges in good condition includes giving them cool water baths in the summer and conducting routine and special inspections year-round. This ensures the bridges can safely operate to accommodate travelers on land and by water.
Keeping our bridges well-maintained supports our core value of mobility and our goal to reliably connect people, places, and goods. Thanks for reading and learning a little more about Seattle's transportation history!
[Link]Mobility is one of SDOT's six core values and goals. Graphic: SDOT