Edgemoor Neighborhood Plan Update Draft

Chapter 3, Transportation

 

Part 1    Existing  streets, pedestrian and bicycle routes

The transportation system is vital to the life of Edgemoor since there are no commercial or public facilities located in the neighborhood.  Emergency service, Police and Utility maintenance all enter Edgemoor from the north. Particularly important, as a result, are the connections of Edgemoor to Fairhaven across the 12th Street Bridge which is out-of-date and currently functions poorly in rush hours.  At the time of this writing (3/27/2008), traffic backed up from the traffic signal at the South end of the bridge through the 12th and Fairhaven Parkway intersection at 5pm, a line of ten vehicles.  Minor access way to the north is possible on 4th Street to the northwest through Edgemoor Terrace on Bayside Road (which is ill-designed to carry through traffic), on Cowgill which has an awkward intersection on Hawthorn, and on 30th Street and Chuckanut Drive to the south (which is equally problematical due to the distances involved).  As a result, the 12th Street Bridge is by far the most important connection of Edgemoor to Bellingham.

Pedestrian routes are not shown on any City map of the neighborhood.  Edgemoor has a vibrant use of streets for recreation and other purposes.  People going to and fro to the Fairhaven Middle School, to shop in Fairhaven and to Fairhaven Park use the streets and sidewalks where they exist.   There is restricted access to the waterfront to the west due to the railroad.  To the South, limited recreational access is possible to a beach path on the north side of Chuckanut Bay from Fairhaven Avenue in the South neighborhood, limited partly by the tide.  To the East, the sidewalk on Chuckanut gets good usage particularly for foot traffic to Fairhaven Park.  However, sidewalk connections are needed where existing well-traveled walks are interrupted.

Bicycle Routes are shown on the Transportation Planning Map.  Except for the route on Chuckanut Drive, none of these routes are marked with pavement markings or signs.  Many of the streets are too steep to accommodate bicycle riding comfortably and as a result are little used.

Part 2   Objectives, analysis and priorities

The objective of the transportation system is to provide safe, convenient and efficient corridors for residents to use.  

                                             

·       Roadway   86% of respondents to the questionnaire rated the street system in Edgemoor as “Good” or “Adequate”.  However, significant concerns were voiced concerning the 12th Street/Chuckanut/Parkridge/Hawthorn/Cowgill intersection and the bridge associated with it across Padden Creek.  Although generally rated adequate, most of the features of both the intersection and the bridge were cited in responses and comments on the questionnaire as “Pooor” or requiring attention.

1.   12th Street Bridge   The 12th Street Bridge is built to an outdated design standard.  The box frames of the supports are not earthquake proof. Runoff from the bridge deck cascades to the creek.  Currently, debris and creek alignment and debris threaten bridge supports on the north side of the creek.  Marked bike lanes north and south of the bridge do not extend across the deck. The lighting and sidewalks are poor and unprotective.  On both ends of the bridge, the narrow deck prevents the use of left-turn lanes which are warranted by traffic demand. The massive concrete bridge rail is relatively useless to pedestrians and restricts the view of oncoming drivers approaching from the South which is particularly dangerous if they wish to make a left turn to anywhere but 12th Street.  It is hard to overemphasize the need for replacement since the bridge carries major traffic and vital utilities to Edgemoor.

2.   12th, Chuckanut, Hawthorn, Parkridge,  Cowgill Intersection    Henceforth, referred to in this section as “the intersection”, this conjunction of roadways is particularly in need of redesign.   Five roadways approach each other in the intersection which denies a fundamental intersection design principle.  Four of the approach roads are subject to a traffic signal.  The two approaches that line up directly with each other, Parkridge and 12th have the least through flow.   The remaining unsignalized approach, Cowgill, intersects Hawthorn within 50 feet of the intersection at its own stop-signed tee intersection which adds to delay and confusion.  No left turn lane is provided on any approach which is particularly of concern to drivers approaching from the south on Chuckanut who wish to turn left to Parkridge or Hawthorn, especially since the sight distance here is restricted by the bridge rail.  It is likely that this intersection is reaching saturation since congestion is now evident.

The inadequacy of both the bridge and the intersection are so egregious as may constitute an “attractive nuisance” within the meaning of the law and prompt, through treatment of both may be demanded. 

 

·       Sidewalks   Edgemoor has few sidewalks. 49% of those who responded to the questionnaire rated sidewalks as “Poor” in Edgemoor and 44% rated Pedestrian Safety as “Poor” also.  This is probably a fair assessment since there are stretches of sidewalk scattered in the neighborhood without interconnection to a useful net.  However, since the density of pedestrian traffic is generally light, residents do walk  in the street or on the shoulders.  Drivers are generally courteous to pedestrians including school children so injuries are few but virtually all pedestrian/ auto accidents are injury accidents.  At night and at periods of high traffic density, problems occur.  Sidewalk connectors are urgently needed.

     

1.  Fieldston Road  from Hawthorn to Willow  This short stretch of narrow road (about 350 Yards) is bordered by soggy storm water ditches which afford the pedestrian an unacceptable alternative to the roadway.  The steep grades and curves obstruct a driver’s view and the relatively heavy traffic and foot traffic at the end of the school day add to the need for a sidewalk extension. (questionnaire citations for each connector)

 

2.  Bayside Road from Hawthorn to Acacia   Bayside Road extends from Fairhaven Middle School to the south end of Edgemoor.  A collector in all but name, it carries more traffic than typical city streets.  The stretch from Hawthorn to Acacia (about 330yds.) is narrow (less than 20 feet) with no sidewalks.  The roadway from Hawthorn to Bayside Place is steep. The Bayside Place intersection includes a sharp curve.  From Acacia to Briar, Bayside widens to 36 feet from curb to curb with 5 foot attached sidewalks on both sides.  Pedestrian and vehicle traffic on Bayside Road is relatively heavy and pronounced at the beginning and end of the school day at Fairhaven Middle School. Also, the bus stop close to the Bayside/Hawthorn intersection contributes to the pedestrian traffic.

 

3.  Clark Street from Willow to Linden  Completing this stretch would provide an uninterrupted sidewalk from Fairhaven to Clark’s Point at the South end of Edgemoor with a minor detour from Fieldston from Willow to Viewcrest. It would provide a sidewalk for access to the Edgemoor Swimming Club and the bus stop for pedestrians coming from the southern part of the neighborhood.

 

 

Bicycle Lanes   There are no bicycle lanes on the street system in Edgemoor although bicycle routes are shown on the Transportation Planning Map of the neighborhood.  The layout of the streets and the abundance of steep grades discourage bicycle traffic.  Chuckanut Drive on the East side of the neighborhood has marked lanes on both sides which get significant traffic.