Drivers Aren't The Only Ones Frustrated By Construction Closures...

Seattle pedestrians and bikers are fed up with it too. Over 70 Seattle sidewalks are closed due to private construction. A recently completed audit on sidewalk closures and pedestrian access concluded that the city wasn't doing enough to help pedestrians navigate the ever-changing sidewalk closures. In hopes of changing that, the audit proposes that construction projects be coordinated to avoid conflicting closures and that the city begin enforcing rules about pedestrian violations of sidewalk closures. Since the rising cost of gas makes walking more of a necessity for some of us than a leisure activity, we hope the sidewalk situation gets sorted out soon.

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By Abbey in News on September 29, 2008 4:15 PM

Comments [rss]

Troy Morris

Sorry, that got cut off: All in all, it's an unlikely situation, the benefits of having dueling construction is far less than the costs.

Troy Morris

I highly doubt that two construction operations across the street from one another would even happen, considering the sidewalk closures are in highly dense areas

Additionally, because of the high density, cranes would be used and so those two projects would have to coordinate to a ridiculous level to not have the cranes cause conflict. This would also require a road closure.

So all in all, benieits

dawdler

the audit proposes that construction projects be coordinated to avoid conflicting closures

Does this mean that on a single city block, a construction project on one side of the street could not start until the one on the other side of the street is done?

I'm all for doing something to help pedestrians, but that could slow down construction by orders of magnitude.

Just a thought.

Troy Morris

It's what I do. But now that I moved to a residential "neighborhood", I'm posed with a new threat to my pedestrian antics: cars parked on the sidewalk.

The looks on the faces of the drivers on the side roads when I waltz down the shoulder is classic.

jessejb

Just do what the out of state tourists do. Walk on the street around the barrier. Drivers dont seem to mind and its a good EFF YOU to the powers that allow sidewalk closures. Try closing a car lane!