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1. Have there been any decisions made about this intersection yet? (referring to study presented to Council in June 2021)

Not as of November 1, 2021. Council has asked to defer any action until after the Open House, and has discussion scheduled for the November 2, 2021 study session.

2. Have any alternatives other than those in the June study been considered for this intersection?

Not as of November 1, 2021. Council and Staff wanted to have further conversation with citizens, to better understand the concerns, before we effort that work.

3. If Chrisella Rd E is realigned to the east, would it be extended through the new park to 106th Ave E?

While the extension of a roadway through the park is an option being considered, and the 2020 Comprehensive Plan amendment (see https://arcg.is/0Dn05S0) shows a “Planned Collector” through the park, this is only conceptual at this time and no final decisions have been made. The purpose of this “Planned Collector” is to provide residents an alternative to turning left onto Meridian Ave E (SR-161) from 29th St E or 32nd St E, including traffic calming and pedestrian safety provisions – it would not be designed as a parallel thoroughfare to Meridian, nor is it intended to address any traffic problems on Meridian itself.

4. Are there plans to install sidewalks along the new park’s frontage?

Not at this time, to allow flexibility for future improvements on both roads. The requirement for pedestrian connectivity has been met by the construction of 8-foot-wide walkways within the park.

5. Can anything be done to slow down northbound Meridian Ave E (SR-161) traffic? The end-of-lane merge just north of the intersection seems to invite bad behavior…

This is one of several reasons the City has prioritized this intersection. One goal is to continue the second northbound lane to the north, connecting with the recent sidewalk improvement south of 24th St E. As for ways to encourage drivers to wait for the signal, the City did ask WSDOT to consider “No Turn on Red” restrictions at the intersection, but it did not meet their minimum requirements due to lack of reported incident history.

6. Are there any plans to protect pedestrians at the northwest corner of the intersection? How about the long crosswalk on the east side of the intersection?

Pending any decision on future plans for this intersection, some temporary measures are planned at this corner before the new park is opened: yellow warning domes and white fog line striping. Any future improvement to the intersection would include addressing the long crosswalk and ADA-accessibility.