New Treatment Proposed for Liberty-Commercial Y Junction

There's a couple new memos posted for the Commercial Vista Corridor Study. Mostly they look like "refinements" and additional detail or analytics, and do not seem important to drill into. (There's still too much about meeting hypothetical automobility standards for 2035, for example.)

New details and new treatment
for the Liberty-Commercial split

One item, however, is new and looks interesting.

The City requested a new option for the difficult crossing just south of Alice where Commercial and Liberty form an awkward Y junction.

City Staff requested a new treatment and analysis
(Tier 2 Screening Assessment memo)

 A bike signal to cross Liberty southbound just south of Alice

A new bicycle signal!

This acknowledges the existing and intuitive practice of many people.

Scary, but intuitive and direct: Hide, then scamper
City Traffic Camera, Commercial at Fairview

Some people might yet prefer to proceed down to Vista and make the large jug-handle turn, where there would be a bike box in the driveway area - which looks like it might be closed off. (Will need to see more detail on access to Office Depot in this scenario, however.)

So this might seem a little redundant, but the intersection is complicated and big enough that it is a good candidate for redundancy and giving people more choice for different comfort levels.

I like this approach, and I'm glad to see the way existing practice is recognized and formalized rather than forbidden and redirected.

As for the design refinements, it is very pleasant to see in more detail the enhanced crosswalks and medians on Commercial. These, you may remember, are candidates in the All Roads Transportation Safety program, and if they make the final cut, we could see some actual construction on this within five years. To secure funding commitments before the study is wholly finalized would be a neat trick.

This Safeway was too close to Roth's and Fred's

There will be a new Open House for the design refinements on September 22nd, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the old Safeway store at 3285 Commercial Street SE.

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For all notes on the Commercial-Vista Corridor Study see here.