Staff at Shoreline Community College hosted a public meeting June 24 to gain feedback from community members regarding updated design options for the intersection at Greenwood Avenue North and 160th Street and its junction with Innis Arden Way.
This information p3ertains to the college Master Plan, which began development in 2002, and since then, the college has worked with the community to iron out certain details, including the status of the intersection.
Around 50 people attended the open house-style meeting. There are now four possible alternatives for the intersection, as well as the option to keep it as is.
Kae Peterson, senior executive director of community resource development at SCC, stressed the importance of community input during this process.
“What we hope to come out of this public meeting is the options that are acceptable to the community,” she said.
The college has a subcommittee of the Community Task Force called the Access Working Group (AWG), comprised of neighborhood association representatives, college representatives and traffic consultants, to look further into the traffic congestion in the area. The group reviews data on traffic problems and discusses the possible alternatives to the Greenwood/160th intersection.
After reviewing all of the input, the AWG’s alternatives will be considered for inclusion in the Environmental Impact Statement, which will be presented to the city of Shoreline along with the Master Plan, said David Johnson, a transportation manager with Redmond-based TSI who is working on the project.
The five alternatives presented are:
• Redirecting Innis Arden Way so that it connects directly with the intersection at Greenwood and 160th by installing a traffic signal at the intersection. (Concept B-1)
• Redirecting Innis Arden Way so that it connects directly with the intersection at Greenwood and 160th by creating a roundabout at the intersection. (Concept B-2)
• Relocating east-bound Innis Arden Way to the north and removing the island that separates the current west-bound and east-bound traffic on Innis Arden. Installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Greenwood and 160th. (Concept A-2)
• Redirecting Greenwood to connect with Innis Arden northwest of the current intersection, which would also remove the island currently separating west-bound and east-bound traffic on Innis Arden. This causes Innis Arden to connect with 160th, where a traffic signal would be installed. (Concept C-2)
• Leaving the intersection as it currently exists.
Each proposed alternative includes the addition of sidewalks and marked crosswalks.
Johnson said he was pleased with the turnout at the meeting and the reaction of the community members.
“People have been paying close attention and are taking things seriously,” he said.
Cecilie Hudson, the co-secretary of the Highland Terrace Neighborhood Association, attended the meeting and said she was appreciative that the college has involved the community in discussions.
“My main concern is that the city of Shoreline and the college work together toward a common goal,” Hudson said.
She said the largest issues for her are the safety of children in the area and the traffic congestion on Innis Arden Way. She said Innis Arden Way sometimes becomes such a bottleneck, she has previously been stuck in traffic for more than 20 minutes.
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