Metro is working with the City of Redmond to improve the eastbound right-turn at the Old Redmond Road and 148th Avenue Northeast intersection.
The goals of this improvement are to enhance the performance of bus Route 245 and improve safety for everyone who bikes or walks through this location.
The intersection’s current approach includes a “pork chop” pedestrian island which separates the eastbound through-movement and a short eastbound right-turn ‘slip’ lane.
While functional, the existing design lacks adequate capacity for through traffic before it blocks the right-turn lane. In turn, through traffic blocks right-turning vehicles (including Metro buses) and increases delay and travel time for the movement. During the morning peak hours, bus delay through this movement ranges from 20-30 seconds per coach.
(Click to see PDF: Old Redmond Road_148th Ave NE Proposed Enhancement pdf)
In addition to the performance benefits for Metro customers, this improvement will also enhance bike and pedestrian performance through this location.
The project includes a clearly marked painted bike lane through the intersection, a signalized pedestrian crossing from the pedestrian island to the sidewalk and enhanced roadway channelization to create a more uniform movement for right-turning drivers through the intersection.
Metro and the City of Redmond have been working closely together to develop a design which balances the needs of all modes.
This effort is part of Metro’s larger Route 245 improvement project which is enhancing speed and reliability along the corridor, improving existing bus zones and creating new bus zones to support better regional connections for transit customers.
Old Redmond Road is a place of particular interest on this route as Metro bus Route 245 is its only frequent transit service and connects the corridor to multiple Eastside destinations and regional transit lines.
For questions or comments on this project, please contact Chester Knapp at cknapp@redmond.gov or Matt McNair at Matt.McNair@kingcounty.gov.
Good for transit, benign for bikes – lacking somewhat for peds. The safety of peds should be job one – even if metro is funding the project. This design does not meet the test as it should. I’m concerned that the location of the crossing so far back in the slip lane takes peds out of meaningful sight distance from approaching vehicles. Remember, stopping sight distance at 30mph include 2.5 seconds of reaction time before the vehicle even slows down. total stopping sight distance at 30 mph is 200 feet, not 71 (1260.03(1)(b) Design Stopping Sight Distance, WSDOT Design Manual)
Anytime you need to signalize an 11′ crossing for peds, its more of a signal that the design isn’t working for the pedestrian, but rather for the convenience of the motor vehicle. I would be more happy with a design modification that preserves a (much) longer sightline on approach, and which gives the pedestrian more confidence to make this short, intermediate crossing without the “mother may I” push button subjugation of our most vulnerable road users to virtually everyone else. It may require the relocation of the curb ramp, but that is a small price to pay for making pedestrians visible and confident that traffic can see them.
Placing the crosswalk in the sightline of the approaching vehicle has been a traffic engineering bst practice for over 20 years. Why backtrack now?
This is good! I live right by this intersection and every time I get off the B line, I have to do a deep-double-take before crossing the little crosswalk to get to the pedestrian island. I also make sure to cross the intersection fast, especially at night, because the corner is so blind if you’re heading towards grass lawn park from the B line stop on 148th.
I would even recommend that along with the enhanced roadway channelization, and the pedestrian signage, a small reflective array of speed bumps could be used to get drivers’ attention as they make that turn. Drivers are not looking to the right where I’d be crossing, but usually looking to the left to see if 148th is safe to drive onto, (Assuming they’re following the traffic lights when they’re going, it is, but it’s still a driver habit to pay more attention to potential directions of oncoming traffic rather than the direction of any oncoming pedestrians.)
I understand the goal of the traffic improvements is to make the traffic go faster, or more smoothly, but because this is a residential intersection near a major transit line, a busy park, and several schools, I’d like to reinforce the importance of this intersection being safe to cross! So many parents with children and their strollers, along with students and dog-walkers and joggers use this intersection. The last thing we want is to get squished by a Mercedez driver who is late for work while we’re on our way to school or work by bus.