The cones at Island Park Elementary, SE 62^nd Street, and SE 63^rd Street are covering new pole foundations. Crews will remove the cones and install new poles on top of the foundations once electrical equipment is delivered after a lengthy manufacturing process. The City will provide updates regarding electrical installation in the Crosswalk Improvements – Construction Updates section on Let’s Talk. The estimated timeline for electrical work to occur is during school winter and mid-winter breaks to minimize impacts to traffic. Other cones on Island Crest Way, such as the cones on the east side of SE 63^rd Street along the back of sidewalk, are blocking areas where crews still need to complete follow-up work. All follow-up work throughout the entire project is anticipated to occur during school spring break.

1) Number of motor vehicles per day per direction on Island Crest south of SE 47th Street?

Response:   According to the Safety Analysis, the combined northbound and southbound average daily traffic is approximately 15,000 to 16,000 vehicles per day.

2) What will is the current median drive time from the intersection of Island Crest & SE 68th St to the traffic light at SE 40th St & Island Crest? And what will be the expected median drive time for the same stretch after the addition of another pedestrian crossing and an additional traffic light as proposed?

Response:   Estimating drive time was not part of the safety study.

3) The survey mentions 500 responses received during a holiday month. Can you please detail why the survey was performed during a holiday month? And why do we believe it is representative of the residents of the South End of Mercer Island with such a small sample size of responses?

Response:   The Safety Study was added to the City’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in early summer 2021 with the intent to proceed with the study that year and present the results to the City Council in Q1 2022 ahead of updating the TIP in Q2 to include safety improvements on Island Crest Way. The short time frame for the study and the necessary steps leading up to the survey resulted in the survey occurring during the month of December.  We took steps to promote it widely to increase awareness of the survey and allow time for responses.  The online survey was open for one month between December 2 and January 3. It was advertised through the City’s communications channels including Let’s Talk, social media channels, signage along Island Crest Way and direct communications with area schools to reach teachers, students, and parents.   The intent was to receive feedback from those with interest in the Island Crest Way corridor and potential projects including a variety of users of Island Crest Way, area residents, students and parents, commuters, etc.  We received 499 responses from a variety of users of Island Crest Way.

No, not at this time. This intersection does not meet the required Federal standards to allow installation of a traffic signal.   However, we are aware of long delays for westbound vehicles on SE 53^rd Pl. approaching Island Crest Way during the morning and afternoon peak travel times.  The congestion on Island Crest Way leaves limited gaps in traffic for vehicles to enter from SE 53^rd Pl.  The delay on SE 53^rd Pl. is caused in part from there being only one lane approaching Island Crest Way for vehicles whether traveling straight or turning left/right.

The majority of vehicles turn right at this intersection which means that left turning vehicles increase delays for right turning vehicles behind them.  This can create frustration and potential for drivers to rush to make turns into small gaps in traffic without paying attention to pedestrians.  The proposed intersection improvement will add a westbound to northbound right turn lane on SE 53^rd Pl. to give right turning vehicles a dedicated lane as shown in the photo simulation below.  

The new pedestrian signal will have a red, yellow, and green light similar to the pedestrian signal at SE 32^nd Street and Island Crest Way. Similar to a traffic signal, it is programmed on a cycle to be green for a minimum timeframe to reduce traffic delays. The light will turn red and stop traffic after the push button is pressed. When the push button is pressed during the minimum green cycle timeframe, it will turn red only after the cycle is complete. This improves traffic flow by controlling the frequency of pedestrian crossings. The existing rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) helped provide warning to motorists of pedestrians on or near the roadway, but it did not reduce motor vehicle delay during heavy pedestrian times of the day (such as school start and end times) since the lights would flash and stop traffic as soon as the button was pushed. Northbound and southbound traffic often backs up near the school as drivers wait for crossing pedestrians at the existing RRFB. The Island Crest Way Corridor Safety Analysis identified the new pedestrian signal as a way to improve pedestrian safety and reduce vehicle delay.

The intersection feasibility study is one of several tasks in the Island Crest Way Corridor Improvements (SP0135) project and includes analysis and preliminary design of safety improvements at the SE 53^rd Place and SE 68^th Street intersections with Island Crest Way. The SE 68^th Street analysis evaluates intersection treatments to alleviate intersection congestion and provide pedestrian/bicycle safety for park and trail users. A roundabout and other safety improvements are being considered as part of this evaluation, as outlined by the Island Crest Way Corridor Safety Analysis to reduce collisions, improve traffic operations, and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. The initial focus will be on safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists that do not require construction of a roundabout.  The details of the intersection feasibility study will be completed this fall and will be made available on Let’s Talk.

Other tasks of Island Crest Way Corridor Improvements include the design and construction of three crosswalk improvement this summer ($1,567,469), corridor tree and illumination assessments, and shared use path study and preliminary design. The total 2023-2024 budget for Island Crest Way Corridor Improvements is $2,123,156.

Thank you for your question. There are long delays for westbound vehicles on SE 53^rd Pl. approaching Island Crest Way during the morning and afternoon peak travel times. The congestion on Island Crest Way leaves limited gaps in traffic for vehicles to enter from SE 53^rd Pl. 

The delay on SE 53^rd Pl. is caused in part from there being only one lane approaching Island Crest way for vehicles whether traveling straight or turning left/right.

The majority of vehicles turn right at this intersection which means that left turning vehicles increase delays for right turning vehicles behind them. This can create frustration and potential for drivers to rush, as you mentioned, to make turns into small gaps in traffic without paying attention to pedestrians. 

The proposed intersection improvement will add a westbound to northbound right turn lane on SE 53^rd Pl. to give right turning vehicles a dedicated lane as shown in the photo simulation below. 

Thank you for contacting the City. The work at 4004 Island Crest Way is a different project. Construction is scheduled to begin there this week. The property was acquired recently by the City for future transportation needs and current improvements include some new sidewalk along the Island Crest Way frontage, pedestrian access into the lot, and new landscaping. The project should be completed by mid-December.