EnataiBeachPark-KC-STProjects-Oct2017

Enatai Beach Park Construction Notice

Updated 10/23/17

Sound Transit’s contractor, Kiewit-Hoffman, began mobilizing construction equipment at Enatai Beach Park in mid-October 2017. 

Crews will use a portion of the existing park and parking area as a construction staging area for seismic retrofit work and light rail construction that will occur along the I-90 roadway above. This work will reduce the structures’ vulnerability in a seismic event and prepare the East Channel Bridge for future East Link construction and operation.

12 parking spaces may be unavailable for six months. Access to remaining parking spaces and to Enatai Beach Park will be maintained throughout construction.

Parking spaces and the Enatai Beach Park grounds will be restored to existing condition once work is complete.  Work is anticipated to last for up to two years.

What to expect:

 Work hours will be Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

 Construction vehicles and crew members entering and exiting the work zone during typical work hours. Approximately 20 trucks daily will be accessing the site via approved haul routes.

 Traffic control will be in place. Pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists should follow signed detours and flaggers to safely access your destination.

 Construction fencing, construction trailers, lighting and signage delineating the construction site will be in place.

 Some parking spaces may be unavailable for six months. Limited parking will remain available throughout construction and visitors will be able to access the park.

 Intermittent lane closures along 108th Avenue SE. Please follow signed detours and flaggers to safely access your destination.

 Potential intermittent noise and vibration from construction activities may be noticeable.

Contact Sound Transit

 For issues that need immediate attention after normal business hours, call Sound Transit’s 24-hour Construction Hotline at 888-298-2395.

 For non-emergency questions, call 206-398-5000 or 1-800-201-4900 / TTY relay 711 or email eastlink@soundtransit.org.

Members of the Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Committee (NTMC) reported the following details regarding the new “pilot program” on 108^th Ave SE, which restricts southbound traffic to Bellevue Way and SE 16^th St from 4pm to 7pm on weekdays.

As to the development of the program, the webpage states that this step was not the result of a consensus of the NTMC members.

Web page:  https://transportation.bellevuewa.gov/projects/east-link-light-rail/mitigation/south-bellevue-neighborhood-traffic-mitigation/pilot_program_NTMC/

• The “placard proposal” discussed earlier by the NTMC and neighbors to allow residents of Enatai an exemption from the restriction is not being pursued.  This decision was not made with input by the NTMC nor based on its legality.  It was made by the City based on concerns regarding the practical administration of the proposal.

The Annual Meeting for the Enatai Neighborhood Association was held October 19th, 2017.

Outgoing Bellevue City Council member, Kevin Wallace, attended the meeting and shared his insights on the past, present, and future of Bellevue.  He covered current topics of interest to Bellevue and Enatai residents including light rail construction, traffic mitigation and the recent City council decisions and discussions regarding a safe injection site and mens shelter locations in Bellevue.

Kevin graciously spent his time fielding questions from the audience and provided his insight and valuable suggestions to Enatai residents to assist with the concerns and challenges that were raised.

He highly recommended and encouraged residents to contact the City Council members in addition to working with City Staff members if there are any issues, areas of concern or situations that residents feel are not being appropriately resolved or communicated.

Contact Bellevue City Council Members

Telephone         425-452-7810

Email                  council@bellevuewa.gov

The Enatai Assistant Principal contacted us to share that the teachers were thrilled with the collection of donated books.  Each classroom received at least 40 books appropriate for their needs.

The Book Drive was a great activity and a wonderful way to connect with the neighbors and accomplish something positive!!

Thank you to the ENA Board for their help and support and the Enatai residents for making it happen, it was greatly appreciated!

• In response to projected concern that the closure of the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride will create “spill-over” commuter parking within Enatai, the City has been preparing for a residential parking zone (RPZ) on the streets closest to the Park-and-Ride, as there will continue to be bus service on Bellevue Way during construction.  John Murphy at jmurphy@bellevuewa.gov, 425-452-6967 is the person to contact in Neighborhood Traffic Safety Services should residents observe a high number of cars parked on neighborhood streets.  He has shared the following points:
  • Streets closest to the South Bellevue Park and Ride have been pre-emptively approved for a residential parking zone (RPZ) by City Council.
  • This approval does not mean a RPZ is currently in place; rather, the legal framework has been created to allow residents and staff to work quickly to implement the RPZ if there are issues with commuter parking in the neighborhood.
  • If City staff reviews streets and finds a spillover parking issue (based on percent of cars parked on the street, percent of those cars being non-resident), community support is then needed to implement the RPZ.
  • Community support is needed because a residential parking zone, while discouraging spillover parking, does require the installation of signs, and for residents to procure parking permits if parking on the street, which may not be welcomed by residents.
  • There is additional information available at: https://www.bellevuewa.gov/south-bellevue-parking-mitigation.htm.

The City-directed Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Committee (NTMC) is made up of volunteer representatives from Enatai, Surrey Downs and Bellecrest.  They met for many months exploring possible solutions to anticipated neighborhood traffic impacts during East Link construction.  They will continue to monitor traffic impacts in the neighborhoods and take action if/when they believe there are demonstrated needs as construction begins and continues.

August 2017 Update from Nancy Lacombe City of Bellevue:

Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation:

The committee had a very challenging job. They have been asked to determine specific mitigation tools across a few neighborhoods without fully understanding what potential construction impacts might be, while balancing tradeoffs to residential access and not put something in place that might work in one area but have adverse effects in another area. The committee does not operate under parameters that requires decisions to be made by a straight “yes” or “no” vote. The committee uses input from staff and residents and discusses how tools could be put into place that would balance factors such as engineering feasibility, results from traffic monitoring, enforceability, expected impacts and other influences. 

Traffic monitoring completed recently has noted a nominal increase in volumes on 108^th Ave SE between Main Street and Bellevue Way since the closure of the South Bellevue Park and Ride. Forthcoming construction will reduce 112^th Ave SE between SE 8^th Street and Bellevue Way from four lanes to two lanes. A similar configuration was put into place when city utilities work was underway which did result in traffic diversion onto 108^th Ave SE between Main St and Bellevue Way. Due to these considerations, it is an appropriate time to pilot a turn restriction project. Turn restrictions would only be in place between 4-7 pm and only for 3 month trial period. A 3 month trial period allows any potential anomalies with school being in session or on break and a sort of “settling” after change of travel patterns is implemented. The committee and staff are committed to understanding how the restrictions impact traffic and also how the community feels about them. 

While the 4-7 PM turn restrictions will make it harder for Enatai residents to use 108^th Ave SE between Main St and Bellevue Way to get to get from downtown to Enatai streets, there remain multiple ways to get to Enatai. Please see the second page of the attached graphic that shows these routes. Similarly, these restrictions are not without impact to residents on 108^th Ave SE north of Bellevue Way. Getting south will require traveling north to Main St to 112^th Ave, Bellevue Way, or other routes.

At the committee meetings during the year, the committee has had a variety of options of how to mitigate for traffic. They ultimately landed on a recommendation not to implement anything unless there was increased traffic (the “monitor and respond approach”). The plan that was developed was intended to be fluid, with the committee understanding they would need to be involved throughout construction, and would need to remain engaged with their respective neighborhoods as construction activity ebbs and flows.

In addition to reaching out to City staff, there is significant information available on our website. We attempt to keep the East Link pages up-to-date, and cover topics we hear a lot about (construction, noise, and mitigation). We encourage you to visit the East Link Web Page. More specifically related to your email there is a page on mitigation, and one on South Bellevue traffic mitigation.

As stated already, city staff are dedicated to making ourselves available via phone, email, in person or at neighborhood gatherings. Please do not hesitate to contact Marie Jensen, East Link Outreach and Community Relations Lead. I believe you have most everyone’s contact information, but I have included a couple below. You also know you are welcome to call me anytime.

Further information is available in this summary of the April 2017 committee meeting at http://www.bellevuewa.gov/pdf/Transportation/EL-NTMC-Summary-Mtg_8-041017.pdf

• The South Bellevue Park-and Ride closed May 30, with the new parking garage and station expected to open in 2023.  More detailed information is available at https://www.soundtransit.org/eastlink.