It probably goes without saying that we’ve had to postpone the EBCA Spring Fling. We’re were looking forward to bringing all our friends and family together in the park for a big event this summer. In the meantime, we’re all figuring out in our own little way how to weather the Coronavirus storm. Our lives have been turned upside down and we’re truly inspired by our neighbors who are figuring out ways to keep our way of life as normal as possible and still strive to keep all of us safe and healthy.

During these times, let’s come together as a stronger community, look out for each other, and lend a helping hand where you can. Please help our small businesses stay afloat, check on your neighbors who may need some assistance and say hello to people you walk by on the sidewalk or in the park (while remaining 6 feet apart of-course).

The following is a very short list of things we can do to help support our neighborhood. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means, but something to start with. Please send us things to share and we’ll do our best to post.

Support our local businesses
Ballard Farmers Market online ordering
Support Ballard restaurants
Tom Douglas Pop up Charitable event this Friday, Sat & Sun,(14th Ave NW and NW 52nd) 12pm-5pm

Culture
National Nordic Cultural Museum digital archives
Seattle Symphony broadcasts and recordings
Seattle opera video and audio streams
UW cherry blossom cam

Volunteer
A neighbor on Nextdoor has posted a spreadsheet where you can sign up to get help and to offer help.

Consider volunteering at the Ballard Food Bank or Ballard Urban Rest Stop

One last note
The Public Affairs team at the Seattle Fire Department has asked our assistance in distributing the following messages to provide guidance to people who may be hesitant to fully report their symptoms when calling 911, fearing that firefighters may not respond. They want to assure the public that having accurate information allows them to send the right resources, and they can trust we will be there to assist them.

The Seattle Fire Department wil respond to all life-threatening emergencies. If you suffer from a fever or shortness of breath, it doesn’t always mean you have COVID-19. If you believe your symptoms are life-threatening, please call 911. Tell the dispatcher all of your symptoms so they can better assist you.

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is again engaging community members to democratically decide how to spend $2 million of the City’s budget on small-scale park and street improvements. This is the fourth year of Your Voice, Your Choice (YVYC): Parks & Streets.

Idea collection is open right now through March 18. Community members are encouraged to submit an idea online at seattle.gov/yvyc or in-person at any Seattle Public Library branch. Projects could include park benches, trail improvements, flashing beacons, and curb ramps to name a few. The only criteria are the ideas be physical improvements for Seattle’s parks or streets, benefit the public, and cost $150,000 or less. Even if you don’t have an idea, take a moment to review, comment or vote on existing ideas by selecting the like button for those you’d like to see come true!

What’s your great idea to improve streets and parks in East Ballard? If you submit an idea, please share with us and we’ll help spread the word!

Learn more about what types of projects are eligible: Idea Collection Examples. You can learn more about the YVYC process and how to get involved on the city’s webpage.

You have an opportunity to VOTE YES for a neighborhood greenway along 6th Ave NW. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, then check out this video put together by the 6th Ave NW Greenway group or travel along NW 58th or 17th Ave NW to experience one yourself. Vote via Your Voice, Your Choice under District 6, Project 19-312 by Sept 30. Take a look at the other projects while you’re in there (you can vote for up to 3 per district). For additional East Ballard projects check out the crossing improvement at 15th Ave NW and NW 62nd and another one at 14th Ave NW and NW 56th as well.

If you’d like to learn more about the 6th Ave NW Greenway and/or get involved with their very active community group, check our their Facebook Page.

During our daily walks along 14th Ave NW, we’ve become curious about the white painted lines that have appeared in the intersection along 14th Ave NW north and south of Market. Our curiosity led us to contacting SDOT to find out what’s going on. We received a very prompt and helpful response from SDOT civil engineer, Oli Frenchowicz. Here’s what he had to say.

The project to install markings along 14^th Ave NW in Ballard is scheduled for September (weather permitting). Our crews have quite a big backlog of street marking work due to the slow summer season start and large number of projects.
 
A contractor is scheduled in September to start the yellow line markings, and our SDOT crews will complete other marking work soon after.
 
The goal of the 14^th Ave NW project was to better organize the vehicles at the intersections for improved operations, formalize the pedestrian crossing spaces, and improve visibility for pedestrians, vehicles, and cyclists operating along the corridor.
 
You may have noticed some sign work was already completed as part of this project. The parking restriction signs formalized existing parking restrictions per Seattle Municipal Code. Additionally, we designed to accommodate larger vehicle turning movements at the intersections. The parking restrictions will help larger vehicles (delivery trucks, fire trucks, garbage trucks, etc.) make the turns once the markings formalize the driving paths.

In addition, we asked Oli if they could paint a crosswalk going north/south across NW 59th on the west side of 14th at the south end of Gemenskap Park, which seems to have been left out of the original design. He advised that they would add this to their their project for consistency near the park.

On May 24, Sound Transit Board of Directors gathered to review recommendations from the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions advisory groups and public feedback, and identified preferred alternatives and other alternatives to study in an environmental impact statement (EIS). The Board action reflects nearly 18 months of public engagement activities, including briefings to community organizations, open houses, neighborhood forums and workshops and attendance at local festivals.

Upon reviewing the Board’s motion, the following options, plus a new alternative are going to be included in the Environmental Impact Statement:

• Movable bridge with 15th elevated station – From elevated Interbay station, continues along 15th Avenue W and crosses Salmon Bay via a movable bridge west of the existing Ballard Bridge. Continues in an elevated guideway along 15th Avenue NW. Terminates at an elevated Ballard Station on 15th Avenue NW near NW Market Street.
  
  
• High fixed bridge with 14th elevated station – From elevated Interbay station, continues over 15th Avenue W, crosses Salmon Bay via a fixed bridge east of the existing Ballard Bridge and continues in an elevated guideway on 14th Avenue NW. Terminates at an elevated station on 14th Avenue NW at NW Market Street.

• Tunnel with 14th or 15th tunnel station – From Interbay station, descends into a tunnel beneath Salmon Bay. Terminates at a tunnel Ballard station with station options beneath 14th Avenue NW or east of 15th Avenue NW at NW Market Street.

New Alternative from public feedback:

• Tunnel with 20th tunnel station – Scoping comments suggested interest in a station farther west in Ballard with a tunnel crossing under Salmon Bay and tunnel station at 20th Avenue NW.

In the coming months, you can expect additional maps and information to be posted on the project website. If you’d like to stay informed on this project, we encourage you to subscribe to updates on the Sound Transit site.

…the following is from from Groundswell NW’s May Newsletter

Greenways are a key component of the 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan and provide  people of all ages and abilities with safe, calm and attractive residential streets for bicycle and pedestrian travel priority. A group of Ballard neighbors supporting the 6th Avenue NW Greenway project have submitted this project to the Your Voice Your Choice program for public approval.  It involves a section of 6th Ave NW that extends from NW 43rd Street to NW 50th Street, connecting to the Burke Gilman trail at NW 43rd Street. The first phase of the two part decision process involves public “scoring” which is available online (for people 13 years and older) through the YVYC website. Please consider voting for this project at this voting link. The voting link is available from May 1 through 31 for scoring. Scoring can also be done manually and for those 11 years and older, at the Ballard Branch Library, 5614 22nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 on May 20 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

East Ballard neighbor, Brian LeBlanc attended the recent West Seattle/Ballard Light Rail options open house at the Ballard High school and put together a very helpful overview of the options under consideration, plus some insight into the possible impacts. In particular, the above street options could have a significant impact on East Ballard residents and businesses along 14th and/or 15th. Note that Brian’s blog post reflects his opinion and we are sharing in order to peak your interest and encourage you to carefully research the options yourself and provide your input by April 2 via the Sound Transit online open house.

Click here to view Brian’s post
Click here to download a PDF with visualizations of the options

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is again engaging community members to democratically decide how to spend $2 million of the City’s budget on small-scale park and street improvements. This is the third year of Your Voice, Your Choice (YVYC): Parks & Streets.

Beginning January 28 to February 22, community members can submit an idea online at seattle.gov/yvyc or in-person at any Seattle Public Library branch. Projects could include park benches, trail improvements, flashing beacons, and curb ramps to name a few. The only criteria are the ideas be physical improvements for Seattle’s parks or streets, benefit the public, and cost $90,000 or less.

One of our neighbors, Damon May, submitted a project proposal to install a pedestrian-activated light at the intersection of 14th Ave NW and NW 53rd St. This east-west crossing would complement the signal installed at 15th Ave NW and NW 53rd to accommodate safe walking and bicycling between Central Ballard and the East Ballard neighborhood, plus provide a connection to the future north-south greenway on 6th Ave NW. You can provide your input on Damon’s proposal here:
https://nsf.consider.it/2019-218?results=true

What’s your great idea to improve streets and parks in East Ballard? If you submit an idea, please share with us and we’ll help spread the word!

Learn more about what types of projects are eligible: Idea Collection Examples.You can learn more about the YVYC process and how to get involved on the city’s webpage, and for questions, email amy.nguyen@seattle.gov.