Bothell Way 11-Lane Redesign Doesn’t Quite Stick the Landing

Don’t say they didn’t ask for it.

First, Bothell residents asked the City of Bothell to design Bothell Way NE as a walkable street to keep the walkable vibe of old downtown.

Then, Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom, who detailed the not very walkable design, asked to hear The Urbanist’s critique.

While the boulevard looks pretty with its lanes of trees, Bothell has not created a “Complete Street” in producing this 11-lane “multiway.” Seeking to balance desire for a walkable vibe with needs of automobiles, they’ve create a dressed-up car sewer–still with some STROAD tendencies and a parking focus. The over-designed street will fail to create a safe all ages and abilities bicycling connection. How are cyclists supposed to feel comfortable and be safe in double-door-zone sharrows that interact with pocket slip roads–effectively off-ramps?

By creating an entirely new concept, Bothell is also asking motorists to learn many rules that won’t necessarily come naturally. At low speeds, these awkward turning movements could allow for mistakes, but add speed and collisions will surely occur. Watch the video below (from the City of Bothell’s project website) to see all the conflict points a multiway boulevard creates.

The design should make looking for parking less stressful for motorists, but trying to direct bicyclists though the same area doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. With all that space, why not create protected bike lanes? Perhaps the parking won’t be heavily used at many times of the day, which will decrease the chance people bicycling will be doored but may encourage motorists to pass bicyclists or drive faster.

For pedestrians, five lanes of mainline traffic is still a long crossing distance, especially when added to the two lanes for the pocket slip roads. It’s nice to see curb extensions, but the curbs on the pedestrian islands could be extended even further to slow turning movements, particularly if reckless turns prove common. It’ll also be interesting to see if motorists confused with the turn restrictions  (i.e. no left from the outer parking lane) wreak havoc for pedestrians and other motorists.