The 257th Avenue Corridor Safety Improvement project wrapped up its first phase of outreach in fall 2022. In October, the project hosted an online survey where the community identified issues people face walking, rolling, driving, biking and hauling freight along the corridor.
We also hosted two walking tours of the project site. The tours were a chance for elected leaders and the community to walk the road with project leaders. The groups got a general overview of the project and provided feedback on areas that need improvement.
We hosted a second survey in January 2023. The survey gave the community the opportunity to review and prioritize proposed transportation safety solutions.
Although the survey has closed, our online open house is still available to review and learn more about our public process. The open house shared project information, what we heard in our first phase of outreach and an overview of the planned and potential safety improvements proposed on SW 257th Avenue.
Phase 1
In October 2022, we asked the community who travel along 257th to help us identify the most common issues or complaints when traveling the corridor. With 227 total responses, the top concerns were crossings and intersections, too few places to safely cross the street, and sidewalk conditions.
Which issue do you think is most important to address first?
- Concerns about existing intersections and crosswalks: 102
- Too few locations to safely cross the street: 81
- Sidewalk obstructions: 81
- Narrow sidewalks: 62
- Narrow bike lanes: 39
- Bus stops lack seating and shelters: 26
Other key issues identified in fall 2022 outreach:
- Strong desire for more crossing locations, especially between Hensley and Stark
- Longer crossing times, especially near Reynolds High School
- Removal of sidewalk vegetation + obstructions
- Lower vehicle speeds
- Better lighting and more visible street signs
- Street sweeping to clear the bike lane
- Buffered or physically separated bike lane
- Green bike boxes to improve visibility at intersections and make turns safer for cyclists
- Transit shelters that shield riders from the wind
Conceptual Design
Once these top issues were identified, the team began conceptual design of various road treatments to address the top issues.
Phase 2
In January 2023, we asked the community to review and prioritize the various treatment options through an online survey. With 152 responses, the top priorities were to:
- improve existing sidewalks
- slow down fast-moving traffic
- add signalized pedestrian crossings
- improve existing traffic signals
- repave the road
Which improvements do you think are most important to making SW 257th Avenue safer for people walking, rolling, biking and driving?
- Improve existing sidewalks: 73
- Improve existing traffic signals: 49
- Add new signalized pedestrian crossings: 52
- Slow down fast-moving traffic: 63
- Repave the roadway: 48
- Improve existing bus stops to meet ADA standards: 35
- Install more street lights: 39
- Construct landscape strip between sidewalk and road: 33
- Widen bike lanes: 30
- Do nothing - SW 257th works well today: 22
Other safety priorities heard during winter 2023 outreach:
- Making the sidewalks free of debris, posts, etc. is a huge first step, and widening them if possible.
- 257th would benefit from dedicated cycling lanes that are built away from the road.
- Reduce the speed limit to 35 MPH to be consistent with the speed limit on SW 257th south of Stark.
- Relocate utilities and obstructions from sidewalks, and improve sidewalks near Reynolds High School where students walk.
- Reprogram light at Stark and 257: eastbound left turn lane drivers can’t see oncoming westbound traffic because of a bend in the road.
Based on all the input, suggestions, and ideas we received from the community, we have selected a number of additional safety improvements for the project. These include pedestrian crossings, better bike lanes, improved bus stops and more.
