TIB Project Information

'The community’s need for this project is based on the existing multimodal facility deficiencies, the east-west travel barrier caused by the SR 509 freeway, and the need to access numerous destinations including schools, transit routes, parks, trails, services, retail and jobs.This 0.9-mile segment of S 136th Street is an important east-west multimodal corridor which travels through a primarily residential neighborhood and connects to regional arterial streets at each end. At the western terminus of the project is 1st Avenue S, a north-south primary arterial and a major commercial district in Burien. It has northbound and southbound bus stops for the King County Metro Route 131. At the east end of the project, Des Moines Memorial Drive provides access to northbound and southbound bus stops for King County Metro’s Route 132, access to the 165-acre North SeaTac Park and Sunset Playfield, as well as the Des Moines Memorial Trail which is a popular paved walking and biking trail extending approximately three miles south from S 136th Street. S 136th Street does not include bike facilities and the existing roadway pavement and sidewalks are in poor condition. The existing sidewalks have cracks, upheaving from tree roots, and ADA non-compliant driveway approaches. Curb ramps either do not exist or are not ADA-compliant. Sidewalk widths are substandard due to trees, mailboxes, utilities and other obstacles within the existing sidewalk and back of curb area. S 136th Street is the primary east-west corridor for students to access two schools near the project. John F. Kennedy High School is located one block south of S 136th Street between 1st Avenue S and 3rd Avenue S. Cedarhurst Elementary School is located one block north of S 136th Street on 6th Avenue S this segment of S 136th Street between 6th Avenue S and Des Moines Memorial Drive is part of the elementary school’s safe walk routes.The SR 509 freeway acts as a barrier to non-motorized travel and divides this community into east and west halves. The bridge crossings of SR 509 at S 136th Street and S 146th Street both have ADA non-compliant sidewalks and no bike facilities. There is a pedestrian overpass at S 132nd Street, approximately 0.25 miles north of the project, however it is also ADA non-compliant and only connects to streets without sidewalks or bicycle facilities. The City of Burien strives to construct and maintain Complete Streets to serve various modes of transportation. S 136th Street is a collector arterial that the City desires to improve and repurpose for both motorized and non-motorized users. Adding bicycle lanes, illumination, ADA-compliant sidewalks and crosswalks, providing better connections to transit, and maintaining vehicle travel will contribute to making this a Complete Street for all users. '

• "This project will benefit the community by adding new bike facilities and more accessible walk routes, providing an alternative to driving which is expected to reduce the number of vehicle trips, vehicle miles traveled, traffic congestion, and vehicle emissions. People walking and biking on S 136th Street will be able to access bus routes going to downtown Seattle via Georgetown and South Park, businesses on 1st Avenue S, schools, regionally significant parks and trails, and surrounding residential areas. Improving non-motorized facilities will benefit public health and safety. The project will improve street lighting, enhance existing marked crosswalks, add a new marked crossing at 10th Avenue S, and add curb bulbs along the corridor to improve pedestrian visibility and safety. The north side of the street is designed to include a landscape buffer to separate people using the sidewalk from moving vehicles, and the street parking on the south side of the street provides a physical barrier between people walking on the sidewalk and vehicle travel lanes. This project’s bike lanes will connect to the existing bike lane on S 136th Street east of Des Moines Memorial Drive, which will provide access to the SeaTac Community Center at 22nd Avenue S. The new sidewalks and bike lanes on S 136th Street will enhance access to the Des Moines Memorial Trail, a regional commuter and recreational facility. At the east end, the project will connect to North SeaTac Park/Sunset Park, a significant bike destination that includes paved and unpaved trails, a BMX track, and the park hosts weekly mountain bike races in the summertime and annual cyclocross bike races in the fall. "