We did consider starting the lane reduction west of 3rd Ave NW recognizing the lane reduction on the curve is not ideal, and that there are high volumes of traffic in this section, however some of the main safety benefits we expect out of the project occur at 3rd. One reason for this is the eastbound left turning drivers at 3rd no longer have to navigate two lanes of oncoming traffic which was problematic historically as this was one of the main collision types at the City’s highest collision rate intersection. It’s worth noting that there was some collision history in this stretch prior to the project due to high speed passing and weaving traffic. We will continue to monitor the safety outcomes and will post online here: http://www.shorelinewa.gov/government/projects-initiatives/richmond-beach-road-rechannelization.
We recognize the need to balance the traffic operations element too and may look to revise the layout in the future to include the second westbound lane all the way to 3rd, requiring a right turn from the right westbound lane at 3rd. This would result in a slightly more risky intersection for drivers and pedestrians, but we recognize that this intersection is the bottleneck within the project limits. We will be studying this as a follow up to the project so stay tuned to the project website.

City of Shoreline