Lake Street Pedestrian Scramble

  • Project typePedestrian scramble, including upgrades to sidewalks, traffic signals and stormwater system
  • Project value$3.627 million
  • Project scheduleSpring 2024 - Fall 2024
  • Contractor nameNew X, Inc.

RENDERING-from-Kirkland-Avenue-west.pngThe above illustration depicts Lake Street's intersection with Kirkland Avenue after construction on the pedestrian scramble is complete in December.

 

The City of Kirkland is planning in spring 2024 to improve downtown pedestrian safety, traffic flow and a primary walking connection between Kirkland's waterfront and its downtown storefronts.

The Lake Street pedestrian scramble project will create a crosswalk at Lake Street's intersection with Kirkland Avenue that will allow people who are walking to cross the intersection in any direction when traffic is stopped.
To ensure that people who are walking and rolling are more visible to those who are driving, the project will elevate the intersection to be level with the surrounding sidewalks.

It will also upgrade the surrounding curb ramps and traffic signals.

The project will also replace a failing stormwater system, which will prevent water from pooling at the raised intersection's base.

The surface, itself, will feature landscaping, street furnishing, lighting, pavers and decorative concrete that will aesthetically connect it to Park Lane.

How long will the Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street intersection be closed?

Eight weeks. Kirkland’s contractor will complete a series of weather-sensitive tasks during the eight-week closure of the Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street intersection.

The contractor is planning to begin the closure April 1 or within a few days of April 1 and to end the closure May 31 or within a few days of May 31. 

Those tasks include upgrading the intersection’s stormwater system and rebuilding its surface with asphalt and concrete. 

 

Did the City Council postpone construction until Spring 2024?

Yes. The City decided in May 2023 to postpone construction until spring 2024. However, City of Kirkland staff members are currently refining that schedule.

Regardless of the dates, construction will require a full closure of the intersection. During construction, people will still be able to walk or ride bicycles to businesses within the closure area.
During the closure, Kirkland’s contractor will detour automotive traffic around the closed construction site via Second Avenue South, Lakeview Drive and Central Way.
Of the three options the City considered in September 2022, the eight-week closure option was the quickest and the least expensive for Kirkland’s taxpayers.
One of the options would have partially or fully closed the intersection for 13 weeks—11 weeks of partly closing it and two weeks of fully closing it.
The other would have closed the intersection for 11 weeks—seven weeks of a partial closure and four weeks of a full closure.

 

What forms of travel will be limited during the closure?

Driving automobiles and riding bicycles on the affected streets will be prohibited. People will still be able to walk to businesses within the closure area.

How will downtown traffic detour around the closure area?

MAP-detour-ped-scramble-vert.jpg

Kirkland’s contractor is currently expecting the eight-week closure to start in early April. 

During these eight weeks, New X, Inc., will complete a series of fundamental tasks that it would not be able to with an operating intersection. 

Foremost among those tasks is removing the intersection’s asphalt pavement surface and rebuilding the it with decorative concrete and pavers.

The City Council decided in September 2022 to expedite completion of the Lake Street pedestrian scramble project by closing its intersection with Kirkland Avenue for eight weeks during construction. 

People will still be able to walk or ride bicycles to businesses within the closure area. 

During the closure, Kirkland’s contractor, will detour automotive traffic around the closed construction site via Second Avenue South, Lakeview Drive and Central Way. 

 

Where will the streets be closed?

CLOSURE-MAP.png On the north leg of Lake Street, the closure will extend to--but not through--Park Lane. On the south leg, it will extend approximately 50 feet south of the alleyway that is on the south side of Homegrown. 

On the east leg of Kirkland Avenue, it will extend to the Kiwami Sushi Bar and Sake House.

On the west leg of Kirkland Avenue, it will extend to 88 Kirkland Salon. 

Will people be able to walk or roll in the roadway within the closure area?

No. The roadway within the closure area will be an active construction zone with construction fencing surrounding it. 

Will Park Lane be closed to automobiles during the eight-week closure?

No. People driving automobiles southbound on Lake Street from Central Way will be able to access Park Lane. Park Lane will not be accessible for northbound vehicles. 

Will the project preserve street parking along Lake Street?

Yes. All existing parking spots that exist now will be available after construction is over. During the eight-week closure, all existing parking spots that are within the closure area will be unavailable during the closure.

How is Kirkland compensating for the loss of parking?

Kirkland is mitigating the loss of downtown parking during construction by converting a right-turn lane into temporary parking spots. 

During the eight-week closure, the City will convert Lake Street’s northbound to eastbound right-turn lane into nine temporary parking spots, reducing the downtown area’s net loss of parking from 32 to 23. The Marina Park and Lake and Central parking lots are also available during construction. 

 

Previous updates

Update (March 14, 2024) — Puget Sound Energy says 115 of its customers will lose power during those hours. Seventy-two will lose power on the first night of the outages. And 51 will lose power on the second night. Eight customers will lose power on both nights.

 

Puget Sound Energy will notify all of its affected customers with a postcard it is sending out today. It will follow up the postcards with a series of automated phone calls tomorrow. The customers who will lose power on both nights will receive notice for each power outage.

 

Puget Sound Energy notifies only the customers, who will be losing power. If Puget Sound Energy does not notify a customer, that customer will not lose power.

 

A week after Puget Sound Energy completes its utility relocation, Kirkland’s contractor will begin the process of transforming the Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue intersection. New X, Inc, will devote much of its first days on the job to mobilizing and preparing the intersection for construction.

 

It plans to close down the intersection on April 1, or very soon, thereafter.

 

Kirkland staff, meanwhile, continues to identify micro-solutions that will ease the burden of construction on the downtown merchants. Along with converting into nine parking spots Lake Street’s right-turn lane onto eastbound Central Way, City staff is also trying to provide access to Lake Street’s entrance to the alleyway that is south of the Bank of America building.

 

Even if successful, this access would be intermittent; available only when the contractor isn’t actively using—or rebuilding—that area. 

 

 

Update (March 12, 2024) -- Puget Sound Energy’s crews are continuing to work in various locations of the Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue intersection.  

 

City of Kirkland staff members are expressing gratitude today for the patience and understanding exhibited by Kirkland's downtown merchants while Puget Sound Energy worked extended hours to restore power to its 182 customers.

Puget Sound Energy had prepared those customers to be without power from 10 p.m., March 1 to 5 a.m., March 2.

 

Unfortunately, Puget Sound Energy’s crews ran into a utility relocation that was more complicated than they had originally anticipated.

 

This extended the outage from 5 a.m. to noon--or later for some merchants.

 

Puget Sound Energy is planning at least one more outage near the end of its relocation project.

 

The relocation project’s last day is currently planned for March 19. 

 

 

 

Update (Feb. 23, 2024) -- Puget Sound Energy will be conducting a planned power outage on March 1 that will affect 182 of its customers. 

 

The outage will occur between 10 p.m. March 1 and 5 a.m. March 2. 

 

Puget Sound Energy notified all of its affected customers with a postcard on Feb. 22 and will remind those customers with an automated phone call on Feb. 26.

 

Customers who did not receive direct notification will not lose power.

 

The March 1 outage will be the first of two power outages Puget Sound Energy has planned for its vault relocations. The second will occur near or at the end of the utility relocation project. Puget Sound Energy plans to complete the project March 19. 

 

Puget Sound Energy is relocating the vault to make room for the Lake Street Pedestrian Scramble project. 

 

 

Update (Feb. 12, 2024) — Puget Sound Energy begins five weeks of utility relocations tonight in the Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street intersection.

 

Crews will be working from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to relocate Puget Sound Energy’s existing electrical vault on the southwest corner of the intersection.

 

Most of the work will take place on the southwest corner of the intersection. However, the relocation could require some work on the southeast corner, as well as one night of work in Kirkland Avenue’s intersection with Main Street. That night is March 19 to March 20.

 

With the exception of Feb. 12, crews will be working nights to mitigate the effects of construction on traffic and commerce.

 

The work will generate construction noise.

 

To complete the utility relocation project, Puget Sound Energy is planning two power outages, which will occur at night and no earlier than March 1. Its communication staff is aiming to give their customers four to five days of notice prior each outage.

 

Puget Sound Energy is determining what areas of downtown the power outages will affect. 

 

Though unlikely, Puget Sound Energy could identify a need for other unplanned power outages. In those cases, it will provide as much notice as is feasible. 

 

Puget Sound Energy's current schedule is below:

Feb. 12: Remove wire. (Day work)

Feb. 13 – Feb. 28: Install electrical vault and conduit (Night work)

March 1: Re-install wire (Night work)

March 3 – March 19: Install electrical vault (Night work)

March 19 – March 20: Install wire (Night work)

 

 

 

 

 

View the City Council decision on closure duration(PDF, 1MB)

Location

Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue, 118 Lake Street,  98033  View Map

Google Map