Neighborhood Traffic Safety Services constructed a project to improve traffic safety in the area around Newport Heights Elementary, along 119th Avenue SE, between SE 56th Street and Lake Heights Street SE. The project focused on addressing concerns about speeding and requests for pedestrian safety improvements, particularly for students walking to school.
City staff met with members of the school community and neighborhood residents to develop short- and long-term actions to increase traffic safety.
Construction began in June 2019 to build 6 foot sidewalk on west side of 119th Avenue SE from SE 56th Street to Newport Heights Elementary School, pedestrian island at the mid-block crosswalk in front of the school and an entry island on the north leg of the intersection of SE 56th Street/119th Avenue SE. This work was completed in late 2019. In November 2020, three sets of speed cushions to reduce high vehicle speeds were installed on 119th Avenue SE south of Lake Heights Street SE. In Spring 2023, three additional sets of speed cushions will be installed on 119th Avenue SE between SE 48th Street and SE 54th Place.
Funding
Funding comes from the Neighborhood Safety, Connectivity and Congestion levy, the Neighborhood Sidewalks Program and Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program. Estimated construction cost of the sidewalk is $540,000.Documents
- Speed cushion installation project update (August 2022)
- Speed cushion construction alert (October 2020) (funded by the Neighborhood Traffic Safety program)
- Sidewalk construction alert (June 2019)
- December 2018 project update
- March 6, 2018 open house summary
- Design concepts
- Newport Heights and 119th Avenue Southeast community traffic safety survey analysis (2017)
Schedule
- June 2022-March 2023: Design and construction of three additional speed cushions
- November 2020: Installation of speed cushions (complete)
- June 2019: Construction of Phase II elements (6 foot sidewalk on west side of 119th Avenue SE from SE 56th Street to Newport Heights Elementary School, pedestrian island at the mid-block crosswalk in front of the school and an entry island on the north leg of the intersection of SE 56th Street/119th Avenue SE; complete)
- Summer/fall 2018: Construction of Phase I elements (school zone flashing beacons; complete)
- March 6, 2018: Project open house
- Fall 2017: Project open house