Set to open in 2023, the Judkins Park light rail station will connect thousands of Seattleites to the growing Link light rail network. The future station, which connects directly to the I-90 trail, is uniquely situated to offer safe transit access to pedestrians, cyclists and users of other modes of transportation, like motorized wheelchairs.
But the Judkins Park light rail station’s connectivity to the I-90 trail only reveals part of the story. The station also abuts Rainier Avenue, a thoroughfare whose high number of collisions and fatalities have earned it the title of Seattle’s “crashiest street.”
A short video produced by Disability Rights Washington (DRW) showcases the current dismal situation for cyclists and pedestrians on a stretch of Rainier Avenue flanked by narrow sidewalks interrupted by street lamp posts. But as the video’s narration points out, the most pressing dangers are presented by the I-90 freeway entrance and exit ramps.
In the video, Anna Zivarts, Director of the Disability Mobility Initiative at DRW, bikes slowly along Rainier Avenue, pointing out areas of special concern and highlighting the dangers for people with disabilities. It is clear that the combination of high speed traffic and limited visibility make the freeway ramp crossings particularly perilous.
