Judkins Park and I-90 – choosing the best alternative for the ramps

By: April Delchamps

Finding the right fit for the community

It is that time of year in Washington when choosing the right outfit feels impossible. You leave home layered up with rain boots and jacket. And, an hour later, you are sweating while carrying all that gear around town.

Deciding on a winter outfit can be tricky. Good luck out there, all! Choosing the right street layout changes for a WSDOT project is far more complex. These decisions affect neighborhoods, local businesses and community organizations. At Rainier Avenue South and I-90, they affect everyone who walks, rolls, bikes or drives.

We take this responsibility seriously. We know past decisions have had a big impact on overburdened communities. For every study and project, we must find a balance. We have to work within the physical limitations to find the best access and safest options, while avoiding negative impacts on the community. Learn more about WSDOT’s best practices as it relates to community impacts.

The Judkins Park challenge

The Judkins Park Station – Reconnecting Communities Study demonstrates this careful balance. We are studying how to improve where the I-90 ramps meet Rainier Avenue South. We now have four options, or alternatives, to consider. You could say we are “trying on” these four different alternatives.

The community has played a central role in coming up with these four alternatives. You have shared what you love about your neighborhood and how you want to see it improve. Passionate people in the Judkins Park area have joined us, imagining a new design for these I-90 ramps.

What exists today

Here is what the ramps look like today:

Map of Judkins Park area with the on-ramp and off-ramps.

Our goal is to enhance safety and connectivity for those who walk, roll and bike. This will be even more important when the Judkins Park Link light rail station opens. Like choosing the right winter outfit, we are thinking about benefits and tradeoffs. We want to understand the human experience, as well as what the traffic models predict.

What we are considering

1. Community input

Community feedback is at the center of decision-making. Read our first blog post about this study for more details about what we have heard from the community.

2. Current data and assumptions

We are testing the four alternatives with these assumptions:

• There will be increased transit, biking, and walking or rolling in the Judkins Park area.
• There will be no increase in vehicle traffic.
• Changing the ramps provides opportunities to reduce the number of lanes along Rainier Avenue South, in the study area, from six lanes to four lanes.
  • Important note: A follow-up test will be done to check if the number of lanes at the intersections can be further reduced by using lower traffic volumes along Rainier Avenue South.
• Vehicles cannot turn right on a red light at a traffic signal.

3. Physical limitations

We are balancing these realities:

• We cannot get rid of vehicle access. People need to access social services, schools, work and other activities.
• Community places must stay connected. This includes parks, trails, businesses, schools and services.
• Space is limited. We have to think about things like hills and slopes, stormwater systems, sound walls and other projects (like the Judkins Park Station and RapidRide).

The four alternatives

We have narrowed our options down to four alternatives, or options. Each one has a different way of enhancing safety and connectivity for people walking, biking and rolling. Think of it like trying different outfits. Your warmest coat is the heaviest to carry, and your rain boots might not be ideal for walking long distances. No option is perfect, which is why we are carefully studying how each one may work in real life.

Important note: Our engineers are evaluating each option. They are verifying the number of vehicle lanes, how bus stop areas work and how the intersections are designed. We are sharing what we know so far, and once these options are refined, we will share more.

In every option, we are thinking about how the ramps meet Rainier Avenue South. If we use T-shaped intersections, with angles closer to 90-degrees, vehicles will have to slow down or stop. This means vehicles will not be able to flow freely from the ramps to Rainier Avenue South.

Alternative 1

This option keeps all existing ramps. This allows vehicles to access the Judkins Park neighborhood services and destinations. Here are some other things we are considering for this alternative:

• A single traffic signal or roundabout would be added to Ramp #3 and Ramp #5, and a new traffic signal would be added to Ramp #4. This would force vehicles to slow down or stop. They would not flow freely between Rainier Avenue South and the ramps.
• This option also reduces Rainier Avenue South to four lanes under I-90. Buses would stop in the regular travel lane to pick up and drop off passengers. In this design, buses spend less time pulling out of and merging back into traffic.

A map of Alternative 1. The ramp changes are shown in orange.

Alternative 2

This option closes the westbound I-90 off-ramp to northbound Rainier Avenue South (Ramp #4, shown with red hatching). Here are other things we are considering for this alternative:

• Adding a traffic signal or roundabout to Ramp #5. This would serve vehicles travelling from westbound I-90 to both southbound and northbound Rainier Avenue South.
• A pedestrian signal is added just north of I-90. This would allow people to cross the street at a controlled marked crossing.
• This option reduces Rainier Avenue South to four lanes under I-90. It would use in-lane bus loading, similar to Alternative 1.

A map of Alternative 2. Ramp changes are shown in orange, and proposed ramp removals are shown in red.

Alternative 3

This option is the opposite of Alternative 2. Alternative 3 closes the I-90 westbound off-ramp to southbound Rainier Avenue South (Ramp #5, shown with red hatching). Some other things we are considering for this alternative are:

• Adding a traffic signal to Ramp #4. This will serve vehicles travelling from westbound I-90 to both southbound and northbound Rainier Avenue South.
• A traffic signal or roundabout would also be added to Ramp #3. This would allow people to cross the street at a controlled marked crossing.
• This alternative also reduces Rainier Avenue South to four lanes under I-90. It would use in-lane bus loading, similar to Alternative 1.

A map of Alternative 3. Ramp changes are shown in orange, and proposed ramp removals are shown in red.

Alternative 4

This option makes the most dramatic changes. It would close both the westbound off-ramp (Ramp #4) and the eastbound on-ramp (Ramp #2) (both shown with red hatching). The vehicle movements served by Ramp #4 would be added to Ramp #5, and the vehicle movements for Ramp #2 would be added to Ramp #3. Other elements of this alternative are:

• A single new traffic signal or roundabout would serve both Ramp #3 and Ramp #5, north of I-90.
• A pedestrian signal is added just north of I-90. This would allow people to cross the street at a controlled marked crossing.
• This alternative requires six lanes under I-90. There would be four vehicle lanes and two bus lanes. The buses would load in their own lane, which requires the buses to merge back into traffic.

A map of Alternative 4. Ramp changes are shown in orange, and proposed ramp removals are shown in red.

What’s next

As winter continues, Seattleites will continue the daily winter outfit debate. Meanwhile, our engineers will be using special software to review each alternative. They will be looking for a sweet spot. They want to enhance safety and comfort for people who walk, roll, and bike, without making it harder for drivers.

A graphic showing our study process and how community engagement is incorporated into our decision-making process.

Where we are in the study

We are using a clear process for our study. We want to improve access to the light rail station and reconnect the community. We are currently in the middle of Step 4, shown below.

Here's how it works

See the graphic on the right for more details on the study process, the questions we’re asking at each step, and how we’ll arrive at the final result.

After step 4, analyzing the four alternatives, we will talk about the results. We'll share these in a future blog post.

Throughout this whole process, we are working closely with both our Advisory Group and the community to get their input.

Learn more and stay connected

We are committed to transparency throughout this process.

Study webpage

Visit the project page for the latest updates, detailed information and recordings/presentations from our Advisory Group meetings.

Email updates

• Sign up for Seattle area news and study updates.

Contact Info

Amber Stanley - Community Engagement Lead
Phone: 206-817-8833
Email: amber.stanley@wsdot.wa.gov