Swamp Creek Flooding Makes the Seattle Times
Posted by the Kenmore Crow | Filed under General | 1 Comment
The Seattle Times covers some of the effects of the rain here in Kenmore: Rivers recede, rain decreases as residents deal with the mess
In Kenmore, Frankie Schmitt found herself battling the worst floodwaters she has seen in 27 years.
Schmitt rented an extra sump pump Friday and asked the Kenmore Fire Department to bring out sandbags to help protect her property. But on Sunday, she said the water in her driveway was 4 feet deep and the garage from which she runs her machine-quilting shop was taking on water.
Nearby Swamp Creek often floods in the rain, and changes the city made recently to the street seemed to make it worse, she said. Beaver dams cause the high water to back up on her side of the creek, she said.
Based on my occasional observations, I’ve often suspected that Swamp Creek has flooded more often since they did all that work a few years ago that was supposed to help it flood less.
Here’s the location of the flooding mentioned in the article:
Read more on the Seattle Times Weather Beat blog.
Tags: Seattle Times, weather
Bus Shelter Modified for ADA Compliance
Posted by the Kenmore Crow | Filed under General | 2 Comments
When I posted a few weeks ago about the new bus shelters that popped up around Kenmore, a commenter pointed out that the some of the shelters were not ADA compliant, in that they blocked so much of the sidewalk that a wheelchair would be unable to pass through.
As of today, that problem appears to have been remedied, at least at the stop I posted the photo of last month:
![New Bus Shelter [Modified]](http://eyesonkenmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/reconfigured-bus-stop.jpg "New Bus Shelter [Modified]")
The old bus stop pole has been removed, and the signage attached to the light pole. I don’t know the specific requirements of the ADA, but there appears to be more than enough room for wheelchairs to use the sidewalk with this new configuration.
Tags: transit
Bus Shelters Pop Up Around Town
Posted by the Kenmore Crow | Filed under General | 4 Comments
Just in time for the rainy season, a crop of brand new bus shelters appeared seemingly overnight around Kenmore:
On Tuesday, riders were standing in the rain. By Wednesday morning, these spiffy new shelters had appeared, offering at least a little protection from the elements.
I’ve spotted at least three new shelters around the Bothell Way / 68th Ave NE intersection, but there may be even more.
Much thanks to whatever transit agency is responsible for installing these new shelters!
Tags: transit
Bizarro Benches
Posted by the Kenmore Crow | Filed under General | 3 Comments
Allow me to reappear briefly to discuss something that I find somewhat confusing.
In particular, I am referring to the most bizarre and inexplicable “feature” of the recently-completed grand City Hall: the 68th Ave. benches.
I wonder if someone would like to attempt to explain the purpose of these benches. I have yet to see even one single person sitting on these benches ever, since they were installed.
I tried giving them a sit for myself. Here is the result:
What a view! What a boring view, that is.
So would anyone care to shed some light on these mysterious bizarro benches?
Who’s to Blame for Yesterday’s Massive Traffic Backup?
Posted by the Kenmore Crow | Filed under General | 2 Comments
I received an interesting email from a reader regarding the delightful power outage we experienced here in Kenmore.
Yesterday around 6:30pm as I was driving from Bothell back to Seattle I was caught in a huge traffic backup on Bothell way that started in Bothell and ended at the 61st Avenue light. It was a flashing red with two other flashing reds northwest of it [that would be at 68th and 73rd]. Because people drive so slowly through them traffic was backed up for miles in both directions—up to Bothell and down to Lake City.
I’ve been trying to understand two things and hope that perhaps you might know about. Why were there no traffic police to move traffic along? Also, if the lights were flashing red, why did the city not come out to reset them?
Personally it was an inconvenience. But I can’t imagine the people stuck in cars with children, old folks, people needing to pick up their children. It was not as awful as a freeway backup with nowhere to go, but still.
Might you have any ideas? A complaint dept. I can call for the city?
I also witnessed this nasty backup as I drove out of Kenmore toward Woodinville. It stretched from Kenmore all the way to about 180th St in Bothell when I drove by a little after 6:00.
It is surprising that no one thought to send a few officers out to direct traffic at the three broken intersections in Kenmore. However, I’m not certain that it is the City of Kenmore’s responsibility to deploy police to direct traffic on Bothell Way. Since it is technically a state highway (SR 522), I would think that the job would fall first on the Washington State Patrol and secondly on the Kenmore Police Department (which is really the King County Sheriff).
Here are a few numbers you can call if you would like to comment to any of these agencies about yesterday’s traffic mess:
- WA State Patrol: (425) 401-7788
- Kenmore Police: (206) 205-7656
- City of Kenmore: (425) 398-8900
Tags: 522, Kenmore-police, power-outage, traffic, WASP
