175th tests Shoreline’s commitment to bike lanes and tree preservation
Saturday, April 20, 2024
By Oliver Moffat
This is the second article of four covering comments from the city council about Shoreline’s proposed Transportation Improvement Plan that was reviewed on April 15.
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| A map from the WSDOT crash data portal shows ten years of fatal and serious injury collisions along 175th |
According to data from WSDOT, in the past ten years, there have been eleven serious injury crashes and one fatal crash along 175th street, making it one of Shoreline’s most dangerous roads.
The transportation improvement plan lists two very different projects for 175th street - one on the east side of I-5 and one on the west.
The proposed safety changes on the east side would put 175th between 5th and 15th on a road diet - narrowing the four-lane road to three while adding bike lanes without widening the road (or removing trees). The east side project is unfunded and could cost an estimated $2.3 million.
The west side projects would widen the road to add more capacity for vehicles, mitigate earthquake risks and make room for shared use paths for pedestrians and bicyclists. The west side portion is partially funded, has a projected cost of over $88 million and will require the removal of 274 trees.
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| A screen shot shows Council member Annette Ademasu saying, “I would like to see options where we can see reduced width sidewalks” |
Councilmember Annette Ademasu told city engineers to provide options with narrower sidewalks. “I would like to see options where we can see reduced width sidewalks and have less impervious surfaces and be able to save more trees and go around trees,“ she said.
Ademasu also indicated she prefers continuing to keep 175th bike-free. “I really like how you’re doing the bike corridors on the slower paced roads because that will help with bike safety,” she said.
Bike lanes on 175th have been part of Shoreline’s Bike Plan since at least 2011 and the new Transportation Element of Shoreline’s Comprehensive Plan envisions protected biked lanes that would be safe enough for children to ride on.
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| A screen shot shows Council member Keith Scully saying, “what compromises can we make in order to save trees? And the test for me is 175th.” |
Councilmember Keith Scully told city staff, “so instead of saying: ‘how wide do we need it to move pedestrians most efficiently? How protected does the bike lane need to be for maximum safety?’… Let’s start by saying what sacrifices can we make, what compromises can we make in order to save trees. And the test for me is 175th.“
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| An aerial view shows the 175th and Meridian intersection, the location of phase-one of the 175th corridor project and the site where a collapse could be caused by an earthquake |
The city says an earthquake could cause portions of 175th street adjacent to Ronald Bog to collapse and has applied for grants to pay for the mitigations.
Scully and Ademasu worked together to bring the 175th street project back for discussion again at the June 3rd city council meeting.







Date: Saturday, April 20th
Time: Closure starts between 7-8am, lasting up to 12 hours






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