Q&A | Rough concrete paving and disappearing crosswalk stripes

After so many months, well, years of disruption, the rebuilt Martin Luther King Jr. Way South is finally starting to come together south of Rainier Avenue South. Sound Transit's light-rail stations and plantings along MLK Way have changed the area.

But for the hundreds of millions of dollars spent, Central Seattle resident David Wright can't help wondering why MLK's new concrete paving is so rough. "A back-seat passenger might think they're on a typical Seattle street a decade behind getting resurfaced," he said. "Some areas are so rough you can see the new surface was mechanically ground smoother, attempting to improve the situation."

Poorly finished paving isn't new to some parts of the city, says Wright. He points out that East Olive Way across Capitol Hill was repaved with concrete a few years back and the new surface still seems surprisingly rough in most areas. Is that an indication there were no quality guidelines for hired contractors?

Even the not-so-long-ago Interstate 5 repaving through downtown Seattle resulted in very uneven and wavy concrete that is noticeable to the point of distraction, in Wright's opinion.

"Given how seldom Seattle repaves its notoriously bad streets, don't taxpayers at least deserve top-quality new paving when it does happen?" he asked.

A: To prepare for light rail, Sound Transit contractors have rebuilt more than 20 lane miles along MLK Way South, as well as intersecting streets, using high-quality concrete paving, says Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray. The work, from Sound Transit's point of view, has dramatically improved the quality, life span and attractiveness of those streets.

Gray said MLK was built to conform with existing cross streets, driveways and utilities, "with attention to making sure the road drains properly.

"In a challenging urban environment defined by extensive existing infrastructure, these kinds of challenges do sometimes result in an end project that has more unevenness than a roadway created entirely from scratch," he said. But, he added, that shouldn't be a major issue for motorists traveling at posted speeds.

Gray says Sound Transit, which is in charge of the light-rail project, has worked with Seattle's Transportation Department to see that the contractor did additional work in a number of spots where the street did not initially meet quality and drainage standards.

If there still are areas that seem substandard, Sound Transit needs to have them pointed out.

Q: Since Golden Gardens Drive Northwest, the winding road that runs from the top of Ballard's Sunset Hill down past the dog off-leash park to Golden Gardens, was shut down in early December after heavy rains caused a collapse in a section of the roadway, area residents say traffic to Golden Gardens Park has started congesting Seaview Avenue Northwest, and they fear it's going to be worse during the summer months.

At times, traffic exceeds the 30-mph speed limit, making it dicey for pedestrians crossing from the bus stop in the 6500 block of Seaview, said area resident Maria Rosa Hidalgo.

"We have pedestrian-crossing stripes right there, but it is faded and hardly visible," she said. "Cars don't stop for pedestrians trying to cross safely in order to enter their own homes."

Hidalgo and some of her neighbors fear the combination of more traffic, increased speed and senior pedestrians crossing the street is a mishap waiting to happen. She's concerned, too, because she's one of those pedestrians.

A: Wayne Wentz, the Seattle Transportation Department's traffic-management director, says the city will be restriping the crosswalk there and upgrading warning signs, and that work should be completed within two to three weeks.