Sponsored by Committee for A Better Avondale, your neighbors and friends organizing together to create a safer and healthier community

Road noise doesn’t just affect humans – it also can cause distress in our animals. One of the Citizens for A Better Avondale was collecting signatures for a petition and had the following discussion regarding horse safety.

Last week two ladies signed one of my petitions at the Safeway Starbucks. They were really upset with the condition of Avondale. They told me that when they trailer their horses North or South on Avondale the Horses go crazy, kicking and jumping and causing damage to the inside of the trailer. When the horses are off loaded at the Tolt Pipe Line Trail it takes a while to calm them down. It appears that the noise from our Avondale road is strongly magnified inside the wooden floor of most horse trailers. I’m sure the problem is not good for the horses, or for the horse trailers.

For horse lovers this is a serious “Safety Issue”.

The next meeting of the Committee for A Better Avondale:

Date::
May 15th, 2008 – 7:00PM
Place::
The downtown Woodinville fire station next to the Post Office.
Who:
All committee members, new and old, are welcome to attend.

We encourage anyone interested to join us to participate in discussions about ways to improve Avondale. At the next meeting, we will be discussing such topics as additional website content, speed enforcement measures, upcoming meetings with elected officials, and publicity for our campaign and website.

Zoom zoom zoom
by Jeanette Knutson
Woodinville Weekly, April 28, 2008

Neighbors want noisy road paved
By Amy Roe
Seattle Times Eastside bureau, April 18, 2008

Residents want to reduce Avondale Road noise
by Jeanette Knutson
Woodinville Weekly, April 14, 2008

Listen closely: Our roads are getting quieter
By Amy Roe
Seattle Times Eastside bureau, December 17, 2007

Reporter Jeanette Knutson has provided a thorough update on where we are at as of April 28.

From NWNews:

Edition Date: April 28, 2008
Zoom, zoom, zoom
by Jeanette Knutson
Staff Writer

Citizens are concerned about the deteriorated condition of a 2.5-mile section of Avondale Road between Northeast 134th Street and the Woodinville-Duvall Road.

A better Avondale

A video of the steady traffic along Avondale Road played as 50 or so attendees filed into the April 22 meeting of the Upper Bear Creek Community Council held at the Woodinville Water District. Double-trailer dump trucks rolled across the screen followed by cars, vans, pickups and delivery trucks. A sound track synced to the video provided acoustic reality.

Joanna Hamed, speaking on behalf of the Committee for a Better Avondale (formerly Citizens for a Quieter Avondale), told the audience, “In 1954, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, and the closest grocery store was in Kirkland when a quiet little gravel road called Avondale was paved. … Fast forward to 2008 and Avondale is almost 55 years old, more than a decade past the normal lifespan of a concrete road, which King County estimates at 40 years. What was once Avondale Road is now ‘Avondale Freeway,’ essentially the unimproved, overlooked and neglected end of State Route 520; and, in the county’s own words, “a major and important connector.”

The Better Avondale group is concerned about road noise, to be sure, particularly the noise from heavy trucks rattling over the road’s bumpy surface. But they’re also concerned about safety.

“Cars race along at almost freeway speeds over a surface that’s run down, worn out and not optimal for stopping,” said Hamed. “… We need action and we want to work with King County to get it. We do not view our position as adversarial.”

The citizens would like King County to consider using rubberized asphalt when it next resurfaces their 2.5-mile section of Avondale from Northeast 134th Street to the Woodinville-Duvall Road. They’ve been schooling themselves about the pros and cons of product, which basically “consists of regular asphalt paving mixed with ‘crumb rubber’ – ground up used tires that would otherwise be discarded or take up space in landfills,” according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), considered a pioneer in the use of rubberized asphalt.

The group is reading technical reports, corresponding with quieter-pavement advocates, and local and state officials. What they’ve learned so far, generally, is that rubber asphalt is initially quieter than regular asphalt and it stays quieter longer. It is tougher so that it doesn’t rut, thereby providing a smoother surface.

A quieter-roads advocate

Walter Scott led a six-year long grassroots movement to convince WSDOT (the Washington State Department of Transportation), local officials and state lawmakers to test sections of rubberized asphalt on State Route 520. He told the audience that he was not an engineer, not in the traffic industry nor was he in the rubberized asphalt business.

“My only interest is in improving our communities,” said Scott.

He relayed some of Arizona’s successes with the product, saying the cost of rubber asphalt was comparable to that of standard hot mix asphalt. Overlays using rubber asphalt only need to be three-quarters of an inch thick compared to 4 to 5 inches thick when standard asphalt is used, he said.

Scott said in 1992, Phoenix used rubberized asphalt on an overlay project. The city was in a hurry. It hadn’t planned for the overlay and it didn’t have a lot of money for it.

“Sixteen years later,” he said, “there is very, very little reflective cracking … with no rutting. Delegations from other countries and states are going to Arizona to witness the oracle.”

Some believe it is too cold to lay the product here in Washington. Not true, said Scott. The California standard is 55 degrees. It could be laid here at night. Others believe studded tires will tear up a rubberized asphalt road, he said.

“It will hold up better than standard asphalt,” Scott said, adding that Washington should consider banning studded tires as other states have.

Initially, ADOT staunchly resisted using rubberized asphalt, he said.

“People are resistant to change,” Scott said. “They are entrusted with huge sums of public money and are faced with huge safety issues.”

He invited people to drive the rubber asphalt test strips along State Route 520. They’re a half-mile long on either side of the road, starting at the 78th Street overpass.

“Drive it and test it for yourself,” said Scott. “This section of Avondale could be laid with rubberized asphalt with great results I think.”

A county perspective

“I don’t disagree with Walter at all,” said Rick Brater, manager of the Engineering Services Section of the county’s Road Services Division.

He said King County had a pretty big transportation system to manage, 1,800 lane miles, 195 bridges. With money tight, its focus is preserving the roads it has. Avondale is not in the county budget in the near future.

“Avondale was a casualty of Initiative 776,” said Brater, “which removed the vehicle license fees and reduced funding for the Capital Improvement Plan by $120 million over six years. It affected our ability to finance our roads. The $120 million impact forced us to totally reprioritize our focus.”

He said that every year, the county overlays about 40 miles of roads with two inches of standard hot mix asphalt. Each overlay extends the life of a road by 11 to 14 years.

“We can basically keep the roads alive forever,” said Brater.

King County does not agree with Scott’s statement that rubber asphalt is comparable in price to standard asphalt.

According to an e-mail from Rochelle Ogershok, public information officer for the Road Services Division,

“Asphalt plants cannot … produce rubberized asphalt at the same time they are producing more conventional products, and the equipment used to produce rubberized asphalt must be cleaned after every production run.

“Manufacturers of rubberized asphalt have informed King?County staff that the product may therefore be – at a minimum – 25 to 50 percent more expensive per ton, depending on the quantities ordered and produced. Availability is therefore limited by the willingness of asphalt plants to produce the product due to scheduling conflicts with the production of more conventional products.”

Ogershok said that in principle, King County had no objections to overlaying with rubberized asphalt.

“However,” she wrote, “only when the product is readily available and can be procured in a cost-effective manner will it be evaluated for use in county overlays and Capital Improvement Plan projects.”

The county uses a pavement scoring system that goes from 0 to 100.

According to Ogershok, the pavement is scored based on measurements of roughness, surface distress, skid resistance, and deflection. The score reflects the overall condition and performance of the pavement.

Avondale, which was evaluated in the last few weeks, has a score of 51.

“A score of 40 or less goes into the pool to be considered for an overlay,” said Brater. “Avondale hasn’t dropped into the 40 or below range. We see roads degrade three to five points per year. So in four years, it could be about 40, and it could get put in the pool for consideration.”

He said the county didn’t know much about rubberized asphalt. They haven’t had any experience with it.

“It’s new to this state,” said Brater, “and yes, we are conservative. We are a little bit stodgy. We want to make sure what we put down is the best. When it’s new to us, we do take baby steps. There is not enough data about rubberized asphalt. We don’t know the wear history in Western Washington. We are concerned about cost versus long-term performance. …

“The overlay program is not focused on noise, only to extend the life of the roads. We haven’t really even looked at rubberized asphalt in our overlay program. We have some real research to do on our own. We need to make sure we’re comfortable. How well it holds up is not a slam-dunk for us.

“Avondale is not the worst road in King County. When this road needs to get overlaid, it will get overlaid. To do something additional, we need to have some additional funding,” said Brater.

“How can we learn about grant opportunities?” said Megan DeSantis, a Better Avondale co-organizer.

“You can certainly work with us,” said Brater.

“We are committed to doing what it takes to get Avondale fixed,” said Hamed.

“This is the beginning of a good dialog here,” said Brater.

“This is the exact thing that the Upper Bear Creek Community Council was born to address,” said Nancy Stafford, community council secretary.

Hamed said in an e-mail after the meeting, “Megan and I are thrilled by the progress so far: a good turnout at the meeting, a committed and motivated committee, the launch of our Web site (www.abetteravondale.com), letters of support and commitment from elected officials and many from the community.

“We are not deterred by the county’s (message of) ‘no money.’ Rather, it helped us to focus our goals on 1) re-evaluation of Avondale as a ‘51,’ 2) understanding and exploring alternative sources of money such as grants, and 3) community support.

“King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert’s office confirmed by letter that they are setting up a meeting with the Roads Division and then will meet with us. State Rep. Roger Goodman confirmed his support as well as the support of Rep. Larry Springer, who sits on the state’s Transportation Committee.”

Sadly, a 30-year-old Kirkland man was killed early this morning on Avondale. The Seattle Times reports:

Alcohol and speed were to blame in the crash that killed a 30-year-old Kirkland man early this morning who lost control of his car on Avondale Road Northeast, struck several trees and landed on the side of the road, police said.

Investigators determined the man was driving more than 100 miles an hour and not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Our team has put enforcement of the current 40 MPH speed limit as a priority item on the agenda.

The Better Avondale committee is meeting with State Rep. Roger Goodman the week of May 20th. In an email last week, Rep. Goodman said, “I stand ready to help in any way I can.”

A representative from State Rep. Springer’s office may attend as well. He is very interested in our project to improve Avondale. Rep. Goodman stated that “Rep. Larry Springer, is also well positioned to help you, as a member of the House Transportation Committee.” The Better Avondale Committee is grateful to Jeb Shepard for attending our 4/22 public forum and arranging the meetings with our State representatives.

Councilmember Kathy Lambert has already scheduled a meeting with the County Roads Division to discuss options for Avondale Road. She has written our committee to confirm her support and plans to meet with us after her discussion with the County. We expect those meetings to take place in June. The Better Avondale Committee appreciates the attendance of Christine Jensen, Policy Director for Kathy Lambert, at the public forum on April 22nd. Christine has been instrumental in arranging the meeting between her office and the Roads Division.

This flyer from the Rubber Pavements Association describes how recycling old tires and converting them into quiet pavement can preclude tire fires while providing benefits to neighborhoods.

Why Avondale is so loud? It is a combination of disrepair, heavy traffic, and the type of surface on the road.

Due to road improvements put on hold for years, this section of Avondale has fallen into serious disrepair. The 2.5-mile drive south from Woodinville-Duvall Road is a joy ride of bumps, dips, patches, cracks and worn-out surface. It’s getting louder by the day as the road is pounded on by heavy car and truck traffic. It has been almost 55 years since Avondale was originally paved. During the last 20 years of area growth, it has evolved from a relatively quiet country road to a virtual highway connecting the Woodinville-Redmond-Duvall corridor with Seattle, Bellevue, and points in all directions. In fact, when the 520 freeway officially ends in Redmond, it becomes Avondale Road so it’s essentially the unimproved end of the highway. The traffic…typically moving at 50+ MPH on this 40 MPH road… is so heavy during peak periods that it can take nearly 5 minutes to pull onto the road and it is almost impossible to cross the road safely unless you are at one of the two lighted crosswalks. Finally, we learned from KCDOT that much of the noise problem can be blamed on the type of material used to construct the road: i.e., concrete. Here is an explanation provided by the KC Roads Division:

“The reason Avondale is loud is because it has a Portland Concrete Cement (PCC) surfacing with expansion joints. Because of the highly rigid and dense mixture of PCC the noise generated between the tire/surface interfaces is reflected more than with an asphalt surface. This is due to the lighter density and flexibility of asphalt which tends to absorb more of this interface noise. In addition to the stiffness of PCC, the road is constructed using concrete panels with expansion joints between each panel. You feel these expansion joints as you tires cross them and they contribute to the noise you hear. PCC costs more to place than asphalt mixes, however it has a considerably longer useful life, lower maintenance costs and can withstand heavier axle loads than asphalt. This is why you will see more PCC on roads experiencing high volumes of truck and bus traffic.” [Jim Eagan, Managing Engineer, KCDOT, 2/14/08]

Our email address is QuieterAvondale AT gmail DOT com

Kurt Hughes
Avondale Resident, Brook Trails Estates neighborhood
“My home borders Avondale.  I can tell the time of the day by the noise outside.  It’s hard to imagine an older road surrounded by that many families in King County.”

Brookside Country  Club Homeowners Association
established in 1984  on Avondale  Road at 151st
“The  Board of the Brookside Homeowners Association supports the efforts of the  Better Avondale Committee to improve noise and safety conditions on  Avondale  Road.”

Megan DeSantis
Avondale Resident
“If we keep asking, it will happen.”

Michael Olson
Cottage Lake Beach Club, Homeowners Association Board President, 14 year Avondale resident.

Rhonda Parent
Avondale Resident
“The health and welfare of the community living along Avondale is compromised by the poor road condition. Please consider using a asphalt rubber on this roadway for the sake of the community and the environment.”

Joanna Hamed
20-year Avondale resident
“Avondale Road is long overdue for re-surfacing and improvements. We must work together to increase safety and decrease unhealthy road noise impacting the quality of life in our community.”

Ed Lincoln
30-year Woodinville resident.

Rebecca Lavering
Avondale Resident
“Working together as a community to quiet Avondale road, providing a safer and more enjoyable environment for us all.”

Michelle Blue
9 year Avondale Resident, Brookside Country Club, Homeowner Association Board Treasurer, Realtor®
“You have to take action, if you want results.”

Paul Demitriades
25-year eastside resident, Fairwinds Redmond (Avondale Road) resident. Previous city of Medina elected council member. Involved in SR-520 quiet pavement project.

Steve Broback
Steve is a lifelong King County resident who has lived in the Redmond/Woodinville area since 1986. he and his wife Vicky (who was raised in Woodinville) have lived off Avondale Road since 1996. Steve can be reached at steve AT broback DOT com.

Kim Larsen