tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152800001759904952.post7827258097652046039..comments2008-05-21T15:19:37.886-07:00Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15333549535121338661noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152800001759904952.post-5466580563991392812008-05-21T15:19:37.886-07:002008-05-21T15:19:37.886-07:00I agree with dkl...I already avoid driving on Rainier because of the buses—both school and metro. I tend to approach Columbia City via the side streets.<BR/>Perhaps that is the intent, but I don't know how good it is for the merchants along Rainier. They need people to drive by and see them to drum up business. <BR/>I have also had bad experiences on the southern part of Rainier that has already been converted. Now that passing is illegal, people tailgate aggressively even when I'm going 5+ miles over the speed limit. <BR/>There doesn't seem to be a fix that would be beneficial to both traffic and pedestrians.SolvayGirl1972http://www.blogger.com/profile/12709893209963350066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152800001759904952.post-54170095225389602732008-05-20T11:27:06.577-07:002008-05-20T11:27:06.577-07:00As a daily driver on Rainier to Renton, sometimes two r/t per day, my main concern deals with buses and bikes.<BR/><BR/>Buses run up and down Rainier and during the rush hours now, they choke the commute when they block the lane at a stop. I can't imagine what it will be like when it is only one lane and the bus is blocking it. Also, the school buses have many stops along Rainier and if it is a single lane the vehicles will not have the opportunity to pass the bus after a stop and before it's next. <BR/><BR/>The bikes will need to be extremely careful as the buses will be pulling in/out of the bike lane constantly along Rainier. Although, there are so few bikers (based on my 13 years of commuting on Rainier/Seward Park Ave/MLK) that it may not actually be that big of a deal.<BR/><BR/>When they reduced Rainier from Rainier Beach to Renton Airport a couple years ago it increase my commute along that stretch by about 4 minutes each way during peak times. Longer if you get behind a bus.<BR/><BR/>Wish they could do a 'temporary' change on Rainier just to see what the traffic pattern will actually be. There are just so many cars and buses during peak times that it'll most likely push them off to side streets making the neighborhoods less safe due to increased, non-resident, traffic.<BR/><BR/>Only time will tell.dklnoreply@blogger.com