Traffic reminder: 58th closed during the school day

Geeky Swedes Ballard

Now that school is in session, a reminder to drivers that NW 58th St. is closed between 14th Ave. & 15th Ave. during the week.

Since St. Alphonsus Parish School straddles two lots, they close the road in between from 8 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m.

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

16 thoughts to “Traffic reminder: 58th closed during the school day”

  1. I'm long wondered how the street could be closed by a school. Is this a “private” block and they maintain it totally, including every utility line under and over the street. If not, it seems to me that the least of the infraction of closing this street would be a conflict of church vs state.

    Perhaps I've missed that this is a private street and the times when the school is not in session, the school allows the public to use the street.

    Would appreciate input.

    Thanks

  2. I can't answer the legality of it, but since they own property on both sides of the street and have the resources to do it I'm guessing it wasn't that hard to arrange.
    I think if most public schools were given the same ability to close the street during school hours they would do it in a heartbeat.

  4. It's a bad precedent to allow any entity to close off a public street where we should have public right of way. That's the idea of public streets. There are private streets that are not maintained by city govts but this is not one of them.

  5. Wow. Okay, lets just let the street be open all day and let these 4-14 year old kids run back and forth across the street durring the school day while cars are using it. Sounds smart.

  7. I have lived in Ballard since 1982 and have NEVER be affected by this street being closed. I shop at the Ballard Market (one block south) a couple of times a week and have never had an issue.

    As for your comment “Name” Church vs State has to do with the State imposing a Church or religion. Not a church sponsered school closing a city owned street for the safety of the students. Get the right ax before you start grinding.

    Best guess is that the school has ok'd it with SDOT, “Bells of St Marys” and “Sound of Music” aside nuns aren't big on flaunting authority.

  8. NW 58th is not closed, you just can't drive your car on it. You can walk, bike, ride a yak, pilot a milk carton go-cart, operate a pogo stick, etc. Personally, I'd love to see more streets closed to cars . . . imagine Ballard Ave NW as a pedestrian zone! Delivery vehicles and disabled drivers excepted, of course.

  10. A teacher or teacher's assistant was hit and killed by a car on 14th & 58th several years ago. So that's probably why SDOT approved the barriers. Also, it is my understanding that the school maintains the barriers.

    And children are not running back and forth, the older classes go out for recess and cross the street to access the playground and return to class.

  11. It's my understanding that the school has been allowed by the city to close the street for decades. It's for the safety of the kids — the school is on one side of the street, the playground and gym on the other. The street is only closed on school days from 7am to 4pm.

  12. Get your facts straight!

    1) The street is NOT closed, they're only prohibiting cars from driving down it. Pedestrians, cyclists and other users can still use the street so by definition it's not closed to traffic. This might come as a shock to you, but streets are NOT the exclusive domain of the automobile. That IS the law so deal with it.

    2) It is legal (with permit) to deny use of a street to cars in the greater interest of public safety. It happens all the time. The church would have no problem making this argument to the authorities given the very simple fact that the number one killer of children in the US isn't cancer or sexual predators but AUTOMOBILES. Again, this is a FACT.

  13. Bingo!

    Amazing how many people stupidly assume streets exist solely for cars. It's especially interesting given that many streets actually predate the automobile. Apparently people think cities laid out all those streets but nobody used them for decades until the car came along.

  14. Put up jersey barriers and close it to vehicular traffic permanently. The neighborhoos is filthy with alternative routes for vehicles.

    I second shutting down Ballard Ave to vehicular traffic. Ever been to Santa Monica? The Third Street Promenade is very good for business, and Californians love their cars more than us.

  16. Hey folks, I was questioning a street closure–I didn't mean to raise the blood pressure level of so many.

    Back off, Ballard. The venom is so strong. Read, think, respond.

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