Currently, Ski Hill Drive has very limited pedestrian facilities. As a major collector, Ski Hill Drive experiences a proportionately large volume of the City’s traffic. Additionally, a portion of the corridor currently lacks any pedestrian facilities and only has an existing bicycle lane for one direction of travel. Therefore, pedestrians are frequently observed walking within the bicycle lane, parking stalls, and driving lanes and southbound bicyclists are frequently observed biking within the existing parking lane.
The goal of the Ski Hill Drive Phase 2 project (Phase 2) is to continue the Phase 1 improvements along the remainder of the Ski Hill Drive corridor, from Evans Street north to Pine Street. The scope of Phase 2 is to construct sidewalks on the west side of Ski Hill Drive, remove all parking stalls, and stripe a buffer-separated southbound bicycle lane. With the completion of both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects, there will be continuous, ADA-compliant sidewalks from US 2 to Pine Street on the west side of Ski Hill Drive and both northbound and southbound bicycle lanes.
As part of this project, the City will pilot a new approach to both calming traffic and aesthetically enhancing the corridor. This will be completed by placing flower boxes within the buffer area between the southbound driving lane and southbound bicycle lane. The planters will provide vertical separation for drivers, encouraging them to slow down, while also adding greenery and flowers, as in line with Leavenworth’s Bavarian Alpine theme.
