To improve pedestrian safety, a new shared use path with several new streets lights was installed. There is now a continuous pedestrian access route along the north side of the street between N Oak Harbor Street and SR20 for this much used area. To comply with federal and state environmental regulations and due to the proximity of the adjacent wetland areas, storm drainage was improved, and very limited new infrastructure (including sidewalks) was added to the south side of the road.
The NE 7th Avenue improvements included:
- New curb, gutter, and sidewalk
- New multi-modal shared use path (northside)
- Enhanced street lighting
- Replaced water main and services
- New pedestrian-activated crosswalk controls
- New safety enhancements with reduced vehicle lane widths. See this 2023 Johns Hopkins study titled “Narrow Lanes Save Lives”. If you feel you must pay attention and drive slower, than we have success already!
- New storm drains and bioretention pond. Along with other contaminates helps to reduce 6PPD-quinone, a chemical from vehicle tires, from impacting water quality and Puget Sound
City of Oak Harbor Public Works Department