We live on 39th Avenue, which is part of a small southern extension of the Denny-Blaine neighborhood. When driving north for two blocks, we are on Dorffel Drive, still in our Denny-Blaine neighborhood. As far as any of our neighbors can remember, that has always been the way for us to get onto Lake Washington Boulevard for access to the [state Route] 520 bridge, University of Washington, University Village and all other points north. That is why we resent the term “cut-through” in the Madison Park Times article (“Traffic Study to Reveal Dorffel Drive’s Local Use,” September 2014), as though we don’t belong on the street.
I contend [that] people do not drive quickly on Dorffel because of the way the street is configured, with a semi-roundabout between the two blocks and a one-way at the northern end of Dorffel. Because of the way cars are parked on the northern block of Dorffel (often on both sides, and the street has narrowed), we all drive even more carefully there.
I don’t understand how The Epiphany School is an issue — it’s on the south side of East Denny [Way].
Concerning pedestrian safety, there are sidewalks on both sides of Dorffel [a] block south, but on just the west side of Dorffel [a] block north.
As far as cars often being parked on the sidewalk, I’ve seen it once, and it was just wheels of one side of the car.
So the net result of this current traffic study is that we who live on 39th Avenue are puzzled as to how to smoothly access Lake Washington Boulevard heading north on 37th [Avenue] East and returning to 37th on our way to our homes.
I wish Mr. [Bob] Minnott success with his efforts in regard to Lakeview Park. I’m sure he knows that it’s been called “Mud Park” by our neighbors for many years. It does have possibilities, especially with a view from the top of the hill.
Douglas Weisfield
Denny-Blaine