--- Begin Forwarded Message --- Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 12:56:33 -0500 From: Nat Case <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: nightmare street grids Sender: Nat Case <[log in to unmask]> Jane Ely of Microsoft forwarded me a description of Seattle streets by Dan Cory, also of Microsoft. I looked at a Seattle street map here, and I think Seattle has Duluth/Superior trumped. His description doesn't really do the mess justice. Take a close look at a Seattle area street map and you'll see what I mean. Note the "invisible" transitions between zones indicated by directionals east of downtown. And I especially liked how the turned street grid of downtown causes a gap of 14 blocks between 9th St N and 10th St N >Here's a description of the King county street grids. The top piece I took >from the one map I've ever seen explain it. I have the map in my office if >you are curious. > >Dan > >Street designations of Seattle are divided into 10 sections: >N - S roads / E - W roads >NW Numbered Streets / Numbered Avenues NW >N Named Streets / Numbered Avenues N >NE Numbered Streets / Numbered Avenues NE >W Named Streets / Numbered Avenues W >Named Streets / Named Avenues N >E Named Streets / Numbered Avenues E >Named Streets / Numbered Avenues >E Named Streets / Numbered Avenues >SW Named Streets / Numbered Avenues SW >S Named Streets / Numbered Avenues S >Each range has its own zero point, so the same house number may appear three >times on one street, with three different directionals. >Also, there is a range in both the NE sections with intersections like NE >45th St and 45th Ave NE, from 43 to 60. >In Seattle, there are 20 blocks to the mile. > >On the east side of lake washington, Bellevue, Redmond, parts of Kirkland, >and unincorporated King county have a similar system, but with only 16 >blocks to the mile. The bulk of the roads are either NE or SE, with the >dividing line at Main St in Bellevue. The north end of the system for E-W >roads matches up with the Seattle numbering system at the north end of Lake >Washington. The entire system numbers N-S roads using the same zero point >that starts in of Seattle. > >Downtown Kirkland also has its own three separate numbered grids: >Numbered Avenues W running NW - SE and W Numbered Streets running NE - SW >Numbered Avenues / Numbered Streets >Numbered Avenues S / S Numbered Streets > >Downtown Renton also has its own separate numbered grids: >Named Avenues S / S Numbered Streets >Named Avenues SW / SW Numbered Streets >Named Avenues N / N Numbered Streets >Named Avenues NE / NE Numbered Streets --- End Forwarded Message ---