Q: Last year, the city of Seattle completed a year-long reconstruction of the Bridge Way North exit into Fremont from Aurora Avenue North, at the north end of the Aurora Bridge.

The city expected those changes, which included two new traffic signals on Bridge Way North, to improve traffic flow into the Fremont area. But Wallingford resident Peter Robison says traffic at times still tends to back up in the right lane on the bridge at that exit.

And, what about traffic at the south end of the bridge? Robison isn't sure any of the reconstruction work helped traffic flow on Aurora southbound, either. During rush hour, cars still stop in the right lane at the south end of the Aurora Bridge while waiting to exit at Raye Street, the first place possible. And that, says Robison, creates a hazard. Why hasn't the city done more to address the problem?

A: Heather Marx, deputy director of the Seattle transportation department's traffic management unit, thinks the backup of southbound traffic on Aurora Avenue North, at the south end of the Aurora Bridge, is a result of delays at the intersection where Queen Anne Drive, Raye Street and Fourth Avenue North converge.

Traffic turning off of southbound Aurora at Raye Street, just beyond the bridge's south end, is directed to that north Queen Anne Hill intersection, just beyond a right turn from the bridge. And that intersection has stop signs for all approaches.

The southbound Raye Street exit has a tight turning radius that causes vehicles to slow in the outside through lane approaching the intersection.

Transportation department staff reviewed the intersection well before the Bridge Way reconstruction project, said Marx. But that intersection where the three streets converge presents what she calls an operational challenge.

"All three streets carry significant traffic and provide needed access to and through this part of Queen Anne," she pointed out. "Our review explored whether other controls could increase its capacity, which would help traffic exit Aurora more efficiently, reducing the back-ups onto Aurora."

The transportation department concluded a traffic signal at that intersection would not be a good idea because of the unusually high number of phases that would be required to serve all of the movement.

In other words, the length of light cycles would be extremely long, she said, "and would not be able to keep up with the heavy demand for the many competing movements."

At this point, the city plans no other changes. But the state Department of Transportation has been studying the problem, since Aurora, which is Highway 99, is a state highway.

A DOT spokeswoman notes that back-ups pose a similar problem on the other side of Aurora, too, for northbound traffic to and from the Queen Anne neighborhood through the Halladay Street intersection.

In a joint effort with the city of Seattle and King County Metro, the state DOT four years ago completed a detailed study of Aurora Avenue North between the Battery Street Tunnel and North 145th Street, including traffic at both ends of the Aurora Bridge. The study team made some recommedations for improving traffic flow in both directions. But those options depend on the city doing something about nearby city streets.