Yes SDOT – Make Admiral Way Safe

We support the Admiral Way Safety Project .

Several of our members live on the west slope of Admiral Way SW. We share the concerns of our neighbors for the safety of our parked cars. But we are more concerned about the lives and personal safety of the people who walk and ride bikes everyday in danger from speeding vehicles.

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We want to see the SDOT plan implemented.

The primary objective is to slow down speeding car traffic, for the safety of all users of the street, including people riding bikes, people walking across to or from their bus stop or car, and kids and parents walking to the beach and to schools and playgrounds at Alki Elementary and Madison Middle School.

Loss of free on-street car parking is a concern for people on a few blocks of Admiral. It is due to people parking across the street to protect their cars from being hit by drivers who lose control on the curves below Schmitz Park. The posted limit is 30 mph, with a warning sign to slow to 20 mph on that curve, but due to the very wide lanes, many drivers are going 40 mph.  On days like Saturday when the Pirates came ashore, visitors to Alki were parked all the way to Schmitz Park Bridge.  But on Sunday, just as nice a day, there was plenty of open parking on street from 60th SW up the hill.  The crowded days here are like normal days for parking a car on Capitol Hill or lower Queen Anne.

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Adding bike lanes is a way to narrow the general purpose lanes and center turn lanes to minimum 11 and 10 foot widths. To get the bike lanes wide enough to be safe from door zone danger, a parking lane has to be subtracted to fit the available roadway width.  With houses fronting on only one side of the street most of the way along the hill, this should not be too much of a problem.  If the speeds are actually reduced, then people will not be so hesitant to park in front of their houses on the north side.  It should be a win for everyone.  However, if it does not work out that way, this is just paint.  It can be adjusted easily.

2015-05-28 19.35.11Some commenters have embraced greenways parallel to Admiral as the solution to go from Alki to California Ave SW. They are not looking at the map or trying it. Admiral is at an angle most of its length. There are no streets parallel to Admiral. There are no east-west streets that actually go through from Alki to Admiral Junction because of the steep slopes. It’s a beach bluff and a glacial moraine ridge beyond.

2015-05-28 19.47.45Admiral is at an angle because it provided an easier slope for a truck hauling route, and that’s why it works for bike riders, too, and that’s why it is included in the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan 2014 update map as a bike route with  “In Street Minor Separation” – bike lanes.  The west slope of Admiral Way has steady bike traffic, but lot’s more would use it if there were bike lanes and slower traffic speeds.

 

Pedalheads Kid Bike Camp in West Seattle until July 24th

Pedalheads is here in West Seattle until July 24th.  What is Pedalheads?  From their website:

Pedalheads is a safe, fun and challenging learn to ride bike camp for kids 2-12. Since 1995 we have taught over 175,000 kids how to ride. Using our own Pedalheads® teaching methods, we use small classes and exceptional instructors to get your kids off of training wheels and riding! Our comprehensive program opens up a world of opportunities for a lifetime of cycling.

They are offering 1-week sessions during the weekdays (M-F), with their last week in West Seattle starting on July 20th.  Registration is open for each week up until the Sunday before the week long session begins.  The West Seattle camp is being held at Fairmount Park in the open field next to Fairmount Park Elementary School.  There is a bright orange canopy setup that you can’t miss!

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Pedal Heads at Fairmount Park 06-23-2015

Pedalheads is also in other parts of Seattle for the summer, so check the website for schedule and to register:

https://www.pedalheads.com/PedalheadsWA/register-washington

July 12 West Seattle STP #3

Save the date: Sunday July 12, 9:30 am

Have you ever wanted to do the Seattle to Portland bike ride? Or even wanted to do the 1-day STP? And never trained for it? Or remembered to sign up in time? Here is your big fat chance! Do it in 2 hours easy, and end up at a huge finish line party!

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We’ll be riding again from SW Seattle Street in the Admiral neighborhood to SW Portland St in Fauntlee Hills, and back north to Summerfest at the West Seattle Junction, led by experienced Cascade Ride Leader Marge Evans. Family friendly, 7 miles (10 if you go back to the Hamilton Viewpoint start.)

 

Up to date details will be in the Calendar here, and on Events on our Facebook page.

Chelan 5-way changes this summer

We received this welcome message today from Emily Ehlers at SDOT!

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Thank you again for participating in last year’s design workshop to help improve the West Seattle five-way intersection (Chelan, Delridge, W Marginal, Spokane, POS T5 access road).  We generated a lot of great ideas and enthusiasm. Your hard work has paid off!  This summer, SDOT will be completing the short-term recommendations developed at the workshop. Safety improvements include pavement markings to increase bicycle predictability, bicycle ramps to minimize potential conflicts, and a crossing beacon to increase the visibility of people crossing the street. See the graphic below for additional details.

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workshop with SDOT and SvR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BNSF workers installing new train crossing signal on the “porkchop island” where we wait to cross going eastbound – the second time it was wiped out by an errant driver in one year at this confusing intersection.

Parks & Arts Ride #1

Two dozen young, middle-aged and older people on bikes had a great time this morning exploring and playing in Jack Block Park and north Delridge. We saw Coast Salish art, and a steel plant and trains. We rode down a Dead End that wasn’t, if you were on a bike, and went to a giant dragonfly. We rode on gravel along a creek in a green tunnel to a salmon bridge. Some of us tried a skatepark and climbed on a climbing rock and one of us climbed up some artwork. We rode on a greenway street and got counted, and on a street with beautiful raingardens and sidewalks, and we went back to the bay where all the water all goes.

We’ll do another one! Let’s boost the family riders in West Seattle by exploring more of the public art and parks that we can enjoy by bike.

We have reached out to the Duwamish Revealed organizers. They would love to have us lead a ride to the art projects that are going in along the Duwamish this summer.  Want to help plan? Your ideas and volunteering for other rides are DSC09045 DSC09041 DSC09039 DSC09034welcome, too.

Parks & Arts Ride – Saturday June 6

Come ride with us this Saturday! Bring the family! 9:30 am at Jack Block Park, at the first set of restrooms and parking spaces.

Ride details here  Parents please see the information for children riding their own bikes.

A West Seattle Bike Connections / Cascade Bicycle Club ride.  If this one is a hit, we’ll try others exploring West Seattle and South Park parks and public art by bike, including the Duwamish Revealed projects happening this summer. IMG_1898 DSC08976IMG_1911 DSC08979