WSBC meeting – Tuesday 9/1

You are invited! Please come if you can.

We will have a guest from the Let’s Move Seattle levy campaign, and will have reports and discussion of road and trail projects, social rides, and more.

6:30 to 8:00 pm at HomeStreet Bank, 41st Ave SW and SW Alaska St.

SODO Safety – Bikes+Trucks+USDOT

We were one of the stakeholder groups that US DOT Federal Highway Administration got involved in a pedestrian-bike-heavy truck safety assessment project in SODO in May.  Bruce Moody from US DOT forwarded video links from the project. Each of the 50 states had one pedestrian-bike safety assessment. Washington was the only state to assess safety of bikes and trucks sharing roads.  This is awfully relevant for West Seattleites, who cannot leave the peninsula to get to the rest of Seattle without riding through the Duwamish MIC alongside heavy trucks, freight trains and ships.

This first one from the Multimodal Non-Motorized Traffic Large Vehicle Safety Assessment South of Downtown (SoDo) – features representatives of US DOT, SDOT, Cascade, us, and industries and drivers using SODO streets, interviewed at the event.

Here’s the action video of bike riding and truck driving on a SODO route, starring WSBC member Bob Anderton, without a stunt double, and cameo from Kathy Dunn, and test pilot Brian Wood, who is now an intern at US DOT.

Lots of us ride parts of this route. Lots more would if it was improved.  This makes it look worse than it feels when actually riding on East Marginal from WS Bridge to downtown, but it does show that there is huge room for improvement!  Including a solid barrier-protected bike lane on East Marginal Way S between S Spokane St and S Atlantic St, and a separated bike trail south of S Spokane St.  Good reasons to vote for the Move Seattle levy, which includes the Multimodal Corridor project on East Marginal.

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Vision Zero Vigil & Procession – Friday 8/28

Vision Zero Vigil & Procession

Friday, August 28, 5-6 p.m.
Garden of Remembrance at Benaroya Hall

Corner of Second Ave & University Street

Join on Friday for the Vision Zero Vigil & Procession in honor of Sher Kung and everyone who has died or been seriously injured in the last year due to traffic violence. The event will begin with a moment of silence and bell ringing, followed by statements by family members, advocates, and city leaders, and finish with a walk and ride down Second Avenue to Occidental Park. Sponsored by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and Cascade Bicycle Club.

All people deserve to arrive at their destinations safely, no matter how they choose to get around. And we know that our city leaders can design our streets to be safe.

That’s why we’re excited about the city’s goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030, and Mayor Ed Murray’s Vision Zero Action Plan to help us get there. But more must be done to fund, design and enforce safer streets.


Duwamish Revealed – Ride #2

6:oo pm Friday, August 21

Ride to the Duwamish Revealed performance Signal/Senal at T-107 Park.
10 miles R/T at leisurely 10-12 mph pace using Alki Trail, West Seattle Bridge Trail, Duwamish Trail, with stops to see temporary artwork installations along the way.  Performance is 7 to 9 pm.

From Jack Block Park, 2130 Harbor Ave SW.Start point is first set of restrooms by the colorful anchor floats. Via Alki Trail, West Seattle Bridge Trail, Duwamish Trail, to T-107 Park. 

If driving to Jack Block Park, park OUTSIDE the park on Harbor Ave. The park closes at 9:00 pm. We will get back after 9:00 pm.

Lights and helmets required. Bring a lock, too.

Free, but you need a free ticket to the performance, in advance.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2074171

Duwamish Revealed — Water Festival Ride 8/16

Sunday, August 16, 10:15 am

Ride from Jack Block Park to visit this summer’s Duwamish Revealed art installations along the west bank of Seattle’s only river, and arrive at the Water Festival/Festival de Agua in South Park for Mexican music, food and drink, dragon boat and work boat racing, and Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling)!

Leisurely pace with stops to see artworks at Jack Block Park, T105 Park, T107 Park, Herring’s House Park along the way to Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park. We will stay together on the ride there, using the mostly flat Alki Trail, West Seattle Bridge Trail, and West Duwamish Trail, planning to arrive at the festival about noon. Ride with leader at 4 pm or ride back earlier or later on your own. The festival goes from noon to 8 pm.

This is the second West Seattle Bike Connections/ Cascade Bicycle Club “Parks and Art” ride.

14 miles round trip.

Families welcome. Parents please follow Cascade’s policies for riding with children, and call Don at 206 963-9312 in advance for permission for kids under 15 to ride their own bike on this ride.