Tuesday, July 1 – WSBC Monthly Meeting

6:30 to 8:00 pm
HomeStreet Bank, 41st Ave SW & SW Alaska St, Seattle WA 98116

Open meeting. You are invited to join us for planning activities and events, including the West Seattle mini-STP, meetings with SDOT on Fauntleroy Way SW, bike corral projects, funding to implement the Bicycle Master Plan in West Seattle, SODO and South Park, and more.

Thank you, HomeStreet Bank, West Seattle Junction!

Stuck Bridge – Unstuck

Spokane Street Bridge is fixed now. Was stuck this afternoon not quite closed after a ship traffic opening from ~ 5 pm to ~ 7. Some riders called for bail out rides. Others rode to 1st Ave Bridge. Others rode back downtown (toward work! ) and took the King County Water Taxi. Thank you to the crew for loading so many bikes!!!
I guess we can stop gloating now for escaping last week’s carmaggedon on our bikes, and just be thankful we have the bridge back.
Got any good adventure stories?  DSC02634

Sat June 7 – Alki Trail Widening Project

This Saturday 9 to 11 along Spokane St east of Harbor Ave/Avalon Way – come with work gloves, long sleeves and clippers. We will trim the blackberries back. Refreshments after at Marination Ma Kai. IMG_8921

School Road Safety

West Seattle Blog reported on the School Road Safety Meeting last night at the Southwest Library. Besides their reporter, only  four citizens attended. Three are members of West Seattle Bike Connections: Jay Guettler,  Theresa Beaulieu, and  Craig Rankin.  Theresa and Craig are parents actively involved with safe routes to Denny MS and the K-5 STEM program at Boren.

from Theresa’s notes:

I would like to see more parents, teachers and community members/groups involved. These improvements around schools are going to be great opportunity for change around our culture and how kids get to school. If schools are safe to get to via walking or biking and it is challenging to drive close to schools, then more parents will feel it is safe to allow their kids to ride a bike, scooter, skateboard or walk to school.

One thing that resonated with me that the West Seattle Blog did not cover is that the posted signs and cameras that are going up around schools are for 20 mph, and actually have a leeway before a ticket is issued, even though studies show that at 20 miles per hour, 9 out of 10 pedestrians who are hit by a car will survive,  but the death rate increases dramatically at greater speed.  That study only counts deaths, not major  injuries. 1 fatality for every 10 collisions is too high. All of us at the meeting agreed the cameras should be set to 15, NOT 20 mph, Note was taken.

Two more opportunities to learn and give input:

Tuesday, May 27 at 6 PM to 7:30 PM Northeast Branch Seattle Public Library, 6801 35th Ave NE
Thursday, May 29 at 6 PM to 7:30 PM Garfield Community Center, 2323 E Cherry St

West Seattle Bikes to Work

668 riders from 6 to 9 am at our Commute Station, up 10% from last year!

Sadly, no unicyles this year, but there were tandems to help confuse the counters. Cookies lasted exactly till the last rider at 9,

Thank you to all of you who rode today, and to all of our cookie bakers, to Alki Starbucks for coffee, Nuun for drinks, Cascade Bicycle Club for Bike Month, and once again to Alki Bike and Board and DIY Bikes for mechanical checks and adjustments, to our volunteers Bob Winship, Theresa and Jason Bealieu, Kathy Dunn, Jody Connolly, Sakaru Tuschiya, Jay Guettler, Al Jackson, Don Brubeck for  hauling and hosting, and last but not least, to Council Member Tom Rasmussen, with a WSBC sticker on his helmet, heading for a group ride from the Fremont Bridge.DSC01692   DSC01701 DSC01718 DSC01706DSC01707

Traffic at a Standstill

It was a car and bus parking lot this morning on the high bridge due to a minor collision. Bikes and trucks had to wait for the Alaska Marine Lines train barge to go through, but that was just 5 minutes enjoying the beautiful morning and a little socializing and phone checking. 1,752 bikes counted yesterday, 2nd highest ever. Can we break 2,000 for Bike to Work Day?

DSC01676WS Blog reports lots of hand wringing over the bridge traffic jams at West Seattle Transportation Coalition’s meeting last night. Can we convince enough people that there is a viable alternative that does not cost hundreds of millions of dollars for one new overpass, or billions for new light rail transit?  If 3,000 of us commuted by bike over the low bridge instead of in vehicles over the high bridge, traffic would flow easier, our taxes would be lower, the air would be less polluted, and we would be healthier and happier.

Bikes & Trains – to School!

Fabulous Bike to School Day!

Thank you to Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Jose Banda and Alki Elementary teacher Terry Kegel for leading giant bike trains to Alki!  More kids at Schmitz Park. Reports from your school?  Lots of nice coverage in the West Seattle Blog.  Here’s a photo from WSBC’s Kathy Dunn, who met the south train at Mee-Kwa-Mooks and promoted the Bike Rodeo that we’ll be doing for kids at Alki Summer Streets on May 18.   With with safe routes and good bike parking, we can make every school day Bike and Walk to School Day. Better for young students’ health, fitness, safety, attention span in the classroom, and for our neighborhoods. Alki Bike To School Day 2014

WSBC meeting May 6 at 6:30

WSBC monthly meeting

Tuesday, May 6, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
HomeStreet Bank, SW Alaska St at 41st Ave SW, Seattle WA (map)
For discussion and planning of advocacy, events, activities.
Open meeting – you are invited!
Come find out how to get involved with our Bike to Work Day Commute Station, or the bike rodeo at Alki Summer Streets, or …

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

The Delridge Greenways let us ride from the Alki Trail to White Center on safe, quiet, beautiful streets.  We have more Greenway routes waiting to be built!  Seattle Neighborhood Greenways connects groups like ours, coordinating and supporting our efforts for bike routes that work for all ages and abilities, with equity.

Please consider a gift to Seattle Neighborhood Greenways on May 6, Give Big DayDSC01296