Category: Transportation

We have a new bike master plan. Now we need to fund the design and construction. The budget for next year is being developed right now. We have given this input to the City Council’s Transportation Committee, the Mayor’s office, and SDOT’s new director Scott Kubly.  If you have other priorities or agree with these, now is the time to say so.
1) 5-way intersection at Chelan/ Delridge/ West Marginal Way/ Spokane St SW:  Fund the next phase of engineering design.

Continue the outreach to stakeholders. Implement solutions to create a family friendly connection at this junction of the West Duwamish Trail, the Alki Trail, and the West Seattle Bridge Trail. This is more than an intersection. This is our “missing link”. This one and East Marginal (below) are on the Port and the Mayor’s new Seattle Industrial Areas Freight Project routes, which is plus for funding and attention, and is a challenge, too, for design and schedule.
http://westseattlebikeconnections.org/2014/02/26/west-seattle-5-way-intersection-workshop/
http://westseattleblog.com/2014/02/west-seattle-roadtrail-safety-re-envisioning-chelanspokanedelridgew-marginal/

2)  East Marginal Way S :  Fund the start of engineering design for permanent protected bike lanes or cycletrack from S Spokane St to S Atlantic St, and begin study of bike route south of Spokane to the Federal Center.

We are grateful for your assistance and SDOT’s interim improvements on East Marginal Way S and the Portside Trail during 2013-14.  Moving forward with permanent improvements is critical for alleviating congestion on WS Bridge and 99, by making bike commuting from WS to downtown and SODO feel safe and attractive to the many “willing but wary”.  If this and the 5-way intersection above are completed, the Spokane St Bridge bike counter numbers will rival the Fremont Bridge numbers.
http://westseattlebikeconnections.org/2013/05/18/east-marginal-way-with-sdot/

3)  Delridge/ Highland Park Greenway:  Fund the completion of design and begin implementation.

This is a continuation from the North Delridge greenway south to White Center. Especially important is improving the crossing of SW Holden St at 11th Ave SW. This is the least challenging project on this list for implementation, but will have a very high benefit to cost ratio. The route serves some very under-served low income neighborhoods schools and shopping. The project enjoys a high level of neighborhood support.
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/delridgehighparkgreenway.htm

4)  Fauntleroy Boulevard SW Project:  Fund the completion of engineering design and outreach.

Protected bike lanes and pedestrian improvements are needed in this busy corridor, either on or near Fauntleroy Way SW  from 35th Ave SW to SW Alaska St. This project is in West Seattle’s most rapidly growing urban village center, and is on a major truck street. Crucial for commuting, shopping access and for absorbing growth gracefully without creating gridlock. Difficult due to limited R.O.W. for all the demands,
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/FauntleroyWySWBlvd.htm

Intersection of Fauntleroy, Avalon and 36h Ave SW.  Can you imagine a greenway crossing on 36th? Protected bike lanes on Fauntleroy? Crosswalks squared off to Fauntleroy for shorter, more visible pedestrian crossings?  Islands and signal sequence designed for bikes to turn left safely at 36th from Avalon? Street trees and landscaping welcoming people to West Seattle? This is the NE end of the Fauntleroy Blvd Project.

5)  35th Ave SW Safety Corridor: Fund design of parallel Greenways fund implementation of safe crossings.

“I-35” is major truck street and a transit street. It is a busy 4-lane arterial with a high rate of speeding, crashes, pedestrian injuries and fatalities. We recommend the implementation of parallel Greenways on 34th Ave SW and on 36th/37th Ave SW, and safe crossings at intersections along 35th with signals or RRB lights, safety islands, marked crosswalks and street lighting.
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/35thSW.htm

6)  Intersection improvements along greenway and trail routes.
We have applied for or supported NPSF grants in cooperation with West Seattle neighborhood associations, including at
SW Holden St at 11th Ave SW;
California Ave SW & SW Juneau St and at
SW Spokane St & Harbor Ave SW/ Alki Trail.
Some of these projects may need more funding than can be provided using NPSF grants.

Thank you to City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and SDOT!

The West Seattle Junction is gaining a new amenity for our community. A “bike corral” for on-street bike parking will be coming soon to California Avenue SW at SW Alaska St in the heart of the West Seattle Junction. More customers will have convenient parking without congesting the sidewalks or taking away any car parking or loading zones.

Bikes are good for local business districts.  When we travel by bike, we shop and dine locally, instead of at malls and big boxes.  That is why Junction merchants and West Seattle Bike Connections have been working for this one for the past 18 months.

As Chair of the Transportation Committee, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen helped navigate the many layers of SDOT to avoid another year of delay. According to Rasmussen’s staff member Anthony Auriemma, SDOT shared the following with the Councilmember:

”We will be issuing a work order to install the bike corral at the location agreed upon by the WS Junction Association and WS Bike Connections on the SE corner on California Ave SW at SW Alaska St.

• This location is currently no parking anytime, so there is no impact to on-street parking.
• The corral would prevent right turns on red at this all-way walk so it is a safety improvement.
[right on red is already illegal here]
• This location is in the heart of the business district.

“The adjacent property is currently under construction and the developer had requested that we delay installation until after the building was completed.  We initially agreed, however, in light of the demand for on-street parking and bicycle parking we are moving forward with the installation. We will be working to develop a policy for temp removals due to construction.

I don’t know the specific date of the installation, but my understanding is that the work order is underway.”

This project has the support of the West Seattle Junction Association, the Junction Neighborhood Association (JuNO), West Seattle Bike Connections and West Seattle Transportation Coalition.   Of at least 25 bike corrals installed by SDOT since 2012, this will be the first in West Seattle.