2015 Bridge Bike Counts ^ UP ^

Screen Shot 2016-01-04 at 9.20.46 PMWe hear that some bike traffic counts declined in the region in 2015, but not here!

Spokane Street Bridge count went up by 5.8 percent over 2014, despite low, low gas prices and added bus transit capacity.

Some nice dry months, but 2nd wettest December on record and a stormy November, and as dark as ever in January. As you might figure, weekdays are way higher than weekends on this commute route to jobs in SODO and downtown. These are workin’ people’s bikes.

299,506 trips across the bridge in 2015
941 average weekday count
1,719 highest day, May 15. June had highest week and month.
75 for lowest day, Sunday December 27.
SDOT data, our graph.

WSBC meeting Tuesday January 5

WSBC is meeting Tuesday, January 5

6:30 to 8:00 pm
at HomeStreet Bank, 41st SW & SW Alaska

Please come if you can. On our agenda:
– Input to SDOT & SBAB on Delridge-Highland Park Greenway and the incomplete Chelan 5-way intersection

– Safe Routes to Schools and the next WS greenways

– rides, advocacy, whatever you want to do in 2016 for enjoyable, safe, efficient riding in West Seattle

Delridge-Highland Park Greenway – almost finished?

It was scheduled to be completed in 2015. Now SDOT says January 2016. Seems a bit optimistic from  ground level, and looks like some of it needs reworking to be safe and convenient to use, according to riders who use the route daily.    Here are some photos of a ride on Monday this week mid day, and one from a daily commute in the dark. Click any to enlarge.  But the best way to find out about it is to go walk or ride and decide for yourself. We invite you to give feedback here or to SDOT directly.

SDOT website for the project is here, including maps and drawings.

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The good:  lots of new ADA curb ramps on 21st SW at north end. This at SW Genesee, the route to Pathfinder K-8 school, with intersection painted by the community. Speed humps, most old, some new, along this stretch.

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The bad and the ugly:   The stretch on 21st Ave SW between 22nd Ave SW and Dumar,  It’s a busy arterial. Really scary with high speed traffic in the dark and wet and a tiny gravel shoulder east side, and rough gravel 4′ sidewalk on west.

 

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The good: a flashing beacon convenient for pedestrians.   Not for bike riders.

 

 

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hmmm…

 

 

 

 

Large Pothole on 21st Ave SW Southbound

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bad:  sidewalk only on one side, and only 4 feet wide.  Bike riders use this who want to avoid riding in the arterial traffic without bike lanes or shoulder.

The ugly:  no temporary safety measures during construction while the sidewalk is torn up,

 

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Approaching SW Dumar.

Does this look “safe for all ages and abilities”?

 

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The grand old speed hump and semi-permanent potholes and cones, at Stanislo Elementary School.

 

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Nice new smooth asphalt on SW Myrtle from 21st to 17th. Except for a half block on north side.

 

 

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Work has not started on the switchback ramp to link two cul-de-sacs on 17th SW

 

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Crossing 16th SW on SW Webster to go from 17th to 15th, then 2 blocks to Kenyon, then back again to 17th!

Would you do this? Would you let your pre-teen use this route instead of crossing at the light at Holden?

No stop sign, no flashing beacon, no traffic signal = no greenway!

 

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On 15th SW.  Work started at curb bulbs at SW Holden.

 

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From 15th & Holden you can see the light at 16th.  Will car drivers stop for people on foot or on bikes or in wheelchairs at 15th?

 

SDOT ignored WSBC and other community input on route choice, especially regarding the zig zag from 17th on Webster to  15th and then two blocks south crossing Holden on 15th to Kenyon, and two blocks west back to 17th.  Who in their right mind will go 4 blocks out of the way, crossing busy arterials three times without stoplights or even flashing beacons, to avoid crossing at a light at Holden? Prediction: the lumpy narrow sidewalk on 16th will be the route of choice. Should be changed.

 

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Crossing 16th SW again at Kenyon.  Signs and curb ramps. No stop sign or traffic signal, no flashing beacon.

 

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Green stormwater work started by SPU on 17th.

 

 

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Crossings at the south end of the route between Holden and Roxbury at busy streets are likewise unprotected.

At this point, no curb ramps, no re-aligned stop signs, no traffic calming, no signs.

 

 

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South end of the route, just short of Roxbury and White Center. No work evident at this end yet.

Alki Christmas Ships Ride – Sat Dec 12

DSC05917Decorate and light up your bikes and come join West Seattle Bike Connections for a fun all ages, all abilities, all faiths, family-friendly ride from Seacrest Marina to Alki Bathhouse to the see Christmas ShipsDSC05903, and to hear and join the carolers. Seattle Parks will have hot cider and cookies at the bathhouse and a bonfire on the beach to keep us warm.
Please arrive by 4:15 to sign in. We’ll roll at 4:30 in fading light, and arrive as it is getting dark. The Christmas Ships are due to be at Alki from 5:10 to 5:30.
2.2 perfectly flat miles on the Alki Trail. Return trip is on your own, because it is hard to regroup at this event, but the ride leader will be happy to accompany riders on request for the return trip at 5:30. This will be a Cascade Bicycle Club free daily ride, with waiver form to sign.
Bike rack parking is available at Seacrest and Bathhouse. Car parking is available on the street at Seacrest, or just west at Don Armeni boat launch public lot. Sorry, the Water Taxi and #37 bus are NOT running on weekends at this time of year. The #21 bus is the nearest, running from downtown to stop #15460 at SW Spokane St & 26th Ave SW (WB) along the Alki Trail, 1.5 miles from Seacrest.
Restrooms are available at start, at Alki Bathhouse, and points between.
The Christmas Ships will be off Lowman Beach Park at 4:20-4:40 pm. Optional to start there on your own, and join us at ~5 pm at Alki.

WSBC Meeting – Tuesday Dec 1

6:30 to 8:00 pm
HomeStreet Bank at WS Junction
41st Ave SW & SW Alaska St
Please come if you can, to plan our next projects and events.
At our last meeting, these rose to the top for 2016. We can do these things only to the extent that we have active participation:
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  • Safe Routes to Schools, and finding ways to get schools engaged in walking and riding to school.
  • Celebration for the work at Chelan 5-way intersection, and monitoring and working for the long term plans there to connect the Alki, WS Bridge and Duwamish trail routes.
  • East Marginal Way S Multi-Modal Corridor planning, to make it a really excellent high-bike-volume corridor to SODO and downtown.
  • Advocacy for more greenway street implementation on the N-S spine of West Seattle from Admiral to Westwood, parallel to California and 35th Avenues, for destinations in West Seattle and for low-stress through routes. [this with Seattle Neighborhood Greenways]
  • Continue events for kids: bike rodeos, mini STP, family rides.
  • Duwamish Trail improvements and completion of missing links.
  • Neighborhood Parks & Streets Fund grants for spot improvements.
  • Engage politically with our new Councilmember whoever she may be; SDOT; neighborhood associations and district councils.
  • Social rides!
We also can really use a dedicated webmaster/social media person, and have other roles to fill. Many things do not require attending evening meetings, so email if you are inspired.

WSBC Meeting Monday November 9

November meeting date changed to
MONDAY, 11/9
6:30 to 8:00 pm
HomeStreet Bank
41st Ave SW & SW Alaska St

We decided to postpone due to Election Day, and meet next Monday instead.  This will be a special meeting to plan our next steps as an organization – what will we concentrate on in 2016? Who can fill what roles or take on what projects? Did the Move Seattle levy pass, or will SDOT be operating on a shoestring?  Do we need more organization, or less? You are invited!

If you cannot attend, but have ideas, reply here or email us at westseattlebikeconnections@gmail.com

 

Why vote for Prop 1 – Move Seattle?

Why would we want to move Seattle?  Where would we move it to? We like it right here surrounded by the Sound, Elliott Bay, the Duwamish, and last but not least, White Center.

Well, let them count the reasons…10955307_406441129553641_4604325171731759437_n

Only a small percentage of it will go specifically to bike route safety improvements, but we need efficient buses, safe bridges and basic street paving, too, for a balanced, safe, effective transportation network that works for everybody on foot, on a bike, in a bus, truck or car.

For travel by bike in and from WS, the levy includes these projects that are high priority for us:

  • greenway routes on 34th and 36th;
  • Fauntleroy Boulevard separated bike lanes in the Triangle area;
  • separated and protected bike lanes on East Marginal Way S from Spokane Street north to the Portside Trail to downtown,
  • a multi-use path on East Marginal Way S, south of S Spokane;
  • work on the Admiral Way bridges that will lead to wider bridges with room for bike lanes;
  • safe routes to school projects starting at Highland Park, West Seattle, and Concord elementary schools.

These improvements will get more people using bikes more often, and will help keep West Seattle moving.

Theresa and Jeff are moving

Our VP’s and founding members Jeff Hallman and Theresa Beaulieu are leaving for greener bike paths — Theresa is moving to Tacoma with Jason and Lyanne.  Jeff Hallman is moving to Corvallis with Sandi and Nayla.  We will miss them, and wish them well. 

Now, we need 10 or 12 people to step up and take their places!

Theresa has been our schools activist, starting an after school bike club at Denny Middle School that has become the first Major Taylor Club in a middle school, and doing more now at Kennedy HS. She got grants for Denny and Chief Sealth HS bike wayfinding and parking; started the Denny-Lincoln Classic bike ride; worked tirelessly for a bike corral for White Center businesses, and got us going on social rides. Theresa and Jason show up for our trail cleanups, Bike to Work Day commute station, and vigil rides.  Theresa represented Highland Park, White Center and areas nearby in planning for the Bicycle Master Plan Update and the Delridge/Highland Park Greenway.

Jeff is our webmaster extraordinaire, Google Guru, organization development guy, and founder of D.I.Y. Bikes with Stu Hennessey.  Jeff got the bike corral at the Junction landed finally. He built a bike blender and generously brought it to make smoothies at Parking Day and Greenlife. Jeff helped lead our West Seattle STP rides and the Denny-Lincoln Classic, did beach cleanup duty with the Alki Beach Creeps, took notes at our meetings, and used his bike mechanic credentials and experience to teach free classes in bike maintenance, all while keeping up his running adventures, starting his own businesses, and becoming a new dad.  DSC03837 IMG_7673 IMG_8278 IMG_7930 IMG_9071 DSC00650 DSC00762 DSC01706 DSC01717 DSC04128 DSC07508 DSC09852 2015-08-28 17.22.44 IMG_5390 IMG_8930 DSC03415 IMG_8735 DSC08865

WSBC Meeting Tuesday 10/6

Please come join us

Tuesday, October 6, 6:00 to 8:00 pm

HomeStreet Bank, 41st Ave SW & SW Alaska St

Open meeting – please come and celebrate our third anniversary, plan and discuss Move Seattle levy, SDOT projects in West Seattle, truck/bike safety action, Pronto expansion, and to wish Theresa and Jeff well as they move south.