Delridge Highland Park Greenway – West Seattle Bike Connections

SDOT is proceeding now with suggestions we made during the Delridge Transit + Multimodal Corridor planning. There’s a good Neighborhood Greenway on 26th Ave SW from Andover to SW Juneau, parallel to Delridge and just two blocks west. It’s at basically the same grade as Delridge Way, with less traffic, and connects to the Spokane Street Bridge and Alki Trail. There is also the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway up on Pigeon Point, along Puget Ridge to Highland Park and White Center via 21st Ave SW – SW Myrtle – 1 7th Ave. That one needs some improvements, and was not connected to the 26th Ave Greenway.

Now it is connected! SDOT has installed speed humps on Juneau between 26th Ave and SW Croft Place, and along Croft, which angles up the hill for a less steep way to go from 21st Ave down to Delridge Way.

A crew was out yesterday installing bike detectors on Juneau to trigger the stop light at Delridge. One of them asked me as I stopped at the light if I ride this way often. And he gave a nice unsolicited explanation of the bike detectors, here for you, too. short video

SDOT agreed to a bunch of our suggestions to improve the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway to make it a viable compromise route in lieu of northbound protected bike lanes on the south half of Delridge Way. It’s good to see work proceeding even before the final plans for the RapidRide H line are set. Good bike and walking c0nnections are vital for people to safely get to and from the farther-apart RapidRide bus stops. It is time for safe routes to ride, walk and roll in Delridge.

New speed humps on SW Juneau St from Croft Place to Delridge Way SW.

New speed humps on SW Juneau St from 26th Ave SW to SW Croft Place.

SDOT crew working on greenway improvements on SW Juneau St at Delridge Way SW

Bike detector to trigger the stop light on SW Juneau St at Delridge Way SW.

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.

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.

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.

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

hmmm…

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,

Approaching SW Dumar.

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.