Month: June 2013

Sunday July 14 West Seattle STP – Seattle to Portland in one Morning

Updated 7/9/13

REASONS TO RIDE WITH US ON STP WEEKEND (Sunday, July 14th):

  1. Didn’t make the 14,000 rider cutoff for Cascade Bicycle Club’s Seattle to Portland ride.
  2. Can’t imagine why anyone would want to ride a bike 200 miles in one or two days.
  3. Have never left the peninsula and see no reason to start now. “We have everything in West Seattle”.
  4. Don’t really know anyone in Portland.
  5. Portland think they all that, but they ain’t.
  6. Like to sleep in own bed instead of on a baseball field in Chehalis, or at least with a good friend with a nice bed and indoor plumbing.

So, COME RIDE West Seattle STP WITH US!

Family friendly West Seattle Bike Connections ride supported by West Seattle Spokespeople and Cascade Bicycle Club.  Ride from Seattle to Portland and back in just 1 morning!

Meet on Sunday (7/14) at 9:45am at Hamilton View Point on California Ave SW to sign in, and be ready to roll at 10:00 on a 9.5 mile easy pace ride via proposed Greenway routes from SW Seattle Street in the Admiral Neighborhood to SW Portland Street in the Fauntlee Crest Neighborhood.

Experienced, certified ride leaders Stu Hennessey and Marge Evans will keep the group together and ride at a social pace. No one left behind. Ride continues on from SW Portland to California and Alaska (the West Seattle Junction, that is) to join the West Seattle Summer Fest. We’ll be at the Greenlife Stage for post ride discussion or routes and bike riding improvements proposed in the Seattle Bike Master Plan update.  Helmets required. This is a Cascade Bicycle Club sponsored ride.

No fee, no t-shirt, no medal, and no bagels with peanut butter, but we stop at a fabulous festival with street food vendors, live bands, arts and crafts!

Riders under 18 years of age must have a parental consent release form, riders under 15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent and riders under 8 years must be on an assisted vehicle, tag along, cargo bike or a bike trailer.

We need volunteers! Please sign up below if you would like to help with this ride. We are looking for some people to act as crossing guards at intersections, making it safe for all ages and abilities to cross.

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State Transportation Funding & West Seattle Bridge Trail

This received today from our West Seattle state Representative Joe Fitzgibbons. Thank you, Joe!

“Thanks for reaching out to let me know how important transportation safety programs are for you and for our state.  The House passed a transportation package today that includes an amendment I sponsored to put $16 million in pedestrian and bicycle safety projects around the state.

“One of the projects is an investment of $500,000 that will be provided to make improvements to the West Seattle Bridge Trail, making this commonly used, but dangerous, route safer and more accessible for the many folks who right now are risking their lives using this trail.

“While it is unclear what will happen to this bill in the Senate, I will keep working towards its final passage and try to hold on to the pedestrian and bicycle safety funding that is in the current transportation package.

“Thanks again for contacting me and please feel free to keep in touch with your questions and concerns.

“Take care,”

Joe Fitzgibbon
State Representative
34th Legislative District
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov

Livable Streets Mayoral Candidates Forum

Eight of the candidates for Seattle mayor will discuss their plans for making Seattle’s streets great places for walking, playing, using transit, shopping, biking, getting to school, and raising a family.

The Livable Streets Candidate Forum is hosted by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and the Park Shore Retirement Community with support from the Seattle Parks Foundation, Commute Seattle, Sustainable Seattle, Senior Services, Seattle Subway, Feet First, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Cascade Bicycle Club, 12th Ave Stewards, Seattle Bike Blog, Futurewise, Capitol Hill EcoDistrict, the Madison Park Community Council, West Seattle Bike Connections, and Bike Works.

Cost/RSVP: Free. RSVP requested. Register online
Transportation: The community center is served by nearby bus routes 8 and 11 and is on the Lake Washington Loop bike route. A by-donation bike valet will be available. There is no off-street car parking.
Childcare will be provided (please register for childcare when you RSVP)

About Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
Formed in August 2011, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is a rapidly growing volunteer coalition representing many neighborhoods across Seattle to identify, advocate for, and activate safe, equitable, and comfortable streets connecting us to the places we use, whether we walk, drive, ride a bike, push a stroller, or move by wheelchair.

West Seattle Bicycle Counter Installed

UPDATE 6/24/13:  Cascade Bicycle Club has notified us that the the counter was indeed having some counting problems.  They are working on the fix and the bike counter celebration has been re-scheduled to Monday, July 1 from 4 – 6 pm.

West Seattle’s Bike Counter, the second bike counter in the city (the other is at the Fremont Bridge), was unveiled on June 20th.

Photo courtesy of SDOT
Photo courtesy of SDOT

Date change: A celebration of the installation will be hosted by the Cascade Bicycle Club Monday, July 1 from  4:00 – 6:00 pm.  Members of the Seattle Department of Transportation and West Seattle Bicycle Connections will also be attending.  Stop by and say “hi!” And be counted.

Funded by Cascade Bicycle Club and the Mark and Susan Torrance Foundation, the counter will provide valuable, regular, up to date bicycle counts for the West Seattle area.

Some  have noticed that there seems to be a quirk in the counting operation; it takes a few moments for a cyclist to be counted, so one can’t see the number “click over” as one rides by, and it seems to jump a few numbers at a time. Fix is in the works.

 

Highland Park Greenways first public meeting

WSBC members Craig Rankin and Theresa Beaulieu bring this news from Highland Park Action Committee and SDOT.  Craig has been working on this for quite a while in his neighborhood.  SDOT has now funded the public outreach and planning work.

HPAC and SDOT will be hosting a Neighborhood Greenway Meeting that we encourage everyone to come to. If you are at all interested in having a Greenway come through Highland Park, and would like a say in which street the route is on- now’s your chance,  please join us.

It will be on TUESDAY, JULY 9th, from 6-7:30 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club on 12th and Holden.

What’s a Greenway? Neighborhood Greenways are residential streets where signs and pavement markings are used to guide people along the route; and speed and volume management measures discourage cars from avoiding main streets by cutting through on neighborhood streets. These amenities can be especially beneficial for families, children and seniors who might find these routes more comfortable than busier nearby streets. Find out more about them here.
See you then!
Highland Park Action Committee

WSBC July 2 Meeting

July 2, 20136:3o to 8:00 pm

at Highland Park Improvement Club,  1116 SW Holden Street, 98106

map

Special Guest: Sara Zora, SDOT Bike Planner, for discussion of Seattle Bike Master Plan Update.

Other agenda items:  Project reports and volunteer recruiting for projects and activities.6 month Progress report on 2013 action plan.

Open meeting – please come!
 

Let’s be heard: West Seattle in Bike Master Plan

6 pm Wednesday, June 12 at Columbia Branch Library – let’s go!

Last public open house before the plan is submitted to City Council early this fall.

Tom Fucoloro has a post today in the Seattle Bike Blog featuring kids trying to cross one of our West Seattle arterials as the poster child for the campaign to make our streets safe for walking and biking. He says, “we are failing our kids”.  This lines and  we get on the map in this plan and the policies in it will be the reference document for what should be funded over the next 10-20 years. Let’s help SDOT get it right.

the #50 bus to ST light rail at SODO station (S Lander St) is one way to get there. We’ll have people riding back to WS afterwards if you want company.

Bike Master Plan – Test Questions

Test questions revealed in advance of SDOT’s June open houses!

REPORT CARD     June 2013 Seattle Draft Bicycle Master Plan Update for SW Sector           

This is what we asked SDOT to add to the first draft of the plan update, in December 2012.

(this is not everything in the draft plan — only what we thought was missing last fall.)

How does the June 2013 draft respond? Attend an open house, then let us know!

 

# Description Notes Grade
1 East Marginal Way S / Alaskan Way S from S Spokane Street to S Atlantic St:  separated cycletrack or off street path     
2 SW Avalon/ Fauntleroy Ave SW, 35th, 36th & 37th Ave SW: intersection and bike lane or cycle track improvements, and add route on 36th Ave SW from SW Avalon to SW Alaska     
3 Connection on East Marginal Way S. from S Spokane Street to Diagonal Way S, Off road path or cycletrack needed on west side of East Marginal Way S.     
4 Fauntleroy to SW Morgan St. via 38th Ave SW: Enhanced street.     
5 Fauntleroy, from SW Alaska to California Ave SW “in-street, major separation”. At least bike lanes both directions of travel.     
6 Greenway route to east of California Ave SW from SW Holgate to Ferry Ave SW via 40th, Walnut SW, 41st SW or 42nd SW.     
7 North Delridge Greenways: add E-W connection at south end of Greenway on 26th Ave SW.  Bike ramp or runnel at steps.     
8 “Brandon Green Super Highway” three new bike/pedestrian staircases or paths along currently unimproved sections of the SW Brandon St. right-of-way: between 16th & 17th SW, between 21st & 23rd SW, and between 30th & 34th SW     
9 SW Portland St:  Extend the Greenway to the East to reach 9th Ave SW (top of SW Highland Park Way)     
10 SW Trenton from 9th Ave SW to 35th Ave SW:  bike lanes or Greenway.     
11 24th Ave SW from SW Cloverdale to SW Thistle: Greenway.     
12 Highland Park Greenway and Westcrest Park trail, and connections into campus of South Seattle Community College, with further Greenway/Trail route to north.     
13 West Marginal Way SW, south of SW Michigan to 2nd Ave SW: Major separation or cycle track.     
14 S Horton Street in SODO from East Marginal Way S to 4th Ave S. – minor in street separation or enhanced street with safe crossing at East Marginal Way S     
15 SW Andover from Delridge SW to 22nd Ave SW: connect 21st Ave Greenway and Delridge Trail from West Seattle Bridge to routes to west via Andover.     
16 37th Ave SW between SW Hudson and SW Alaska: an “enhanced street”     
17 Delridge SW to SW Holden –  Add a trunnel up the stairway.     
18 West Duwamish trail through South Park – coordinate with King County portion to connect with Seattle     
19 Extend the off-street West Marginal trail into South Park along S. Portland St. Cross Holden at the WA-99 light, use WSDOT right-of-way to connect to S Portland St, and add an off-street trail along Portland to 8th Ave S.     
20 Greenway route along Duwamish River in South Park: Connect the West Duwamish trail to the 14th Street Bridge via S Kenyon St, S 10th Ave, and Dallas Ave S.     
21 SW Admiral Way westbound (uphill) from Spokane St/ Avalon/ Harbor Avenue SW:  Improve connection for access to Admiral.     
22 Beach Drive SW into north end of Lincoln Park multi-use path – add connection.    
23 West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW: Redesign Northwest corner of to avoid collection of dirt and gravel.