Join us this Sunday, March 2nd, at 10:00 AM for a bike ride to the Seattle Bike Expo. Meet us under the West Seattle Bridge, at the intersection of the Duwamish and Alki Trails.
We’ll have several veteran riders to help lead you. It will be a casual ride…we won’t be in any rush! Our plan is to leave the Expo around 2:00 PM, in case you would like to plan your return trip with someone.
More info is posted in our events calendar. Hope to see you riding with us!
This morning, City Council Transportation Committee Chair Tom Rasmussen opened a workshop with about 25 people invited by SDOT to brainstorm design input for the redesign of our #1 priority intersection: the 5-way at Chelan, Delridge, Spokane and West Marginal Way SW.
Thank you Council Member Rasmussen for securing funding for design of this challenging project, and SDOT and SvR for getting this diverse group together!
This intersection, and East Marginal Way S are currently the “deal breakers” that prevent willing but wary individuals and families from riding the final 20 minutes to downtown from West Seattle, or making the connection between the Duwamish Trail and the Alki Trail. Changing this will make a huge change for using bikes in West Seattle.
All the ideas we have brought up before were considered, and some really ambitious and creative long term solutions were proposed. Short term and long term solutions will be planned, with initial design proposals back for stakeholder review in about 6 months.
Short term changes could happen fairly soon. The ultimate project will take years for full development, because, as Council Member Rasmussen noted, every mode of transportation uses this spot, including pedestrians, bike riders, cars, buses, freight trucks, fire engines, trains and ships. Well, maybe not airplanes, but most everything else.
The group included representatives from SvR Design, Port of Seattle, shipping companies, Seattle Fire Department, METRO Transit, Heffron transportation consultants, North Delridge Community Association, Seattle Bike Advisory Board, Feet First, UW, Cascade Bicycle Club, and West Seattle Bike Connections, and SDOT’s traffic, bike/ped, signalization, and freight mobility groups. SDOT staff include a number who live in West Seattle and bike through this intersection regularly.
Don Brubeck and Bob Winship represented WSBC
Stop by and visit with Kathy and Theresa from West Seattle Bike Connections this Saturday at the White Center Community Summit! 
We have applied for two Neighborhood Parks & Streets Fund Grants grants and assisted other groups with two more — if you know people on the Southwest or the Delridge District Councils, please give these a plug. For small projects by SDOT and Parks.
– 11th Ave SW & SW Holden St: Holden is a high speed arterial. We are requesting a flashing beacon sign at crosswalk, so kids and slower adults can safely cross. It’s on a planned Greenway route. Submitted by Highland Park Action Committee with support from us and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways — it’s on SNG’s top 10 list city-wide!
– California Ave SW & SW Juneau St: requesting a marked cross walk with flashing beacon sign, and maybe curb bulbs, to connect future Greenways that will run parallel to California. This is a relatively flat spot to get to businesses, schools, and parks. Submitted by us, with support from Morgan Community Association and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. It’s the other SNG top 10 Greenway intersection in West Seattle.
– Alki Trail / Harbor Ave SW at SW Spokane St: Requesting trail markings to reduce bike/pedestrian conflicts at the corner and at Kitty Harbor and Cycle U. Submitted by us, with support from Admiral Neighborhood Association, Alki Community Council, and businesses.
– Delridge Ave SW mid-block crossing at Boren School: Requesting crossing improvements so kids and parents can get from parking lot, bike and walking routes to school. Submitted by WSBC member and parent Craig Rankin with support from PTSA, Highland Park Action Committee, us, and others.
Thank you to Dongho Chang, SDOT Chief Traffic Engineer, for riding out to meet and look at the bike detour. He’ll ask the project to move the fence behind the sign base and electrical box for a little more room. Video sensors now detect northbound bikes to change the light, and the east-west crosswalk signal goes on a cycle without having to press button.
The Port of Seattle says it’s really tight for trucks turning into T46, so it’s really tight for us.
We’ve probably got 3 to 4 weeks before the permanent path is finished, and then will not have to cross the road. The path will have a west side option for those going south or using sidewalk to go north, and an east side option for those using the northbound bike lane or turning north from S Atlantic St.
We and others gave WSDOT some feedback on bike crossings and new detours at the newly opened Atlantic Street flyover crossing. The viaduct replacement project has responded, as you have seen this week if you take that route to downtown. Kudos to all who spoke up! Here’s their message and an invitation for more communication this Thursday at Milepost 31, from 6:00 t0 6:30 PM. 211 First Ave S in Pioneer Square.
Hello Don,
Thank you for providing us with further feedback about the shared-use path at the intersection of South Atlantic Street and Alaskan Way South. WSDOT and SDOT have been coordinating closely since the new South Atlantic Street overpass opened, and I want to respond to your questions and give you an update to some changes we’ve made after receiving feedback from you and others in the bicycle community.
We’ve changed the way the signals operate at this intersection so that it will no longer be necessary for bicyclists to push the pedestrian button to trigger the pedestrian walk signal to change. The walk signal will turn over automatically with each rotation of the signal cycle.
Due to limited sight distance and physical constraints, it is not possible to widen the path at the northwest corner of this intersection. Bicyclists should use caution when approaching this intersection. As a reminder, the width and curve of the path at this location will change when the permanent path opens.
Currently, bicycles approaching the intersection in the northbound bike lane do in fact trigger the signal sensors in the same way that vehicles do, using video detection which senses forward motion in the bike lane. This will continue to be the case when the permanent path opens.
We are committed to providing timely and helpful information to the bicycle community. On Thursday, Feb. 6, WSDOT and SDOT staff will be on-hand at Milepost 31 to answer questions and comments about the shared-use path. We have posted signs on this path to inform commuters of the event, and let them know how to contact us directly. We hope that you can join us, and would appreciate your help in spreading the word about this opportunity.
Prior to the new path opening in March 2014, we will notify bicycle stakeholder groups in the area and submit a post to the Seattle Bike Blog. We will be on-site during the peak commute times with information about the changing configuration. If you have any other suggestions about ways to reach out to the bicycle community, please let me know.
For the most up-to-date information on the viaduct program, visit www.alaskanwayviaduct.org.
Regards,
Genevieve Stokes
Communications Officer
Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program
