Support the Fauntleroy Boulevard Project – Walk & Talk this week with SDOT. Thursday 3/16 12n and Saturday 12/18 at 10am. Meet at LA Fitness, 3900 SW Alaska.
Seeing the design nearing completion, our members from all over the West Seattle peninsula continue to offer strong support for the Fauntleroy Boulevard Project.
Planned with extensive business and resident involvement over many years, this project will create a welcoming entry to West__ Seattle. The street improvements will make it possible for this rapidly developing urban village to absorb more density without increasing traffic congestion. These street improvements must be made as the one- and two-story commercial strip buildings are being replaced by five- and six-story mixed use buildings. By giving people safe and attractive places to walk, wait for a bus, and ride bikes, more people will use those transportation options instead of driving cars alone.
The project will also make it safe and efficient for people traveling to and through the area by bike, bus and truck. Fauntleroy Way SW is a key through-bike commute route, a transit route, a shopping destination, the auto approach to the West Seattle Bridge, and a Major Truck Street. Separation of bike traffic from heavy vehicle traffic here is vital for our safety. There are good reasons the Bicycle Master Plan calls for protected bike lanes on Fauntleroy
These elements in the design are essential for safety for people on bikes and on foot:
- One-way protected bike lanes each side.
- Elimination of the sweeping right-turn pocket lane from south-bound Fauntleroy to west-bound SW Oregon. This is an extremely wide and dangerous intersection for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
- Squaring up intersections and reducing crosswalk distances.
- Distinct differences between bike lane and sidewalk, to reduce pedestrian/bike rider conflicts.
- Safety island at crossing of Fauntleroy at 36th Ave SW, with attention to control of north-east bound vehicle traffic on Fauntleroy.
- Bike lane striping through intersections and driveway crossings, with sidewalks at new driveways at sidewalk elevation instead of dipping to roadway elevation.
- A green bike box at the SE corner of the intersection of SW Alaska & Fauntleroy.
- Consideration of a pedestrian crossing at 37th, especially if that street may be developed as a neighborhood greenway instead of 36th Ave SW.
And last but not least, we would like to point out that riding bikes is good for local businesses! When we ride, we shop locally. When we ride, we save car parking for others.
