We have reported on this scary story: People on foot are crossing 5 lanes with a 40 mph posted speed limit on a major truck route, without a crosswalk, to get to the Duwamish Longhouse from Herring House Park and parking lots, and from the Duwamish Trail. There is just a rough dirt path on the west side of the road. The Duwamish Tribe has applied to SDOT’s Neighborhood Street Fund for a sidewalk and signalized crosswalk to keep people safe and make it ADA accessible.
Right now, 300 applications are in the “prioritization” phase leading to selection of just one or two projects in each Council district. Along with other community groups, we are supporting the Duwamish Tribe. The Duwamish people generously offer hospitality to all at their Longhouse on West Marginal Way for all kinds of events and programs. But 10 years after its opening, the City has not provided a sidewalk or safe crossing of West Marginal Way.
Please attend a community prioritization meeting or vote online for the Duwamish Longhouse Pedestrian Safety & Accessibility Project, App ID 2019-134
Saturday, February 2, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW
Monday, February 4, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, South Park Hall, 1253 S Cloverdale St
Here is the Duwamish Tribe’s statement with their application:
The Duwamish Longhouse is the cultural center for indigenous People in the Coast-Salish region – a home to our spiritual practices and lifeways, as well as ceremonies and community gatherings. We invite you in with open and raised arms. Come and learn about our culture and living history.
However, the Duwamish Longhouse on West Marginal Way SW at SW Alaska Street has limited parking and no transit service. Many people coming to events park across the street, at Herring’s House Park and T-107 Park (T!ula’ltu). For large events, the Tribe has arranged to use the bus barn lot north of Herring’s House Park and the Parks Department lot at SW Idaho St on the west side of West Marginal Way SW. Other people come by bike using the Duwamish Trail from West Seattle or South Park. The approach from these locations is not safe, comfortable, or ADA accessible. The street has five lanes, with heavy truck traffic, a posted speed limit of 40 mph, and actual speeds often exceeding 50 mph. There is only a dirt path on the west side for walking. Some community events use both the Longhouse and the park. The park is a listed National Register archeological site of great importance to the Tribe.
Adding a sidewalk on the west side of the street from SW Alaska to SW Idaho Street and a marked crosswalk with warning signs and pedestrian-activated signal or flashing beacons would make a significant safety and accessibility improvement for people arriving by car, bike or on foot to the Longhouse.
Submitted by: Jolene Hass, Treasurer/Grants Administrator, The Duwamish Tribe
The Duwamish people have been here for thousands of years. They are still here, 166 years after Chief Seattle welcomed the first Euro-Americans, who proceeded to take Duwamish lands and waters. It is time for the whole community to recognize and give back the hospitality the Duwamish Tribe offers freely to all of us.
There are other good applications, too, although some would actually be funded by other projects, or are too expensive for NSF grants. We’d like to also recommend these, submitted by members of West Seattle Bicycle Connections: