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WHAT DO YOU LOOK LIKE AT NIGHT?

This evening some of us meet at Jack Block Park to be video-taped by Jeff Hallman through a car windshield, to see how we bike riders appear to car drivers and others at night.  Video coming after Jeff has some time to edit.

It was an opportunity to see first-hand from another point of view just how well, or not, our lights and/or reflective gear work from all angles and in different lighting situations. We had a variety of light setups and reflectivity, and tried with and without car lights shining on us, and with and without our lights on. Some surprises, good and bad, for each of us. We’ll share it soon. IMG_6157No surprise that it’s really hard to see riders who are riding without lights in dark clothing!

Jan 7 meeting notes

from West Seattle Bike Connections monthly meeting:
and we need volunteers to make these things happen, so if you see something interesting, don’t be shy!
1.    Visibility at Night event – Jeff Hallman will pick date when weather forecast looks good.  Location: Jack Block Park. Port of Seattle Public Information and police are cooperative. Jeff will do videos of people with various gear.

2.    Winter Ride. In planning stage, weather dependent. Tweed ride to Junction? Longer WS loop?

3.    Bike corrals:
Aili LePard is working with supportive Junction businesses and SDOT’s new person in charge.
Theresa is submitting a grant application on Friday to purchase a bike corral to be installed in front of Proletariat Pizza in White Center.

4.    Bike to Work Day station hosting Friday, May 16. Bob Winship will lead again.

5.    South Park route. Bob Winship reported on Transportation Committee meeting, and Don Brubeck on visit and tour with M.C. Halvorsen. Bob will continue to work with SP, EOS/TAG and SDOT.

6.    Greenways:
Greenways mapping volunteer needed to assist Seattle Neighborhood Greenways with their Google Map project, This is not to start a new route selection process – just to document what is in the Bike Master Plan Update in a format usable by SNG to add specific information about desirable features or conditions, in simple format.

Bike counter installed on 26th Ave Greenway.

Is it time to encourage formation of some new greenway groups for new routes, e.g. Arbor Heights and Admiral-to-Alaska Junction?

7.    Neighborhood Parks and Street Fund projects grant cycle coming up.  2/4/14 deadline for NSF grants http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/npsf/default.htm . Will explore the Spokane/Harbor Ave Alki Trail/Kitty Harbor corner,  or West Duwamish Trail spot improvements? Or bike corral at park near the Alaska Junction? Community Association support is needed, to get District Council support.

8.    City Council to vote on Bike Master Plan Update. Messages of support needed.

9.    Terminal 18/Fishing bridge planters:  Don will reach out to SDOT contacts to see if there is a planting plan for the empty planters that we could help implement.

10.    West Seattle Bike Festival: in August, exact date to be determined. Brad Loetel at West Seattle Cyclery is taking the lead. Junction business association on board. Sanctioned crit race, big loop ride, family ride. We would organize a family ride, helmet fitting and pre-ride bike safety checks.

11.    Schools report from Theresa Beaulieu:
•    Denny bike to school event January 17th ride your bike for treats and winter riding gear also wear Seahawks swag for an extra prize!
•    Denny-Lincoln classic will happen again in May.
•    Working on funding ideas to raise money to purchase bikes for a Major Taylor afterschool program.

12.    East Marginal Way:  Flashing beacon crosswalk at Horton is in place.

13.    WS Bridge bike counter: New pavement sensor seems to have fixed it. Go get counted!

Thanks to Bob Winship for hosting and feeding us!

Don Brubeck

WSBC meeting – Jan 7

WSBC monthly meeting is Tuesday, January 7
at Bob Winship’s house, 3438 36th Ave SW
between Manning and Hinds
Reports and planning for events and projects. All are welcome!
Bob says, “If (brave, layered soul) you’re cycling uphill from the south or east, it’s best to cross Fauntleroy at Avalon/36th and continue up 36th”

Loving Nature, Music, and Biking – Together

Screen shot 2014-01-01 at 10.46.37 AMHere is a story from Full Life Care and their ElderFriends program that might stretch our vision of what it means to make our streets work for people of all ages and abilities…

 

 

 

 

“We’re both free spirits,” says Jodee Thelen, a long-time ElderFriends volunteer. “We communicate with nature and music and we both love riding bikes.”

Jodee’s kindred spirit is Constance Griffin, “Sparrow” to her friends. The last surviving sibling of a large family, she now lives alone. Sparrow had her first ElderFriend in 2006, when she was seeking new friends and an expanded support system. Connecting with ElderFriends’ friendly visitors helps her ward off loneliness. She says, “Life is so much better since I’ve known ElderFriends.” She’s also enjoyed holiday visits as part of ElderFriends’ holiday meal deliveries.

Last Thanksgiving, Jodee Thelen delivered a meal to Sparrow, and they discovered that they shared a spirit of adventure, and love of nature and music. Shortly after the meal, they formalized their ElderFriends relationship and have continued to build their friendship throughout the year. “We hit it off from the start,” says Sparrow. “And our friendship gives me hope because I have something to look forward to. I know she’s there; I have someone who thinks about me.”

Their outings are eclectic, comprising a vast array of activities. In recent months, they attended the ElderFriends BBQ at Magnuson Park, and they also enjoyed the Seattle Symphony Day of Music, where they heard “a fabulous Native American flute player. I just closed my eyes and I was in the forest,” Sparrow recalls.

“We both love the outdoors,” Jodee says, “And Sparrow was even part of a small group that pedaled bikes to Alaska over six weeks. She was in her fifties then; that really inspires me.”

Jodee is currently inspired to help Sparrow acquire a new, lightweight bicycle so that she can get around her neighborhood more easily and independently. Or sometimes, with a friend at her side.

Reprinted from Full Life Times Winter 2013-2014, with permission from Sparrow, Jodie and FullLifeCare.

26th Ave SW Greenway Bike Counter

Bike Counter SignWe count!

News from Dawn Schellenberg at SDOT: “To help measure how well neighborhood greenways are preforming, three permanent bike counters are being installed on greenways this month. Ultimately we hope to have 10. One will be located on 26th Ave SW Between SW Oregon St and SW Alaska St. It will be small metal controller box with a sign that says Neighborhood Greenway Bike Counter (see attached) placed on the sidewalk near the curb. Two small tube sensors will stretch from the box across the street. It is not as fancy as the Spokane counter and will not display counts. However, we will put the data online and update it once a month—probably starting in February.  I’ll have a link from our NGW home page.”

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Coalition

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We had a great turnout for the the Highland Park/Delridge Greenway SDOT outreach meeting last month.  The North Delridge greenways on 21st and 22nd are actually being built and used!  We have greenways all over the map of West Seattle in the Bike Master Plan update.  One reason for this: the concerted action of the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways coalition. We are part of it, along with West Seattle Greenways and West Seattle Spokespeople. Our WS groups have zero budget, fueled by volunteer hours. But Seattle Neighborhood Greenways pays two people modest salaries to support groups like ours by doing the legwork that most of us with day jobs cannot do.

We are much more effective by being a part of the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways coalition of neighborhood groups that advocates for our needs and connects us to City Hall. Among many other things, working as a coalition we have dramatically increased funding and standards for neighborhood greenways and safe crossings.

In 2014, our coalition will focus on updates of the Pedestrian Master Plan, the Right-of-Way Improvement Manual, School Road Safety Plans, intersection improvements, tactical urbanism, Safe Routes to Parks, mini-grants for local groups, and a greenways “report card”!

Will you make a tax-deductible investment to power your movement to even greater successes in 2014? We have a $25,000 match that will double your gift, but only until January 1st. Please take advantage of this opportunity and donate today! http://seattlegreenways.org/get-involved/donate/

Thank you!

Bike Master Plan Update – Council Review

SDOT and the Mayor have sent the recommended Bike Master Plan Update to City Council for review and approval. It is subject to change by Council.

The Council’s Transportation Committee will be taking public input this Wednesday, December 11, 5:30 to 8:00.  See Events.

We’ve given lots of input from West Seattle during the development of the plan. It shows in the final product. Our “report card” is attached. We give it a grade of Excellent.  If you agree, this may be the best final opportunity to give it support before the full Council votes on it. 1301208 SBMP West Sea report

The plan is online at SDOT’s website

Saturday Nov 23 Garden Party at the Fishing Pier

Post event:  We had a beautiful fall morning and a nice turnout.  Weeded the planters, cleaned debris from the trail, cut back ivy from trees, cut blackberries and did quite a bit of weeding and trash pickup from the landscaped area to the. Thanks to all who participated.

Cedars freed from ivy, at least for awhile
Cedars freed from ivy, at least for awhile
English ivy choking a Cedar
English ivy choking a Cedar
heading out. SDOT will pick up the piles of debris and bags of trash.
heading out. SDOT will pick up the piles of debris and bags of trash.

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Craig Rankin cutting a ring in the ivy around a Cedar. Craig has a habit of doing this in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, with other forest stewards.
Craig Rankin cutting a ring in the ivy around a Cedar. Craig has a habit of doing this in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, with other forest stewards.
making progress
making progress

If you wanted to, but can’t make weekends or anything that takes this long, think about just carrying some work gloves and a weeding tool, and stopping by here for 15 or 20 minutes once in awhile to remove obvious weeds or cut back blackberry canes. Watch for glass and biohazards.  SDOT prefers that we don’t work in  the planted strip along the roadway, to stay safe.

This Saturday morning! Bring gloves, your favorite weeding tool or a rake, and a garbage bag or two, and meet us at the fishing pier. Lunch afterwards at the Chelan Cafe.   See “Events” for more details.

Delridge/Highland Park Greenway Planning

 

Quick report from the Delridge/Highland Park community meeting tonight at the Salvation Army building on 16th near White Center, attended by several from WSBC who live in the area, and one who doesn’t.
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SDOT and SPU were there in in a big way with maps, diagrams, and people including translators, to answer questions and take input from the neighborhoods. At times the ratio of SDOT to neighbors was about 1:1.  You can see the proposals at
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/delridgehighparkgreenway.htm

Input was almost all positive, with one exception who feels that added foot and bike traffic would disturb her quiet cul-de-sac. Craig Rankin, who has been working for Highland Park greenways for years, noted the need for a connection east from the proposed route on 17th to 11th or 12th. Others noted the need for connection west to the 26th Ave Greenway, and safety improvements especially at the crossings of arterials. But what is presently in the plans looks to us like a realistic route, with storm water improvements along part of it, and worth our support. You can send comments or questions to John Vander Sluis at SDOT: john.vandersluis@seattle.gov or 206.684.4617

Gordon Padelford from Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, and Stu Hennessey, one of the leaders of the effort behind West Seattle’s first Greenways, on 21st and 26th Avenues in North Delridge, participated and lent their expertise.