Ride for Safe Streets!
Author: admin
SW Avalon Way Bike Detour
Here’s a map of detour routes that Bill, Tamara and others have tested out. It involves short steeper climbing than Avalon, but will get you out of the single traffic lane and rough pavement currently on Avalon from Yancy/Andover to 35th Ave SW. Recommended especially for uphill southbound riding.
We are also asking SDOT for good detour signage and lower speed limit through the construction zone. We appreciate the Adonis and Sara’s outreach to us for biking safety.
Any way you choose to go, take special care on unfamiliar routes and with changing conditions. Let us know how it’s going.
Problems, issues, observations: Email AvalonPaving@seattle.gov or call the project hotline at 206-900-8734.
Traffic emergencies: call 9-1-1 immediately.
SDOT project web page is here.
West Seattle Blog is providing regular updates on construction progress and conditions.
Fund and Deliver
The Move Seattle Levy Oversight Committee gives the Mayor and City Council a clear, simple request.
We could not agree more! 
Bike to School!
It’s Bike to School Day for Bike Month! Lots of little engines powered the bike trains to Alki ES, Louisa Boren STEM K-8, Genessee ES, and other schools around town. There are always lots of riders to Lafayette year round, thanks to active parents and teachers – it only takes a few to make every day can be bike to school day!
West Seattle Bike Connections members helped out. Joe Laubach organized the day at Louisa Boren. Bryan Fiedorczyk, Al Jackson, Kathy Dunn and Don Brubeck led and “caboosed” the trains to Alki ES. Bryan had some awesome custom Alki slap bracelets and stick-ons for the kids.
West Seattle Blog story and more pix are here.
Seattle pedaling backwards
We need safe bike routes on East Marginal, Avalon, Fauntleroy, Delridge, Sylvan/Orchard/Dumar and Roxbury.
.
The 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan lists these as highest priority “Citywide” routes, slated for protected bike lanes or off-street paths. But Mayor Durkan is pulling SDOT back. The draft annual update of the work plan would cut back design and construction on almost all West Seattle safety improvements until at least 2025.
.
The City is hosting several “cafe-style conversation” open houses to discuss the draft 6-year implementation plan for new bike facilities in Seattle. One will be in West Seattle.
Wednesday, April 24
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW
Café-style Conversations
6:00PM Doors open
6:15PM Short presentation
6:30PM Conversations
This is a good opportunity to give your feedback about the new implementation plan [PDF], and to comment on some projects coming to or not coming to our neighborhoods this year.
Let’s tell SDOT to stop backpedaling. We voted for, we are paying for, and we all need safe streets now. Essential for safety, connectivity, equity, and for Seattle to meet it’s Climate Action Plan and Vision Zero goals.
Unable to attend a meeting? Send comments to CCBike@Seattle.gov by April 30, 2019.
The Seattle Bike Blog has a short overview of the plan.
The Mayor didn’t like what she heard from the Bicycle Advisory Board (“find funds and build it”) or what she heard from the Move Seattle Levy Oversight Committee (“find funds and build it”), so now she and SDOT are side-stepping the process mandated by City Council, hoping to get the answer they want from the rest of us. Please let them know how you feel.
WSBC members getting out the vote for the Move Seattle Levy on Fauntleroy
Riding to to downtown in January
Families need safe routes to school, parks, libraries, and work
8/23/18 Move Seattle Levy Oversight Committee Recommendations from “levy reset:
• Work with the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board on an annual basis to develop a 5-year BMP implementation plan, with projects selected taking into consideration stakeholder priorities, level of traffic stress, the quantitative analysis outlined in the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan, other modal plans, other projects in development, and additional funding opportunities
• Document how SDOT will fully fund and complete a proportional share (from a cost perspective) of the BMP network and programs each year, so that the entire citywide and local connector network may realistically be completed by the BMP milestones of 2030 and 2035
• Prioritize downtown bicycle network and connecting the urban villages on the citywide network.
Bike Counts Up
Bike counts continue upward trend through winter.
Up 22.4% YTD over 2018 at the Spokane Street Bridge.
Bikes count! People riding bikes in January helped the city get through “Viadoom” without massive congestion, proving the cost-effective value of bikes for transportation. Demand exists, even in the darkest month, but we need safe streets to make it work. This is not the time for SDOT and the Mayor to back down on the Bicycle Master Plan and Move Seattle Levy commitment to build safe bike routes on Fauntleroy Way, Delridge Way, Sylvan/Orchard/Dumar, SW Roxbury and East Marginal Way S.
The Spokane Street Bridge 24/7/365 bike counter doesn’t count all bike rides in our area, but it shows the trends for people using bikes. It usually tracks closely with the Fremont Bridge trends. Looking at the bridge counts provides solid data vs. just surveys or one-day counts.
Up 65.6% in Jan 19 over Jan 18 during viaduct to tunnel transition.
Down 20.7% Feb 19 over Fab 18 during snow and ice (car and bus traffic was way down, too)
Up 19.2% Mar 19 over Mar 18.
Up 22.4% for year to date 2019 over 2018.
SDOT data, our graph.
April 2 WSBC Meeting
Our monthly meeting is Tuesday, April 2, 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Neighborhood House in High Point. 6400 Sylvan Way.
Come join in for:
The good: Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board – presentation on cycling in Germany;
Tbe ugly, but worth it: Input to SDOT on bike detours during Avalon paving;
The bad: Next steps to oppose the Mayor’s backpedaling on the Bicycle Master Plan and Move Seattle Levy;
And planning spring and summer rides and events.
Hope Springs Eternal – Ride to the M’s Games
When Al is not driving kids around West Seattle in a big yellow bus, you might find him riding his bike to a Mariner’s game. About 20 games a season by bike. Why ride? It’s fast, easy, fun and free. The nice bike cage at Safeco Field’s T-Mobile Park‘s garage holds 150 bikes, right by the staffed booth. Quick getaway after the game. Here’s his ride at the “road opener” celebration in April 2014, and the big glove sculpture all set for cool spring evening games.
Here are the Mariners’ directions on getting to the ballpark by bike, walking, water taxi, …
Spring Ride to Seapine – Sunday 3/24
Come for a spring ride with us!
Date: Sunday, March 24th
Location: Meet in front of Starbucks in the West Seattle Junction on California SW at SW Alaska.
Time: Arrive by 1:15pm for check in, safety briefing. Rolling at 1:30 PM
Start the season off right with a Spring Ride to Seapine (Brewing) – an easy 11.3 mile trip from the West Seattle Junction to Downtown (Pioneer Square), with a layover at Seapine Brewing in SoDo. We’ll meet at the Junction just after the Farmer’s Market (so folks can stock up on snacks).
This is a great ride for beginners, with low elevation and a leisurely pace (10-12 mph on flat ground) pace. This ride is also a great way to test out the bike commute from West Seattle to Downtown – please invite folks who might be interested in checking it out. There’s just one big hill, down at the beginning and back up at the end. We will stay together as a group.
Helmets required. No ear buds or earphones. Waiver to sign. Children 15 and < must be accompanied by parent or guardian, 16-17 y.o. must have parent/guardian writtten permission to ride without parent/guardian. Any kind of bike can do fine – just check brakes and tires and seat height before coming, and come prepared to change a flat. Dress for the weather – no special bike gear is needed.
Rain or shine (but hopefully shine) – we’ll see you there!
if there is severe weather, check our Facebook Events page for go/no-go decision by 11 AM.
WSBC Feb 5 meeting
We are scheduled to meet at 6:30 pm today at Neighborhood House in High Point at 6400 Sylvan Way. But please check our Facebook page before departing to confirm the location. It is possible that weather conditions may cause Neighborhood House to close early. If that happens, we can relocate to a coffee shop.
We do have a good chewy agenda and a dedicated folks who want to get together. You are invited, too! Please come if you can.
It’s icy out. If you ride, go slow on the corners and take it easy. Neighborhood House is on the Metro 128 route. Street parking available.