We’ll be there on behalf of Cascade Bicycle Club to do helmet fitting and give helmets to kids who don’t have one, and for bike information. Parade at 11 a.m. We’ll be at the fiesta after the parade, at Sea-Mar Plaza, 9634 Des Moines Memorial Parkway, 1:00 to ~5:00.
Come volunteer with us, or ride with the Mayor from Seattle Center to the Parade and horse show, then come visit the fiesta. If you want to volunteer, comment or send a message.
pictures on our Facebook page. educational material and video coming from Port of Seattle.
Come for bagels, fruit and coffee. Stay to ride along in a semi on a short course to see what truck drivers can and can’t see. 15 minutes at the Bike & Truck Safety Fair may give you a new perspective, and an opportunity to meet SDOT, WSDOT and Port of Seattle representatives.
We are partners of this Port of Seattle sponsored event. if you would like to volunteer an hour, we could use one or two more.
The West Seattle Blog reported this week on interim improvements for East Marginal Way S from S Spokane St to S Atlantic Street (at the Coast Guard’s Pier 46).
In addition to the improvements listed by SDOT, we have asked for
– removal of fire hydrants that are right in the middle of the path. These violate SDOT, SPU and ADA standards.
– widening of the path/sidewalk to make it safe and usable for high volume 2-way bike and low volume pedestrian traffic, with safe room for passing.
– improvements to sightlines at some of the terminal driveways where fencing, signs or other obstruction interfere with views.
It will be a tough sell to get the bike commuters currently using the northbound bike lane to switch to the sidewalk on the west side unless it is really improved to be a safe, smooth bike path with room to pass safely. 
WSBC heard that some people don’t know that the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) added bicycle loop detector markings at many intersections. These markings indicate where cyclists should stop in order to trigger a green light at a signalized intersection.
The marks can be seen as one pulls up to a red light, so as long as there are no motor vehicles in front of you. The marker will generally be located behind the white stop line and generally slightly to the right, positioned over the vehicle sensor that’s embedded in the pavement. There are two forms we see most regularly; the older “T” marking or the newer small “bicyclist” marking, seen here.
Simply make sure your front tire, at least, is centered over this white marker and you should be added to the signal rotation.
Some intersections don’t have this marker, or they may be faded away. If you think a specific intersection should have a marker but doesn’t you can contact walkandbike@seattle.gov and let them know.
Some intersection signal phases are triggered by camera, not a pavement marker, and these are trickier to identify. If you are not picked up when using a loop detector marker, the light skips you on a regular basis, takes an inordinate amount of time to change, or you need more information, you can contact SDOT at the email address above. Reporting signalized intersections that don’t pick up waiting cyclists should be fixed quickly to help prevent impatient red-light running and general cyclist frustration.
Once again, flashing red lights on East Marginal Way. Medic 1, Rescue 1, Ladder 7 and a bike rider on a backboard. This time, bike-on-bike collision. Second one within weeks. Thank you Scott Johnston for this report on Bikewise.org
This was not an “accident”. This was negligence. The one who caused it walked away. The one who was riding correctly in his lane got a trip to Harborview. I hope the injured rider [edited] receives full restitution from the rider who caused the injury, and that the one who caused it is charged with negligent driving and penalized under the new Vulnerable Users law if the injured rider’s injuries are substantial.[end edit]
We need to get to work safely. We need to get home safely. Commuting to work is not a damn race. No one cares how many riders you pass or if you get downtown 2 minutes faster. If you want to race, sign up for a race and stop pretending. Riding to work or home relaxed and alert has all kinds of benefits.
How about trying some of this?
• Stay alert.
Be aware of what is in front and beside and behind you. Watch your line. Keep your hands near your brakes.
• Ride in a predictable manner.
• Share the road.
• Leave space between you and others, so you can see what is ahead.
• Don’t pass unless you can see well ahead that the way is clear.
• Call out your passes before you pass, or ring a bell. When it is crowded or you can’t see ahead, SLOW DOWN and communicate.
DB
Deadline for public comments to SDOT is this Friday, July 26.
Seattle Bike Master Plan Update
West Seattle Bike Connections submitted group comments last December. We met twice as a group with SDOT staff, participated in the public workshops, and just submitted detailed comments and a “report card” on the changes made in the June 2013 draft compared with the December 2012 draft.
SDOT bike planners, traffic engineers, and their planning consultants at Alta are working hard to make this a world-class plan for bicycle transportation. We appreciate their good work. But they don’t know every aspect of the city, and that’s where we come in. If you send your own comments on areas important to you, we will give West Seattle a strong voice in this important planning and policy document.
A plan does not guarantee that the planned improvements and programs will be funded, but if something is not included in the plan, it will be much less likely to ever be budgeted by the Mayor, funded by City Council, or implemented by SDOT.
Updated 7/9/13
REASONS TO RIDE WITH US ON STP WEEKEND (Sunday, July 14th):
So, COME RIDE West Seattle STP WITH US!
Family friendly West Seattle Bike Connections ride supported by West Seattle Spokespeople and Cascade Bicycle Club. Ride from Seattle to Portland and back in just 1 morning!
Meet on Sunday (7/14) at 9:45am at Hamilton View Point on California Ave SW to sign in, and be ready to roll at 10:00 on a 9.5 mile easy pace ride via proposed Greenway routes from SW Seattle Street in the Admiral Neighborhood to SW Portland Street in the Fauntlee Crest Neighborhood.
Experienced, certified ride leaders Stu Hennessey and Marge Evans will keep the group together and ride at a social pace. No one left behind. Ride continues on from SW Portland to California and Alaska (the West Seattle Junction, that is) to join the West Seattle Summer Fest. We’ll be at the Greenlife Stage for post ride discussion or routes and bike riding improvements proposed in the Seattle Bike Master Plan update. Helmets required. This is a Cascade Bicycle Club sponsored ride.
No fee, no t-shirt, no medal, and no bagels with peanut butter, but we stop at a fabulous festival with street food vendors, live bands, arts and crafts!
Riders under 18 years of age must have a parental consent release form, riders under 15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent and riders under 8 years must be on an assisted vehicle, tag along, cargo bike or a bike trailer.
We need volunteers! Please sign up below if you would like to help with this ride. We are looking for some people to act as crossing guards at intersections, making it safe for all ages and abilities to cross.
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This received today from our West Seattle state Representative Joe Fitzgibbons. Thank you, Joe!
“Thanks for reaching out to let me know how important transportation safety programs are for you and for our state. The House passed a transportation package today that includes an amendment I sponsored to put $16 million in pedestrian and bicycle safety projects around the state.
“One of the projects is an investment of $500,000 that will be provided to make improvements to the West Seattle Bridge Trail, making this commonly used, but dangerous, route safer and more accessible for the many folks who right now are risking their lives using this trail.
“While it is unclear what will happen to this bill in the Senate, I will keep working towards its final passage and try to hold on to the pedestrian and bicycle safety funding that is in the current transportation package.
“Thanks again for contacting me and please feel free to keep in touch with your questions and concerns.
“Take care,”
Joe Fitzgibbon
State Representative
34th Legislative District
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov
Test questions revealed in advance of SDOT’s June open houses!
REPORT CARD June 2013 Seattle Draft Bicycle Master Plan Update for SW Sector
This is what we asked SDOT to add to the first draft of the plan update, in December 2012.
(this is not everything in the draft plan — only what we thought was missing last fall.)
How does the June 2013 draft respond? Attend an open house, then let us know!
| # | Description | Notes | Grade |
| 1 | East Marginal Way S / Alaskan Way S from S Spokane Street to S Atlantic St: separated cycletrack or off street path | ||
| 2 | SW Avalon/ Fauntleroy Ave SW, 35th, 36th & 37th Ave SW: intersection and bike lane or cycle track improvements, and add route on 36th Ave SW from SW Avalon to SW Alaska | ||
| 3 | Connection on East Marginal Way S. from S Spokane Street to Diagonal Way S, Off road path or cycletrack needed on west side of East Marginal Way S. | ||
| 4 | Fauntleroy to SW Morgan St. via 38th Ave SW: Enhanced street. | ||
| 5 | Fauntleroy, from SW Alaska to California Ave SW “in-street, major separation”. At least bike lanes both directions of travel. | ||
| 6 | Greenway route to east of California Ave SW from SW Holgate to Ferry Ave SW via 40th, Walnut SW, 41st SW or 42nd SW. | ||
| 7 | North Delridge Greenways: add E-W connection at south end of Greenway on 26th Ave SW. Bike ramp or runnel at steps. | ||
| 8 | “Brandon Green Super Highway” three new bike/pedestrian staircases or paths along currently unimproved sections of the SW Brandon St. right-of-way: between 16th & 17th SW, between 21st & 23rd SW, and between 30th & 34th SW | ||
| 9 | SW Portland St: Extend the Greenway to the East to reach 9th Ave SW (top of SW Highland Park Way) | ||
| 10 | SW Trenton from 9th Ave SW to 35th Ave SW: bike lanes or Greenway. | ||
| 11 | 24th Ave SW from SW Cloverdale to SW Thistle: Greenway. | ||
| 12 | Highland Park Greenway and Westcrest Park trail, and connections into campus of South Seattle Community College, with further Greenway/Trail route to north. | ||
| 13 | West Marginal Way SW, south of SW Michigan to 2nd Ave SW: Major separation or cycle track. | ||
| 14 | S Horton Street in SODO from East Marginal Way S to 4th Ave S. – minor in street separation or enhanced street with safe crossing at East Marginal Way S | ||
| 15 | SW Andover from Delridge SW to 22nd Ave SW: connect 21st Ave Greenway and Delridge Trail from West Seattle Bridge to routes to west via Andover. | ||
| 16 | 37th Ave SW between SW Hudson and SW Alaska: an “enhanced street” | ||
| 17 | Delridge SW to SW Holden – Add a trunnel up the stairway. | ||
| 18 | West Duwamish trail through South Park – coordinate with King County portion to connect with Seattle | ||
| 19 | Extend the off-street West Marginal trail into South Park along S. Portland St. Cross Holden at the WA-99 light, use WSDOT right-of-way to connect to S Portland St, and add an off-street trail along Portland to 8th Ave S. | ||
| 20 | Greenway route along Duwamish River in South Park: Connect the West Duwamish trail to the 14th Street Bridge via S Kenyon St, S 10th Ave, and Dallas Ave S. | ||
| 21 | SW Admiral Way westbound (uphill) from Spokane St/ Avalon/ Harbor Avenue SW: Improve connection for access to Admiral. | ||
| 22 | Beach Drive SW into north end of Lincoln Park multi-use path – add connection. | ||
| 23 | West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way SW: Redesign Northwest corner of to avoid collection of dirt and gravel. |
