Category: General

Tues 10/7 WSBC Mtg & Presentation

6:30 pm at Winship residence, 3438 36th Ave SW

Come participate in an online presentation and discussion on solutions to modal conflicts:
Port Activity and Bicycle Commuting Between West Seattle and Downtown
by Brian Wood and Bon Provenzano,
students in Alon Bassok’s Transportation Choices and Technology class
UW Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Master of Sustainable Transportation Program

Excellent graphics and analysis – IMG_2253 lots to discuss!

Quick run through of regular agenda at 6:30.
Presentation/discussion 7:00 to 8:00

proposed SDOT 2015-2016 budget

Here it is. What do you think?

This is for two years and in the 2nd year it does not count on renewal of the Bridging the Gap Levy.

This week’s puzzler:  How much of the $429M 2015 budget is for bike facilities?

PARK(ing) Day – fun and games

PARK(ing) Day at the West Seattle Junction – fun and games and bike blender smoothies with fresh fruit and Husky Deli ice cream!

PARK(ing) Day happens once a year, on the thiDSC04598rd Friday in September, and is an opportunity for any Seattleite to temporarily turn parking spaces into public places. The event raises awareness about the importance of a walkable, livable, healthy city and helps people re-think how our streets can be used. Ours was one of two parklets in West Seattle, and 50 city-wide.

Thanks to Jeff Hallman for the bike blender cargo bike, Mike Oxman for all the trees and plants, Huky Deli and Mashiko’s for going along with this, Kathy Dunn for planning, permitting, hauling and staffing, and Lynn Shimamoto and Don Brubeck for hauling and staffing.  DSC04614 DSC04580 DSC04582DSC04588 DSC04564 DSC04556 DSC04549 And thanks to all who ventured into the little parklet to talk, play, sit or to have a smoothie.

Sept 19 – Parking Day

Aarrrrgh, maties, the Nineteenth ‘o the Ninth Month be not only Paaaarghking Day, but Talk Like a Pirate Day as well. So, ye’d best be slipping away off to California and Alaska in the great Southwest ‘o Seattle to raid our peculiar small PAARGHKlet. Take the water taxi if ye mIMG_9148ust, sail about a little and see this watery part o the world, but let ‘er go when ye’ve made the crossing and come ashore.
9 to 3

South Park Fiestas Patrias

Fiestas Patrias in South Park!

Bike info for families and fitting helmets from Cascade Bicycle Club to kids and adults. And, cumbia, salsa, mariachi, banda, hula and belly dancing right next to us! With Theresa, Jason, Kathy, Bob and Don.2014-09-13 14.47.36 2014-09-13 11.26.59 2014-09-13 12.40.31 2014-09-13 13.38.57 2014-09-13 14.59.22-1

South Park Progress!

South Portland Street storm sewers and paving are happening in South Park!

West Duwamish Trail connection into the north end of South Park will change from S Holden St to  S Portland St after an extension of the trail is built along West Marginal Way S from S Holden to S Portland.

Bob Winship and others in WSBC have been working with the South Park Neighborhood Association’s Transportation Committee, ECOSS,  South Park industries and SDOT to make this a win for all. Not just paint on pavement. This is flood control, storm water management, roadbed rebuilding, and complete streets for all users including freight haulers. Hoping for improvements without gentrification. The people who live, work and2014-09-13 10.07.43  2014-09-13 10.08.032014-09-13 16.58.10 own businesses in South Park need South Park.

After this link is completed, we need action with King County on the miserable missing link at the south end of South Park to the Green River Trail, and improvements on the West Duwamish Trail  north and south  South Park, so kids can ride safely to school in West Seattle, and everyone can connect from West Seattle to South Park and south to Des Moines, Tukwila,  and Renton.

Saturday 9/13 Fiestas Patrias in South Park

Fiestas PatriasIMG_4681 is this Saturday in South Park. It is a great community celebration! We’ll be there with helmets from Cascade Bicycle Club and bike info — would you like to volunteer for a couple of hours? We’ll be at SeaMar Plaza 11-4

Especially would be good to have Spanish speaking volunteers.

Reply here or send email to westseattlebikeconnections@gmail.com

Tuesday 9/2 WSBC monthly meeting

6:30 to 8:00 pm at HomeStreet Bank on SW Alaska Street near 41st Ave SW just east of the West Seattle Junction.

Open meeting  – you  are invited to meet, plan and report on activities and share your ideas about bike transportation in, to and from West Seattle.

We can use new volunteers for Greenways, for safe routes to schools, for commuting routes and trails advocacy, for social rides and events, and for bike parking at local businesses.  Please join us in creating a more sustainable and sociable West Seattle. No dues, no fees, no obligations – participate as much or as little as you wish.

Sad day downtown for all of us

A tragic day in a week filled with mayhem caused by lawless and inattentive driving of motor vehicles. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Sher Kung, killed on Second Avenue today in a crash with a truck whose driver did not see her and failed to yield the right of way.

So sad that this is a week before physical lane separation and new signals with no-left-on-red for motor vehicles while bikes have green to go through will be in place.

Memorial ride next Thursday or Friday late afternoon is in the works.

Yesterday in Bonney Lake a pickup driver drifted off the roadway while texting and hit a 40 year old man who was riding a bike on the shoulder, the WSP reports. Monday, two drivers hit two boys riding bikes across Airport Way in Georgetown,

Mayor Murray and Scott Kubly, SDOT Director, have already received letters that cruelly take advantage of this tragedy to push anti-bike agendas, claiming bike riding is too dangerous for city streets.

But yesterday, three people were injured in a hair salon in Columbia City and three others were injured in the restaurant next door when the driver of an SUV plowed into the salon. The building was in danger of collapse. Can a bike rider cause this kind of damage?

Eating in a restaurant is not dangerous.

Getting your hair cut is not dangerous.

Riding a bike is not dangerous.

DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS,

and that is where the focus should be for safety, for lower speeds, for law enforcement and for protection of everyone else.

photo from Lars HalstromDSC_4924email

Waiting and Wondering – Five Ways

The little island at SW Chelan / West Marginal / Spokane/ Delridge 5-way intersection was crowded this morning. The signal to go SE from Chelan seems to be skipping us sometimes, not responding to the push button. Gives us some time for wondering when SDOT and consultants will share notes from the brainstorming workshop that happened six months ago, and when they will produce some design proposals.photo