Category: General

Livable Streets Mayoral Candidates Forum

Eight of the candidates for Seattle mayor will discuss their plans for making Seattle’s streets great places for walking, playing, using transit, shopping, biking, getting to school, and raising a family.

The Livable Streets Candidate Forum is hosted by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and the Park Shore Retirement Community with support from the Seattle Parks Foundation, Commute Seattle, Sustainable Seattle, Senior Services, Seattle Subway, Feet First, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Cascade Bicycle Club, 12th Ave Stewards, Seattle Bike Blog, Futurewise, Capitol Hill EcoDistrict, the Madison Park Community Council, West Seattle Bike Connections, and Bike Works.

Cost/RSVP: Free. RSVP requested. Register online
Transportation: The community center is served by nearby bus routes 8 and 11 and is on the Lake Washington Loop bike route. A by-donation bike valet will be available. There is no off-street car parking.
Childcare will be provided (please register for childcare when you RSVP)

About Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
Formed in August 2011, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is a rapidly growing volunteer coalition representing many neighborhoods across Seattle to identify, advocate for, and activate safe, equitable, and comfortable streets connecting us to the places we use, whether we walk, drive, ride a bike, push a stroller, or move by wheelchair.

West Seattle Bicycle Counter Installed

UPDATE 6/24/13:  Cascade Bicycle Club has notified us that the the counter was indeed having some counting problems.  They are working on the fix and the bike counter celebration has been re-scheduled to Monday, July 1 from 4 – 6 pm.

West Seattle’s Bike Counter, the second bike counter in the city (the other is at the Fremont Bridge), was unveiled on June 20th.

Photo courtesy of SDOT
Photo courtesy of SDOT

Date change: A celebration of the installation will be hosted by the Cascade Bicycle Club Monday, July 1 from  4:00 – 6:00 pm.  Members of the Seattle Department of Transportation and West Seattle Bicycle Connections will also be attending.  Stop by and say “hi!” And be counted.

Funded by Cascade Bicycle Club and the Mark and Susan Torrance Foundation, the counter will provide valuable, regular, up to date bicycle counts for the West Seattle area.

Some  have noticed that there seems to be a quirk in the counting operation; it takes a few moments for a cyclist to be counted, so one can’t see the number “click over” as one rides by, and it seems to jump a few numbers at a time. Fix is in the works.

 

Let’s be heard: West Seattle in Bike Master Plan

6 pm Wednesday, June 12 at Columbia Branch Library – let’s go!

Last public open house before the plan is submitted to City Council early this fall.

Tom Fucoloro has a post today in the Seattle Bike Blog featuring kids trying to cross one of our West Seattle arterials as the poster child for the campaign to make our streets safe for walking and biking. He says, “we are failing our kids”.  This lines and  we get on the map in this plan and the policies in it will be the reference document for what should be funded over the next 10-20 years. Let’s help SDOT get it right.

the #50 bus to ST light rail at SODO station (S Lander St) is one way to get there. We’ll have people riding back to WS afterwards if you want company.

Bike Master Plan – Test Questions

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.    

 

 

Buses, bikes and social life

This day would have been so much less if I had driven a car the places I needed to go.
This morning a nice tailwind pushed me most of the way to work under threatening skies. Later on I took the #66 to go to the dentist in the U District with bike on board so I could ride back downtown faster than taking the bus. The driver was getting off for a break at the ferry terminal as I approached. I asked if I could load the bike, and he said, “only if you are an architect”. Turned out he was an old friend and fellow architect now driving for Metro part time and running his own flower business. We had a great time catching up on the last 10 years and his various careers and  friends, while he took great care with several disabled passengers who obviously would not be able to drive or bike to their destination. Yaakov also talked about the toll the vibrations from bad paving take on bus drivers, and how we need to fund road improvements.
45 minutes by bus to NE 45th, 30 minutes by bike back to Pioneer Square. Along the way,  Silas from Cascade’s Major Taylor Project introduced himself, as he rode on his way to SeaTac. We talked about that great program and our friends at Cascade and routes through West Seattle to the airport.
Then after work riding home, A.J., SDOT traffic engineer, overtook me me and we chatted about East Marginal and the bike counter and the Delridge Greenway construction, and found out we both had personal connections with Pathfinder School. After he peeled off, a young lady on a IMG_7453super carbon road bike told me about her trip from California where she was just riding her racy machine, and her legs gave proof to it. This would never happen off the bike. Then I finished the ride catching up to and talking with Bob Anderton, bike lawyer and neighbor.
It’s not about the bike.
Don

Seattle Bike Master Plan: Have We Been Heard?

The Bike Master Plan Update final draft will be revealed at public open houses in June. Last fall, we organized and participated in workshops, meetings with SDOT planners, group mapping and online comments.  Does the plan respond?  Lets go find out and let the planners and City Council know what we think!

June 5,  6-7:30 PM   Seattle City Hall:  some of us can attend and check it out.

June 6,  12-1 PM   online session: others can learn and comment

June 12, 6-7:30 PM  Columbia Branch Library:  our chance to give an organized response after exchanging information and thoughts after  the first sessions.   We can organize a group ride and transit options to show the West Seattle flag.

Here is a nice little visual glossary of “bike facilities” planning jargon from the draft plan that can be good preparation for these sessions.

Bike to Work Day – Friday May 17

WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS for the first time hosts the F5 Bike to Work Day station at the west end of the West Seattle low level bridge where the Bridge Trail, Duwamish Trail, and Alki Trail converge.

Stop a minute for a home made cookie from our volunteers, coffee donated by Starbucks, a souvenir from Cascade Bicycle Club,  a limited number of WSBC spokecards and Washington Bike Law spokecards, commuting information and friendly conversation. Enter the drawing for Fabulous Prizes! Join Cascade Bicycle Club at a discount.

Alki Bike and Board mechanics will be back again this year offering air for your tires, a quick check of your bike, and maybe a free tube if you are lucky! Say hi to Stu!

His name is Lance David

Thank you for a huge demonstration of community support tonight for Lance David, and for safe streets. Scores of people from all over West Seattle and the rest of the city rode with us. Mayor McGinn. Council Member Tom Rasmussen. SDOT Traffic Engineer Donho Chang. Port of Seattle Government Affairs Director Mike Merritt. Madi Carlson her two kids rode the long pink bike from Ballard. Millie Magner from Magnolia. Cathy Tuttle from Wallingford. Jerry Retzlaff from Wedgewood. Barbara Gordon from Eastlake. Robin Randels  from Cascade Bicycle Club. Friends from Beacon Hill.   Jake Vanderplas organized and moderated this event, with support and guidance from Cathy Tuttle of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. Dongho Chang and I spoke at the start of the ride at Seacrest Park. Jodi Connolly spoke from the heart at the crash site about Lance David in a way that will keep his name with us forever. His name is Lance David.

my words from tonight  (and I hope Jodi will share hers, for those who could not be there):

We are here to pay our respects to the memory and family of Lance David.

I will never forget coming across that crash scene, 45 minutes after it happened. His body was under a blanket out in the street, behind crime scene tape. No one was standing or kneeling with him. It seemed so lonely and disrespectful.

So we are here, to pay respect.

We are here to pay respect for Lance David as his co-workers did last Friday, and his riding buddies did on Sunday.

We respect him as a son, as our brother. We respect him as a husband, as a father of two children, working to support them. We respect him as a responsible, experienced cyclist.

Lance David demonstrated commitment to his family and his work. He demonstrated commitment to leading a healthy life. He demonstrated commitment to our community and our environment by choosing to commute by bike from Federal Way to downtown as often as he could.

So we are here to demonstrate.

We are here to demonstrate that we care about Lance David and his family.

We are here to demonstrate the need for safe streets for our children to walk and ride on, for their health and for our community.

We are here to demonstrate the need for safe routes to work for our children’s moms and dads, so they can make it home safely every day.

David Lance worked in the freight shipping industry, just like the truck drivers here. It is not “us” against “them”.  It is all “us”. We all want to share the road safely. The port truck drivers do watch out for us and treat us courteously, but these intersections are not designed or maintained to allow us to safely co-exist. We need a safe crossing and a separated cycle track. We need decent pavement so we can focus on traffic, not on potholes and gravel.

We have good people at the SDOT, at the Port, in City Council, and in our Mayor, who care about this. But this City and State are not allocating the resources needed to make walking and biking safe in our lifetimes. So we want our elected officials and fellow citizens to demonstrate the same level of commitment that Lance David did.

We are putting our lives on the line to make bike transportation safe and efficient and enjoyable, to build a better community for all of us, including truck drivers and car drivers and people who can neither ride or drive themselves. We will make this route safer, or die trying.

Don Brubeck, President, West Seattle Bike Connections

 

 

Freight Advisory Board Meeting Notes

April 16, 2013
EAST MARGINAL WAY
Peter Hahn, SDOT Director, updated the board on issues concerning freight movement. Some of them also concern bike movement. One is East Marginal Way, which he and Christine Wolf, Port of Seattle Seaport Transportation Director, described as the #1 priority for improvement. The “poster child”. The Port wants haul routes redone to support heavier truck loads to make ship-to-rail transfers efficient and competitive with the ports in Long Beach and elsewhere. East Marginal Way is the next big step, along with the current flyover ramp at Altantic and the upcoming underpass at SR99 on the truck haul route to the Argo rail yard. The Sonics Arena project Memorandum of Understanding commits $40M to freight mobility, which could be spent on East Marginal Way. What does it mean for bike transportation in West Seattle? Improvements to East Marginal, along with the 5way intersection at Chelan, are the keys to the city. Improving that road will make it safe and easy for thousands more to commute by bike instead of car to downtown. This will get cars out of the way of bikes and buses. Use of currently illegal 98 ton super-chassis rigs increases safety risks for all road users. If we can work with the Port and SDOT and WSDOT to get a cycle track on East Marginal as part of this rebuild, it will be a win for everyone in our community, including truckers, shippers, bus riders, car drivers and all of us who depend on a thriving Port of Seattle and international trade for our livelihood.

IMG_2253

CARMAGGEDON, THE SEQUEL
When the tunnel boring machine is going under SR99 this September or October, the highway will be closed to traffic, just in case it should collapse. We can help mitigate this problem if we can get more people onto bikes to ride downtown or to the water taxi. Let’s help show people what we can do to reduce traffic congestion!

SDOT is about to start an Industrial Area Freight Access Project study that is part of development of the Freight Master Plan. The FMP will follow the Bike Master Plan currently under way, and the completed Pedestrian Master Plan.

WE COVER THE WATERFRONT
Steve Pearce and Mike Johnson of SDOT presented the mid-way design concept for the Central Waterfront. This gets plenty of coverage elsewhere, so I’ll just mention that the preferred bike route alternative, for safety and separation of pedestrians and bike riders, is a two-way cycle track on the west side of Alaskan Way, separated from both the pedestrian promenade and the vehicle lanes.

Preferred by all stakeholders including the freight board members at this meeting. Pier service entries will be mid block driveways, for right-turn-in and right-turn-out only, as most are now. This has the advantage of narrower curb cuts and slower speeds than straight-in crossings at intersections, and works better with the pier layouts, but has the disadvantage of poor visibility for truck drivers on their right side.

The cycle track will have curves, markings and raised paving at crossings to alert riders to watch for pedestrians and vehicles, and will be designed with attention to sightlines for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. This option seemed like it would serve the widest range of riders and be least likely to be taken over by wandering tourists. I say this after navigating dozens of dogs, skaters, runners, strollers and oblivious ice-cream cone consumers in the separated bike path instead of the pedestrian walkway on the Alki Trail this afternoon.

Don Brubeck

Making Connections…

We’re just getting started with our online “connections” and creating a web presence, so check back soon for more info!

In the meantime, our Facebook page and Google Group is being used for most communication.  Please join us if you wish to get in touch.