Category: Transportation

Highland Park Home Zone survey

Some great news for pedestrians and cyclists in the Highland Park – Riverview area:
the Highland Park Home Zone plan presented to HPAC this week.
Now open to 2/15 for more input via short survey,
or email WestSeattleBridge@seattle.gov, or call 206-400-7511.
Kudos to Craig Rankin for dedicated leadership of Highland Park Action Committee!  From his notes:
  • It would be good to hear from more people.
  • Many planned improvements between SW Roxbury, SW Myrtle, Delridge Way, and 5th Ave SW.
  • Very exciting news: accelerated greenway development in HP/Riverview.
  • Comments needed on the cycling aspects.
  • Missing: connection to the Duwamish Trail. Another chance to request the multi-use path on HP Way.
  • Missing: pedestrian crossing improvements at 9th SW/SW Kenyon.
Consider commenting on what looks good in the plan, not just what you think should be added or revised, to show community support.

Biking to Bridge the Gap

Emily asked us how to ride her bike safely from West Seattle to work at the VA Hospital. Erin asked how to ride to UW Medical Center.  Travis is willing to commute on his new e-bike all the way to Green Lake. We are fielding many inquiries. Bike sales are taking off.  With alternate route traffic delays looming, Georgetown and South Park residents are fearful of gridlock, air pollution, and for the safety of their children walking to school. We know that using bikes instead of cars will help free up capacity on the remaining bridges. But we need a few improvements make it safe and efficient for these folks and many more people to bike instead of drive.

West Seattle Bike Connections with Duwamish Valley Safe Streets, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and Cascade Bicycle Club sent a detailed proposal to the City yesterday, summarized here.

OUR GOAL

Mobility for West Seattle, SODO and the Duwamish Valley.

Keep people and goods moving safely across much lower-capacity bridges over the Duwamish while the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge is closed. Mitigate impacts on our communities. Honor Seattle’s commitments to equitable transportation, our environment, social justice, and economic vitality.

STRATEGIES

Encourage or incentivize as many people as possible to use bikes or transit, or both, instead of driving private vehicles. Accomplish this before the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

    1. Improve conditions to make it safe, efficient and comfortable for people to ride bikes and transit.
    2. Concentrate on safety and wayfinding for biking and bike/transit connections:
      • On key West Seattle bike routes to the Spokane Street bridge, and from the bridge on East Marginal Way S to Pioneer Square, Downtown, SODO Trail, and SODO light rail station.
      • On bike routes to the 1st Ave S bridge and South Park Bridge, and bike routes within South Park and Georgetown that are impacted by alternate route traffic and may also be needed for biking from West Seattle whenever the Spokane Street Bridge is closed.
      • On routes to and bike parking at the King County Water Taxi dock at Seacrest.
    1. Protect Neighborhood Greenway streets near alternate routes from cut-through traffic, to keep them safe for residents and for walking and biking by people of all ages and abilities.
    2. Ensure availability of bikeshare bikes. Provide bikeshare discounts and bike/e-bike financing to people with low incomes.
    3. Use up to 1% of the bridge repair cost for mitigation measures for bike and pedestrian safety and efficiency.
    4. Use advocacy groups like West Seattle Bike Connections, Duwamish Valley Safe Streets, Cascade Bicycle Club and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways to:
      • Identify opportunities to improve safety and wayfinding.
      • Provide route advice, route maps, bike buddy matching, bike trains and educational rides.
      • Connect people to good advice and local bike shops for selecting and maintaining bikes, including e-bikes.
    • Screenshot 2019-01-05 21.58.42

RECOMMENDED WORK FOR STREET SAFETY

PRESERVE these already planned and funded projects on schedule: 
EXPEDITE these key Bicycle Master Plan high priority routes:
    • Sylvan Way SW / SW Orchard and east to Highland Park
    • Highland Park Way SW off street multi-use path
    • 1st Ave S Bridge to 1st Ave S safe route north from bridge
    • SW Roxbury  bike lanes without reducing traffic lanes
QUICKLY IMPLEMENT spot improvements for wayfinding and safe routes:
    • On Spokane Street Bridge routes at the Chelan 5-way intersection; on Fauntleroy Way and Admiral Way; on the “Nucor Trail” connection from Delridge to the Alki Trail; at Terminal 18 trail crossings on Harbor Island; on East Marginal Way; and on the connections to the SODO light rail station and SODO Trail.
    • On 1st Avenue South Bridge and South Park Bridge routes at the Duwamish Trail “missing link from the Alki Trail; on Highland Park Way at West Marginal Way; at rough rail crossings on the Duwamish Trail and in Georgetown; and on routes in Georgetown through SODO.

Intro Guide to Ebikes

Seattle has been an early adopter city for ebikes in the U.S. and they can be found all over the city every day of the year. The transportation calamity of the closure of the West Seattle Bridge has set the stage for West Seattle to be the epicenter of this adoption going forward. It is going to be easier and faster to get almost anywhere in the city from West Seattle, by bike for years to come. Even with the contingency of closing the Spokane bridge to all traffic. Riding an ebike will be preferable to idling in the gridlocked traffic we can anticipate on the arterials leading to the 1st Ave bridge. 

The upside is that for many people in the past few years, commuting into work on an ebike has already become the best part of their day. The pedal assist technology has enabled people to switch their primary transportation to a bicycle. People typically list several obstacles to using a bicycle as transportation to work. An ebike is not a solution to every issue but it is a solution to a quite a few and probably the most common; hills and sweat. Hills really don’t matter on an ebike. Sure you still have to pedal up hills but if you purchase the right bike they will no longer be an obstacle. You will not arrive at your destination with any extra sweat and in need of a clothing change or shower. You will even find that taking out all that exertion means breathable fabrics can easily achieve their purpose and riding in the rain becomes a minor inconvenience.  As people in West Seattle are now confronted with a dire need to find a new way to get to work West Seattle Bike Connections will offer assistance to those interested in exploring bicycles as primary transportation.

In 2016 I started commuting by ebike and have been riding to work in Little Saigon everyday since. The following is a combination of what I have learned and what I struggled with when I first looked for my ebike. I always start with two recommendations; ride as many different bikes as possible to gain an understanding of the different user interfaces and spend more than you think you want to because once you own it, its perceived value will rise dramatically. 

What Does it Mean?

  • Purpose Built and Conversion – A purpose built bike is one that comes from the factory constructed specifically as an ebike. A conversion bike is a traditional (acoustic) bike with the motor, battery and controls added on after the fact. There is no reason not to explore either option, they both have their qualities. Of course one possibility is that you already own a nice bike that you would like to explore converting. In West Seattle we have a shop experienced in conversions; Alki Bike and Board. They will probably be able to determine if your bike is suitable with just a phone call.
  • Hub and Mid Drive motors. Hub motors are motors that are constructed into the central hub of one of the wheels. Front hubs exist most commonly as a conversion kit and rear hub motors are extremely common on purpose built bikes. They are simple motors, relatively easy to maintain and even replace. They generally cost less than the mid drives. Mid drive motors reside at the shaft between the pedals. They are often more complex and cost a bit more. It is difficult to explain in words (back to my 1st recommendation) but because they sit in front of the drive train (pedals, chain and gears) they are much more interactive with the bike and rider. They also offer up more options for different user interfaces than a hub motor. On a mid drive bike if you break a chain or some other critical part in the drivetrain you are stuck, with a hub motor and a throttle you can still ride your bike home or to a shop. Fixing a flat on a hub drive wheel can be a cumbersome process.  Fixing a flat on a mid drive bike is just like a flat on an acoustic bike.
  • Torque, Cadence and Hybrid Sensing. The UI’s previously mentioned fall into these 3 categories. You really have to ride the different bikes to understand how this varies the experience. Cadence sensing is perhaps the most simple. There are sensors located around the front chain ring that pick up movement of the drivetrain and engage the motor. Move the pedals, the motor engages, stop pedaling the motor stops. Torque sensing motors actually respond to the force the rider puts into the pedals and factors that into the engagement of the motor and “feels” most natural. In both these systems there are different levels of power assist that the rider controls and another sensor on the spokes that registers speed. The onboard computer utilizes all this information to determine how much power the motor applies. A hybrid motor is simply some combination of the two systems melded into the programing in some proprietary manner. Just go ride them (please).
  • Wattage, Voltage and Torque. These are the terms that speak to the power of individual bikes. This is also where the legal definitions of ebikes are formed. In the US an ebike is limited to 750w and this seems to be a reasonable dividing line between an ebike and the function of motorcycles. In Europe and Canada the limit is between 250w and 500w. I can tell you with Seattle hills you will be grateful for the higher wattage we are allowed. In general terms bikes come in 36 and 48 volt systems. Both work fine but I believe in Seattle you will generally be happier with a 48v bike. However, I have ridden a 36v bike for 4 years with no critical issue but my next bike will be 48v. The reason for this is torque. Torque is what I really think Seattlites should consider as it is what gets you up the hills with less effort. It also makes the start from a stoplight easier and quicker. When you ride different bikes this is what you will notice first and most. For climbing hills around the city I recommend torque output above 80 newton-meter but the number isn’t as critical as your own personal riding style, strength and comfort.
  • “What is the range” The most common question asked is about range. The answer is again nebulous. Every ebike has a range of the range it can travel on a single charge. The terrain, wind, weight load, ambient temperature, power setting and rider ability will all determine the range an ebike will travel on a charge. Fortunately a rider has control over pieces of this. By changing the power setting and gearing, the range for a ride can be managed. I have discovered the range of my bike to be between 20 and 60 miles on a charge. On cold winter days you get less out of a battery. I can’t begin to address all the nuances of batteries in this article. When considering the range you will need bear in mind you will ride further than you think simply because it’s fun.
  • Throttle or not? This again comes down to personal choice but also legal definitions. For the most part US laws are utilizing a designation system first developed in CA, for three classifications of ebikes (all within the federal definition of max 750w). Class one is governed at 20mph max and has no throttle, class 2 is the same 20mph max but has a throttle and class 3 is 28mph max with no throttle. Currently there is a lot of push to allow class 1 and sometimes class 2 bikes everywhere acoustic bikes are allowed and class 3 bikes are being limited to the streets. Very heated and very contentious discussions are common and the more people who take up ebikes the greater number of voices join in the discussion. By and large a 750w ebike is not going to have a throttle that performs like a motorcycle. Limit your expectations, they are not all that useful. 

As I’ve mentioned several times already, bicycles are deeply tied to personal preferences. Although ebike technology is a big leap in the evolution of bicycles the overall foundation remains the same as the acoustic bikes. This means that there is a plethora of aftermarket options for personalizing your ebike. The ability to tailor the fit of your bike to your stature and riding style is the key. The factory cannot design a one style fits all bike but a lot can be done with changing the geometry of handlebars, handlebar stems/necks and seats. Almost all ebikes can accept a variety of these components to the original bike frame to allow for a more custom fit. Be aware however, that there are many ebikes utilizing some proprietary accessories and mountings that might restrict your use of aftermarket components. You either appreciate this or not but be aware of it if you plan on customizing your bike. You can also change the overall performance of an ebike by changing the size of the front chainring. Once you have your bike you can explore how changing this part of your drivetrain can really tune the bike to your style or standard terrain. 

This traditional bicycle foundation means that the lion’s share of maintenance and repair work is no different from other bikes and is not beyond most people. I’m inclined to encourage everyone to learn basic bike repair either from youtube or local businesses that offer classes. At bare minimum learn how to fix a flat tire. Again we are very lucky in West Seattle to have bike shops that are quite familiar with ebikes. Please support these businesses when possible.   

Nothing is more relative than the value of a dollar. The price range of ebikes run the gamut from somewhere just short of $1000 to the bill for a semester at college. Your budget in this is up to you. I caution folks against the cheapest options in triple digits as it seems you need to be comfortable doing a fair amount of maintenance and repair and many owners seem to end up spending a lot of time and money upgrading the components (both electrical and mechanical). I’m writing this article for people facing a major transportation shift imposed on them for years, you should be thinking of this as transportation not a toy or piece of exercise equipment. I guarantee that you will quickly discover that this vehicle has value far beyond what you first considered. Can you conceive your commute being the best part of your day? That is likely inconceivable. People have found that once they own this technology they discover many more uses for it, grocery shopping, transporting small children, neighborhood errands and simply getting out for a day trip.

My hope in writing this is that you will now feel prepared and perhaps emboldened to explore ebikes as an immediate solution to the systemic shift in transportation faced by our local community. We are lucky in Seattle and even West Seattle to have commercial support for ebike adoption. Your local bike shop in almost every case will have an ebikes on the floor. This wasn’t true just a few years ago but the US market shifted in 2017. No single bike shop is going to have every option covered and once again my first and final recommendation is to ride as many different bikes as possible. 

Resources

West Seattle Bike Connections, Advocacy and Support:

Local shops (not a complete list)

 

Green Light for East Marginal Way!

Really great news for biking from West Seattle!

Funding and City commitment to fully protected bike lanes and signals on East Marginal Way S for the first phase of the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project.  This is a win for moving freight safely and efficiently to our seaport and major industrial center; it’s a win for making biking a significant part of a sustainable transportation system.

We’ve been working for this since 2012 as top priority.  It could multiply severalfold the number of people riding bikes to downtown and points east and north. It’s a game-changer. SDOT is resuming design now, First phase construction is scheduled to be completed in 2021 from bridge trail at S Spokane to Portside trail at S Atlantic.

Quoting CM Lisa Herbold’s newsletter (Lisa has been a champion of this project):

“On Monday the Council voted to accept $5 million in grants for the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project. This will allow Phase 1 work to proceed.

“This is good news for bicycle access from West Seattle to Downtown. When I met with West Seattle Bike Connections members in March, this project was a high priority.

“”Phase 1 work will include work in the northern portion of the project:

  • “Constructing a bicycle facility between S Atlantic St and S Spokane St with full separation between people biking and people driving and delivering goods to make biking safer and more predictable
  • Rebuilding the existing traffic signal at S Hanford St to protect all bicyclist and motorist movements
  • Constructing a new traffic signal at S Horton St to provide a protected diagonal crossing for bicyclists
  • Updating the existing signal at S Atlantic St and S Spokane St to work better with the changes to the corridor
  • Potentially relocating the railroad tracks at S Hanford St to provide more space between truck traffic and the bicycle facility

“Phase 1 design work will proceed in 2019 and 2020, with construction starting as soon as fall 2020. The project website has an update about the timeline.

“In addition to the $5 million in grants, the Council legislation conditionally accepted another $4 million, which may become available soon. Voting to approve this now allows SDOT to accept the funds without an additional vote. The additional funds can be used for design of all the project work on East Marginal as far south as Diagonal Avenue. This will make it easier to apply for large federal grants.

“The website notes “Expect to see additional materials and events starting in summer or fall 2019. Comments and questions are welcome by emailing EastMarginal@seattle.gov or calling 206-684-8105.”

“East Marginal Way is a major freight corridor that provides access to the Port of Seattle terminals, rail yards, industrial businesses and the regional highway system, and between local Manufacturing and Industrial Councils (MIC’s). It is also a designated Heavy Haul Route, critical last-mile connector and vital route for over-sized trucks or those carrying flammable cargo. In addition, the corridor provides a major connection for people who bike between the West Seattle Bridge Trail, downtown, and the SODO neighborhood.

“This project will:

  • Improve safety and reliability in the movement of people and goods
  • Support freight loads by rebuilding the roadway
  • Promote efficiency through signal modifications and intelligent transportation systems (ITS)
  • Improve safety by better separating non-motorized modes from freight traffic”

Details of funding and phasing are in this SDOT report to the Levy Oversight Committee, starting on page 49 of the slide deck .

LanceDavidMemorial01
Roadway definition and separation will prevent deaths and injuries.
IMG_4590
Separation of bike riders from heavy truck traffic and impatient car drivers requires more than paint and posts.
9688441947_88236eaae1_k
Bike + Truck Rodeo at T25 with Port of Seattle, WSBC, SDOT, WSDOT, BNSF, SFAB, Drayage Truck Drivers. We are partners and allies with all those who depend on Seattle’s industies, import/export through our seaport, and freight mobility, for their livelihood. And that’s a LOT of us!

 

 

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.

IMG_3127
The bike trains arrived on time for school and socializing at Alki ES

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.

 

No photo description available.
Map of where we stand with the build-out of the Bicycle Master Plan’s “Citywide” network routes. When will these highest-priority routes be built?

 

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.

BMP_Imp_Plan_2019_S sector map
SDOT’s draft 2019-24 implementation work plan for south Seattle, corrected to show what they have DELETED since the 2017-21 plan.
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.

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.

bike & trailer at Safeco Feild parking garageKnitted ball glove

 

 

 

Here are the Mariners’ directions on getting to the ballpark by bike, walking, water taxi, …

Concerned About Congestion?

This is how to create more space on the streets:

image

Source: Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan , Transportation Appendix

Compared to driving alone:

  • Walking is least expensive, and great for personal and public health. But it is slow.
  • Car-pooling costs extra miles, a bit of extra time. It can be inconvenient.
  • Transit uses road space efficiently, but is expensive to build and operate, It can be time consuming and inflexible, depending upon when and where you want to go.
  • Biking is great for personal and public health, and is often the fastest way to go  places in the city. No waiting, no worries about traffic jams.

Building and maintaining safe bike routes is a tiny fraction of the costs of building and maintaining streets, bridges, tunnels and rail lines for transit and cars.  But lots of people do not use bikes for transportation because they don’t feel safe on the streets they need to use. If you want to increase street capacity for driving cars, trucks and buses, it makes sense to support building a safe bike network, to get more people using bikes.

Injured Delridge bike rider needs our help

You may know that our #1 priority this year is making it safe to bike and walk in Delridge, getting improvements built into the RapidRide H multi-modal corridor project. Here’s why.

Please lend Emily and Jay a helping hand

Emily writes:

My husband was hit by a car riding his bike to work on 6/21 in the Delridge Way SW and Orchard St intersection, June 21st, his femur and hip were fractured in half and was in ICU at Harborview for 3 days.. I’m just really overwhelmed and stressing right now.. I have to admit I am really bad at asking for help because I’ve been such an independent person from a young age. I’m learning now that sometimes help is the only option and so I’m reaching out to groups that advocate for safe bike riding and safe streets for cyclists. I’ve had to really consider if we could make due without my income during this period of time but its become impossible. I appreciate all and any help. More than words can express.

https://www.gofundme.com/jaysroadtorecoveryfund 

Please send them a little help and encouragement, and donate before you “share”. It’s dollars they need.

Please work with us and our Delridge neighbors to get safe streets for walking, biking, taking transit built into the Delridge RapidRide H Project.