Mayor Durkan budgets for street safety
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Cycle History -The Places of Community
25 humans and 2 dogs traveled 9 miles by bike up and down the dells and ridges of the Delridge neighborhoods.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society and West Seattle Bike Connections teamed up for a third annual ride to explore West Seattle history by bike on a Cascade Bicycle Club ride.
Our theme this year was community gathering places planned and built by neighborhood groups. We visited several spots where people come to socialize, garden, play music and games, talk about the neighborhood, play outside, remember their history, and keep their culture alive.
Highland Park Improvement Club, celebrating its 100th anniversary, graciously hosted our start. Kay Kirkpatrick gave us an illustrated capsule history of HPIC. Unlike most such clubs of its era, this one is still a really active community hub, with weekly game nights, monthly Corner Bar, and fun special annual events. As we left, a crew was setting up a wedding reception.
Rolling north, we passed Puget Ridge Playground, and stopped at the Puget Ridge Edible Park. Helen Shampain told us the story of their neighborhood’s one-acre permaculture food garden and gathering spot. About 8 years ago, neighbors started the process of getting permission to use the site of a house and farm that had been donated to Seattle Parks. They’ve been actively gardening for four years, with a bountiful harvest right now, along with lots of apples from old trees for eating and cider-making.
At the Disabled American Veterans Hall on Delridge, historian Judy Bentley told us about its former life as the Youngstown Improvement Club, and the place of those clubs in early 20th century Seattle for social life, temperance of the saloon culture, and as an organizing place for getting improvements made to the new neighborhoods. The DAV took over the clubhouse in the 1950’s. In July, they celebrated their inaugural Pacific Northwest Black Veterans Appreciation and Celebration
Then on to the Delridge P-Patch and to Greg Davis Park, where the neighborhood successfully blocked expansion of the West Seattle Golf Course (and removal of their houses), and wound up with a nice little park instead.
Finally, we received a warm reception and refreshments at the Vietnamese Cultural Center. Perhaps you’ve noticed the temple-like buildings on SW Orchard just west of Delridge Way and Home Depot. Linda Bui gave us a wonderful tour, after the center treated us to welcome refreshments, water bottle refills, and a water bowl for the dogs. She, with assistance from her dad and other members of the center, gave us an introduction to the altars, memorial to fallen soldiers, statues of warriors and other artifacts brought from Vietnam to honor their heritage and keep their culture alive. We really appreciate the hospitality of the Bui family and friends. They invited us to come back next week to the Children’s Moonlight Festival, conveniently scheduled in mid-afternoon.
At that point, some of the group peeled off for home and Saturday afternoon events. The rest of us headed back via a loop around the south end of Highland Park, including the new Neighborhood Greenway extension on SW Trenton to HP elementary, and a pass through the spray park at the playground.
Thank you to our co-hosts, including Loghouse Museum Curator Tasia Williams, who rode with us; historian Judy Bentley of SWSHS Board; Al Bentley, Cascade Bicycle Club ride leader; Kay Kirkpatrick at HPIC; Helen Shampain of P.R.E.P; Linda Bui and family at the Vietnamese Cultural Center. Thank you to West Seattle Bike Connections members Al Jackson, Kathy Dunn, Craig Rankin, Bob Winship, Kate Wells, Nick Halden, Joe, Marlowe and Isabel Laubach, and Don Brubeck, for supporting this ride. And, thank you to all our rider participants, including the one year old in trailer with Dad pulling, Isabel going the distance on her own bike, Snowy the golden pulled by Glen on a non-electric bike, and dog 2 who ran most of the 9 miles.
Delridge Day – Smoothie Operators
WSBC at Delridge Day on Saturday, August 10, with Sustainable West Seattle’s Greenlife groups and lots of other Delridge friends and neighbors. We used Stu Hennessey’s bike blender. It was a big hit!
The day started with a rain shower, but this turned into was a really happy, sunny festival. What a diverse community! People ate police hot dogs, and then came to us for exercise and fresh fruit smoothies blended by pedal power.
Kathy Dunn, Chief Blender
Haywagon demonstration pulled by Stu Hennessey
WSBC bike blender smoothies at Delridge Day
Sustainable West Seattle groups at Delridge Day
Fauntleroy Boulevard – a start at last
From the good news department:
Short-term improvements on the long-delayed Fauntleroy Boulevard Project are starting soon. Work includes good intersection safety improvements for people on bikes and on foot, especially at SW Alaska/Fauntleroy and at 36th/Avalon/Fauntleroy.
Vision Zero? or Mirage Zero?
Deaths and serious injuries in cars, on bikes and on foot for first six months of 2019 are at highest level since 2010.
This is what is wrong with substituting sloganeering and speeches for funding and action.
We know what to, and where to do it. Where action has been taken, speeding and crash rates have gone down in a big way. Rainier Ave S from S Alaska to S Kenny is a good example.
Slogans are not enough. Feel good speeches are not enough. Well-conceived plans are not enough. It takes funding and follow through to implement the bicycle and pedestrian master plans and the safety corridor plans.
Delridge Triangle wants you
Friends of the Delridge Triangle say, “South Delridge is in desperate need of improving the layout of this public space to allow children to play, neighbors to connect and for the community to thrive.”
This community-led project to transform the the triangle now has design concepts. They want community input. Want a play street? A crosswalk? Places to sit and chat? How about a bike rack? Got 5 minutes for a survey?
They are inviting input now with the survey. They also invte ongoing participation. This looks like a great project, aligned with our goals of creating safe and lively neighborhood places, connected by safe biking and walking routes for all ages and abilities.
This site is a block off of the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway, on 17th. Linkage on Barton would be good, too.
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 .
June 4 meeting — focus on racial equity
We meet on Tuesday, June 4, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. You are invited!
Neighborhood House in High Point, 6400 Sylvan Way.
This month’s agenda includes quick updates on projects and ride planning, then a focused discussion on racial equity as it applies to our group, led by Tamara and Valerie. Please join in creating an action plan!
At last month’s meeting we talked just a little about the new racial equity plan developed by Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. A couple of our members were a part of that process. It includes a “toolkit” for us to work on our own plan. That will be an ongoing process, if we are to meet the intentions.
If you can, think a bit about where you are, where we as a group are, and where our neighborhoods are, and where we can move to create a community of true racial equity and justice for all. Then come to talk about what we can do together.
Here is a link to SNG’s full plan document and toolkit.
June 2 – WSBC Bike and Brew Ride
Third Annual!
Family friendly! Leisurely pace! Good friends and great beer!
Sunday, June 2, 12:45 PM
Delridge Community Center
4501 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, Washington 98106
Join West Seattle Bike Connections for a 13 mile ride through some of Seattle’s coolest neighborhoods with stops for tastings at two family friendly breweries. We’ll be meeting next to the playground at the Delridge Community Center at 12:30 on Sunday, June 2. Safety talk and sign-in will be at 12:45. Rolling at 1:00 pm.
Note: the community center restrooms may not be open at the start. Nearest public restroom may be Delridge Library, on Delridge Way south of SW Brandon.
Although the route is fairly flat and mostly on bike-friendly streets and trails, there will be times when we ride in traffic. Kids of all ages are welcome but younger and less experienced children should be in a trailer or trail-a-bike. All 15 year olds and under must be accompanied by parent or guardian. Both breweries we’ll be visiting offer some snacks for kids but plan on bringing some of your own snacks too. Along our route, there will be a couple of bathroom stop locations and a playground stop for the kiddos.
Helmets required. No earbuds. Traffic laws will be followed. Waiver and sign-in required.
For the adults – each brewery offers a sampler or a pint for $4-$8. If beer isn’t your thing please feel welcome to attend anyway and enjoy the ride and fellowship.
Between the ride and two brewery stops this event will be the better part of the afternoon. If you are limited by time you can always break off after the first brewery and head home. For those doing the full loop we’ll return to the Delridge Community Center at the end of the ride.
May 17 – Bike Everywhere Day!
Stop at our commute station!
from 6 to 9 AM at the west end of the Spokane Low Bridge, where the trails meet.
West Seattle Bike Connections members will be bringing homemade cookies and bars to power your ride. Besides baked goods, we will have coffee, other beverages, bananas, bicycling information, and on-the-spot bike checks and simple repairs courtesy of Westside Bicycle and Alki Bike and Board. Cascade Bicycle Club has given us a stack of the latest Seattle bike maps, and we’ll have flyers for the June 16 Ride for Safe Streets.
*Extra cookies if you are flying a Norwegian flag for Syttende Mai*
We look forward to seeing you!
The Mayor’s draft 2020 budget is out, and it recognizes the importance of funding for bike and pedestrian safety projects and transit service. It’s good news. Advocacy with the MASS coalition is having an effect. But let’s not declare “mission accomplished” just yet.
It’s a step forward — to where we were in 2016.
This does not get us all the way back to where the Bicycle Master Plan implementation plan was in 2017, much less to the 2018 draft that the Mayor never accepted, that would have helped under-served areas of south and southwest Seattle catch up.
Deleted on the 2019 implementaton plan map were previously included routes on S Orcas, Beacon Ave S, SW Roxbury, Sylvan Way SW/SW Orchard, Fauntleroy SW, East Marginal Way south of S Spokane, and a segment on the new West Seattle greenways at the hardest part, at the Morgan Junction. The map still shows “Existing Bike Facilities (Excluding Sharrows)” where there are only painted stripe climbing lanes. An example is Sylvan Way SW/ SW Orchard, where an uphill-only lane appears, disappears, appears and disappears again on a key east-west route from South Delridge to High Point.
At this rate of progress, Seattle will not reach its goal to build out the Bicycle Master Plan’s “Citywide” network by 2030 and the rest of the network by 2035. Transit service is improving, but Pedestrian Master Plan progress is bogged down. It is not just a coincidence that Seattle isn’t hitting it’s Climate Action Plan targets either.
Our “corrected” map is here: