Saturday, come out for a couple of hours to support our friends at Luna Park! They supported us for our successful Neighborhood Streets Fund grant for ped/bike crossing improvements here.
Neighborhood Steet Fund Grant – We got it!
For safety improvements at the intersections of SW Spokane/ Alki Trail/ Harbor Ave SW/ Avalon Way/ SW Manning. Ranked #1 in the city of the 12 projects awarded from the 40 proposals that made it through the District Council voting and SDOT vetting.
Background here and SDOT evaluation here.
Ranked high because the need is so obvious for better crossing safety for people walking and riding bikes. And because under Jodi Connolly’s leadership, with Bill Gobie’s ideas, we worked put together a coalition with Tony Fragada and Alki Community Council, Luna Park Neighbors, Nucor Steel, and got support from David Whiting of Admiral Neighborhood Association and SW District Council, and worked with Luna Park businesses to make sure their needs are included. Thanks to Dongho Chang, SDOT Chief Traffic Engineer, for coming out to observe conditions and steer us in the right direction. Thank you to Joe Laubach and all members of the Move Seattle Oversight Committee for supporting this project!
Urbanist article here about all of the projects. Would be great to see more of them funded!
Neighborhood Street Fund Grants come up every three years, for projects in the $100-500K range. Year 1: selection. Year 2: design. Year 3: construction.
Tues Nov 1 WSBC Monthly Meeting
You are invited to join this open meeting.
6:30 to 8:00 pm at HomeStreet Bank, 42nd Ave SW and SW Alaska Street
Let’s work together to improve conditions and enjoy bike riding in West Seattle. Proposed greenway routes along the central spines of WS are on the agenda, along with World Day of Remembrance, Fauntleroy,…
Print: “The Politicians” by Jose Guadelupe Posada in 1890, Mexico.
Let’s keep our saints alive and riding este’ dia de los Muertos and election season.
Funding Fauntleroy Boulevard Project – Thank you!
Thank you, Councilmember Lisa Herbold for your work in funding the Fauntleroy Boulevard Project!
And the S Lander Street Bridge, and stormwater and paving in South Park. We appreciate your work for a balanced, equitable, forward-thinking transportation system in West Seattle, South Park and SODO.
Are bike lanes breaking the budget?
Commenters in the various media blame “bike lanes” and Pronto bikeshare for high taxes and poor roads.
How much of the City’s budget do we spend on bike transportation, compared to everything else?
About 4% of the transportation budget, which is less than 9% of the total city budget.
Building the bike transportation network is taking one third of one percent of the city’s annual budget.
Kids learn traffic safety skills in White Center
Cascade Bicycle Club, the Yes! Foundation, the White Center CDA and King County joined together to convert little used tennis courts into a unique “bike playground”. Opened on Saturday. Lots of kids riding around in the rain, learning about watching for traffic, using lanes, signaling, merging, yielding, stopping, and having fun! Take your young rider to Dick Thurnau Park (formerly Lnkewood Park) and try it out.
S Lander Street Bridge – a Complete Street?
Scenes from the site of the proposed S Lander Street Bridge during 10 minutes on a Monday mid-afternoon. This is West Seattle’s connection to ST Light Rail, Beacon Hill, and major employers like Seattle School District HQ, Starbucks HQ, USPS in SODO. Freight, yes, but also people on buses, on bikes, and on foot.
At $140,000,000, this one bridge will cost more than Seattle is spending on all bike lanes, greenways and trails throughout the entire city over the next 8 years of the Move Seattle Levy, at current rates. For $140,000,000, thus bridge should work for everyone!
See SDOT’s “30% Design” proposal and comment in the online open house on the one-sided bike/ped sidewalk, and what needs to happen to make this work for bike transportation.
Good discussion in Seattle Bike Blog, with link to our comment letter after the previous open house.
Sunday 9/25 Bike Rodeo at Summer Parkways
Bring your young rider (~4 to 12 years old) and their bike to have fun and learn some riding skills! We’ll be on Alki Ave at 62nd across from Sunfish, 11 am to 4 pm.
Lots of other activities too, and the street along the beach will be wide open (not “closed”) for walking, riding, skating, skipping, jumping and running!
Could use volunteers for 2 hour shifts, too. Just show up and we’ll put you to work.
Spokane St Bridge Counts
The bridge goes sideways, and so do the bike counts this year.
Up just 1.8% year to date over last year. June and July were lower, after an amazing Viaduct-closure boost in May. August was up. Pretty much the same pattern at the Fremont Bridge.
If you or someone you know decided ride in May during the Viaduct closure, and then went back to car or bus: What made you decide not to continue commuting by bike? 
Where is the Fauntleroy Boulevard Project?
Designed, with years of community input.
The next step: SDOT, the Mayor and City Council need to get it funded for construction.
Didn’t happen last year. Let’s let them know we want it in the budget this year! It’s a key element of West Seattle’s development in the “Triangle” east of the West Seattle Junction, and in the Bicycle Master Plan’s citywide routes. It is a major corridor for buses, bikes, trucks, and car traffic going out of West Seattle to downtown to Vashon Island. We need it, to help West Seattle absorb growth gracefully, and enable people in all those new buildings to safely walk, ride bikes and ride buses instead of driving everywhere.
Like, share, meet with us tomorrow to help develop support!
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/FauntleroyWySWBlvd.htm