July 12 West Seattle STP #3

Save the date: Sunday July 12, 9:30 am

Have you ever wanted to do the Seattle to Portland bike ride? Or even wanted to do the 1-day STP? And never trained for it? Or remembered to sign up in time? Here is your big fat chance! Do it in 2 hours easy, and end up at a huge finish line party!

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We’ll be riding again from SW Seattle Street in the Admiral neighborhood to SW Portland St in Fauntlee Hills, and back north to Summerfest at the West Seattle Junction, led by experienced Cascade Ride Leader Marge Evans. Family friendly, 7 miles (10 if you go back to the Hamilton Viewpoint start.)

 

Up to date details will be in the Calendar here, and on Events on our Facebook page.

Chelan 5-way changes this summer

We received this welcome message today from Emily Ehlers at SDOT!

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Thank you again for participating in last year’s design workshop to help improve the West Seattle five-way intersection (Chelan, Delridge, W Marginal, Spokane, POS T5 access road).  We generated a lot of great ideas and enthusiasm. Your hard work has paid off!  This summer, SDOT will be completing the short-term recommendations developed at the workshop. Safety improvements include pavement markings to increase bicycle predictability, bicycle ramps to minimize potential conflicts, and a crossing beacon to increase the visibility of people crossing the street. See the graphic below for additional details.

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workshop with SDOT and SvR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BNSF workers installing new train crossing signal on the “porkchop island” where we wait to cross going eastbound – the second time it was wiped out by an errant driver in one year at this confusing intersection.

Parks & Arts Ride #1

Two dozen young, middle-aged and older people on bikes had a great time this morning exploring and playing in Jack Block Park and north Delridge. We saw Coast Salish art, and a steel plant and trains. We rode down a Dead End that wasn’t, if you were on a bike, and went to a giant dragonfly. We rode on gravel along a creek in a green tunnel to a salmon bridge. Some of us tried a skatepark and climbed on a climbing rock and one of us climbed up some artwork. We rode on a greenway street and got counted, and on a street with beautiful raingardens and sidewalks, and we went back to the bay where all the water all goes.

We’ll do another one! Let’s boost the family riders in West Seattle by exploring more of the public art and parks that we can enjoy by bike.

We have reached out to the Duwamish Revealed organizers. They would love to have us lead a ride to the art projects that are going in along the Duwamish this summer.  Want to help plan? Your ideas and volunteering for other rides are DSC09045 DSC09041 DSC09039 DSC09034welcome, too.

Parks & Arts Ride – Saturday June 6

Come ride with us this Saturday! Bring the family! 9:30 am at Jack Block Park, at the first set of restrooms and parking spaces.

Ride details here  Parents please see the information for children riding their own bikes.

A West Seattle Bike Connections / Cascade Bicycle Club ride.  If this one is a hit, we’ll try others exploring West Seattle and South Park parks and public art by bike, including the Duwamish Revealed projects happening this summer. IMG_1898 DSC08976IMG_1911 DSC08979

Bike Rodeo at the Junction

From our bike rodeo May 30 at KEXP’s Hood-to-Hood Block Party at the Junction. Young riders gained confidence and riding skills, while having fun and earning prizes.  It was a Friday school and work day, without advance mention in KEXP’DSC08864 DSC08869 DSC08870 DSC08900 DSC08904 DSC08915 DSC08920s announcements, so most of our participants were 2 to 4 years old, on balance bikes provided by West Seattle Cyclery. with a flurry of olde kids after school. SPD bike patrol officers showed everybody how to ride it, and got the grownups into it, too.

Thanks for the invitation and support from Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association and Brad Loetel at West Seattle Cyclery.  Clarrisa Allen and Ed Ewing at Cascade Bicycle Club supplemented our rodeo props and literature,  and WSBC volunteers Kathy Dunn, Bob Winship, Jeff Hallman, and Don Brubeck were the bike rider wranglers and crew.

Arena final EIS – SDOT/DPD responses

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed basketball/hockey arena in SODO has been published.  We commented –  major impacts to traffic that would affect travel by bike from West Seattle, and use of bikes to get to the Arena were not really considered in the draft EIS.  SDOT/DPD responses to our comment letter are attached.   Links to the entire FEIS are online at DPD’s website here. IMG_1356

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The comment letters and responses are in Appendix F.

 

East Marginal and Delridge – Your Opinions

Please take a look and fill out SDOT surveys for East Marginal Way S and Delridge if you use these corridors. Change is coming, and this is a way to have a little influence. East Marginal is “multimodal” because it is a vital artery for freight and bike traffic.  Delridge is a “multimodal corridor” because it has lots of car and bus, some truck, and potentially more bike and future rail traffic. Delridge has some parallel “greenway” options for riding a bike. East Marginal does not.

Multimodal Corridor Program – Existing Conditions Survey
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) wants to know how you get around, what you think about existing transportation conditions, and how you would prioritize improvements to corridors throughout the city. Specifically, information is being gathered on the following three corridors: 1) Delr…
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Bike to Work Day – at the Bridge

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We counted 707 happy, healthy people on bikes at our Cascade Bike to Work Day Commute Station this morning between 6:00 and 9:00 am. West Seattle Bike Connections hosted, with DIY Bikes, NUUN, and Mountaineers Club Books. Good going, West Seattle!

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Bike to Work Day – Friday 5/16

Bike to Work Day is this Friday, May 15. Stop by our Commute Station under the West Seattle Bridge, open 6:00 to 9:00 am.

Bike mechanics from DIY Bikes. Home made cookies, fresh fruit, hot coffee, Cascade swag, other treats, and information about the Chelan 5-way intersections proposals.

If you can be there at 8:15, join a group ride to the BTW Day rally at Union Station.

If you go up Second Ave, you can stop at Washington Bike Law’s commute station at Cherry Street for fun and games.

Learning from the Best Bicycle Cities in the World

West Seattle Meaningful Movies presents:
 
Learning from the Best Bicycle Cities in the World
 
A number of short movies that highlight the best cities in the world for bicycling. A multicultural perspective on what others are doing and what we can do for our health, for the climate, and for our communities.     
 
Meet local bicycle advocates and hear about their efforts in West Seattle and in other neighborhoods.
 
Get inspired, get connected locally, get bicycling! 
6:30—doors open for snacks and social time
7:00—movies, followed by community announcements and a facilitated conversation
6400 Sylvan Way SW, Seattle 98126
Bus numbers 21 and 128
NO CHARGE, but donations gratefully received.
Help us minimize waste—bring your own mug.

 Gil Penalosa–on streets that are safe for all ages


“From the Netherlands to America–Best Bicycling Ideas”

 

 “Bike Friendly Cities–The Journey to School”
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Get connected and informed for yourself, your family, your community, and your planet.