West Seattle Bike Connections

All Ages and Abilities

Sabrina led the “Kidical Mass” group in the West Seattle Grand Parade last Saturday. Sabrina has MS, which prevents her from driving. But she can get around independently on her trike on streets that are safe enough for her to ride.

Transportation planners are now using the mantras, “all ages and abilities”, and “8 to 80”, to talk about streets designed to be safe for a much wider cross section of the community than those who are licensed, able, and can afford to drive car wherever they want to go, or are confident riding in traffic on any street.

The Kidical Mass riders demonstrate what that could mean. 8 year-olds riding. Older adults. New riders and experienced cyclists and whole families going places by bike. And Sabrina leading the way on her trike. Can you imagine how much wider her world would be if our streets were really designed for “all…abilities”?

Bike Master Plan Update Comments / Deadline

Deadline for public comments to SDOT is this Friday, July 26.
Seattle Bike Master Plan Update
West Seattle Bike Connections submitted group comments last December. We met twice as a group with SDOT staff, participated in the public workshops, and just submitted detailed comments and a “report card” on the changes made in the June 2013 draft compared with the December 2012 draft.

SDOT bike planners, traffic engineers, and their planning consultants at Alta are working hard to make this a world-class plan for bicycle transportation. We appreciate their good work. But they don’t know every aspect of the city, and that’s where we come in. If you send your own comments on areas important to you, we will give West Seattle a strong voice in this important planning and policy document.

A plan does not guarantee that the planned improvements and programs will be funded, but if something is not included in the plan, it will be much less likely to ever be budgeted by the Mayor, funded by City Council, or implemented by SDOT.

WSBC_2013BMPDraft_ReportCard

September 6 Trucks & Bikes Safety Fair

Bike riders are invited by Port of Seattle Seaport to Terminal 25, 3225 East Marginal Way S near S Spokane St. for a safety training event, with co-sponsors West Seattle Bike Connections, SDOT, WSDOT, Cascade Bicycle Club, BNSF, Ballard Oil and others. Featuring:
– Bike-truck blind spot simulations
– Truck ride-alongs
– Helpful safety information
– Free continental breakfast!

Gain an understanding of what freight haulers can see and how their vehicles move, turn and stop. Give truck drivers an understanding of how people on bikes see and use the road. Thank truckers in person for their safe and attentive driving!

The goals:
Safe, predictable driving and riding, with respect and understanding.
Efficient freight mobility for the industries and international trade that supports our economy.
Efficient, safe transportation by bike from West Seattle to and through the seaport, manufacturing and industrial areas.

Saturday July 20 Kidical Mass in West Seattle Grand Parade

Meet at Alki Bike and Board 2606 California Ave. SW at 11am. Ride with West Seattle Spokespeople West Seattle Bike Connections and Sustainable West Seattle. Riders of all ages welcomed, kids and families.

Decorate your bicycles and ride in the West Seattle Grand Parade July 20th. Parade starts at 11am but we will not be the first to leave.

Sunday July 14 West Seattle STP – Seattle to Portland in one Morning

Updated 7/9/13

REASONS TO RIDE WITH US ON STP WEEKEND (Sunday, July 14th):

Didn’t make the 14,000 rider cutoff for Cascade Bicycle Club’s Seattle to Portland ride.
Can’t imagine why anyone would want to ride a bike 200 miles in one or two days.
Have never left the peninsula and see no reason to start now. “We have everything in West Seattle”.
Don’t really know anyone in Portland.
Portland think they all that, but they ain’t.
Like to sleep in own bed instead of on a baseball field in Chehalis, or at least with a good friend with a nice bed and indoor plumbing.

So, COME RIDE West Seattle STP WITH US!

Family friendly West Seattle Bike Connections ride supported by West Seattle Spokespeople and Cascade Bicycle Club. Ride from Seattle to Portland and back in just 1 morning!

Meet on Sunday (7/14) at 9:45am at Hamilton View Point on California Ave SW to sign in, and be ready to roll at 10:00 on a 9.5 mile easy pace ride via proposed Greenway routes from SW Seattle Street in the Admiral Neighborhood to SW Portland Street in the Fauntlee Crest Neighborhood.

Experienced, certified ride leaders Stu Hennessey and Marge Evans will keep the group together and ride at a social pace. No one left behind. Ride continues on from SW Portland to California and Alaska (the West Seattle Junction, that is) to join the West Seattle Summer Fest. We’ll be at the Greenlife Stage for post ride discussion or routes and bike riding improvements proposed in the Seattle Bike Master Plan update. Helmets required. This is a Cascade Bicycle Club sponsored ride.

No fee, no t-shirt, no medal, and no bagels with peanut butter, but we stop at a fabulous festival with street food vendors, live bands, arts and crafts!

Riders under 18 years of age must have a parental consent release form, riders under 15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent and riders under 8 years must be on an assisted vehicle, tag along, cargo bike or a bike trailer.

We need volunteers! Please sign up below if you would like to help with this ride. We are looking for some people to act as crossing guards at intersections, making it safe for all ages and abilities to cross.

[iframe src=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-vIWfQuM0MMcL8YNJxIN_5K9goiBndFjR9mnz620bqc/viewform?embedded=true” width=”550″ height=”500″]

State Transportation Funding & West Seattle Bridge Trail

This received today from our West Seattle state Representative Joe Fitzgibbons. Thank you, Joe!

“Thanks for reaching out to let me know how important transportation safety programs are for you and for our state. The House passed a transportation package today that includes an amendment I sponsored to put $16 million in pedestrian and bicycle safety projects around the state.

“One of the projects is an investment of $500,000 that will be provided to make improvements to the West Seattle Bridge Trail, making this commonly used, but dangerous, route safer and more accessible for the many folks who right now are risking their lives using this trail.

“While it is unclear what will happen to this bill in the Senate, I will keep working towards its final passage and try to hold on to the pedestrian and bicycle safety funding that is in the current transportation package.

“Thanks again for contacting me and please feel free to keep in touch with your questions and concerns.

“Take care,”

Joe Fitzgibbon
State Representative
34th Legislative District
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov

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 20^th.

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.

Highland Park Greenways first public meeting

WSBC members Craig Rankin and Theresa Beaulieu bring this news from Highland Park Action Committee and SDOT. Craig has been working on this for quite a while in his neighborhood. SDOT has now funded the public outreach and planning work.

HPAC and SDOT will be hosting a Neighborhood Greenway Meeting that we encourage everyone to come to. If you are at all interested in having a Greenway come through Highland Park, and would like a say in which street the route is on- now’s your chance, please join us.

It will be on TUESDAY, JULY 9th, from 6-7:30 pm at Highland Park Improvement Club on 12th and Holden.

What’s a Greenway? Neighborhood Greenways are residential streets where signs and pavement markings are used to guide people along the route; and speed and volume management measures discourage cars from avoiding main streets by cutting through on neighborhood streets. These amenities can be especially beneficial for families, children and seniors who might find these routes more comfortable than busier nearby streets. Find out more about them here.
See you then!
Highland Park Action Committee

WSBC July 2 Meeting

July 2, 20136:3o to 8:00 pm

at Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden Street, 98106

map

Special Guest: Sara Zora, SDOT Bike Planner, for discussion of Seattle Bike Master Plan Update.

Other agenda items: Project reports and volunteer recruiting for projects and activities.6 month Progress report on 2013 action plan.

Open meeting – please come!