Tag: South Park

May 2 Advocacy Training / Campaign Planning Workshop

Photo of WSBC members looking at route maps at an SDOT open house for neighborhood greenway projects.

Are you interested in making West Seattle a safer place to walk or ride a bike but don’t know where to start? Tuesday evening is your chance to learn how to build community support, work with agencies and elected officials, and make your neighborhood a better place to live.

West Seattle Bike Connections has invited Clara Cantor, Community Organizer with Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, to teach methods for planning your project, finding allies and handling opposition. Our discussion will highlight WSBC’s top priority (an east-west route through southern West Seattle) but what you learn will make you a better advocate for any project you want to see in your neighborhood.

Join us on Tuesday, May 2 at 6:30pm to 8:30 pm

At Neighborhood House: 6400 Sylvan Way SW

Entrance and bike parking are at the northwest corner of the building.

This is our regular monthly meeting time, dedicated this month to this workshop. We welcome and embrace the diversity of experiences and knowledge of everyone in our city, particularly with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic background, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical ability. We invite you to join us!

Large group of cyclists gathered at Spokane Street Bridge for memorial for RobbGroup photo of people waiting to testify to City Council for safety improvements on West Marginal Way SW at Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural CeneterWSBC folks meeting with SDOT traffic engineer and Tony Fragada from Alki Community Council at Harbor Ave/ SW Spokane intersection. WSBC, SDOT and Port of Seattle reps meeting on West Marginal Way SW to discuss potential bike lane. Claudia Mason speaking to bike riders gathered for memorial for Robb Mason at Spokane St Bridge.

Cycle History 2020

Cycle History 2020 is here. Put some variety into your West Seattle outings on wheels, and learn a little local history, too. 

Fourth annual history ride with Southwest Seattle Historical Society and West Seattle Bike Connections!
We can’t do a group ride this year, so we have three self-guided routes to try any time you want to, along with an audio guide and historical photos from SWSHS. 
https://www.loghousemuseum.org/exhibits/cycle-history-neighborhood-grocery-stores/

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.