Tag: WSBC

Transportation Levy – call for action

The next Seattle Transportation Levy will fund most of the next 8 years of work on our streets, trails and public spaces. The Mayor’s draft does not get us where we need to go. Deadline is this Friday for comments.

Please spend five minutes to take the SDOT “community questionnaire”survey.

The City’s polling shows that voters will support a $1.7B levy that could make real progress. Why would we want to vote for a $1.3B levy that just reinforces car-dependency, fails to act on climate change, and fails to improve safety, equity, and connectivity commitments to people walking, rolling, biking and taking transit.

Please  take the SDOT “community questionnaire”survey.
Group photo of bike riders from West Seattle at rally at Jimi Hendrix Park.
West Seattle represents at rally for Transportation and Housing for a Healthy Future.

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.

Bike Everywhere Day – May 19

West Seattle Bike Connections and friends welcome you once again to Bike Everywhere Day at the west end of the Spokane Low Bridge from 6 to 9 AM. Homemade baked goods, beverages and information on bicycling routes and planned improvements will be available, and local enthusiasts can answer questions about commuting, recreational cycling and other biking issues including the newest campaign we are cooking up. photo of woman riding bike on trail approaching Spokane Street Bridge. Semi truck and high bridge in background.

Cycle History – West Seattle Music Scene

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society and West Seattle Bike Connections are delighted to announce that Cycle History is back for an in-person ride in 2022!
September 18, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
Start from the drive between the north side of West Seattle High School and Hiawatha Community Center.
Come explore West Seattle’s music scene –from jazz to grunge, we’ll have stops to please music lovers, bike enthusiasts, and everyone in between! Musician and West Seattle music historian, Peder Nelson, will tell stories, play clips of music, and introduce a couple of guests from the music community.
This Cycle History ride is an annual project of Southwest Seattle Historical Society and West Seattle Bike Connections. Join us after the ride for the End of the Summer Social at the Log House Museum, 1-3pm.
Ride information and registration here: https://cascade.org/node/79067
This will be a Cascade Bicycle Club free group ride. Please register in advance so we can get going more quickly.

Bike Everywhere Day May 20, 2022

Join West Seattle Bike Connections, SDOT and the Flip Your Trip team from 6-9 AM and again from 4-7 PM where bike trails meet just west of the West Seattle Low Bridge. Satisfy your morning hunger with homemade baked goods and coffee, and tasty treats and bikey beverages at both events. Get advice on safe routes and equipment, including the latest information on construction of the upcoming East Marginal Way S Corridor Improvement Project, and a selfie with Sal the Salmon. Simple bike repairs come courtesy of Westside Bicycles in the morning and Bike Works in the afternoon. Light sets, bandannas, koozies and other swag will be available, and you can sign up for a prize giveaway from local businesses.

If you can volunteer to help for an hour or 9 two between 6 and 9 am, email us at westseattlebikeconnections@gmail.com .

Bike to School!

It’s Bike to School Day for Bike Month! Lots of little engines powered the bike trains to Alki ES, Louisa Boren STEM K-8, Genessee ES, and other schools around town. There are always lots of riders to Lafayette year round, thanks to active parents and teachers – it only takes a few to make every day can be bike to school day!

West Seattle Bike Connections members helped out. Joe Laubach organized the day at Louisa Boren.  Bryan Fiedorczyk, Al Jackson, Kathy Dunn and Don Brubeck led and “caboosed” the trains to Alki ES. Bryan had some awesome custom Alki slap bracelets and stick-ons for the kids.

West Seattle Blog story and more pix are here.

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The bike trains arrived on time for school and socializing at Alki ES

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.

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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!

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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,…
Screen Shot 2016-10-30 at 9.52.26 AMPrint: “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.

We Need Volunteers!

Help us help the community!
Help us help the community!

Do you like bikes?  Do you like riding bikes in, around, and through West Seattle?  Maybe not?  Do you think there could be better infrastructure in place?  We do too!  And we need you to help us out.

Our parent organization (Sustainable West Seattle) is having a volunteer orientation and appreciation event on Saturday, May 3rd 2014 at CrossFit West Seattle (4200 SW Admiral Way).  Orientation for new volunteers will be from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, with an appreciation party from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

More details can be found here…
http://www.sustainablewestseattle.org/2014/04/ty/

Please come if you have any interest in helping West Seattle Bike Connections be better advocates for safe bike facilities.  Or stop by if you want to check out any of the other Sustainable West Seattle projects.  Hope to see you there!