Example #2 of why speaking up at public meetings can make a difference: Above, that’s Morgan Junction resident and longtime neighborhood volunteer Cindi Barker (with neighborhood-district coordinator Ed Pottharst holding the mike, and Chas Redmond in the background) at Mayor McGinn‘s West Seattle Town Hall this past Tuesday night. As reported in our coverage of the event, Barker asked the mayor about a West Seattle bike-lane plan that had suddenly turned up in SDOT flyers around her neighborhood, with no previous public announcement, and seemingly imminent – a lane on the south side of SW Morgan between Fauntleroy and 35th SW, with all parking removed on that side of Morgan as a result. Barker said she is not opposed to bike lanes, but she was concerned about, among other factors, the prospect of losing parking close to the Morgan Junction business district, and the lack of previous outreach – the flyer said installation was planned for “later this summer” – as in, done deal, any time now. The mayor referred her to an SDOT rep at the meeting; we also contacted SDOT to ask for more information. This afternoon, we received this reply from SDOT spokesperson Marybeth Turner:
Based on what we’ve heard during the initial outreach, we will put the Morgan Street project on hold until 2013 while we see what comes out of the Bicycle Master Plan Update and consider the suggestion for a neighborhood greenway on SW Graham Street. We will also conduct additional community outreach. Once we’ve done these things, we will decide how to move forward.
For context on what the project would have – and might in the future, since “on hold” doesn’t mean “scrapped” – entail, take a look at the flyer (which Barker scanned to share with WSB) – front here, back here. P.S. If you missed “Example #1” – here’s that story.
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