Followup: West Seattle Triangle parking plan finalized by city

| Transportation | Triangle | West Seattle news

The first phase of the West Seattle Triangle Parking Plan has been finalized after the last round of neighborhood input.

(Click to see entire mailer as a PDF)
Thanks to Sharonn Meeks of the Fairmount Community Association – that’s the neighborhood just south of, and uphill from, Alaska in The Triangle – for sharing the news that SDOT has sent a final mailer to residents in the area – see it here. There are two differences from the “proposed plan” sent around last month – as reported here – and one is a big one: Fairmount neighbors appealed a proposal to allow parking on both sides of 37th SW in Fairmount, explaining that the two sides of the street were developed 30 years apart, with different lot sizes/shapes, which means driveways don’t align – for the homes who have them – and allowing parking on both sides could hamper fire-truck access. The other change is that SDOT “will evaluate potential sites for additional bike parking at the beginning of 2013,” according to the city’s project manager Kiersten Grove, who says the plan overall is meant to “facilitate better parking turnover for West Seattle Triangle businesses and provide additional parking for the residents of the area.” It’ll be sent to the City Council for review next month, as explained here.

westside December 13, 2012 (8:00 pm)

I didn’t think their original proposal could have been any worse, but they managed it.

Triangle Resident December 13, 2012 (10:44 pm)

Westside, what is your issue with the current proposal…just curious?

Tyler December 13, 2012 (11:14 pm)

How is it that limiting parking in these areas will “increase parking supply in nearby residential areas.” I see the exact opposite effect occurring, given there is not enough underground parking in the apartments for the amount of people who have cars.

Westside December 14, 2012 (1:29 am)

Parking south of Alaska street on 38th (and 36th, 37th) has been extremely congested for years, and it has been steadily getting worse. People use the area as a park-and-ride since it’s convenient and there are few other options. Link did not provide enough spaces for residents, and few (or zero?) spaces for employees and patrons of the business, so many of them park south of Alaska street because there are few other options. This will continue to get worse as the void left behind by the Huling is filled with new businesses and housing that has not been, and will not be, providing enough parking for employees and residents.

The original proposal removed all the long term parking north of Alaska, but added a lot of parking along 37th and part of Edmunds. Now, they have removed the extra parking along 37th and they haven’t added any parking elsewhere.

Seattle city council resolution Number: 31342 says “A RESOLUTION requesting the Seattle Department of Transportation to study parking supply and utilization for customers, visitors, residents, employees and commuters in the West Seattle Triangle Planning Area and to develop a parking management plan for the area.”. This plan might addresses the concerns of visitors and businesses in the area, but it certainly does not address the concerns of residents, employees nor commuters.,

Marlena December 14, 2012 (9:22 am)

Was an original mailer about the proposed changes ever sent out? We live in Link and never got one. I did see a flyer about this at Chaco Canyon and sent in comments, but I doubt a lot of our fellow residents are aware of these changes.

Interesting changes being made. We’ll see how it shakes out.

wetone December 14, 2012 (9:56 am)

Very well said Westside. Anybody that lives in or around this area and many others were these big developments are or have gone in will see significant impacts on their neighborhoods. Traffic, Parking, Noise = A drop in property values for the residents of these areas. I don’t think people realize what West Seattle will be like in a few years. With the city letting these kinds of projects built is one issue, but not making them have sufficient parking impacts all Except the Developers, as they build, sell and move on. The city makes it way to easy for developers as they look at the taxes they will receive and not near or future impacts .

george December 14, 2012 (11:58 pm)

ALL of the parking around the Y should have been left at 4 hour parking. I can sympathize with the residents who live there to move out the commuters, but a 2 hour slot for Y users is a poor decision, it should be consistent around those blocks instead of odd balling.

Jeff December 18, 2012 (2:23 pm)

Glad to read about bicycle parking evaluation being done early next year. I recommended bicycle parking facilities be installed near businesses and at the Alaska/Fauntleroy RapidRide station. More specifically, I suggested covered bicycle parking at the RapidRide stop so it might encourage transit users to ride a bike there and not drive a vehicle so parking could be alleviated for residents.
.
I hope to see more bicycle racks installed along sidewalks in this area. I ride my bike to Trader Joes often and their rack is small and not permanently installed, although they do chain it to the railing outside. I also plan to bike down to West Seattle Brewery when it opens (next to Jones BBQ) and hope there’s more bike racks installed in that area as well. Buddha Ruksa, Jones, and WS Brewery will have my (and my fiancee’s) business if bike parking is readily available.

Sorry, comment time is over.