West Seattle Blog…

Ferry update: Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth back to 3 boats tomorrow

Washington State Ferries says it won’t have to have a second day of two-boat service on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run after all – the Tillikum has been repaired, and will rejoin the route first thing tomorrow morning.

Video: Beach Drive, the repaved and the not-yet-repaved

City crews spent much of this week repaving part of the section of Beach Drive that has had enough pits and ruts to rattle you from scalp to sole, and shake up the inner workings of your car/truck/motorcycle/bicycle, too. So we drove it this evening to show you the transformation – of the actual repaired section, anyway. Our :43 clip starts with the non-repaired section beneath the slide-plagued slope that has sparked a court fight (with mediation ahead, the city says), and then you’ll see how it transitions to the repaved section, in the 6200 block and a bit further south. Didn’t have the tripod in the car, so we dubbed the result Bumpycam, but it’s an accurate representation – try for yourself. (“Before” photo in our original May 8th report.)

West Seattle scenes: Bike to Work Day 2012

7:22 AM: Till 9 am, there’s a “commute station” on the west end of the low bridge, with Alki Bike and Board on hand (among others). Thanks to Shannon for the top photo; we’re on our way to check it out, along with new White Center B2W Day participants Caffé Delia and Dubsea Coffee, all with treats and more till 9.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand, added 8:44 am)
ADDED 7:28 AM: Don Brubeck, a WS bicycle commuter whose photos have often appeared here, just called in from the station by the bridge. He told us, “Lots of bikers are going by; people are stopping at the Alki Bike and Board stop and getting their tires pumped up” – about 11 riders are there right now, and about half a dozen staffing the station. It’s cloudy, but no drizzle. We also talked for a moment to ABB’s Stu Hennessey, who says it’s been busy!

ADDED 9:04 AM: After finishing his bike commute, Don shared that shot from the road – actually, the bike/pedestrian path on the low bridge. His report (with a promise of a few more pix later):

Stu and Louie from Alki Bike and Board were helping people with air in tires, lube on chains, free tubes, and in one attached picture [below], Stu and Monica from SDOT’s bike program group were giving route advice to someone who wanted to know the best route to ride to Burien for her ride this morning.

Matt Johnson and Long Vo from BECU were there with schwag for riders and snagging potential customers. Matt is a West Seattleite.

Rob and Ray, who work at Nuun electrolyte drink company in the I.D., were giving out samples. They ride from West Seattle at least some of the time.

Car traffic was lighter than usual on the low level bridge. Could it be due to more people on bikes instead? Or, just Friday?

Our crew stopped at Caffé Delia in downtown WC – photos are on our partner site White Center Now.

Transportation alerts: Bike-to-Work Day; Alaskan Way Viaduct closure; Alki ‘car-free day’; Spokane Street Viaduct

BIKE-TO-WORK DAY TOMORROW: For participating bicyclists, there’s the “commute station” by the west end of the “low bridge” plus, if you’re coming from White Center, or heading through there, two WC stops, Caffé Delia and Dubsea Coffee, all detailed in the preview we published earlier this week.

ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT WEEKEND CLOSURE REMINDER: 11 pm Friday to 5 am Monday, so WSDOT can keep working on reinforcing the section of The Viaduct that the tunnel will go beneath.

SUNDAY CLOSURES/CHANGES ON ALKI: Sunday starts with the West Seattle 5K (co-sponsored by WSB) benefit run/walk at 9 am, and at 11 am, Seattle Summer Streets (aka “car-free day”) – here are the Alki traffic changes you can expect as a result – note that even though the car-free events are on a limited section of the street, the rest of it is ONLY open to residents. Here’s how SDOT explains the plan:

•From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Alki Avenue SW will be fully closed from 63rd Avenue SW to the Don Armeni Boat Launch Ramp for the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk. All parking will be restricted from 63rd to 56th and along the waterside from 56th to the boat ramp.

•From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Alki Avenue SW will be fully closed from 63rd to 56th Avenue SW for the Summer Streets event. Parking will be restricted on both sides of the street during this time.

Access exceptions will be made for emergency vehicles and people with disabilities. After 11 a.m. local access to condos will be allowed from 56th Avenue SW to the Don Armeni Boat Launch Ramp. As in the past, SPD will detour those who do not live in the vicinity from Alki on to California Ave SW until 5 p.m.

(Added Friday morning: The citywide weekend event alerts, here.)

NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND, SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT PLANS: A roundup of what’s ahead for the Spokane Street Viaduct section of the West Seattle Bridge includes two notes looking past next week, before next week’s closure schedule – the switch from eastbound 1st ramp open to eastbound 4th ramp open is not going to happen next week after all; plus, in early June there will be a full=weekend closure of the westbound SSV – read on for complete details from SDOT: Click to read the rest of Transportation alerts: Bike-to-Work Day; Alaskan Way Viaduct closure; Alki ‘car-free day’; Spokane Street Viaduct…

West Seattle ferry alert: 2 days with 2 boats on Fauntleroy run

Capacity on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run of Washington State Ferries will be down a boat next Monday and Tuesday because the Tillikum has to go in for its annual inspection and the Klahowya isn’t available to replace it – it’s still out of service for repairs. So WSF has sent an alert about this, as well as posting notices at terminals and publishing the 2-boat schedule on its website (see it here). The Tillikum actually will be out of service for the inspection starting Sunday, but WSF will be adding the Yakima on the route, just for that day, before it moves to another run.

West Seattle road-work reminder: Beach Drive work begins

About two blocks of the bumpiest stretch of Beach Drive, in the 6200 block and further south, will get fixed starting today. Our photo’s from about half an hour ago, when we went over to check that the crews were indeed getting going as announced last week by SDOT. The work is scheduled to continue daily, 7 am-7 pm, for the rest of this week, and SDOT says traffic will be allowed through the area (police are scheduled to be there to help). As first reported here a week ago, the stretch that’s being fixed does NOT include the also-rutted lanes alongside the disputed slide zone to the north; that’s been tied up in court for a year-plus, but the City Attorney’s Office tells WSB that mediation is scheduled later this month in hopes of resolving it.

Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, and free bus rides all week

Also coming up Friday – it’s Bike-to-Work Day, and in addition to the commute station on the west end of the “low bridge” here in West Seattle, two White Center spots participating this year – both marked on the map above with aqua markers – Caffe Delia (9622 16th SW) is inviting bike commuters to stop by for coffee, waffles, and Full Tilt Ice Cream (Caffe Delia and FT are both members of the Rat City Business Association, a WSB sponsor); and Dubsea Coffee (9910 8th SW), with free bike tune-ups as well as free coffee.

And all week – tomorrow through Friday – Metro and Sound Transit are offering free rides to any bicyclist who loads a bike on one of their buses. Each bus, Metro notes, has three spaces, available first-come first-served. And if you’ve never used the bus bike rack before, remember that you can give the same equipment a try at Alki Bike and Board at 2606 California SW in the Admiral District (ABB is also participating in the Friday morning bike-to-work station by the low bridge, mentioned above).

Update: Next 2 overnight bridge closures canceled

Just in from SDOT:

Overnight closures of the westbound lanes of the Spokane Street Viaduct from SR 99, previously announced for tonight, Wednesday, May 9, and tomorrow, Thursday May 10, have been cancelled.  The contractor was able to complete planned work during closures Monday and Tuesday nights. 
 
Other overnight closures of the same westbound lanes are likely next week.  Information will be released once details have been finalized.

Update: Part of rutted Beach Drive set for repairs; lawsuit set for mediation

Heading back from checking out an unrelated story early this morning, we noticed these signs stretching along a couple blocks of Beach Drive SW immediately south of the disputed slide slope, creating a no-parking zone for “construction” later this week. Coincidentally, we had just inquired hours earlier with the City Attorney’s Office about the status of the legal fight over the slide site, and while we’re still awaiting that information, we asked SDOT if this is work related to that site. Answer: No, but it IS work to repair the rocky stretch of Beach Drive just south of there, replied spokesperson Marybeth Turner. She says the dates have changed, too – though the signs said May 9-11 when we checked them early today, according to Turner, the work is now set for next week.

2:34 PM UPDATE: We do now have that update on the legal fight over the slide-plagued slope that is now held behind a block wall (though water continues leaking onto the road, as we saw today, days after the last rain, with puddling right across from the semi-new BUMP warning sign):

The legal fight involves multiple parties that filed claims and counter-claims, including upslope homeowners, streetfront homeowners, and the city; its status isn’t available online, but City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Kimberly Mills told WSB today, “We have a mediation scheduled for the end of the month and hope the parties can resolve the issues.”

King County Council finalizes September Metro changes

A major round of West Seattle/White Center-area Metro changes that have been under discussion for months – with some revisions along the way – is now official. The King County Council gave its approval this afternoon to the changes summarized here (with a West Seattle-specific overview here), and they’ll take effect as West Seattle RapidRide launches September 29th. Read on for the official county news release: Click to read the rest of King County Council finalizes September Metro changes…

Bike Month kickoff: Westside School’s two-wheelin’ Sunday

(Photos by Preston Poythress)
Thanks to Astrid Klopsch, a Westside School (WSB sponsor) parent who along with fellow parent Carmel Schimmel led a Bike Month workshop at the school today, for sharing this report on how it went:

Today from 10 am – 12:00 pm, Westside School, with the support of the Cascade Bicycle Club, hosted a Bike Month Kick-off where children of all ages received assistance with bike adjustments, practiced skills and rode through obstacle courses.

More than 35 students participated – everyone showed improvements and one student even was able to get rid of their training wheels. It was a big success and everyone is looking forward to more great biking.

Bike Month includes Bike to Work Day, coming up on May 18th, a week from Friday; once again this year, there’ll be a commute station by the west end of the “low bridge,” co-sponsored by Alki Bike and Board (here’s a list of the commute stations around the region).

Project updates from Viaduct/South Portal Working Group meeting

Every few months, WSDOT convenes the “stakeholders” known as the South Portal Working Group to get a briefing on what’s up with the south end of the Highway 99/Viaduct/Tunnel project and everything that ties into it. They got together again late today at the usual meeting spot, Sound Transit‘s board room at King Street Station. Ahead, toplines of potential West Seattle interest:

SPOKANE STREET VIADUCT WIDENING PROJECT:

*Approaching 90 percent completion, says SDOT project manager Stuart Goldsmith. The project is now expected to be done in “early September.” The new westbound 1st Avenue South ramp won’t fully open till then.

*May 22nd is the date expected for reopening the 4th Avenue eastbound exit, and then closing the 1st Avenue South eastbound ramp for another 6 to 8 weeks.

*Exit confusion where the bridge meets 99 (and truckers going rogue): They’re still working on signage – covering the ones that point them to the Spokane St. Viaduct for I-5.

NEW HIGHWAY 99 BRIDGE (ELEVATED STRUCTURE) WHERE THE VIADUCT USED TO BE:

*WSDOT’s Matt Preedy says the first set of girders for the northbound bridge was set last night – right now both directions are running on the semi-recently-completed bridge that will eventually carry southbound traffic. They have met the milestone of “100 percent up out of the ground,” said Preedy, and are on track to complete the bridge and shift traffic onto it by fall of this year – earlier than what they thought last year.

SOUTH ATLANTIC STREET OVERCROSSING FOR 99

*Bids will be opened later this month; this overpass bridge is to be complete by end of next year. How will bicycles get along? Preedy was asked. The path back to West Seattle will be “detoured a little further to the west” during construction.

EAST MARGINAL WAY SOUTH REBUILD

*On track for completion by June.

AIRPORT WAY SOUTH BRIDGE

*Still expected to reopen by the end of the year.

HOW WOULD SODO BASKETBALL/HOCKEY ARENA AFFECT TRAFFIC?

*One group member pointed out that the possibility completely tousles what’s been under discussion here for a very long time – 4 extra “events” a week – and wondered if it had been adequately discussed among transportation managers.

*The arena came up, by the way, in a new “what’s on your mind?” section of the meeting. Some members including West Seattle’s Pete Spalding had suggested the group’s meetings needed more time to listen to actual concerns regarding the south end traffic situation, and less on presentations that might or might not directly affect them.

ALASKAN WAY – NOW, FUTURE

*Wednesday or Thursday of next week, the detour announced last week – with the demonsration video repeated above – will take effect, and will be in effect until at least early 2014, “possibly longer, depending on the city’s seawall-replacement schedule,” Preedy says. Traffic will be under the Viaduct all the way to Madison. If continuing north, you veer over, and by Spring Street, you’re back in the current Alaskan Way lans. Through traffic will be southbound one lane; northbound, part two, part one. They will implement “bumper to bumper” ferry queueing on the dock, which means 100 more cars, with the help of an on-dock supervisor. There’s 100 extra potential spaces using some street/curb space.

*East/west, they will feed people directly off the dock with more options including going straight through and accessing 2nd Avenue Extension. The bike path will be on the east side of the viaduct path from Jackson to Yesler, but north of that, the bike path will cross the detoured Yesler then cross again at Madison. West Seattle group member Vlad Oustimovitch worried that would be creating a lot of “bicycle/vehicle conflicts” in the short run. He called the detour-and-detour again plan “convoluted.” WSDOT says they’re most concerned about safety. The sidewalk on the west side of Alaskan Way will remain open, but it’s not wide enough to be the primary route.

ALASKAN WAY WIDENED FOR STREET PARKING

*About 66 on-street metered parking spots are being created between Spring and Pike along Alaskan Way. That’s about a third of the 200 lost under The Viaduct.

West Seattle RapidRide: Fauntleroy ferry dock work starts May 11

Crews have been working on bus stop, roadway, and sidewalk changes along the West Seattle RapidRide route for the past few months – almost everywhere but at the Fauntleroy ferry dock, but the date for that work to start is now set. Just in from Metro:

Some big transit improvements are coming to the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock in West Seattle.

Beginning May 11, King County Metro Transit will begin a month-long project to install a variety of improvements to accompany the start of the RapidRide C Line this fall. Those improvements will include two new RapidRide stations, lighting, information kiosks displaying real-time bus arrival times and 5 electric charging stations for vanpool and public use.

Improvements will also make boarding the bus easier. An additional bus bulb will be added at the northbound RapidRide station to provide for a larger boarding platform. Other amenities will provide better access to and from the ferry terminal area for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

Construction work is expected to occur weekdays between the hours of 6:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and may cause periodic traffic disruptions. During intensive construction periods, flaggers or police officers will be on hand to keep traffic moving, especially during peak travel times.

While construction is underway, bus riders will be directed to a temporary southbound bus stop on Southwest Wildwood Place. While the northbound bus stop will be less affected, riders will occasionally need to use the bus stop just to the north on Fauntleroy Way Southwest at Southwest Trenton Street.

New features, such as shelters, benches and lighting, will be available for immediate public use when construction is complete. Other improvements, such as electric vehicle plug-ins and real time bus arrival information, will be phased in over the next several months.

The RapidRide C Line begins operation Saturday, Sept. 29.

Speaking of downtown traffic: Waterfront reroute soon

WSDOT has just gone public with that new video showing a reroute of Alaskan Way that kicks in during the second week of May, preparing for Highway 99 tunnel work, and it’s likely to be of particular interest to people who use the downtown ferry terminal as well as pedestrian/bicycle path users. Here’s the detailed explanation.

Clearer view of ‘rechannelization’ proposed for Delridge Way

At the end of our last update on the “rechannelization” proposed for a stretch of Delridge Way SW, in connection with changes along Metro Route 120, we mentioned having asked SDOT for clearer graphics, since the ones linked from Metro’s website weren’t optimal. Jeff Bender, who had represented the city at last Tuesday’s open house at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (WSB coverage here), has provided a few that do seem much clearer, which might be helpful if you haven’t commented on the proposal yet. Above, the cross-section; he also provided PDFs that show the entire stretch of the proposed rechannelization from Delridge/Andover to Delridge/Oregon – here they are in simple black/white, or here, as an aerial-photo overlay. Though the reconfiguration discussion has been bundled into the bus-route discussion so far, Bender told us there is a separate SDOT review process under way right now – here’s how to get your comments to them. He did not indicate a deadline, but we’d say “ASAP,” since Metro had set this past Friday for its deadline to receive overall comments on the proposed Route 120 changes, including removal of some stops.

Happening now: Join CoolMom & friends to ‘Think Outside the Car’

(First 3 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Music, fun, and food right now in the north lot at Westside School (WSB sponsor), 34th just south of SW Holden, where CoolMom‘s “Think Outside the Car” kickoff celebration continues till 2 pm. BottleRockit is playing, and the Lumpia World and Athena’s food trucks are selling lunch:

There’s another kids’ bike parade planned at 1:30 pm, and in the meantime, don’t be chicken about getting an “Undriving License”:

(added) Here are Hannah and Elliot Goldstein with theirs:

(Photo by Undriving’s Julia Field)
“Think Outside the Car” is a campaign not to get you entirely out of your car, but to encourage walking and biking when possible, and also to reduce driving impacts – asking people not to idle their engine while waiting at school, for example. Watch for more info and events to come.

ADDED 5:40 PM: One more photo – this one from Don Brubeck, who was there volunteering with Cascade Bicycle Club:

The Cascade mention reminds us – Bike To Work Day is coming up on May 18th.

West Seattle traffic alert: Paving ahead for Admiral Way hill

Just in from SDOT:

Next week, weather permitting, from Tuesday, May 1, through Friday, May 4, a Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) paving crew will be working on SW Admiral Way between SW City View Street and SW Hanford Street. The crew will be grinding down the street surface, making repairs to the base and then paving SW Admiral Way in the northwest direction – uphill – from the eastside curb to the center line. During the work, which will take place between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day, traffic will be in will be reduced to one lane in each direction until 2:30 p.m., then opened up to two lanes northwest bound (uphill) and one lane southeast bound (downhill).

A lane will be provided for bicyclists. Parking will not be allowed in the work zone. Crosswalks and sidewalks will remain open. The project is part of SDOT’s 2012 Arterial Major Maintenance program.

Here’s a map.

Followup: How to comment on Delridge ‘rechannelization’

One followup to a report we published Wednesday afternoon: Though the proposal for “rechannelization” – changing lane configuration and parking availability – along part of the northern stretch of Delridge Way SW has been bundled into discussion of other changes along Metro Route 120, SDOT does have a separate comment process. Here’s how SDOT’s Jeff Bender, who was at the Route 120 open house at Youngstown on Tuesday, answered our followup question:

The proposed Delridge rechannelization still needs to be reviewed and approved by SDOT. We worked with Metro to support their open house last Tuesday and to help gather more community input on the proposed rechannelization and other elements of the proposal. SDOT would like to approve a final rechannelization design within about a month so it can be implemented by September.

The City is very interested in comments on all elements of the proposal, and will consider all ideas we receive as the approval process moves forward. Interested parties should feel free to send any comments to me.

He’s at jeff.bender@seattle.gov – we have also asked if they have any renderings that more clearly show the proposed changes, since the only ones we’ve seen (PDF here) are difficult to read.

Comment deadline Friday for Metro Route 120 changes including Delridge ‘rechannelization’

This Friday is Metro‘s deadline for comments on the big changes proposed along Route 120 in Delridge. Last night, they took comments in person – via butcher paper, among other methods – during an open house at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center; they also are offering an online survey. Even if you’re not a bus rider, you might want to take a look and offer an opinion, because the plan includes “rechannelization” for a stretch of north Delridge Way SW, with bike/bus lanes plus less parking. Here’s how Metro summarizes potential effects of the changes overall:

Bus riders— If you ride Route 120, you’ll have a faster trip and your bus will probably spend less time waiting at busy traffic signals. If your bus stop is planned for closure, you may have to travel farther to get to or from it. Many of the remaining stops will get new amenities such as bus shelters, landing pads, and/or benches.

Drivers— If you drive, you may experience more delays in your evening commute southbound on Delridge Way SW due to the added southbound bike lane and the elimination of on-street parking.

Bike riders— If you bike, you will benefit from the addition of southbound bike lane along Delridge Way SW between SW Oregon Street and SW Andover Street and a northbound shared bus, bike, and off-peak parking lane. You may need to be more alert as you negotiate the shared bus lane with buses, right-turning vehicles, and parked cars.

Neighbors— If you live or own a business along Delridge Way SW between SW Andover Street and SW Oregon Street, you or your customers will have fewer parking options due to the added bike and bus lanes. Parking will be allowed in the bus lane during non-commute hours. See a diagram showing how parking on Delridge will change.

The Delridge/Andover intersection in particular drew some attention while we were at the open house; Metro reps were being asked if they had observed the area’s jam-packed traffic before suggesting that – including the truck traffic bound to and from the Nucor steel plant. There was also discussion centered on the proposed removal of some stops – here’s the list of stops to be closed in West Seattle/White Center:

Delridge Way SW

Northbound (at SW Oregon St)
Southbound (at SW Oregon St)
Northbound (at SW Edmunds St)
Southbound (at SW Edmunds St)
Northbound (at Puget Blvd SW)
Southbound (at Puget Blvd SW)
Southbound (at SW Orchard St)
Southbound (at SW Holden St)

16th Avenue SW
Southbound (at SW 110th St)

Closing fall 2012

SW Henderson
Westbound (at Delridge Way SW)
26th Ave SW
Northbound (at SW Cambridge St)
Southbound (at SW Cambridge St)
SW Roxbury St
Westbound (at 22nd Ave SW)
Eastbound (at 20th Ave SW)

Some stops are to be moved/added, as well; take a closer look via this map).

As for the rechannelization – the changes are to be made primarily between Andover and Oregon on Delridge, as shown here.

Metro’s website for the proposals says the changes will start as soon as next month (for some of the stop-spacing plans); again, they’ve set Friday as the deadline for comments – use the survey link above, or e-mail haveasay@kingcounty.gov.

P.S. For a neighborhood perspective, North Delridge Neighborhood Council co-chair Amanda Leonard was among the open-house attendees and has published a summary on the NDNC website – see it here.

Heads up! You might wind up behind a road-striping crew

(WSB photo from April 2011)
As discussed here last Saturday, the city was out striping the West Seattle Bridge without advance warning – but today, they are issuing a blanket traffic alert pointing out that you might find yourself in the vicinity of a painting crew sometime, somewhere, between tomorrow and late September:

Now that the rainy season is winding down, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is revving up to begin its annual five-months of road striping work covering 1148 lane miles. The majority of work begins tomorrow, April 25, and could continue through September 26, depending on weather and accomplishments.

The work will primarily involve slow moving paint trucks, averaging about three to six miles an hour. Drivers may encounter slight delays as a result. There will be no lane closures required, unless extensive lay-out (measuring) is needed to delineate lane markings that have been totally eradicated by traffic and snow removal. In which case, warning signs will be posted.

The road striping, which requires dry weather, could start as early as 5 a.m., but will likely take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. mainly on secondary arterials Tuesdays through Fridays. Arterials, the Downtown Core area (First through Sixth avenues), and known high-volume traffic areas will be striped early Saturday mornings to minimize the impact on motorists.

Funding for the work is provided by the Bridging the Gap voter-approved transportation initiative and the General Fund. Drivers are asked to drive cautiously through the work zones allowing the crews plenty of room to do their work safely.

Besides the bridge, we saw freshly painted markings on Delridge Way SW yesterday, too. If you happen to spot a painting crew and can safely call or text (you’re in the passenger seat, on a bus, noticing from your window at home, etc.), please consider letting us know so we can share the traffic alert, however shortlived – 206-293-6302 voice or text, any time.

West Seattle transit: RapidRide work; Route 120 meeting Tuesday

Two transit-related notes:

RAPIDRIDE WORK: Work continues along West Seattle’s future RapidRide route – the bus service that starts this fall – and we just noticed while in The Junction that, though the crew has moved off the Twilight/Edie’s/Rose Nails side of SW Alaska west of California, they are now cutting up the concrete on the other side of that stretch, by KeyBank, and that is closing the north entrance to the alley. The parking lot there is still open, but your best bet for getting to it is from 44th SW.

ROUTE 120 MEETING ON TUESDAY: One more advance reminder, tomorrow is your chance to get more information, and get questions answered, about the big changes ahead for Route 120 through eastern West Seattle. Metro’s having a meeting/open house 5:30-7:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, April 24) at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW). We first brought you word of this during a briefing at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting last month (WSB coverage here). Even if you can’t be there tomorrow night, you can take an online survey – deadline is this April – find it on the right side of this Metro webpage (which has more info about the Route 120 changes – not just the buses, but also Delridge “rechannelization” related to the changes).

The ‘other’ RapidRide-related work: SW Alaska rechannelization in May

The next major “rechannelization” in West Seattle is now just weeks away, according to SDOT. The timetable for SW Alaska changes in The Junction and Triangle came up during a briefing at tonight’s Morgan Community Association meeting, mostly about RapidRide-related road work (though RapidRide is a county Metro Transit project, the road/sidewalk/signal changes are being done in association with SDOT). SDOT’s RapidRide project manager Mike Ward told MoCA that the work is now expected to be done next month – no date firmed up yet, but they’ll plan on making it happen over a period of about four days – starting on a Monday, wrapping up Thursday. As reported here last year, the rechannelization will include these changes:

· Install an eastbound business access and transit Lane (BAT) between 42nd Avenue SW and 40th Avenue SW

· Install a westbound BAT lane between Fauntleroy Way and 42nd Avenue SW

· Remove parking on the north side of SW Alaska Street between California Avenue SW and 42nd Avenue SW and north side of SW Alaska Street between 41st Avenue SW and Fauntleroy; remove parking on south side of SW Alaska Street between 42nd and Fauntleroy

· Install a westbound left turn pocket at California Avenue and SW Alaska Street

· Install an eastbound left turn pocket at 42nd Avenue SW and SW Alaska Street

· Install a westbound bicycle lane between Fauntleroy Way and approximately 30 feet west of 41st Avenue SW

We’ll have the rest of the RapidRide discussion in our full report on the MoCA meeting, but wanted to get this news out sooner. For the city’s renderings of how the rechannelization will work, scroll down this page.

‘Bashed up,’ NOT closed up: Twilight and neighbors in The Junction

The continued work for a RapidRide stop on SW Alaska west of California isn’t moving “rapidly” enough for the businesses stuck behind the backhoes, as first mentioned here a week and a half ago – like Twilight Artist Collective, which currently has the view we photographed through their front window, and which is now into “making lemonade out of lemons” mode: They’ve announced a “Bashed-Up-Street Sale” all week long, 10 percent off if you come in and mention that phrase. Yes, you CAN get into Twilight, Edie’s Shoes, and Rose Nails along the stretch west of Easy Street Records. Twilight is open till 7 tonight. (We’re working to get an update on how much longer this section of the work will take; all along the future RapidRide route, it’s been happening in phases, first the concrete and utilities, then the stop/station shelters, benches, signage depending on what’s scheduled for a certain spot.)

P.S. Twilight and Edie’s also are part of this Saturday’s “Tax-Free Day for All” daylong Junction-wide sale – participants listed here