West Seattle bicyclists, you tell us: Is the fact that “sharrows” weren’t included in the Cali repaving truly the outrage this Slog post infers it is, or should be?
West Seattle, Washington
07 Monday
West Seattle bicyclists, you tell us: Is the fact that “sharrows” weren’t included in the Cali repaving truly the outrage this Slog post infers it is, or should be?
I posted this earlier on the SLOG:
California Ave. SW is fairly benign, anyway. What cyclists in West Seattle really need are protections on the through routes like Fauntleroy Way, Avalon Way, the entire section of the Spokane Street low-bridge/causeway – and way better signage (there’s effectively none now). We need a way to be able to use Holden and Thistle and Roxbury without being creamed by faster-than-the-law-allows cars and failure-to-yield drivers. Real marked lanes with enforcement for encroachment will work. There’s lots of driver education which needs to be done.
But, California Avenue SW is about as bike-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, car-friendly, bus-friendly, motorcycle-friendly a street as we’ve got here. Why – the very first road diet was on California Ave. SW. That was in the ’70s – people have become accustomed to all manner and mode of transportation and have adapted – guess what, it’s also a really great street.
Oh, I walk, bike and drive on California regularly and take the 22 or 54 or 128.
“Sharrow” or not, I’m just thankful for the fresh, smooth pavement. Streets around the rest of West Seattle, and the whole city for that matter, are a disgrace!
Headline in last weeks’ West Seattle Herald was something like “No More Paving” – and my first thought was “what a crime that would be!” Repaving (part of) California and (a little of) Admiral should be seen as a teenie-tiny, small start on the massive rebuilding of our tattered infrastructure.
Riding on California is relatively easy, or, what these guys said. It’s already SO pedestrian friendly with the big intersection where everyone gets to go, the wide shoulders, the raised sidewalks. You have to watch carefully for car doors, but so far (and I’m new to WS) so good. I find riding down to Spokane St. a huge drag, tho’ – Avalon and 35th are a nightmare. So no sharrows on Cali? Meh. It’s too bad because I’m all for anything that raises consciousness of cyclists, but it’s not a tragedy.
I think the outrage over at the Slog comes not because of a particular project getting the axe, but that what was touted as such a priority for the city is now being slowly chipped away at…
Cyclists were pretty vocal in their support of the city’s focus on making the streets safer for all wheeled-vehicles. How much more chipping away will leave us exactly where we were before?
Throwing us a “plan” scores some good short-term political points — and they just hope the backlash (as they quietly back-pedal) doesn’t outweigh the flag-waving they got when they first unveiled the plan.
The sharrows themselves aren’t the big deal, as said above, Cali is fairly bike friendly already. The problem is the disregard it shows for bikers, whose numbers are increasing. For all his (self promoted) reputation for being a green mayor, Nickels sure drags his feet when it comes to actually following his words with actions.
Still no notice to neighbors along Beach Drive about the sharrows…
No mention about the Duwamish trail? I just ends there south of Spokane on West Marginal. It always a high light of my commute to get on West Marginal for a few blocks there. People seem to think it is the unofficial WS ‘freeway’ and show little regard to others on it. Wasn’t that suppost to be completed a while ago?
I’m guessing the paint needed for the sharrows is coming out of the crosswalk budget. So as soon as more crosswalks are removed, we will get more sharrows.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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