Highland Park Action Committee to tackle traffic trouble

| Highland Park | Transportation | West Seattle news

Meet the new Traffic Committee for the Highland Park Action Committee – from left, Carrie Carroll, Blair Johnson, HPAC chair Dan Mullins, and Paul Morton (not pictured: Craig Rankin). They’re in place after tonight’s HPAC meeting, at which HPAC leaders talked with the city’s Neighborhood Services Coordinator for the Delridge District, Ron Angeles, about strategies for getting city Department of Neighborhoods money into HP for traffic-calming projects. A crosswalk right by the building where HPAC meetings, Highland Park Improvement Club [map], is high on the list:

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The committee will meet outside the usual HPAC meetings to determine what Highland Park’s traffic hotspots are, and will report back. Other meeting notes: As discussed at last week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Officer Adonis Topacio from the Southwest Precinct’s Community Police Team has been working with community members to keep closer watch on suspicious activity at Westcrest Park; it was reported tonight that he’s organizing park walkthroughs. One other word about crime – which won’t surprise you if you’ve been watching West Seattle Crime Watch reports here – car prowls and thefts will likely be up, when the month’s over. Also up: The need for Big Brothers and Big Sisters volunteers, per Erin Wenzel (you can find out about volunteering here). And HPIC is having a Tiki Dance at 7 pm Saturday (tickets $7.50 at the door).

The Highland Park Action Committee meets the fourth Monday of each month, 7 pm, at HPIC.

Tanya April 28, 2009 (7:35 am)

It was a good meeting last night, I am really excited about the positive direction of HPAC!

beef April 28, 2009 (9:30 am)

good luck with that crosswalk. I’m sure the City is going to tell you it will be more dangerous for pedestrians with it installed. I’d probably be inclined to agree. You have the almost blind approach from the west coming up from 16th and then the approach from the east would have traffic being backed up affecting highland park.

Unfortunate as it is, the crosswalk would make people more complacent in crossing the street.

I realize the issue and cross right at that intersection every few days to go to the park.

Erin Wenzel April 28, 2009 (4:24 pm)

Thank you to the entire Highland Park Action Committee for your dedication! It’s always wonderful to see neighbors coming together for change.

craig rankin May 2, 2009 (7:31 am)

regarding comments by Beef,

You may be correct about a potential crosswalk at 12th and Holden being unsafe. This would be due to limited viabuility for drivers heading east. 11th may be a better choice.

In terms of the effect on westbound traffic- backing up on Highland Park way due to the yeilding of traffic to pedestrians, I would argue that it is within the rights of pedestrians to expect that drivers obey the law- which in this situation is that pedestrians have a leagal right to cross at corners and traffic must yeild. The problem is, and this is my beef, that traffic often and in my experience usually does not yeild. Running for our lives to walk Highland Park is no way to live.

A crossing at 11th or 12th and Holden is vital for the area. One of the areas best features is its parks. This intersection is a key link for walks between the parks of Riverview with those of Highland Park. A green pedestrian friendly route linking Westcrest, Highland Park Elementary , Riverview playing feilds and parks with the new hiking trails extending beyond SSCC would be an asset that would be appreciated for generations.

I believe that we must make this area safer for pedestrians and that, as is the case in freemont, the Junctions, Alki, Wallingford, and infact most Seattle neighborhoods, pedestrian rights should be respected and neighborhoods should be celebrated.

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