23rd/22nd SW road closure/no-parking update: Monday is Day 1


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Many who live on Pigeon Point have had this top-of-mind all weekend, but for those who live elsewhere and drive 23rd/22nd SW between Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge/elsewhere and North Delridge – remember that tomorrow’s the day the road closes, along the route shown above (as first reported here February 10th), for up to six weeks. A few new developments today, according to Pigeon Point’s Pete Spalding, one of the neighborhood leaders who’s been in close contact with the city and the developer whose project’s closing the road for sewer-line work: He says the no-parking zones have been reduced somewhat, but they’re hopeful of getting even more parking back by convincing Metro to run the Route 125 bus down 21st SW instead of the currently planned reroute. Any decision on that isn’t expected before tomorrow. Spalding says Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who chairs the Transportation Committee – returned to the neighborhood for the second afternoon in a row, this time with five SDOT reps, who thought the revised bus re-route would make sense, and promised to request it. Spalding also met with developer Jon Riser this morning, and reports he’s “totally concerned” about the neighborhood impacts. As Riser told us in a conversation last night (last element in this story), he’s been working with the city since November on the “traffic plan” for the project – but city rules don’t require early notification, nor do they require community consultation, which is why no one knew about this until the signs went up a week and a half ago. Many hope this might lead to a change in the rules so that neighborhoods would get earlier warning, in order to participate in the planning process and avoid frantic last-minute maneuvering like this. NOTE: Channel 13 did a story on the situation last night – first TV story that we know of:

 

16 Replies to "23rd/22nd SW road closure/no-parking update: Monday is Day 1"

  • sam February 22, 2010 (8:16 am)

    I think the bus could head north on 21st (the divided section). if it’s not, why are there ‘no parking’ signs all along the street ? the bus should either go down that street or they should take down the signs.

    also, there were open curbs (for parking) on Dakota, just east of 21st.
    didn’t see that the detour was in effect quite yet this morning, people were still heading down the hill to Delridge.

  • PPointer February 22, 2010 (9:28 am)

    i really hope they route them up and down 21st. it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me to have them going down other streets when that’s the most direct route.

  • Kim February 22, 2010 (9:32 am)

    Carolyn from SDOT was up on Pigeon Point early this Monday morning checking out the situation in the hopes of making more changes. Residents explained the concerns to her about many of those without driveways at all and special concerns for elderly, those with kids, pregnant women, and the handicapped. Still, the process of getting approval for the changes could still be a couple days away. She expressed that some streets like 21st will remain no parking simply because of the high volume of cars that will be detoured through the neighborhood as a result of the closure on 23rd. Metro has chosen 20th ave for their bus detour which is why they required the no parking signs on both sides. As of now, Carolyn hopes to get more parking freed up on 20th for those without driveways and special circumstances.
    Make complaints directly to metro if the buses are going over 15mph down 20th ave. Sw.

    • WSB February 22, 2010 (10:40 am)

      Thanks for the updates – while the Pigeon Point neighborhood leadership and e-mail list are doing a great job for folks in the area, we want to be sure those beyond, who drive thru the neighborhood etc., are kept in the loop too. So we are also staying in touch with our media contacts at SDOT and Metro, though the latter tells us they hadn’t received a reroute-reevaluation request as of 9:15 this morning – maybe the city and county are planning to talk later today – TR
      .
      (added) From SDOT media: “SDOT is monitoring the situation today and working with Metro to see where changes can be made while maintaining safety” – nothing specific decided as of this writing (10:51 am), however.

  • P-Point-nulu February 22, 2010 (10:46 am)

    PPointer,
    It also makes sense to make the bus route along the slightly longer right-turn route via Charlestown & right up 22nd.
    22nd. being better suited and safer.
    Better suited because it is wider than either half of the split section of 21st.
    Safer because 22nd is the only north south ave. with yield signs for the east west cross streets.

  • Susanna Burney February 22, 2010 (3:20 pm)

    When we starting building our house on 20thSW in 2001, there was no parking on the West side of the street because Metro used to have a bus line that ran on 20th. The route had been shifted elsewhere, but the no parking signs remained until neighbors on our street signed a petition to allow parking on both sides. If there used to be parking allowed on the east side of the street to accommodate Metro, why do they need to shut down both sides now?

    Also, we never received any notification that this was going to happen. As it’s been said, it was shocking to come home Friday afternoon and see the entire Point (except 19th) covered in the red and white no parking signs.

  • proudpugetridger February 22, 2010 (3:21 pm)

    Thanks for all the good work WSB, you clearly have been our best resource for centralized info!
    *
    It’s interesting to go to DPD and pull the sewer card for those lots. There is not any infrastructure on the bottom half of “Cooper Hill” (dating myself!) at all. It will be interesting to see what DPD requires for stormwater collection, as that hill has had long-term water runoff problems in the past. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity to upgrade the overall situation–ice build-up is a legitimate safety issue in that exact area.
    *
    Thanks again–

  • Pete February 22, 2010 (4:52 pm)

    Susanna, this is agreat example of the type of information that you would have had if you were on the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council email list. Those neighbors that get the neighborhood emails have known about this situation for over a week before the No Parking signs went up. AND the WS blog has been talkking about this situation for close to a week as well.

  • Pete February 22, 2010 (6:29 pm)

    oops….mea culpa many times over for the slight TR

    • WSB February 22, 2010 (7:52 pm)

      No slight. Just time flying! Feels like only a week. Where did February go?

  • Tom Rasmussen February 22, 2010 (6:43 pm)

    I spoke to the head of Metro this morning about this and requested that 21st Ave SW be the alternate route. He was not aware of the issue until Brian Hawskford of my office and I brought this to his attention.

    I need to know what today’s rerouting experience was.

    Thanks.

  • Laurie February 22, 2010 (8:30 pm)

    I live in the neighborhood and passed a Metro bus on 21st just before 6pm: it was heading North and turning left onto Andover.

    Don’t know if it’s official yet (that Metro is using 21st).

  • that girl February 22, 2010 (8:47 pm)

    the buses are still driving southbound on 20th as of 8:47 pm.

  • Tom Rasmussen February 22, 2010 (8:53 pm)

    Thanks everyone. I’ll keep working on this.

  • Kryptonite February 22, 2010 (10:13 pm)

    Hi Tom, thanks for staying involved with this. It’s after 10 p.m. and the buses are still using 20th.

    I worked in my yard most of this (completely beautiful!) day so had the benefit of watching dozens of them go up and down the street. I will say that their speed varies widely. Some are definitely doing the “slow order” that Carolyn from SDOT reports they have been given (do not exceed 15 m.p.h.). Many are not. Personally I suspect that having no parked cars around invites temptation in terms of speeding, although I’m sure you couldn’t find anyone who’d admit to that.

    The irony is that between all the extra turns they have to make to take 20th vs. just staying on 21st, I think it will be faster for them to stay on 21st, even considering the speed bumps there. Using 21st would be safer for all and improve the mood of at least half of the folks up here who would no longer have to park far away from their homes.

    Again, sure do appreciate Tom’s continued involvement.

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