West Seattle, Washington
10 Saturday
Two more local projects have informal meetings scheduled as part of the city’s Early Community Outreach for Design Review process:
9402 18TH SW: You can meet project team members for this nine-unit townhouse/rowhouse plan [map] at 6 pm September 16th in the White Center Library meeting room (1409 SW 107th). They’re also accepting feedback via an online survey – find it here in both English and Spanish.
2626 45TH SW: At 5 pm September 18th, members of this project’s team will be at the site to talk with interested community members. They’re planning 6 townhouse units [map].
(WSB photo from earlier this month)
The next two days are your last two chances of the summer to explore the shore during low-low tides. At 10:35 am Thursday and 11:22 am Friday, low tides will be out to -2.1 feet – the last daytime tides that low this year. Not quite as low as the minus-3-foot low tides earlier this summer but low enough for exploring! (If you can’t get out on the beach until the weekend, Saturday’s low-low tide is decent for beachwalking too – -1.5 feet at 12:09 pm.) New around here? A favorite low-tide-exploring spot is Constelltion Park/Richey Viewpoint along Beach Drive south of Alki Point. But tread lightly and take great care with any creatures you see!
As promised at Monday’s tunnel-toll announcement, Metro and SDOT have come up with a plan to address the slowness of West Seattle (etc.) bus routes, and plan to unveil it at a media briefing at midday tomorrow. They “will detail efforts to improve transit travel times and reliability for West Seattle bus riders on routes 21x, 37, 55, 56, 57, 113, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, and the RapidRide C Line,” according to the preview. And they “will also discuss lane changes and signal-timing improvements to keep people and goods moving through this chapter of the Seattle Squeeze.” We’ve been covering the bus trouble here for more than a month, since readers started pointing out the worsening downtown jams, particularly during the southbound pm commute.
(WSB photo from Monday)
If you’re using the Highway 99 tunnel tomorrow, you might notice the tolling signs that currently say FREE will instead display symbols. Just a test, WSDOT spokesperson Laura Newborn says – tolling really won’t start until November 9th, as announced back on Monday. Depending on the time of day, here’s what the signage will show tomorrow (and other testing times) in the Good To Go (GTG) and Pay By Mail (PBM) displays:
Time of Day GTG PBM
5:30 a.m. $!.)) $#.))
6 a.m. to 7 a.m. $!.@% $#.@%
7 a.m. to 9 a.m. $!.%) $#.%)
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $!.@% $#.@%
3 p.m. to 6 p.m. $@.@% $$.@%
6 p.m. to 11 p.m. $!.@% $#.@%
11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. $!.)) $#.))
Newborn says 4,000 more people have signed up for free GTG sticker passes since Monday’s announcement – you can do it by going to 99tunnel.com.
(Photo from February snow, courtesy Jeff B)
Back in April – when we were only two months removed from this year’s February snowpocalypse – we reported on the King County Council considering waiving Metro fares during that kind of weather. Today, on an extra-warm late-summer day, councilmembers finalized the plan. Here’s the announcement:
Today the Council approved legislation sponsored by Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles that would waive enforcement of Metro transit fares when Metro activates its Emergency Snow Network to encourage people to use transit and avoid driving during severe snowstorms.
The legislation was approved 7-2 with Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Kathy Lambert voting in opposition.
Metro customers will be able to ride without paying the transit fare while the Emergency Snow Network is in effect. The legislation increases accessibility of Metro transit service for those experiencing homelessness in need of shelter and encourages all residents to avoid driving during severe snowstorms.
“Like our policy of free fares on New Year’s Eve, this legislation is about promoting safety,” said Kohl-Welles. “It will encourage people to stay off the roads and get to where they need using a safer mode of transportation – regardless if they have an Orca Card or enough money to pay the fare.”
The measure was proposed earlier this year by Kohl-Welles in response to a massive storm that devastated roads and highways across the region in February and became known as “Snowmageddon.” This resulted in Metro activating the Emergency Snow Network for the first time.
A memo accompanying the legislation projects this could “potentially cost Metro approximately $64,750 per day during a snow event warranting enactment of the Emergency Snow Network.”
This Sunday (September 1st), Amanda Winans will be the next open-water swimmer to attempt the Amy Hiland Swim, named for the woman who in 1959 became the first person on record to accomplish the swim between Bremerton and Alki Point. Six have done it since – from Erika Norris in September 2016 to Stephanie Zimmerman earlier this month. Northwest Open Water Swimming Association president Andrew Malinak announced the Sunday plan and tells WSB, “Amanda is yet another swimmer who has been training at Alki for the past several years, and has been a regular training partner of Stephanie Zimmerman since she began training at Alki. This will be Amanda’s first marathon swim. Amanda is a research engineer at the UW School of Oceanography, and regularly entertains us on swims by pointing out which marine invertebrates we’re swimming through.” Both Stephanie and Erika will be among the crew supporting/officiating during Amanda’s swim; Andrew will pilot the support boat.
11:16 AM: Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
CAR PROWLS: From Debbie:
Last night (1:55 am) was a pretty active night in our neighborhood. We heard car of young men go through, a loud bang that we thought was a window breaking; but have no description of car or occupants. There is evidence they were in cars from 37th & Cloverdale to 39th & Thistle, hitting Sullivan Street between 37th & 39th as well. They took a set of golf clubs out of one car & tossed them along a one-block path.
BURGLARY ATTEMPT: From Matt:
Our doorbell camera caught this woman trying to break into our house (Tuesday) in the Alaska Junction. The door was locked so all that she got away with was a watering can and a plant from our deck.
ADDED 11:52 AM: One more report that just came in:
STOLEN BICYCLE: From Jake near California/Holly:
Want to give my neighbors a heads up – my locked bicycle was stolen out of our backyard early Tuesday AM (8/27). Particularly unnerving because it was very much out of sight within a fenced yard. I feel we were cased as the thief had to bring in some serious bolt cutters to cut the locking cable. Please be on the lookout for a metallic green TREK Mountain bike with twin black saddlebag/ panniers and rear rack.
(Black Turnstone, photographed by Robin Sinner, shared in the WSB Flickr group)
Highlights for an extra-warm Wednesday:
WADING POOL & SPRAYPARK: Through Labor Day, 11 am-8 pm daily operating hours continue for the Lincoln Park wading pool (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW) and Highland Park spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale).
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE: 1 pm at the air-conditioned Senior Center of West Seattle, 1949’s “Armored Car Robbery” is this week’s movie. $1 members, $2 nonmembers, popcorn included. (4217 SW Oregon)
HIGH POINT MARKET GARDEN FARM STAND: Eighth week for this year’s weekly farm-stand sessions, selling fresh produce and flowers, all grown by local residents, at the mini-farm by the stand. 4 pm-7 pm. (32nd SW/SW Juneau)
SSC ADMISSIONS WORKSHOP: South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) invites you to this 4:30 pm workshop “to assist future students and community members with the admission and enrollment process.” More info in our calendar listing. (6000 16th SW)
DISASTER-SKILLS WORKSHOP: 5:30 pm at Southwest Library, presented by the city Office of Emergency Management:
This workshop provides training on key skills needed after a disaster and more in depth instruction on key preparedness actions. Participants will rotate through four stations, with each lasting 30 minutes. The workshop covers the following topics: (1) Fire Extinguisher Use, (2) Utility Control, (3) Water Storage and Purification and (4) Emergency Sanitation.
Free, but register here ASAP! (9010 35th SW)
PARKS SUPERINTENDENT @ HPAC: Jesús Aguirre, who recently returned to the role of Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent, is the guest at tonight’s <strong>Highland Park Action Committee meeting, 7 pm at HP Improvement Club. (1116 SW Holden)
YOUR TURN AT THE MIC: Open Mic night at Great American Diner and Bar, 7 pm signup, 7:30 pm performances. All ages. (4752 California SW)
HIP SHOT: Fusion jazz at Parliament Tavern, 8 pm. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
9:26 AM: SFD has a big response headed for the 4100 block of SW Othello. More to come.
9:30 AM: Per radio communication, this is an exterior fire and it’s out aside from smoldering. All but a few units are being dismissed.
Thinking about buying a new bed? The West Seattle Booster Club is raising money for West Seattle High School athletic programs again this year with a mattress sale 10 am-5 pm September 14th at the school:
Come support your Wildcats on September 14th! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. 100% of the proceeds will be reinvested in Locker Room renovations, Gymnasium upgrades and our WSHS Sports Performance Center! Every dollar and referral helps! Thank you and Go Wildcats!
This flyer has more details.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:52 AM: Good morning!
BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY: It’s the first full day of classes for Seattle Lutheran High School in The Junction (4100 SW Genesee).
STADIUM ZONE: A 1:10 pm game wraps up the Mariners–Yankees series.
THURSDAY PM BUS REMINDER: 4-8 pm on Thursday, because of the Seahawks game, Metro will reroute southbound buses out of Pioneer Square – here are the details (PDF).
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