West Seattle, Washington
15 Tuesday
Three more West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
GARAGE BREAK-IN #1: Just texted:
Our garage was broken into this evening on SW Bradford St (near 55th SW; map). I pulled up and I thought it was an Amazon delivery. It was a newer model, very clean bright cherry red Chevy smaller truck. It was a white male and white woman. The woman ran from the garage carrying a brand new generator from our garage – nobody was harmed, police were called. There was much stuff in the back of their truck.
GARAGE BREAK-IN #2 & BICYCLE THEFT: From Laura – “Last night our locked garage was broken into. A black Fuji bicycle, circa 2013 or so, was taken. Sorry, no pic available. We are at SW Barton and 22nd Ave SW [map]. Lots of recent car prowls here also.”
AND ANOTHER CAR PROWL: From Eric:
I would like to report a car prowl in the Morgan Junction, on 40th and Morgan [map] last Sunday. I must have forgotten to lock my truck, and when I got in my truck Monday AM someone had been through everything and stole my sunglasses and jumper cables. They also tried to get into the back of my truck (I have a canopy). I filed a police report today.
The weekly SDOT update on the Avalon/35th repaving-and-more project includes a reminder that a major intersection closure is ahead. Here’s all the latest:
Crews are busy on the SW Seattle Paving: 35th/Avalon Project. Crews have, or are planning to complete, the following construction activities:
· Crews have wrapped up road base repairs, curb ramps, and utility work in zone A and B
· Today, Thursday, August 29, crews are paving the south side of Zone C.
· From 9 AM on Friday, September 6 through 6 AM Monday, September 9, we will be closing the SW Avalon and 35th Ave SW intersection for the first of up to three weekend closures to rebuild the concrete roadway.
· From August 28 through September 13, crews will be placing high-friction surface treatments on SW Genesee St and Charlestown Ave SW
· In mid-September, crews plan to return to zones A through C for final grinding and paving
You can read more about each activity in their respective sections below.
35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way Intersection:
To rebuild the concrete roadway, we will be closing the intersection of 35th Ave SW and SW Avalon Way.
· The intersection will be closed from Friday, September 6 at 9 AM to Monday, September 9 to 6 AM
o This intersection closure is weather dependent and subject to change
· Metro buses will be allowed southbound on 35th Ave SW from Fauntleroy between 3 PM and 7 PM on Friday, September 6 to assist with the evening commute
· No-parks on 37th Ave SW and 38th Ave SW to accommodate detour traffic
· This work will take up to 3 weekends
· Please visit our website for more information
· Please follow posted detour routes, see map
The 35th Ave SW and Avalon Way SW intersection must be rebuilt because the existing pavement is nearing the end of its useful life. The project will also make utility upgrades and improvements for people walking, bicycling, driving, and riding the bus. Closing the intersection is necessary for the safety of the traveling public and it will allow us to complete this work as quickly and safely as possible
Information by Zone
Zone C (SW Avalon Way from SW Genesee St to 35th Ave SW)
Today, Thursday, August 29, we are paving the road base on the south side of the road. This work is weather dependent and subject to change. Please note:· There will be no driveway access on the day of paving from 7 AM to 7 PM
· You will not be able to use your driveway for up to 4 hours while the pavement cures
Zone A – C (SW Avalon Way from SW Spokane St to 35th Ave SW)
Once crews have wrapped up this phase of work in Zone C, crews will begin preparing for final paving in Zones A–C. The first construction activity you will see is crews grinding the top layer of pavement as soon as September 12 and 13. Please expect:· No parking signs to be seen along the corridor as early as Friday, August 30 that will be effective starting after the holiday. Please read the permits on the signs for effective no parking dates.
o No parking signs must be placed up to 72 hours before enforcement. Due to the holiday weekend, signs are being installed this Friday.
· Temporary driveway closures as the grinding machine passes. We encourage you to speak with our crews about when work will take place in your area.
· Loud noise, dust and vibrations
· Rough pavement and steel plates on the roadway once base paving is complete
· A single lane of traffic to be maintained in each direction
We anticipate completing final paving as early as September 18 and 19. This work is expected to take place at night to reduce the impacts to traffic as the pavement cures. All driveways and side streets will be closed to SW Avalon Way until crews re-open them. We will provide more information as we get closer to paving.
Zone E (35th Ave SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Alaska St)
We are continuing work in Zone E, including:· Concrete paving on the west side of the street from SW Alaska St to SW Oregon St this week. This work is weather dependent and subject to change.
· Beginning demolition on the east side of the street as early as the week of September 9
· Continuing the closure of SW Snoqualmie St for staging
High Friction Surface Treatments
In the next few weeks, crews will also be placing high friction surface treatments on SW Genesee St and Charlestown Ave SW. Work is expected to take place (now through) September 13 from 9 AM to 3 PM but is weather dependent and subject to change.· Crews will be working on SW Genesee St from SW Avalon Way to 30th Ave SW. One lane of traffic will be maintained, with flaggers present to direct traffic in each direction.
· Crews will be working on Charlestown Ave SW from 46th Ave SW to 47th Ave SW. Charlestown will be closed to through traffic from 45th to 48th. Please follow posted detour routes.
Questions? The project team’s contact info: avalonpaving@seattle.gov or 206-900-8734.
Thunderstorms are rolling through the region. A texter says outdoor Colman Pool has closed early as a result. Right now, just light rain and dark clouds, but we’ll keep watch in the hours ahead.
(File photo)
When Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent JesĂşs Aguirre met with HPAC last night (full report to come), he was asked about a long upcoming closure of West Seattle’s only off-leash area, at Westcrest Park. Aguirre didn’t have details but said he’d look into it. We hadn’t heard about it either, but found some information on the Parks website, which elaborates:
There have been ongoing drainage and erosion concerns at the Westcrest OLA, since at least 2016. Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is proposing to undertake maintenance activities in and around the Westcrest Park OLA to address these problems. SPR will also be taking this opportunity to bring the north parking lot into compliance with current accessibility standards.
SPR is in the process of refining the design and acquiring the necessary permit. The revised design will solve the drainage and erosion issues while providing a better user experience for all users.
Construction will begin in the spring of 2020 and we anticipate completion by fall. Due to safety for all and the scope of the project, the north parking lot and the entire OLA will be closed for the duration of construction. We understand the impact this will have on the OLA and are endeavoring to keep the shy/small dog use area open for everyone’s use during most of the construction.
The project page has more specifics on exactly what will be done; Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin says the exact start date hasn’t been finalized yet. She also followed up for us on an attendee’s mention of a September 18th hearing related to the project; a nearby resident has appealed the determination (PDF) that the project doesn’t need an environmental-impact report, and the city Hearing Examiner will consider the case on that day. The appellant says the closure of the off-leash area will be a hardship unless an temporary substitute is available.
When the Community Advisory Committee for city-sanctioned West Seattle encampment Camp Second Chance met earlier this month (WSB coverage here), they expected the city would call a wider community meeting about C2C’s future, so they canceled the September committee meeting. But now it’s back on – a week later than usual – because the city so far hasn’t organized a wider community meeting. So the CAC meeting (usually on 1st Sundays, but that falls during the holiday weekend) is set for 2 pm Saturday, September 7th, with this focus: “This month we will have representatives present from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and the Human Services Department providing a status on the permit for Camp Second Chance.” (Its previously announced six-month extension is about to expire.) The committee will meet in the usual location, the Arrowhead Gardens (9200 2nd SW) community room, all welcome.
11:31 AM: Just announced to address the south-downtown slowdown: Starting September 9th, SB Metro buses will be moved off 1st and onto 2nd, connecting to 4th. There will be a “longterm stop on 2nd Ave Ext. S. between Washington and Main to replace the SB stop at 1st/King.” More details to come.
12:21 PM: Just leaving the media briefing downtown. Also from the announcement: Starting September 12th – the projected start date of the Dearborn section of viaduct demolition – NB buses will be rerouted too, though that’s only expected to last a week and a half or so.
During that time, NB buses that use 99 will take 4th Ave. S. with stops at Prefontaine Pl. and James St.
The permanent pathway for buses is expected to open around the end of the year, the SDOT and Metro reps at the briefing said. Meantime, we asked what took so long to come up with this solution – couldn’t the problem have been predicted?
Metro’s Bill Bryant said it really took summertime traffic to kick in before they realized things weren’t going well. As for the month-plus it’s taken to come up with this, he indicated that they tried hard to see if signal timing and other nonrouting measures would help enough … but they didn’t.
The routing alone isn’t the only change planned; SDOT’s downtown mobility director Heather Marx said there remain many “moving pieces” in terms of signal timing and even channelization changes. Today’s announcement notes that “Buses using 2nd Avenue to connect to 4th Avenue S. will have a second left-turn lane from Columbia St. to 2nd Avenue.” And on 99, for example, the NB bus lane that was in place pre-tunnel will be brought back, possibly in time for the end of the Dearborn demolition.
2:57 PM: Commenter Kyle asked about data. We in turn asked Metro spokesperson Travis Shofner, who replied:
These travel times are between 3rd and Columbia and Avalon St in West Seattle. Here are the scatter plots looking at the afternoon and evening rush (Limited data in these plots):
While we cannot promise that Fourth Avenue South is always going to be faster than First Avenue, riders should have a more predictable commute. From the data … you can see that First Avenue was sometimes the fastest option but also unreliable and inconsistent, with extended travel times for riders in the afternoon and rush hour. Second Avenue to Fourth Avenue South has less data, but in just one day of reroute, showed more consistency and was much more reliable without as many extended travel times. With SDOT improvements not reflected here, we may see those Second Ave/Fourth Ave S times improve.
Anecdotally – judging by the reader reports we’re getting – seems like a busy week for car prowlers. Two more reports start this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:
IN SEAVIEW: From D: “We’ve had 3 nights of car prowlers on 46th Ave between Graham and Raymond. We just had a block meeting with neighbors but wanted to give a shout out to other neighbors who might be next.”
VIA TEXT: Received this morning:
Thought I’d say I live in the 7300 block of 16th Ave SW; my car was had almost everything missing, taken when I left to go to work, just now realized. :( so sad, it’s just an old piece of dirt car with all my work items … among other things (that) got taken.
MAIL THEFT: From Michelle:
We live on 20th Ave SW between Thistle and Elmgrove. (Tuesday) night, someone figured out a way to pry open our sturdy locking mailbox. They stole a small package containing a new watch my father-in-law mailed to my husband. Other mail was stolen including birthday cards for our son. We called the non-emergency line and a policeman came out pretty quickly.
We usually pick up mail daily but missed Tuesday. This is the third time we’ve had mail stolen and thought the locking mailbox would deter thieves. The last time this happened, the police recovered our mail from the home of a woman they arrested for stealing identities and committing other fraud. It was a
painful process to restore identity.
Michelle says they’ve “started researching secure mailboxes and security cameras.”
(Least Sandpiper, photographed at Constellation Park by David Hutchinson)
Highlights for your pre-holiday-weekend Thursday:
POSTCARDS TO VOTERS: Local advocates are reaching across the miles by mail. Read what it’s about here; drop in at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) 10 am-noon. More info here. (5612 California SW)
LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -2.1 feet at 10:35 am.
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).
VOLUNTEER FAIR: Hundreds of people volunteer at Providence Mount St. Vincent and you can join them! 3-7 pm today, find out more at The Mount’s volunteer fair. (4831 35th SW)
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH: Backpacks, school supplies, haircuts offered at Southwest Youth and Family Services, 4-7 pm. (4555 Delridge Way SW)
RENDETTA & LEFT SIDE SUN: Doors 7 pm, music 8 pm at The Skylark. $8 cover. 21+. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
INTO THE COLD & GUESTS: 9 pm at Parliament Tavern. $5 cover. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
MORE! See today’s other listings via our full calendar.
(Photo courtesy Free Waterfront Shuttle)
If you use the Free Waterfront Shuttle downtown, they want you to know that it’s been extended to October 31st, instead of ending service on Labor Day weekend as originally scheduled. We last wrote about it back in January, when it expanded hours to help with the viaduct-to-tunnel transition. With viaduct demolition not quite done yet, “additional funding will keep the daily service running,” according to the announcement, which notes:
… Since it started in July 2018, the free service has provided more than 330,000 rides to tourists and locals visiting Seattle’s waterfront, Pioneer Square and downtown’s retail core. The shuttle currently operates seven days a week, running weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The service is provided by the WSDOT-funded DowntownSeattleParking.com program and is managed by Commute Seattle and the Downtown Seattle Association. … The shuttle is funded through the Alaskan Way Viaduct Parking Mitigation Program, designed to increase accessibility to the waterfront and Pioneer Square during viaduct demolition. …
The shuttle offers two routes: one along the waterfront and one linking the downtown core to the waterfront and Pioneer Square. …
With the shuttle now scheduled to run until late October, that also aligns with the end (October 25th) of this year’s 7-day-a-week King County Water Taxi schedule.
(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)
6:53 AM: Good morning!
PM BUS REMINDER: 4-8 pm today, because of the Seahawks game, Metro will reroute southbound buses out of Pioneer Square – here are the details (PDF).
WATER TAXI: It’ll run later tonight because of the football game.
AVALON PAVING: Thanks to David for the tip – some area residents got an update from SDOT saying that “to complete paving early this Friday due to the holiday weekend, crews will be paving the West side of Zone C (today). There will be no driveway access from 7 AM to 7 PM.” Zone C is on Avalon between Genesee and 35th SW. (Update from David: SDOT is actually paving the EAST side today.)
7:11 AM: Trouble reported on the bridge – trucks blocking the eastbound ramp to 99. The bridge cams are still down so we can’t see this, and SDOT hasn’t issued an alert, but we have multiple reader reports – thanks! One person says it looks like a pickup truck driver got stuck trying to pass a semi.
7:18 AM: SDOT has a view with the pickup still stalled on the ramp and says the Incident Response Team is on the way.
7:40 AM: SDOT says the stalled vehicle has been moved and the ramp’s back to normal. (Thanks again for the tips on this – which predated SDOT reports by quite some time – provided you’re not behind the wheel, we appreciate traffic and other breaking-news tips via 206-293-6302, 24/7, text or voice.)
8:35 AM: New bridge alert – if you’re inbound:
Roadwork on West Seattle Bridge WB w/o SR-99 blocking the right lane. Use caution. pic.twitter.com/PdJSVfddjN
— SDOT Traffic (@SDOTtraffic) August 29, 2019
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