Thanks for the tip! Striping is under way today on repaved Avalon Way; SDOT had said in its most-recent weekly update that it expected the work to start this week. Previously, the striping wasn’t expected to happen until spring; SDOT now says that’s when it’ll install some of the final touches such as flex posts for the bike lanes. You can see the final design here (PDF).
Just to let everybody know. You will not see me in the downhill bike lane. Downhill bike lanes are a bad idea and dangerous. So, please save your horns and expletives. Kind regards, Benjamin.
Huh? In what way are they dangerous? I don’t know about you, but my bike has brakes.
I agree! Sending bikes between bus island and curb at Yancy is asking for collisions.
? I guess it’ll just me and my children as we bike on a street that feels halfway safe for once.
How do you get anywhere on your bike if you never ride downhill?!
The Shack announced on Instagram they’re closing. Last day is this Friday.
It’s good that they’re striping this so soon after paving was completed. I wish the same was done on Sylvan Way – it was half-paved several months back (maybe even beginning of summer, I don’t remember) yet has still not been re-striped.
Very much looking forward to these bike lanes! Considering Avalon is pretty much the only way in or out of the heart of West Seattle by bike, this is very much appreciated. Now, about 35th Ave … when do we get some desperately needed bike lanes there?
+1 Cyclists may choose to ride on the path, bike lane, shoulder or travel lane as suits their safety needs (RCW 46.61.770). On the other hand, Avalon will likely just be a parking lot during commuting hours, so the bike lane may be the only viable option.
I expect you’re right. Especially since they’ve done nothing to fix the bus lane, which will inevitably be blocked by cars. I’m not sure where else Benjamin thinks he’s going to ride, other than the bike lane.
good point KBear! This is not actually on my normal route. I take Delridge. Just putting it out there. I will be interested, and likely dismayed to see how it turns out. We can already see that the (downhill!) bike lane goes through the bus stop? that makes a lot of sense right?!?! And how about where the “protected” bike lane meats up with Spokane? Where cars are turning right?
Did they save some paint for Sylvan? Starting to wonder if they forgot. The striping truck came and painted before and after the new pavement but never in the new pavement. Do we need to bombard Find it Fix it?
Since multiple people have asked about that, I’m asking SDOT tomorrow. Which probably means the striping truck will be there as I am inquiring but oh well.
That is the most complicated road design I’ve ever seen. Driving on it now I can tell it’s going to weave back and forth across cars, buses, bikes, curbs, and turning vehicles.
Amen. Took that route a couple hours ago and thought to myself: this is going to be interesting.
Only if you speed/play on your phone/ read the paper/do your makeup/ don’t follow traffic laws or generally don’t pay attention when driving. Use your brain and give driving your full attention and every will be fine.
Sadly, that seems to be asking a lot. The majority of us think we’re good drivers. The majority of us also think the majority of OTHERS are bad drivers. (Hint: only one of those can be true. Bigger hint: it’s not the first one.) Many drivers actually do all of the things you’ve listed above while simultaneously judging other drivers. Like the young person with a phone stuck to the side of her head who turned right from the left-hand lane, with no turn signal, and nearly hit me today (I was driving in the right-hand lane). I stopped and allowed her to illegally complete her turn in front of me, which she rewarded by flipping me off. She must be very talented at steering with her knees, too, because the other hand was still busy keeping her phone firmly pressed to her ear.
The striping is ridiculous. Are they planning on having a situation like they have on Broadway where the bike lane is next to the sidewalk, THEN there are parked cars next to the moving traffic? At this moment, all I can see are bike riders getting creamed by people turning from Avalon onto Yancy because they can’t be seen. There also doesn’t appear to be a turn lane any longer. The whole thing looks as though it was planned by third graders.
The design was finalized a year ago. Here’s our pre-construction recap from last spring:
https://westseattleblog.com/2019/04/road-work-alert-what-you-need-to-know-as-avalon-35th-alaska-project-begins/
Simplest method to prevent accidents at corners is to stop people from parking their cars illegally close to the corner creating blind spots for all involved. Looking at the original design there do not appear to be any legal parking spaces anywhere near a corner.
The Yancy C line bus stop passage is a model that is used in other parts of the city. The concept is to keep a protected or seperated lane without having the busses impeading the passage. Most riders are at traffic speed ( considering the cars are actually driving the 30 MPH speed limit ) while passing here and could safely merge to the street lane until they are clear of the stop. This is what I do coming toward downtow on the downhill side of Dexter. For others staying in the bike lane feels safer and slower spedds while passing as well as extreme alertness willl prevent problems. In a design that does not have established bus stops, routing to the backside of the bus stop is better. What is most important is that no one asserts thier right of way and cooperate with each other. Of course that can be said for all traffis.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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