By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Exactly one month after the West Seattle Bridge‘s sudden closure, the West Seattle Transportation Coalition hosted this week’s third community meeting about its effects.
Guests at Thursday night’s online WSTC meeting included Heather Marx and Adiam Emery from SDOT and Chris Arkills and Bill Bryant from Metro. As WSTC chair Michael Taylor-Judd reiterated at the meeting’s start, the focus was on “transportation mitigation” – how is everyone who drove across the high bridge going to get around now?
Marx opened by acknowledging that as a West Seattleite who was also surprised to hear about the bridge, “whatever you’re feeling, I’m feeling too.” She explained that she’s heading the project group – engineering, communications, etc., so if you’re looking for a point person, “I’m the one.” She went through the same slide deck as Wednesday night’s meetings (which in turn was mostly the same as Monday’s City Council briefing and last week’s “might not be fixable” media briefing), including a pitch for signing up for Alert Seattle “because the worst COULD happen.” (Not just bridge-wise.) She also acknowledged the letter SDOT had received from WSTC, and had new slides pointing out actions taken – or planned -from WSTC suggestions. They included:
The “individual street plans” will still boil down to “neighbors helping neighbors,” though, Marx warned. And she addressed WSTC proposals they were rejecting:
Pressed on the low-bridge restrictions, Marx warned that “we have to keep it small for right now” but that they will be open to revisiting it at some point. For now, though, “please encourage others to follow the low-bridge restrictions.”
In Q&A after Marx spoke, first question was from WSTC’s Victoria Nelson, who asked how much transit capacity Metro really would have for supporting West Seattle. Arkills said they’re “having discussions” now, “taking this seriously and gearing up for the future.” Marx added that they are talking with “all of our transportation partners in the region” and “brainstorming” even “crazy” ideas.
Second person pointed out that not everyone from West Seattle commutes to downtown. Marx said they’re well aware so that’s why they want the people who DO to use what’s available. The questioner also said she’d hear West Marginal Way might close under the bridge. If the bridge was in danger of failure, “or some kind of controlled demolition” was needed, that might happen, Marx said, but it’s nothing that’s currently planned.
WSTC’s Larry Wymer asked about data collection/monitoring along various routes. Emery fielded that one: They have 10 sites where they’ve installed data stations and will send WSTC the list. (We will ask for it too – though we suspect it’s the same one Councilmember Lisa Herbold has been publishing in her weekly online update, including the update posted today.)
WSTC’s Deb Barker asked if The Junction and Morgan Junction could be included. Emery and Marx said there’s certainly the possibility for more, though Marx warned the data stations are costly. “But this is a big deal,” Barker countered. Marx agreed, but added, “The West Seattle Bridge is the most important thing for SDOT but it’s not the only thing.”
We asked how soon the traffic mitigation plan will be ready. Marx said they’ll have results of a “traffic analysis” next week – but they don’t know what the post-COVID traffic situation will really be; the only thing she said they know for sure is that there’s not enough room on the alternate routes for ALL the traffic previously handled by the bridge.
Another question: Will SDOT have a West Seattle Bridge Advisory Committee? Marx said probably not, but mentioned again that a Technical Advisory Panel will be assembled. She also said she’s available to brief ANY local group on request.
Then: What are the capacities/volumes of the 1st Ave. S. Bridge and South Park Bridge? (We’ve been working on stories about both; WSDOT says it does not keep volume stats for the former.) Marx said that would be part of the “traffic analysis” ready soon.
Chair Taylor-Judd asked if setting up a transit route from West Seattle to an eastside park and ride, or a new one through the 99 tunnel, might help replace some of the car traffic. Arkills said the Metro working group is “putting all ideas on the table.” Bryant added, “One way to look at the West Seattle transit network is to see it as three different routes -not everyone is going downtown, but MOST are” – so there are the downtown routes, the through routes like 50, and the shuttles that go to the Water Taxi. “As we look at when demand picks up, the Water Taxi is central to that,” and he sees that service ‘significantly ramped up” with shuttle service beefed up too, maybe even new routes. But he noted that new bus routes “would cost money” and both the county and city “are facing serious financial challenges” because of COVID – he also acknowledged that they don’t know how long-term social distancing will affect long-term transit usability.
WSTC vice chair Marty Westerman asked about the low bridge’s condition. Marx said it’s “getting a great deal of loving care because we understand how important it is” with last weekend’s pedestrian-gate fix, plus this summer, a project to improve the communication involving the bridge.
Another question: Could lots in the Alki area be used as park-rides for shuttles getting people across the low bridge? “The Parks Department doesn’t love using its property for transportation purposes,” Marx nted, adding that Metro currently – even before coronavirus cuts – doesn’t run much transit in that area. Bryant said that while the city and county have discouraged park-and-rides in Seattle for a while, this situation could be cause for change. They’re also looking at whether vanpools to park-and-rides like Olson/Myers could be an option.
WSTC’s Mark Jacobs said there’s been a lot of talk about funding woes but the city seems to have been spending a lot on other unspecified non-priorities for a while. Councilmember Herbold answered this, saying they are waiting to hear what the projected costs will be, and when they do, she will “advocate with urgency” to spend what’s needed. She also mentioned again that she has long been against spending for the Center City Connector streetcar, and said Councilmember Alex Pedersen, the Transportation Committee chair, is an ally on that. While the money can’t be moved because the streetcar was going to use debt financing, she said that if that project can use that type of financing, certainly the higher-priority bridge could. As she has mentioned before, she also noted that she would be talking with US Rep. Pramila Jayapal. She also repeated that she has advocated for, and will continue to push for, paving on streets whose deteriorated condition is all the more glaring now.
In the meeting’s chat window, Jacobs also asked, “Can Metro look into exempting the need to stop at RR tracks on the east side of the low level bridge?” Bryant replied, also in the window, “There are a handful of railroad crossings where Metro has received a waiver that allows us to cross tracks without stopping. For that to be possible, the tracks need to be very clearly out of service. Many tracks that appear abandoned are technically still in service and/or have limited freight service, but our team will look into whether that location could qualify for a waiver.”
The guests left at 7:49 pm; Herbold spoke briefly, thanking WSTC for helping “keep government focused” and saying that she’ll advocate for expanded transit for the underserved areas. She said her staff is working hard on getting answers to all the questions consttuents continue to send.
Also speaking briefly, County Councilmember Joe McDermott said he’s “leaning into” the Metro work, being as “supportive – and pushy – as needed” regarding bus and Water Taxi service, “thinking outside the box,” considering additional routes, etc.
The WSTC meeting adjourned shortly thereafter; next month
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