With no detailed city plan yet for handling West Seattle Bridge-less mobility when the stay-home order lifts, local groups are continuing to spell out their proposals. Today, we hear from HPAC, the community council for the areas most affected by detoured traffic – Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge. While SDOT guested at HPAC’s meeting April 22nd (WSB coverage here), they had no specifics beyond the Highland Park Way/Holden signal that was installed in the first week post-bridge closure. So HPAC has sent a letter (see it here in PDF) to the mayor, council, and SDOT, noting that “… we are now in week 7 of the closure and very few of the public concerns that have been raised have been adequately addressed.” HPAC has these 13 specific concerns/proposals:
… Issues and areas that need to be addressed before the stay-at-home order is lifted:
1. At the intersection of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St:
● A left-hand turn signal is needed for turning onto SW Holden from Highland Park Way/9th Ave SW northbound. Currently, traffic coming up the hill on Highland Park Way and going right does not stop, with SW Holden being so narrow, only one car being turning onto SW Holden, so traffic trying to turn left are stuck at the light for several cycles or cutting through SW Portland St at higher speeds.
● Extra traction on the uphill southbound lane on Highland Park Way.
● Separate green signals for pedestrians and drivers in the northwest corner of the intersection.
2. Traffic signal adjustments to address traffic backups at the following intersections:
● Add a left hand turn signal at 16th Ave SW and SW Holden St as previously requested for
over the last 6 years.
● Delridge Way SW and SW Holden St.
● Orchard St. and Delridge Way SW
● 8th St and SW Roxbury St.
3. Traffic calming features on our neighborhood streets:
● For the school zones of Chief Sealth HS, Roxhill Elementary, Sanislo Elementary and Highland Park Elementary.
● Police presence to curb excessive speeding on 16th Ave SW
● Signage at 4-way intersections to ease transit for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians. Signs
along SW Thistle St at 20th and 18th Ave. Stop sign at 11th and Kenyon St.
● Work with the neighborhoods to identify streets to become one-way to help mitigate cut- through traffic.
4. Turning onto SW Holden St from streets both east and west of Delridge Way is extremely difficult with increased traffic.
● Mitigation requested.
5. West Marginal Way S:
● Increase the number of lanes to get onto the on ramp for the 1st Ave bridge.
● Request for better bike lane marking at the intersection with Highland Park Way SW
● Request to fill potholes and fix road deterioration near the railroad tracks
● Request for two lanes northbound at the intersection with Highland Park Way SW
6. Pedestrian path on the east side of Highland Park Way after the SW Holden intersection:
● Request to consider widening the path to allow for more use
● Request to clean moss off from path
7. Left-hand turn signal requests at the following intersections:
● 16th Ave SW and SW Holden St
● 16th Ave SW and SW Roxbury St.
● 8th Ave SW and Roxbury St.
8. King County Metro Route 131
● Make a bus-only lane starting at SW Holden and Highland Park Way going on through to West Marginal Way then over the 1st Ave bridge toward Seattle.
● Request to adjust signal at Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden for bus priority
● Increase Route 131 service.
9. We want to clearly understand the traffic patterns throughout the peninsula. SDoT has never taken into consideration the east-west traffic flow throughout West Seattle. We want to know what routes people are taking and which streets are becoming major arterials. Monitoring should be placed at the following intersections:
● SW Orchard St. and SW 35th Ave
● SW Orchard St. and Delridge Way SW
● SW Holden St. and SW 35th Ave
● SW Holden St. and Delridge Way SW
● SW Thistle St. and California Ave SW
● SW Thistle St. and SW 35th Ave
● SW Thistle St. and Delridge Way SW
● SW Trenton St. and SW 35th Ave
● SW Trenton St. and Delridge Way SW
● SW Barton St. and SW 35th Ave
● SW Henderson St. and Delridge Way SW
● SW Henderson St. and 9th Ave SW
● SW Roxbury St. and 35th Ave SW
● SW Roxbury St. and Delridge Way SW
● SW Roxbury St. and 9th Ave SW
● Olson Pl SW and 1st Ave S
10. For the City of Seattle to increase Metro bus service for access for east and west transit on the peninsula itself i.e. access to California St./ Junction areas only offer the 128, which is hard for the rest of the peninsula to get to without using their cars.
● The transfers through the Westwood Village has been difficult for Highland Park riders since the reroute of the 136/137. Highland Park and Delridge Neighborhoods have been designated food deserts by the city.
11. A commitment from the City to repair the streets that were damaged during the bridge closure.
● Once traffic resumes we will have a better understanding of which of the streets that will be, but assume at least: Roxbury St, Delridge Way SW, SW 35th Ave, Highland Park Way SW, and Olson Way SW.
12. Heavy freight routes clearly designated and enforced.
● This type of vehicle will cause massive and immediate damage to our more residential
streets (i.e. Holden St) and will significantly slow traffic since these types of vehicles will
have issues turning the tight corners. Both Avalon St. and Roxbury with their wider lanes
and concrete enforced lanes are better suited for this type of transit.
13. We want an immediate bridge replacement plan without a $33 million expenditure for the current bridge or a two-year evaluation period. SDOT’s current plan will put an undue burden on the daily lives of our West Seattle residents.
Please learn from the I35 bridge failure and replacement in Minneapolis and the rapid rebuild of the Genoa, Italy bridge. No one waited for two years before making a decision on viability – just replace this bridge.
Phase 1 has begun, and now all eyes look toward what it’ll take to get to Phase 2. But first – the newest numbers top tonight’s roundup:
Introductions and Approval of Minutes 7:05 
Readers have asked about special take-out meals for Mother’s Day this Sunday (May 10th). We in turn issued an open invitation to restaurants to tell us what they’re offering. (updated) Here’s what we have so far:
| 5 COMMENTS