FOLLOWUP: South Alki 'Stay Healthy Street' expanded

wseakell May 10, 2020 (12:20 pm)

Who can we write to and call to voice our extreme frustration over this permanent street closure? Our kids love taking that little drive, and we often park where the street is closed now to drop down to the beach to look at sea life. Would it be directly to the Mayor and/or Herbold? I’m sure it will go on deaf ears but if enough of us contact them maybe not… This is preposterous.

Stevie J May 10, 2020 (2:11 pm)

You can always park and walk/bike in that area and all of Alki/Duwamish Head. Most streets in the city still have free/unlimited parking. Now you can enjoy the view at a human pace as well instead of focusing on driving, and your kids can get a 360 degree view instead of having to just look ahead/out the window. If previously you were allowed to drive on the beach, I’m sure alternate-reality you would also be upset because you used to love driving on the beach and now you have to sit on the beach or walk on the beach. Enjoy nature as a human, not a driver. “I enjoy long drives on the beach…”
- jack May 10, 2020 (5:06 pm)
  
  It’s not whether you like the idea or not. These Draconian measures are done taking advantage of a shutdown without due process or Public input by a handful of people. This is not Democracy. Progressivism taking advantage of a Pandemic 101.
  - Kyle May 10, 2020 (7:42 pm)
    
    I am a fan of this new policy, but to quote Churchill never waste a good crisis.
  - Josh May 10, 2020 (8:39 pm)
    
    “Democracy” doesn’t not mean you personally get consulted on every little decision the city makes. We have elections, and you get to select your representative. Only in Seattle is this dysfunctional Seattle Process mentality tolerated
  - Nichole Leigh May 12, 2020 (7:45 am)
    
    The closure without consent IS the issue.1. Another is that this will push traffic and cars into the residential neighborhoods.2. What about accessibility? My 82 year old mom lived here when she first got married in the fifties and had my brother. I like to drive her out here every so often to Beach drive then to Ivars, then to to park at the point to reminisce to where we have a photo of her feeding him on the beach.3. A lot of you aren’t native Seattlites and you have a real pushy agenda of how you want our city to be to fit your narrative but those of us who were here first would like some say in you leaving it the way we left it. We just want a say in the mater, that’s all.4. Can we enforce the laws on the criminals instead of coming down hard with the draconian rules on the law abiders?
    - Scott Caldwell May 18, 2020 (1:07 pm)
      
      Nichole Leigh: “A lot of you aren’t native Seattlites and you have a real pushy agenda of how you want our city to be to fit your narrative but those of us who were here first would like some say in you leaving it the way we left it.” Native Americans: “Couldn’t have said it better myself.” LOL
- B May 10, 2020 (10:44 pm)
  
  What about low tide days, where will all the cars and school buses park? Once we had 19 buses show up. What about when the whales come by? What about the other 3/4 of the year when the weather is crappy? Extremely disappointing.
  - Irene Peters May 11, 2020 (10:13 am)
    
    There are SO many reasons not to close Beach Drive. 1) it isn’t necessary–of all the places in Seattle that already have safe walking and bicycling, Alki is prime. If you start at the lighthouse and go north you have wide sidewalks, wide sea wall promenade, designated bike paths that for MILES, so who needs another closed street? 2) Closing at 63rd and Alki cuts off 2 long blocks of Alki Beach parking, right where it’s needed for people using the restaurants along the strip between 61st & 63rd, That is the most difficult place to park already, and eliminating those long blocks will make it just that much more of a hassle to park at the beach. With summer coming that should be a consideration. 3) I go to Beach drive almost every day to take short walks, watch birds, and enjoy the drama of low/high tides. If the weather isn’t warm or dry enough to sit on a bench I can sit in my car with my windows open, eat my lunch and enjoy all this. With the drive closed, I’d have to walk in from whereever, which my health often won’t allow. I see so many people there, many seniors or disabled, using this unique space in the same way. Please don’t take that away from us, especially when it isn’t necessary in a neighborhood that has safe walking and biking paths already that go on for miles. Thanks you,
    - Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (10:10 pm)
      
      You are absolutely right!
  - Karl Tull May 11, 2020 (10:43 am)
    
    NOT pleased seeing foursome with 2 dogs, one off leash, going into the water in low tide conditions off of 63rd on Sunday afternoon. That’s asking for a big fine, and endangers area fauna.☹️
- Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:35 pm)
  
  Great, considerate reply. Thanks!
- Nichole Leigh May 12, 2020 (7:50 am)
  
  We are about to see a lot more litter and debris in puget sound. People are not going to lug their waste back up hills or miles away. They may have been courteous if the car was close, but not now.
Alki Mom May 10, 2020 (2:25 pm)

Really? Nothing you can’t do parking a little further away, it’s life changing for people who live here and can now take a nice stoll around their neighborhood without having to worry about the constant loud parade of cars.
- Ally May 10, 2020 (3:41 pm)
  
  I have ada plague and poor mobility should inot be able to park on “your street “You purchased a home knowing where is located so don’t feel sorry for youfolks yelled at my 70 year old mom yesterday your neighbors are a class act
  - Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:36 pm)
    
    Not all of us own homes. The area is full of renters.
- J May 10, 2020 (7:25 pm)
  
  You’re already so fortunate to live where the rest of us have to drive to enjoy. It’s not like bus service is convenient around there. I know there’s never parking around alki so I drive through to get a glimpse of the view. It’s lame to take that ability away from people knowing there isnt any easy way for many of us to get there without driving.
- 1994 May 10, 2020 (10:15 pm)
  
  These are NOT private streets. They are public streets that should be open to ALL. Everyone pays taxes to use the streets. If your street is too busy, consider moving to a quieter street. Oh, wait, if more streets are closed that will increase traffic on the fewer remaining open streets….city life.
Michael May 10, 2020 (2:35 pm)

This will prevent the drive but nothing will change AFIK when it comes to parking and access the public areas. This safe street initiative is to only limit thru access on residential streets. I live on one of these streets in WS and love the idea. Looking forward to seeing how it evolves post C19.
- Frog May 10, 2020 (3:16 pm)
  
  I have been through there, and the closure changed everything. The police prevent visitors from driving in and parking, except for residents. Which of course pushes all the parking into the surrounding neighborhood and cut use of the area by 60%.
Brian May 10, 2020 (2:35 pm)

Sorry you can’t drive your car all over the place anymore. Maybe you could write the mayor a letter or send her a telegram?
Mark Schletty May 10, 2020 (2:55 pm)

Wseakell— here is where you letter should go to start—Tracy- this is a copy of the letter I sent to the Mayor, CouncilMember Herbold and Council PresidentGonzalez. It doesn’t show the paragraph breaks. I hope others will do the same. The closing of Constellation Park to the general public is unwarranted and a terrible idea. Has the City’s Traffic Engineer done the required study to justify this closure. If not, I demand that it be done properly before this closure is continued, with all due public input. I am formally appealing this closure to you.This closure of a public Park for the exclusive benefit of private neighboring property owners, and for the exclusive nonresident use by bicycles, is a clear violation of the ADA. It is the unlawful taking of a public park and the converting of the park for the private benefit of the aforementioned.As concerning the ADA violation, this park is the best, if not only, park in West Seattle with direct car access to the edge of our Sound. It has the steps and ramps necessary for mobility impaired people to get to the shoreline without having to walk a long way. I have handicap plates on my car, my wife and I visit this park almost daily to enjoy a lunch in our car and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the water, without endangering ourselves or anyone else.We have noticed a number of other seniors doing the same thing. Losing this unique opportunity, at this time, will very disadvantageously affect our physical and mental health. If this Park remains closed to the public I will file an ADA violation claim against the City.While there are absolutely no rational grounds for limiting this public Park access road to bicycles, there is a real problem for the adjacent residents. The constant behavior of a number of miscreants violating numerous laws and making living there miserable, especially at night and on weekends, is truly disgusting. But the solution for that problem is not to give the residents a private park, but rather to take the handcuffs off of our police and direct them to aggressively enforce the laws being continually violated along Constellation Avenue. You can do the right thing here, and I am requesting that you do so. I would really rather not have to go to the trouble of filling an appeal to the Traffic Engineer and filing an ADA complaint. It is hard enough for us all to get through this time of crisis without you taking away one of the few pleasures available to us now. Sincerely,Mark Schletty
- wseakell May 10, 2020 (3:15 pm)
  
  Michael and Mark – thank you! Brian I also appreciate your thoughtful concern! My message totally said I was so mad I can’t drive my car all over the place anymore. It’s ok to have differing opinions people. I’m also feeling for concerned neighbors who have stated that the cars being displaced by these road closures are now filling up their once quiet(er) streets. It’s not all about you … or me!
- Rick May 10, 2020 (3:28 pm)
  
  Reminds me a bit of boot camp when a guy caught got smoking in the latrine in the middle of the night. The next day we all ran a couple of extra miles in the heat while the TI’s parked him under a shade tree with an ice cold coke. Each lap we passed in front of him he got more nervous. Seattle-give the criminals a pass and punish everyone else. Wish we could apply the same measures we used in boot. We had no more problems with him after that.
  - MercyMoi May 11, 2020 (1:11 am)
    
    As an aside from your comments about Seattle politics, your boot camp experience sounds like a scene from Biloxi Blues.
  - ds303n May 11, 2020 (3:24 pm)
    
    Excellent analogy. Thank you for your service too.
- Ice May 10, 2020 (3:45 pm)
  
  You probably want to start by reading the ADA. There is nothing in the ADA that requires direct CAR access to anything other than parking spaces. Seattle is a city that is filled to the brim with ADA violations but I am having a hard time seeing how this is one of them. https://www.ada.gov/
  - Mark Schletty May 10, 2020 (5:10 pm)
    
    Ice— wow. You apparently know how I can get to an ADA required parking place without driving to it. You should go to work for SDOT. You could tell us how we can get our cars into and out of West Seattle without driving them on any streets. A McArthur Genius Award for you.
    - heartless May 10, 2020 (6:35 pm)
      
      Mark,
      
      Um, ‘MacArthur’. The ‘McArthur’ is put out by the same committee that does the Noble Prizes.
    - Ice May 10, 2020 (7:15 pm)
      
      Yes, because they are going to build parking spaces where there the road is not open to cars. Give me a break dude, you misunderstood what I said.
    - Mark Schletty May 10, 2020 (7:34 pm)
      
      Heartless- yes, I know it is MacArthur. My typing (and too slow proofreading) rates a dummy award, I guess. I shall accept it.
- Loren May 10, 2020 (3:59 pm)
  
  Good news @ Mark Schletty. SDOT is actively working on your request. From the tweet this post was based on, “Beach Drive stay healthy street has been revised based on feedback from SPD and community. We’ll update with additional signing and ADA parking on next week. Thank you getting the word out @westseattleblog”. Constellation park and Charles Richey parks are still open as well if that wasn’t clear. This change has helped them to stay open.
  - Paul Hage May 19, 2020 (12:26 pm)
    
    Loren – Would you please clarify your comment”Constellation Park and Charles Richey Parks are still open”? I see signage to the contrary. Thanks.
    - WSB May 19, 2020 (1:26 pm)
      
      The parks are open. If you’re seeing those red signs, what they say is that the park is temporarlly closed *at 8 pm*.
- John May 10, 2020 (5:54 pm)
  
  During this time of COVID-19, I have noticed a far greater number of people walking the Gatewood neighborhood where we live near the water towers. It is remarkable how many seniors (myself included) are out walking or rolling our quiet street 36th Ave. I commend them for not driving to Alki or elsewhere to stroll or view. I understand Mr. Schletty is a Gatewood neighbor very close to Lincoln Park and hope that he can find satisfaction visiting nearby parks and green spaces. I invite Mark to please take a roll down our block?
- Curry May 10, 2020 (7:47 pm)
  
  I would like to help people with a draft letter campaign myself. Here it goes:
  Dear Jenny, Lisa, and Dongho,
  Thanks so much for your excellent decision to include South Alki as a location for the Stay Healthy Street program, and for your very wise decision to extend it to include the west end of Alki Avenue, west of 63rd. This constant noise and air polluting parade of loud motorcyclists and automobiles on Alki Avenue and Beach Drive MUST STOP. Today versus yesterday is like night and day. Great work!!
  Sincerely,
  Curry Curmuggin
- AlkiMaria May 10, 2020 (8:01 pm)
  
  Tracy, please encourage a letter writing
  campaign to Mayor Durkan and Councilwoman Herbold with the following:
  
  On behalf of myself, my family, and my
  companion animals, our quality of life has improved immensely by expanding the
  Stay Healthy Street designation by a little stretch of Alki Ave. Instead of a torturous 15 hours of continuous
  traffic noise, we now have bicyclists and walkers enjoying their day and
  evenings. It’s bliss.
Tsurly May 10, 2020 (2:59 pm)

My kids enjoy the same, except getting there on bicycles from several miles away. You should try it.
- Chemist May 10, 2020 (6:07 pm)
  
  Sure, I’ll just hop on one of the city’s many bikeshares! Oh wait, they’re in Jack Block park now.
  - Kathy May 10, 2020 (11:50 pm)
    
    Sadly, Seattle no longer has bikeshare. Lime says they may bring it back sometime in the future but I’m not holding my breath. Jump pulled out.
    - Thomas Wood May 11, 2020 (5:08 am)
      
      No jump was bought by lime
    - WSB May 12, 2020 (3:29 pm)
      
      https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/7/21250420/lime-funding-uber-deal-alphabet-scooter-jump-bike
- wseakell May 10, 2020 (7:28 pm)
  
  Lol, my 22 month old would do great on a couple mile bike ride with his little strider! Not. You don’t know our lives – we do ride our bikes all the time! We walk! We run! We swim! We also drive. And like others don’t like the city shutting down a road we use often for many reasons, without any public input. I’m so glad you’re judging me and my family’s transportation online! And on Mother’s Day! Bravo.
- Canton May 10, 2020 (9:56 pm)
  
  Aren’t you a past, college cross country runner? Most of us exercise our own ways. We don’t need the constant harping. What’s good for you… is just that. If you are a adrenaline junkie, cool… that’s YOU.
me May 10, 2020 (3:02 pm)

It’s a pretty small area and the entire whole rest of the beach including all of Alki Avenue is still open to drive and park on. You and your kids can just go to a different part of the beach or you can walk or bike a small distance, which is enjoyable and healthy.
- wseakell May 10, 2020 (7:31 pm)
  
  We drove that way today and admittedly it was refreshing to see the bikers, walkers, bladers, etc. enjoying the street. Thank you for your polite comment – there are so many judgey negative ones from people that like to immediately attack or talk down. Agree a short walk would be nice and healthy!
  - Sunflower May 10, 2020 (9:02 pm)
    
    Nice, thanks for sharing :)
- AlkiLifer May 12, 2020 (4:51 pm)
  
  Have you ever been to THAT beach? It’s a completely different experience than any other part of the public access Alki Beach. It’s a public park. This isn’t just about closing off a residential street. It’s access to a very unique ecological area. Maybe go take a look…
Jgreene May 10, 2020 (3:11 pm)

Same question if this change is permanent. We live by Lincoln park and usually take this route or “the back way” to get to alki as it’s prettier and quicker than using California. I’m sure everyone has a reason on why their own street should be closed (folks use mine to speed from one major arterial to another) but these are publicly funded streets, not gated communities. Fact: the folks along Holden would love to be local only right about now. But tiny, narrow streets and car traffic is just a part of West Seattle life as it continues to grow. Reduce the speed again if things are unsafe, but using the “stay healthy” campaign to make these changes permanent is very disingenuous and, quite frankly, plain shady.
- Pam May 10, 2020 (4:13 pm)
  
  Agree
- Loren May 10, 2020 (4:24 pm)
  
  @Jgreene you can still take Beach DR SW all the way to Alki from Lincoln Park. I did that drive yesterday. It should be even faster now because you’ll be going more directly up 63rd Ave SW which is an arterial instead of a narrow residential street that often backs up when cars are parked on either side and there’s not enough room for two way traffic.
  - Jgreene May 10, 2020 (6:36 pm)
    
    I know I can still get to Alki but I also like going by constellation park and seeing the “peekaboo views” along the way. I understand the blocked off road is residential, but it’s not a private road. We pay taxes on all the public roads in west Seattle and People that live there knew what they were getting into. The traffic is a trade off for living right next to the beach/water. Just like people that live by Lincoln park know they’re going to have to put up with increased traffic and noise from the park and ferry, and put up with increased street traffic/parking when it’s sunny. I’d be curious to know how people that live on the surrounding streets in Alki feel now that there will be less parking and increased traffic on their streets. Facts: Everyone wants peace and quiet and relaxing walks but it’s always a trade off when you live in the cit – especially if you live near a highly interest destination, and you cannot shut every street off to public access to appease local residents or give them a de facto private community subsidized by us tax payers. I hope these changes/restrictions are not permanent.
    - J May 10, 2020 (8:05 pm)
      
      Well said, Jg
    - Kathy May 10, 2020 (8:30 pm)
      
      JGreene, Thank you for your concern, but if you really want to know, we love this change and hope it stays permanent! It gives us an area near our neighborhood where we can go enjoy the park at a leisurely pace without the cruisers, drag racers and lookie lous who can’t be bothered to get out of their cars to enjoy the views and the park. The rest of the neighborhood is swarming with cars on sunny evenings and weekends. Too many of them seem to be proud of the fact that their mufflers are disfunctional. This change is a service to the whole neighborhood, not just the people who live on those streets. You are right, people like myself who live on arterials have to “suck it up”, but the streets in question are not arterials. So much of the city is dedicated to car culture, what a great idea to have some islands of refuge from it.
    - Canton May 10, 2020 (10:08 pm)
      
      Spot on Jgreene. Well said, and reasoned.
- Annoyed May 11, 2020 (3:05 pm)
  
  Well said JGreene… These people knew what they were getting into when they chose to live there. Changing these rules and regulations just intensifies the problems for their neighbors.
- Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (10:20 pm)
  
  Agreed!
Richard Maloney May 11, 2020 (7:47 am)

No. The refusal to park the car and walk a block is what’s preposterous. We need to end the cruisers here. Closing the street ought to do that.
Nichole Leigh May 12, 2020 (7:31 am)

I don’t live in Seattle any longer so I can’t do this for you but I know what you can do. Those streets were paid for and maintained by taxpayer funds allocated for public roadway and cars and you can look into the legality at the application at both SDOT and the DCLU.

amrakx May 10, 2020 (12:33 pm)

Absolutely brilliant! This action effectively shuts down the 24 hour racetrack around Alki Ave., the lighthouse, and constellation park. After years of dangerously accelerating speeds, non compliant engine noise regulation, and inability of community to safely walk and cross streets and bicyclists and their children to ride in peace and harmony, a solution! This simple signage idea is strategically transforming the quality of our lives here beyond words and this is only day 1! Better late than never! Thank you Mayor Durkan, Sam Zimbabwe and Dongho Chang!

Kathy May 10, 2020 (11:45 pm)

Be sure to send them a thank you letter. I already sent them mine.

Julia May 10, 2020 (1:59 pm)

It’s not clear to me if we can drive into that area to park and access the beach or if it’s only for residents.

Frog May 10, 2020 (3:20 pm)

It’s only for residents. For the last two days, the parking has been largely empty, and police prevent anyone from driving in to park.
Loren May 10, 2020 (4:11 pm)

Both Constellation Park and Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint are open to the public and it’s much easier to walk or ride to Alki Beach from here now. There’s parking on adjacent streets and SDOT is working on ADA spots.
Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:40 pm)

The beach is public access. Please come down and enjoy it.

AlkiLifer May 10, 2020 (2:08 pm)

I don’t support making this change permanent. Think about: the people who can’t walk that distance to experience a totally different type of beach environment – kids, elderly, disabled; visit the lighthouse or just “drive by it”; experience the waves during stormy season from your car, only a few people get out of their cars when the waves are crashing into the streets. I wonder if the city planners don’t understand how different that beach is from the rest of Alki and how this makes it inaccessible to many. If there’s a traffic problem to be fixed let’s figure that out, but this is NUTS in my opinion.

WSB May 10, 2020 (3:14 pm)

The Beach Dr/Alki stretch was NOT in what was announced the other day as permanent. However, as this all seems to be happening without public process, if you have an opinion pro/con/otherwise, you should probably consider emailing the mayor & SDOT
- wseakell May 10, 2020 (3:16 pm)
  
  Thanks as always WSB!
- RJ May 10, 2020 (5:51 pm)
  
  Thanks TR, will be voicing my opposition to this to the Mayor, Councilwoman Herbold and SDOT. This will not stand.

Anne May 10, 2020 (2:12 pm)

This makes no difference to me one way or the other-if I want to go there-I can easily drive & park close by. Those who live along this route are the most directly impacted- if they’re ok with it-it’s fine by me.

lincoln park mom May 10, 2020 (2:19 pm)

How does one get their own street considered for “Stay Healthy Street”? Living off of Fauntleroy, we get a lot of through traffic with park goers thinking there is parking in our neighborhood only to realize there isn’t any street parking or outlet.

Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:42 pm)

I wrote a letter to the Mayor and Herbold nominating this stretch of Beach Drive for the program. Democracy works!
- Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (10:32 pm)
  
  Not actually the case here but, yes, it certainly has worked out well for you, hasn’t it?
- Alki lover May 14, 2020 (1:18 pm)
  
  Thank you so much for doing this. I hope it becomes permanent so people can enjoy that stretch of Beach Dr without competing with loud engines, music, traffic. Walking, biking, running, wheelchairs, skating, etc. all benefit. It is so much more pleasant now, day and night.

Blbl May 10, 2020 (2:26 pm)

Sure, the people who live there love it! Nice views, ocean breeze, parks, restaurants, and now their own private streets, publicly funded! Awesome, wow! I wonder how that feedback was solicited…”Would you like exclusive and unrestricted use of the street in front of your house? Only you and your family can use it, but the whole city will pay to maintain and patrol it!!”

Sunflower May 10, 2020 (3:38 pm)

‘Would you like exclusive and unrestricted use of the street in front of your house… Only you and your family can use it’

These streets are not closed to the public. They are closed to car traffic just driving through. That’s it. This will make it a more enjoyable and safe area for people to walk around and enjoy the landscape there.

It sounds like a number of people have been enjoying this area from inside their car. I wonder if more benches could be installed along this neighborhood?

Sunflower May 10, 2020 (2:27 pm)

This looks great and will be so wonderful for more pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy this stretch, especially now when physical distancing is needed. I’m happy for the residents along here as well. Sounds like this is overdue, and may ease some frustrations and improve quality of living.

Thomas Wood May 10, 2020 (5:09 pm)

As a cyclist I found it a total cluster .People were all over the place.You have to separate people and bikes or there will be collisions.A stripe with cones would make it much easier to navigate.For me I would rather deal with the cars.They are much more predictable.
- WGA May 10, 2020 (7:45 pm)
  
  Now that the road is closed, let’s remove the speed bumps. It would have been ok if they left a gap so bikes could ride through unimpeded, like further south on Beach Drive.
- Kathy May 10, 2020 (11:37 pm)
  
  Oh goody, now we have cyclists complaining about those pesky pedestrians in their way. Yield to them. It’s the law. Sounds like bike racing, not bike riding. Ditto the speed bumps you think are in your way. They are not mountains, they are gentle rises.”
  - Thomas Wood May 11, 2020 (6:28 am)
    
    Sorry Kathy it just makes sense to separate cyclist and pedestrians.It’s not bike racing with people moving in all directions.It’s impossible to figure out which direction people are going .I don’t want to hurt or get hurt while going for a ride.

dhg May 10, 2020 (2:28 pm)

That point is the favorite spot for newscasters to broadcast area storms. Where will they go now to get wet?

WSB May 10, 2020 (3:06 pm)

They’re perfectly capable of walking a block. Live trucks (the old-school ones with the tall antennas) aren’t even required anymore – cell tech means backpack live gear.

Yma May 10, 2020 (2:30 pm)

If the problem is speeding & excessive noise – why not go after those folks? I understand the frustration- having experienced racing drivers coming West Bound on the bridge (when that was an option) & heading to Alki. I’ve seen the cruisers & experienced the noise. But this seems to me, going too far.We LOVE this drive- especially in stormy weather. We bring visitors on the lovely drive – stop & learn about the Mosquito Fleet and see what’s happening at Constellation. We share this area/resource.

Blbl May 10, 2020 (4:18 pm)

This. We drove our baby, then toddler, along this stretch to get her to fall asleep because it is not interrupted with stoplights. We also enjoy driving along it to look at Christmas lights and the water and the views of the city. We really shouldn’t have to justify why we drive on the streets we pay for, though. They belong to us, and they were built for cars, not bikes and scooters.
- Tsurly May 10, 2020 (7:51 pm)
  
  State and city law say otherwise; bikes and scooters have just as much right to road access as cars. We (bike and scooter riders) are also property owners, so we pay just as much for the roads as you do. Perhaps the assessed value on my house is more than yours, which means I pay more taxes and therefore more towards roads. Using your logic, maybe I have more right to the roads then you do?
- KBear May 10, 2020 (8:09 pm)
  
  Blbl, cyclists pay taxes for city streets just the same as you do. And if you think you and your automobile have more right to be on the street than a cyclist, you need to turn in your driver’s license, because you do not understand basic rules of the road.
- Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:44 pm)
  
  That is the past. Sharing the road with all forms of transportation is the future. Plus, remember, it’s just one third of a mile. There is lots of Beach Drive left to enjoy!
- EAB May 12, 2020 (1:30 pm)
  
  We also drove our babies on this section of road when they couldn’t fall asleep. It has been a place to pull over and rest and ground for a moment after a cranky baby has finally drifted off, but would wake up if I opened the door too soon. Breathing in the smell of the water, the gentle, or more exciting roll of the waves was central to staying sane as a parent. In the time of social distancing, I have driven and parked there to breathe in nature and peace while not having to leave my car and worry about sharing potential germs with anyone. I am deeply saddened by this. I have run the path from Lincoln Park to the bridge for years, training for runs, so I get the desire to have it open, but it’s different to be able to pause and breathe , or to slowly drive through and watch a storm .
  People have managed for many years to navigate the narrow street, just like they do all the other streets in West Seattle. These decisions benefit few at the cost of the many and lack fair representation and discussion.

Flo B May 10, 2020 (2:32 pm)

Sooo educate me on how this will make things better. Shouldn’t you be demanding cement blocks be set up to block the street? I have NO sympathy for reckless/careless driver’s but I can’t help notice that impared/distracted driver laws haven’t stopped those people. REAL penalties for bad behavior behind the wheel could easily be passed but there’s no push for them. TOO MANY of you are happy to point finger’s at those other “bad drivers” but you’re smart enough to figure out you’re not perfect behind the wheel either. The problem is that you haven’t figured out how to make penalties/sanctions only apply to those “other” drivers. Little secret: while you’re pointing fingers there’s fingers pointed at you!

Fat Joe May 10, 2020 (2:38 pm)

That section is not even a mile. Who do I contact to request an extension? It would be nice to have a 5k or 10k section/loop. Tired of jumping out the way for cars and inhaling exhaust.

me May 10, 2020 (3:06 pm)

Contact the Mayor, Council Member Herbold and Council President Gonzalez, that’s who people are contacting to oppose it so it would be great for people who love this idea to contact them as well.
Fautleroy Fairy May 10, 2020 (3:09 pm)

@fat joe. Shocking, I know, that I or anyone else would expect you to share public streets with the public. They weren’t put there just for your enjoyment. They were put there for cars to drive on. This is a city. If you don’t like “inhaling exhaust” then move to the country.
- Stevie J May 10, 2020 (5:39 pm)
  
  In fact the city streets in this area were built and planned before the widespread adoption of private cars. This exact area once had a streetcar running near it, so no it wasn’t “built for cars.” The street is still shared with everyone. You just can’t drive on it. Just like you can’t drive on the Burke-Gilman Trail or the Ship Canal Trail or on the beach. Cars initially had widespread adoption in rural areas because of the necessity of hauling large objects around the farm. In the cities people got around on streetcars and on foot. All the neighborhoods in Seattle are “streetcar suburbs” as a result of this fact. I think it is reasonable to want to live and play without breathing automobile exhaust.
  - Fauntleroy Fairy May 10, 2020 (7:00 pm)
    
    You need to bring up rural street planning to try and prove your argument? Really? These city streets were, indeed, built for cars. What you NIMBY’s want is to push cars off the streets in front of your house and not care that it will cause increased congestion on the streets of others. Wow.
    - what May 10, 2020 (11:47 pm)
      
      Fauntleroy Fairy, the idea would be for the city to eventually have less cars, more bikes, more walkers, better public transportation for longer trips. No one wants increased congestion, the exact opposite actually. You have to start somewhere.
  - Sunflower May 10, 2020 (9:18 pm)
    
    Bicycles were more prevalent once, before cars eventually took over the roads.
    
    In fact, it was apparently cyclists who first pushed for paved roadways, according to this article… some interesting history reading ;)
    
    https://www.vox.com/2015/3/19/8253035/roads-cyclists-cars-history

me May 10, 2020 (2:52 pm)

It’s very good! The more Healthy Streets, the better. Keep them coming, thank you!

tenlow May 10, 2020 (2:57 pm)

This seems poorly thought out, as now 64th is both a dead end street in either direction *and* now de facto street parking for everyone who is driving to the beach since Admiral isn’t closed at 63rd.

Millie May 10, 2020 (3:06 pm)

This may not be a popular sentiment with some of my West Seattle neighbors, however, here goes. Yes, during this unsettling time I can understand closing some streets to allow outdoor activity. I disagree with this action in the long term for the following two reasons: (1) Transportation levies and (2) Park levies. Both these examples utilize taxpayer dollars to ensure access to the public. There must be “levy” language identifying how tax receipts are spent. Yes, I will be writing to the Mayor and Councilmembers expressing my disappointment in making “permanent/long-term” decisions without input from their constituents. In regards to issues identified by the writer above – speed, engine noise, etc. – it is time people take responsibility for their actions – stop thinking rules are meant for others and not you. Thank you for allowing me to express my viewpoint.

Canton May 10, 2020 (10:30 pm)

Thank you for you view. Imo, you hit the nail spot on. It’s the passive approach the city has. Instead of having a police presence for the bad actors, the city would rather restrict the law abiding.
- bill May 11, 2020 (1:43 pm)
  
  I too would love to see enough policing that laws were followed by everyone (speed limits, drivers?), but we do not and never will have the budget for enough officers. This is the alternative: physically reconfiguring roads.

Mark Schletty May 10, 2020 (3:07 pm)

While ADA parking will help me, my concern goes beyond that. Not every senior who can’t walk very far has ADA permits. Neither do many families with small kids have the long distance walking ability now needed. Don’t tell me to park just outside the area and walk in. I have checked that possibility several times from Friday to now, and there wasn’t a single available parking place within 5 blocks of the closure. This closure is not for the stated Stay Healthy reasons. It, in fact, denies many of us the ability to stay a little healthier by walking by the water. This closure is strictly the taking of a public park for private residents and bicyclist use only.

k May 10, 2020 (9:52 pm)

Mark–not so. I know–I’m 1/2 block away from Constellation, and–surprisingly– there has been plenty of parking all weekend on our street.

Lin May 10, 2020 (3:08 pm)

This is an amazing idea for Alki. I wish they’d do it at the junction where we usually have the farmer’s market. Parking lots behind the buildings and families and shop and run around without worrying.

Vic May 10, 2020 (5:25 pm)

I agree! Both those locations would be great as designated walking centers. I live in Gatewood, but would love to show friends and families around Alki with less car traffic. Making neighborhoods more walkable is a good thing. I wrote to Councilmember Herbold to voice my support and encourage anyone else in favor to do the same, we know those who are “furious” at this are making sure their voices are heard lol
Brian Hughes May 10, 2020 (6:01 pm)

I agree with the AK Junction becoming a car-free zone. We already bypass it using 42nd when traveling north to Admiral. There is free parking on either side. People would adapt.
- WS Guy May 10, 2020 (10:25 pm)
  
  Totally agree. The Junction should be a pedestrian historic district like Old Ballard, not a thruway.
- Chemist May 10, 2020 (11:10 pm)
  
  You might be in for a surprise when 42nd gets converted to a Greenway with protected bike lanes on both sides and speed bumps through the Alaska junction.

Mark Schletty May 10, 2020 (3:10 pm)

While ADA parking will help me, my concern goes beyond that. Not every senior who can’t walk very far has ADA permits. Neither do many families with small kids have the long distance walking ability now needed. Don’t tell me to park just outside the area and walk in. I have checked that possibility several times from Friday to now, and there wasn’t a single available parking place within 5 blocks of the closure. This closure is not for the stated Stay Healthy reasons. It, in fact, denies many of us the ability to stay a little healthier by walking by the water. This closure is strictly the taking of a public park for private residents and bicyclist use only.

Really May 10, 2020 (4:21 pm)

Mark, it’s because the people who frequent Alki in the summer aren’t respectable and ruin things for everyone. If I lived down there – which I never would – I’d move immediately.
heartless May 10, 2020 (4:56 pm)

“Not every senior who can’t walk very far has ADA permits. Neither do many families with small kids have the long distance walking ability now needed. Don’t tell me to park just outside the area and walk in.”

“It, in fact, denies many of us the ability to stay a little healthier by walking by the water.”

So people can’t walk to the park to walk around in the park? I mean, I get what you are trying to say, sort of, but, I mean, really….
- Vic May 10, 2020 (5:27 pm)
  
  only walking near water is healthy for some, it seems…………
  - Fauntleroy Fairy May 10, 2020 (6:49 pm)
    
    @Vic Wow….what an incredibly selfish response.
    - Vic May 10, 2020 (8:50 pm)
      
      i’m sorry for my sarcasm. i still say any movement is good for you. the area is mostly sidewalks.
    - Sunflower May 10, 2020 (9:27 pm)
      
      It sounds kind of selfish that people who live in other neighborhoods are complaining about their ‘right’ to drive by here, rather than being happy for those who live on and near this street, who sound so grateful for this change.
      
      Is your ‘right’ to drive on this stretch occasionally more important that daily quality of life issues for those who live near here?
      
      Like it’s been said, there will be ADA access, everyone else can work nearby and enjoy the area on foot or bike, and there are many other beautiful place to drive if you prefer the view from your car.
      
      How about trying to be happy for others who are getting a break?
    - Sunflower May 10, 2020 (9:33 pm)
      
      *walk (not work)
      
      Just something to think about. Maybe if you lived there you’d feel differently.
    - Fauntleroy Fairy May 10, 2020 (10:03 pm)
      
      Thank you, Vic. I appreciate you clarifying your statement. I still think, tho, that we shouldn’t be so quick to push our abilities onto someone who may not be as able as we are.
      
      @Sunflower…..No one has the “right” to drive by your house? So by your standard every city street should be closed to anyone who doesn’t live on it? Or maybe it’s just the few elites that want to keep their streets to themselves. Ok. Got it.
    - Sunflower May 10, 2020 (11:08 pm)
      
      That’s not what I said at all. Try reading again.

Kalo May 10, 2020 (3:13 pm)

How about closing the Alki Trail to bikes, e-scooters, e-unicycles,e-skateboards at about 1700 blk. Alki all the way down Harbor Ave to Spokane St. Put down a green bike crossing in the area for those “vehicles” to get off the trail, cross over to using the street. It’s very difficult for pedestrians to social distance once the dedicated bike lane ends at Duwamish Head. Very little usage of bells or voice to announce they are coming up on you, and they cut in dangerously close when passing.

Rick May 10, 2020 (3:29 pm)

Won’t happen. They’re not cars.
Brian Hughes May 10, 2020 (6:02 pm)

If you walk on the designated sidewalk instead of in the bike lane, you might have fewer surprises.
Chemist May 10, 2020 (6:18 pm)

How about we enforce the 15 mph Alki Trail speed limit for bikes?After a 1 year pilot (which also showed an average prively-owned ebike speed greater than 15 mph), Seattle Parks and Rec passed the speed limit unanimously for multiuse trails Seattle Parks and Rec maintains.
bill May 11, 2020 (1:58 pm)

I and other cyclists prefer the Alki trail to riding in the street because Harbor is not wide enough. I can’t maintain 25 mph and I am not going to ride in the door zone alongside the parked cars. As for ‘very little usage of bells or voice’, well, why bother? Most peds now have earbuds screwed into their ears, or are wearing headphones, or are mesmerized by their phones. I can holler like a sea captain but even at ten feet I’m sometimes not noticed. Pedestrians have a responsibility for situational awareness on shared trails.

Flo May 10, 2020 (3:35 pm)

West Seattle is blessed to have at least five excellent scuba diving sites. Two of these are within this restricted zone. Will we be able to park and dive? Or will we now be expected to somehow haul in our gear?

Rick May 10, 2020 (5:09 pm)

And remember…don’t drink and dive!

Really May 10, 2020 (4:08 pm)

Anything that curtails the amount of loud rap music listening, pot smoking, loud exhaust, disrespectful parade of people through West Seattle is welcomed by at least some of us.

Erithan May 10, 2020 (9:17 pm)

More will just get pushed to the Cali Alaska junction honestly, we already have an issue with people doing drugs and drinking in the little party -daily- (I get to watch it and get woken up by fights all the time)and no one does anything. Racers his later at night, but it’s pretty bad some nights. :/I wish they’d just enforce the noise laws etc on the people constantly breaking them in any part of west Seattle.
- Erithan May 10, 2020 (9:18 pm)
  
  Park** not party stupid auto correct

Karl Tull May 10, 2020 (4:22 pm)

This is a fantastic move. You have my vote mayor Durkin!!!

Silverback May 10, 2020 (4:42 pm)

The “Haves” get to keep theirs more private and the “have-nots” can just walk a few blocks, if they can find parking. Of course the High West Seattle Bridge will probably be closed for at least 4-5 years, so that should free up some parking spaces. While on the Floating Bridge today I noticed an abundance of boats all by Seward Park. If you own a boat and live on the water or have dock space you can go boating. If you depend on public boat ramps those are all closed in the City of Seattle. So much for equity, those at the top seem to be getting some nice benefits.

Rick May 10, 2020 (5:10 pm)

Just more of “the new normal”. Actually been going on for a long time here.
Wes C. Addle May 11, 2020 (11:33 am)

Why go after someone that is fortunate enough to be able to afford a home on the water and have a boat launch? Everyone can’t live on the lake or the sound. Sheesh. Are you gonna get mad that someone has a toaster oven and you can only afford a toaster? Do you want them to not use it until you’re able to use a toaster oven yourself? Gimme a break.The city is not ready to open up these areas yet. Deal with it. If they open up Don Armeni for example, it would have turned into a block party this weekend.
bill May 11, 2020 (2:00 pm)

Hey Silverback, I’d be down with socializing all private property. You bring the beer, I’ll be captain. Do you want to take a sailboat or powerboat today?

KM May 10, 2020 (5:04 pm)

I’m so happy to see this being extended. I don’t live nearby, but will be sure to make it down there soon to enjoy the quieter shoreline. Thrilled that there will be less car pollutants so close to our marine life.

Izzy May 10, 2020 (5:18 pm)

This strikes me as wrong. For all the talk of “equity” in the city zeitgeist, Seattle boosts the property values of folks who own multi million dollar water view homes? I have no issue at all about closing some streets for pedestrians during this time, but using SPD to turn wealthy areas into ad hoc gated communities permanently….nah. This is wrong. There are a zillion other streets in the city filled with us poor plebs that deal with cars, motorcycles, music and general noise that have families and would love this. I’d ask WSB if any you’ve done any research into whether SDOT or City management own any property along this road, cuz they just got a huge increase in their property values.

WSB May 10, 2020 (7:17 pm)

Nope, they don’t, and no, no one “got a huge boost in their property values.”
(a) There are a variety of city and county officials, elected and not, who live in West Seattle. None live anywhere near this stretch. But you don’t even have to take my word for it; you can browse the King County Parcel Viewer and click on each and every parcel.

(b) I did a lot of research recently for a story I haven’t yet written regarding property values/taxes and how they are calculated. Property values are determined on 1/1 each year – for the tax bills that go out the FOLLOWING year. So if this is still in effect on 1/1/21, that could factor into assessments for 2022 property-tax bills. Of course, there’s always listing price, but factor the bridge into that. Meantime, keep in mind that the largest properties on this stretch (not counting the park) are owned by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division and the US Coast Guard.
Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (5:45 pm)

True, WSB, but that’s now. But don’t you imagine that 5-10 years from now, when people are going to want to buy in West Seattle again, a home with semi-private strolling and beach access is going to sell for a bunch more than the same home would with fully public beach access?

AlkiLifer May 10, 2020 (5:20 pm)

It’s not just ADA access that I’m concerned about (although that is very important too). I took my mom there the last week of her life to sit on a bench and enjoy the view, the smell, the breeze. She was 87 and lived in the Alki area her entire life. She wouldn’t have been able to walk in and do the same thing. That’s one personal example, I’m sure there are more. It seems like this decision was made without considering the impact. It’s a very special and unique public park/street that should be available to all, not just those few who live there. I think people are forgetting about the 8 months of the year that aren’t filled with cars and loud music. What happens then? Maybe a better approach is to make some restrictions during the summer?

MMM May 13, 2020 (8:54 am)

There are also a number of other parks along Beach Drive that you can visit/ drive to in your car: Cormorant Cove, Weather Watch Park, Me Kwa Moks, and Lohman Beach.

MERTLEZ May 10, 2020 (5:57 pm)

As someone who lives on Beach Dr a few blocks from where it’s been closed off, I applaud the move. I also understand the frustration of everyone who is being denied a scenic drive and easy access to Constellation Park. Honestly, it seems like it would be ideal if Stay Healthy street closures could be more limited, for example, closed off just during prime hours on the weekends. During these times, that area often gets dangerously crowded, and trying to walk along the water is impossible to do so while maintaining responsible distancing. Even in pre-pandemic times, people who would park and then “own” the sidewalk between their car and the railing made it difficult to use as a walk-through. 8am or even 4pm on Tuesday, though, there’s usually enough capacity for all comers, regardless of their means arriving there.

Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (10:58 pm)

This would have certainly been more tolerable an action if they had looked at different days/times instead of going forward at 100% closure without getting full feedback on the impact it will have and learning all the different reasons people access this area by vehicle. Instead, they just extended the closure to the other side of the loop, making it even more difficult. And, bam, they are almost certain to make it permanent. This is a special amenity and a highlight of living in West Seattle, and yanking this from us all and 24/7 under guise of the pandemic is opportunistic.

Giddy-up May 10, 2020 (6:03 pm)

I have no idea how you guys/gals do what you do, hahahaha..you can’t even write about the tide schedule or a flyover without it descending into politics and/or Covid response. Thanks for the straight up journalism and being real.

DiverLaura May 10, 2020 (6:04 pm)

There are multiple SCUBA Diving sites within the “safe streets”, and no I’m not going to park 5 blocks away and ‘walk over’ with hundreds of pounds of dive and camera gear.. There has to be some middle ground and the Folks writing the regulations should be thoughtful and respectful of the use case diversity of these areas. SCUBA divers are not the problem, we stay for about 2 hrs max, we are not selling drugs or smoking weed on the street, we are not gunning our loud mufflers, we are silent participants for the most part (with maybe a little burst of air here and there when setting up gear and breaking it down and maybe a bit of loud talking as we regale each other with our personal dive highlights). We are really easy to spot, usually have a dive flag sticker of some sort on vehicle, and it becomes super clear when set up our gear on the bulkhead. So i think there should absolutely be a variance for scuba divers. The shoreline may be your favorite walk, but beneath that thin molecular line is our church, our cathedral, our sacred space.

Canton May 11, 2020 (12:01 am)

Do what you do, as you are a valuable resource to our community. We appreciate the all the dive videos, and what’s going on in the sound. Keep diving, and park close. I’ll pay your first ticket. Just not by a hydrant.
Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:49 pm)

Like those of us who haul gear around for other hobbies, you could likely pick up a non-motorized, wheeled device to haul your gear. If the water is your sacred space, think of how you will be protecting it by not driving right up next to it; just an idea and I am not being sarcastic. We all have to make changes as things change.

Ally May 10, 2020 (6:05 pm)

Google ACLU or American disability Act and there are links to file official complaintsmay not change the long term outcome but they should follow the process

heartless May 10, 2020 (8:40 pm)

I was unaware that Constellation Park had designated parking. If, as I believe, it does not, then the ADA Standards are not in any way, shape, or form being flouted (if it does have a parking lot, please correct me).

But please, by all means, follow your own advice and Google it–you might find, as I did, that the government ADA website specifically states that where no official parking is designated accessible parking is not mandated.

Brian Hughes May 10, 2020 (6:06 pm)

I support making this permanent. There is no reason to drive that section unless you live there. It’s often bumper-to-bumper with tourists. If you want to experience that part of the beach, park and walk/bike/skate/roll/whatever.

Plf May 10, 2020 (7:51 pm)

“ no reason to drive that street”when do we need a reason, public street, paid with my tax dollarsdo you know how elitist and privileged you sound just guessing but you live close by
- Ice May 10, 2020 (10:17 pm)
  
  Because you don’t need to drive on literally every piece of pavement? Cars completely take over and ruin whatever space they are in. This little strip will be so much more pleasant to walk around in now. I don’t live anywhere near there and I think this will be a massive inprovement.
  - Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:50 pm)
    
    Thanks for your civil contributions to this discussion.
  - 1994 May 11, 2020 (11:06 pm)
    
    Maybe pavement was invented so heavy loads would not get stuck and mired in the bare earth? Would you want to see people and their contraptions stuck in the mud in front of your home or business, clogging up the path of travel for others? Pavement keeps down the dust from travelers, can direct fluids to a drainage system …. Pavement may be harmful but it can be helpful.

Karen May 10, 2020 (6:14 pm)

Every one of us has our own needs and any decision will affect us in our own way. Having said that, my thoughts go to the last time I was able to lift my mother into my vehicle and drive her “around Alki”. As her health and memory left her this short trip calmed her and gave her respite. On our last day at Constellation Park she stood for some time holding the railing and finally said “I’ve never regretted coming West”; this from an Illinois farm daughter. I am so grateful that we had those moments. It could not have happened today. Every decision has consequences for someone.

Rich May 10, 2020 (6:32 pm)

So how are restaurants and shops on Alki now supposed to get their deliveries? Is Durkan herself doing them?

WSB May 10, 2020 (6:49 pm)

There are no restaurants/shops on this section of Alki Ave/Beach Drive.
- Thegreateaglespirit May 10, 2020 (9:19 pm)
  
  The lighthouse is, however, right in the middle.
  - heartless May 10, 2020 (9:33 pm)
    
    Yeah, but their deliveries are light.
    - miws May 11, 2020 (9:09 am)
      
      Heartless, 🤣 —Mike
Alki is favorite May 11, 2020 (12:51 pm)

There are absolutely no restaurants or shops on this one-third mile stretch of Beach Drive SW. The closure will not affect any business, which is something I considered when I wrote the Mayor asking for this street to be part of the Safe Streets program.

WSFan May 10, 2020 (7:01 pm)

This is a fantastic and visionary idea. Imagine being able to safely walk, or ride your townie bike, in a connected fashion from Lincoln Park, to Morgan Junction, to Alaska Junction, to Admiral Junction, to Alki, then to the Water Taxi. And back. Sort of a High Line (in NYC) for West Seattle.

OddPlaceThis May 10, 2020 (7:27 pm)

Such a sense of entitlement from all sides on this issue. West Seattle is such a weird place – you get the super Progressive participation trophy people along with the people who would obviously be happier living in Texas.

heartless May 10, 2020 (8:47 pm)

And then you get the people who have experienced real cities and earnestly yearn for Seattle to get through its teenager phase and join the ranks of world-class metropolises. It’s SO close (and yet so far…).

But yes, I agree with you. Odd place, this.
T. Boggs May 10, 2020 (9:06 pm)

Very well said.
ds303n May 11, 2020 (3:36 pm)

Good synopsis and I am a native.

Denise May 10, 2020 (7:47 pm)

Not everybody can bike, walk etc. this is WRONG!

heartless May 10, 2020 (9:36 pm)

But there are more people who can walk than can drive, so you might want to re-think that argument.
Matt May 10, 2020 (10:24 pm)

unless you are disabled you can walk. My father in law is 85 an walks this stretch very often, what is your excuse.. too many people stuck in their car mentality

Dp May 10, 2020 (7:59 pm)

All of you people complaining about that, try living across the street from a school and you can’t even pull into your driveway because parents picking up their children can’t even read the signs “DONT BLOCK THE DRIVEWAY”. It gets really old!!!!!

ds303n May 11, 2020 (3:38 pm)

Totally agree. No common sense. Plus whether it’s marked or not, it’s the law and it’s the civil, courteous thing to do but that’s not where we are evolving toward in Seattle/society.

Eric May 10, 2020 (8:09 pm)

Hi. This change would prevent divers from being able to access the shoreline, as it’s kind of hard to dive at a location without car access. I hope this decision can have due process and I hope they can make provisions for divers (who often do citizen science on ocean health). The north shore in that area in particular is one of the few spots we can dive when there is south wind (common in the winter). Overall, the area is a unique ecosystem, with more seapens than I know of in any other area, that we’d like to monitor. Seems they could prevent speeders by adding a few more speed bumps.

Kathy May 10, 2020 (11:07 pm)

Why? Could you not use a hand cart to haul your stuff? Do you need to use your car as some kind of generator? Just curious.
- Eric May 11, 2020 (8:11 am)
  
  Hi. There are several reasons. My car is already jam packed when hauling gear for two divers, there’s no room for a cart (and I dive a Honda Pilot). Also, for solo diving I’d need to be able to lock the cart at the beach, as I wouldn’t want to leave my camera sitting on the beach by itself from that far away. I also would need to be able to lock my shoes at the beach (walking long distances in a dry suit is unviable, it is too hot). Also, there are safety concerns around being further away from emergency supplies in my car. Thank you!

flimflam May 10, 2020 (8:34 pm)

without any “skin in the game” it does seem strange that the city could/would simply announce these changes *boom* done deal – especially for a city that has committees for committees to study what the study ought to entail, etc etc

Yep May 10, 2020 (8:55 pm)

How about shutting down all of Harbor Ave, Alki and Beach Drive. lol! To not have to hear traffic anymore would be amazing!!! I’m kidding of course but you thought you had it bad down there, try living by the bridge. It’s pretty bad.

Sweetiebee May 10, 2020 (9:42 pm)

I’m with you. The car noise is completely out of control, this is the worst it’s been in the 7 years I’ve lived here

Will o Wisp May 10, 2020 (9:28 pm)

How come this was not discussed at the Alki Community Council? Things like this were usually put before the locals before implimentation. I think that there should be accomidation for divers and kaykers to enter the water at that location.

Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (5:37 pm)

I agree! I’ve written to Lisa Herbold, Mayor Durkin, Mr. Zimbabwe at SDOT and, by Twitter, @dongho_chang, also of SDOT. I hope others write, also. The voices of the few local folks who are going to benefit so nicely from this move shouldn’t be the only ones these authorities hear. Kayakers, divers, and older folks and families who just want to stop for a while to enjoy the view and look at the wildlife in the Sound shouldn’t lose that option.

Con May 10, 2020 (9:33 pm)

Has anybody thought about making the drive a one way street. If the cars were restricted to the inland side of the road, with the short plastic poles to control the lanes, then the walkers and bikers could have the shore side plus the side walk. This will not help with problem of parking near Constellation Park for the elderly and handicapped. However this would help others like me that are old enough that like drive around the point during a winter storm to see the spray from the waves coming over the railing but can’t take the walk from either end during that season.

Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (11:07 pm)

What an equitable suggestion, Con!

1994 May 10, 2020 (9:39 pm)

They should just do a bicycle Sunday thing like over on Lake Washington Blvd 2 Sundays a month May to Sept. I am sure this has clogged up the other side street down there even worse than ever.

Mich May 10, 2020 (9:39 pm)

I live within that closed area. There are hundreds of residents here with cars, along with our family and friends visiting. This can’t and isn’t being enforced, so have at it.

Wild Willy May 10, 2020 (10:04 pm)

Look at the streets that are being closed. From the edge of the pavement to private property lines there is typically a parking strip owned by the city, a sidewalk and approximately two feet past the sidewalk for a total width of 10-12 feet of city property. This exists on both sides of the street. If the city wants to separate traffic from pedestrians, why don’t we use the existing city property. The point of this exercise seems to be to punish drivers, not to improve safety by completely separating autos from pedestrians.

WSB May 10, 2020 (10:58 pm)

Along this stretch, actually, there are no planting strips. Sidewalk, street. You can see for yourself via Google Street View.

Canton May 10, 2020 (11:29 pm)

If anyone is interested, you can check out, history link.org/west seattle. There has been transportation issues since the 1910’s -20’s in our heartland. If you want a functional bridge anytime soon, check out the history, and complications.

Elton May 11, 2020 (12:31 am)

While I’m not sure how I feel about the change being permanent, the drivers on Beach Drive have become increasingly dangerous during the pandemic. Walking a child along on beach drive is getting tougher and tougher and this is certainly a help to those who live in Alki and want to walk safely. If you don’t believe me, spend a a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday walking along this stretch yourself sometimes. There was literally someone doing donuts right on 63rd yesterday in the middle of the intersection. While this won’t eliminate the dangerous drivers, it certainly makes it a little less desirable for the yahoos I’ve seen racing on beach drive. I can understand the folks upset with the permanent closure but I’m still confused about the ada access issue – has a police officer actually turned away someone with a disability placard so that they can park their car and enjoy the park? If not, then I don’t see the issue with a temporary closure.

Ted Ellis May 11, 2020 (8:28 am)

I drove thru the area last night and I am happy to announce the cones blocking the street were thrown aside making my drive thru there a breezeThanks SDOT for not only a stupid idea but for stupid execution

Mark Schletty May 11, 2020 (8:46 am)

Reading all the comments on this closure makes it very clear that the impetus for it comes from two groups. Residents of the area and bike advocates. The bike advocate part is just to be expected because they want what they want. But the resident part is different. Very understandable, and very wrongheaded. Their problem is very real. You can’t buy a house directly on a park access road, with no buffer between your house and the park, and not expect the public to come there to enjoy he park. It will be an annoyance. But what happens here in the evening and on weekends is not to be expected or tolerated. The behavior of some of the visitors is atrocious. And breaks many laws. The residents do not deserve, and should not get, a private park. They should get aggressive enforcement of the law, concentrated in this area.This misbehavior on this street is not really their problem, it is the omnipresent problem of this City’s refusal to enforce laws. I live up by Gatewood and I can easily hear what is going on from near to Constellation Ave.. There is no question noise, speed and reckless driving laws are being broken. Please, residents of the area, help all of us, by using your money, influence, and efforts to get the City to change its idiotic refusal to enforce laws that are enacted specifically to prevent you from having to put up with your situation. Become an ally of the rest of us, instead of an antagonist. Instead of having so many outraged at what you want, you would have a whole city of supporters.

Wes C. Addle May 11, 2020 (11:47 am)

It does not give the owners a private park. It is still filled with many people who have ridden their skateboard, bike, scooter, wagon, & one-wheels. Also, it’s filled by people who have walked the small distance to that area. This is going to be temporary until we get a little more normal. We’re dealing with a Global Pandemic, not some Seattle Government worldwide heist. If you can’t deal with hanging out somewhere else temporarily like Alki, Jack Block, Mee-Kwa-Mooks, etc . . . then that’s on you for not doing your part. Just like it’s on everyone who comes down to the beach and doesn’t social distance, they’re also not doing their part.
Kathy May 11, 2020 (1:29 pm)

Mark, you left out one group of people supporting this, pedestrians. Maybe in your neighborhood you don’t have the traffic issues we have in Alki. In that sense, you are more privileged than we are. People drive from all over the city to visit our neighborhood. We have been told by police at the Alki Community Council that gangs drive back and forth between hangouts in Seward Park and Alki, when they get kicked out of one place, they drive to the other. Traffic noise complaints and mitigation have been on the agenda of many, many Alki Community Council meetings. Traffic enforcement of the level of speeding and noise violations we experience here would take an army of police staff that could be better deployed against violence and property crime. This simple experiment shows that regulating the street use is a much more cost effective way of dealing with the issue, while also dealing with the noise and air pollution caused by too many cars here. It will allow police to better focus enforcement on the arterials. I predict the park will get much more visitation now that the noise and traffic have been reduced there. And I bet if a vote were taken in our zipcode, there would be more in favor of this than against it.
- jack May 11, 2020 (7:07 pm)
  
  So, you really feel this closer will solve these problems or simply move them over a couple of blocks? Face the facts, we live by the beach and it attracts people. This is stopping nothing other than the majority of people enjoying a public park at their leisure without extra effort.
Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (5:34 pm)

I agree! I’ve written to Lisa Herbold, Mayor Durkin, Mr. Zimbabwe at SDOT and, by Twitter, @dongho_chang, also of SDOT. The voices of the few local folks who are going to benefit so nicely from this move shouldn’t be the only ones these authorities hear. If the rules were enforced there, everyone could enjoy the beach access.

Transparency missing May 11, 2020 (10:27 am)

February 1, 2019: “Over the next year, we’ll need to follow through on our promise for more openness and transparency as we continue building the public’s trust in our ability to deliver projects, large and small.” https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2019/02/01/meet-sam-sdots-new-director/ There has been a lot of talk about wanting to build a culture of transparency at SDOT, the Department’s actions since February 2020 make it look like there was only a one-year warranty on that promise.

too lazy to count May 11, 2020 (12:16 pm)

If I wasn’t too lazy to count, I would bet that the 150ish comments balance out a 50/50 split on “we hate this” vs “this is fine”. Most controversial WSB posts (some non-controversial, too) end up this way. Are we above the venting? Those on both sides are essentially wasting their time here. The same effort in a letter to Lisa Herbold or City Hall would yield much more support for your decision.I’m concerned because about half of the comments on both sides show the ugly, selfish side of people. This post consciously lacks my personal stance on the closed streets, but I would like to line up on the side of selfishness. Our community has enough against us right now, please lighten up.

Alki is favorite place I have lived May 11, 2020 (12:33 pm)

The main reason I wrote a letter asking the Mayor to add this portion of Beach Drive to the Safe Streets program was the flagrant non-compliance with social distancing on this stretch of roadway, by obvious non-family groups. For those of us who live on certain streets, this disregard made its impossible for us to leave our homes either by driving, walking, biking, etc., without having to run the gauntlet of unmasked clusters of our neighbors who did not seem to care about the community. Second, it is a prime candidate for this program. Third, the fact that people park on both sides leaving only one lane for the nearly nonstop cruising makes this road incredibly hazardous to anyone driving, walking, biking, etc. Fourth, the street is open to vehicles for residents, first responders, delivery folks, USPS and the like. It is one-third of one mile. Beach Drive is several miles long. Please remember the social contract. Please ask yourself whether your temporary enjoyment of a view is worth putting the lives of others at risk.

Canton May 12, 2020 (12:58 am)

You chose to live in this popular neighborhood. As my father, and his before said, ya get what ya paid for…This is not a gated community, as such, you will get crowds from all areas. It is a public asset.
- Citizen Sane May 12, 2020 (8:47 am)
  
  The crowds may come, and yes, it may run along a public park, but remember: your playground is my home – you have an obligation to be a good guest. I suspect this wouldn’t have happened if visitors to the area were better and more considerate citizens, instead of acting like a bunch of low-class louts.

Citizen Sane May 11, 2020 (2:12 pm)

I think the closure is great! At the very worst, it may be A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Come. .If you don’t like it, you can thank all the boorish outsiders who brought it on with their behavior..I pay a premium to live here, to the visitors, I say, ‘This may be your playground, but it’s my home’. You brought this on yourself with your cruising, racing, loitering, littering, graffiti, and loud music..This is why you can’t have nice things..Where good manners and common sense fails, onerous regulation prevails.

BEB May 11, 2020 (5:22 pm)

As a compromise, consider one-way car traffic around this loop. This would provide space for a bike lane, pedestrians, and parking. Eliminating the parking on Alki Avenue west of 63rd will be the “final nail in the coffin” and shutter many of the struggling restaurants in that area. These fine restaurants add value and quality of life to many of the nearby residences (of course, assuming there’s reasonable enforcement of the laws).

Annie Organ May 11, 2020 (2:26 pm)

The City and others are allowing an ill-advised land grab by closing off what they refer to as a “small portion of Beach Drive Southwest in Alki between 63rd Avenue Southwest and Alki Avenue.”Closing this road–which goes right along the water, and offers the best view of the sound, sea mammals and Mt. Rainier that can be had in West Seattle–to through traffic means that no one outside of that immediate neighborhood will be able to enjoy this important WS amenity. This stretch offers plenty of free parking for folks who want a brief walk along the water.There is nowhere else that the amount of people who normally enjoy this stretch would be able to find parking nearby to access it. This section of road will virtually become a private strolling preserve for residents of the Alki district. Folks from the rest of West Seattle and Seattle will no longer to able to access or enjoy it.In addition, this is going to enhance the value of the properties along that stretch, at the cost of the rest of us. Some special interests (the bike coalition and presumably local residents who object to people enjoying the waterfront access in the area) are coming to come out of this very happy, and everybody else loses out.We need to stop this from becoming a permanent change.

whywhywhy May 11, 2020 (3:15 pm)

Great, now I can’t go for my much loved Alki drives during these times. Maybe I don’t want to get out of my car and walk among people. I don’t understand what the purpose of this is. Most cars are driving through, not stopping and loitering.

Pooh Bear May 12, 2020 (7:16 am)

Any restrictions on cars just “driving around” spewing pollution and causing traffic for no reason is a good rule to me.

AM_WS May 11, 2020 (3:33 pm)

There’s been a lot of discussion about the Alki Beach area. But South Delridge and neighborhoods near Westwood Center are also affected. SW Trenton St between 16th Ave SW and Delridge Way SW is currently blocked with the new signage. This is not a road frequented by revelers. It just a public street used by people in the neighborhood going to QFC. At a time when the West Seattle Bridge is already causing congestion on the detour routes, why constrain capacity even more?

FocusOnTheBridge May 12, 2020 (11:40 am)

A agree the Trenton closure is crazy. It’s how many of us get to the bridge detour! SODOT please focus on the bridge?! Please!!What a waste of tax payer money!!

Alki Renter May 11, 2020 (4:00 pm)

TL;DR Comments…I’m opposed because this 0.3 miles of closed road prevents me from using the other 5 miles along Alki ave and Beach drive. I’m for because street racing is now banned on this 0.3 miles of road I enjoy and those thugs are now forced to use the other 5 miles along Alki ave and Beach Drive.

Pat Rollins May 11, 2020 (4:21 pm)

One of the best views in the city, and access to “THE ALKI LIGHTHOUSE” (when open )have been removed from from a great majority of West Seattle residents……Do you have any idea of the median age of the population in this area?????? You’ve been very short sighted in making this decision. There are many areas of Beach drive that could have been closed without this much impact. ie: Lincoln Park Way at Lowman Beach and Beach Drive to Lincoln Park Have someone from Sdot engineering look at this!!!!!!!!!!!

heartless May 11, 2020 (7:38 pm)

Pat,

Your hyperbole serves you poorly. There is no chance that anything close to a “great majority” of people in West Seattle are incapable of walking a couple blocks. As I mentioned elsewhere, you will in fact find that more people are capable of walking than are of driving–so please put that in your pipe and smoke it.

jack May 11, 2020 (7:17 pm)

Hooray! This street closer has stopped all the Hot Roding on the Alki for good! Hooray!

Nichole Leigh May 12, 2020 (7:47 am)

Good luck with that. It’s only going to stop law abiders. The hot riders and racers will still come.
- heartless May 12, 2020 (12:03 pm)
  
  I mean, if your argument is that laws will only influence those who abide by laws, I’m not really sure how to respond. I guess, at the risk of sounding nonsensical, I’d say both that’s obvious and that it’s not actually correct. Happy to discuss more.

DiverLaura May 11, 2020 (7:20 pm)

For everyone who as recommended I “just get a wheeled cart” and park blocks away, I wholeheartedly invite you to come out and help me carry gear and learn what it takes to do a video filming dive before you are so fast to judge and give advice… You are welcome to sit with the thousands of dollars worth of gear while I walk back to my car for the next load. For decades we’ve used the “junkyard” and “Pipeline” dive sites as part of Pacific Marine Research “Marine Science Afloat” educational trip for school kids due to all the aforementioned reasons (shelter from wind, biodiversity, etc.) Divers are really a totally chill group, we are extraordinarily aware of how our actions impact the marine habitat in our backyard (for the person who implied that i should be more environmentally conscious, do your homework). We document, clean up, advocate for, you name it. Yes, of course its my choice to be a scuba diver, yes, i realize that is a privilege, but we’ve been loosing shore access to dive sites consistently over 30 years I’ve been diving and i see this simply as a continuation so i must speak up… the same way i do about Polluted Stormwater Runoff and our Sea Stars dying off. Without access to the waterways we lose not only our connection to the ocean (for some of us it is also our form of meditation and escape, perhaps the same as your walk in the park or along the beach or going for bike ride/run) but the ability to report on things such as herring spawns, die offs, etc. What is out of sight out of mind, and community scuba divers can do good work with documentation, fish counts, citizen science (as was mentioned by another diver above).

thnk thngs throo May 11, 2020 (11:02 pm)

Before you fly off the handle at no one, you should talk to someone who can help about making an exception to the closure. They’re not building an iron gate in front of the street. I’m sure it’s easy to get a permit to park and dive there. And guess what? Without the stream of traffic from Alki cruisers driving in circles and pot smoking teenagers sitting in their cars by the beach, your valuables will be safer.
JustBreathe May 12, 2020 (11:36 am)

Did you look at the map? I don’t think it effects the diving area. This is in the tidal zones, it’s super shallow and rocky. I’ve never seen divers out there.

Scott Collins May 12, 2020 (7:40 am)

as I read through some of the comments here I wonder if anyone actually read the articleA) the road is closed to “through ” traffic. You can still drive on the road if it is your destination B) ada specific parking will be provided in the zone C) this area has not yet been deemed permanent. The only ws area that has been designated as such is in high point With those facts please repost all issues and concerns based on what is actually happening.

heartless May 12, 2020 (12:57 pm)

Scott,

From reading all the comments, it seems like most people supporting the change understand the points you mentioned, and it is nearly only those opposed who are missing (or glossing over) the points you raise. Worth thinking about.

casey lynn May 12, 2020 (7:46 am)

Who knows the list of people to talk to get involved? And who knows the group that pushed it through?Several times it said “with input from the community” who is this community? And how do we have a voice?I live on 64th and Admiral. I’ve had no voice in this and/or was wanted about changes. This is warranted with a permanent change.

AM_WS May 12, 2020 (8:47 am)

Casey Lynn – The advocacy group pushing this is seattlegreenways.org . They are locals and seem to be affiliated with a national network but they have not been transparent. Their internet domain name registration is redacted from public view. They do have a a strong marketing capability.

Donald May 12, 2020 (11:04 am)

I agree it should be oneway with speed bumps, but not shut down.It sounds a little corrupt to me like alot of things in this city.

WS May 12, 2020 (11:29 am)

With North West Seattle impacted by the bridge closure it’s very hard to get into nature & away from the city. Alki is such a great retreat. The over-powered mufflers, exhaust and litter the visitors bring are are destroying the habitat. Many people who visit this area have no regard for cleaning up after themselves and minimizing their footprint. This is such a beautiful natural asset.If there were some voting process, I’m sure more would be in favor that opposed.Now can SDOT get to work on the bridge?! We need their passion & focus. Street closures seem like a distraction.

Bradley May 12, 2020 (1:36 pm)

Efforts and organization are already underway for a very LOUD and large protest march (as well as a cruise-drive) from 63rd SW to Constellation Park at a yet-to-be-released date. This will take place in early-summer and will include groups and organizations from all over our entire region who have enjoyed Alki Point for years. ALL people and street-legal vehicles will be welcome. Stay tuned.

heartless May 12, 2020 (1:50 pm)

LOL! Thanks for the laugh! This does more than anything else could to summarize the people against the healthy streets closure. I’m sure in this time of pandemic your organized gathering will only make people support you more! Hah!
- Bradley May 12, 2020 (4:28 pm)
  
  We are taking Alki Point back for ALL the People, not just the wealthy, privileged few who live there and those fortunate enough to be ambulatory. 700,000+ Seattle residents pay for those streets and those access points. 7.5 million tax-paying Washingtonians and countless tourists won’t let a few agenda-driven activists deny personal vehicle access to OUR public streets. The People will prevail.
  - heartless May 12, 2020 (7:19 pm)
    
    You should think about taking Alki Point back for ALL the people, not just those who can afford cars, not just those who drive–are you thinking about those who cannot drive, due to medical conditions or legal status? Are you thinking about those who cannot afford a car? No!
    
    Answer me this: do you think more people in West Seattle are able to enjoy those streets on foot or by car? The answer is on foot–because more people can walk, stroll & hike than can drive. YOUR position is elitist, and I find it continually disconcerting that you so fail to see it.
    
    Damn right these streets are ours–now let’s continue to reclaim them!
    
    ps
    G’luck on your Corona March! Hah!
    
    pps
    Since you (and others) keep raising the point of who “pays” for those streets, let me again offer to reimburse you. Let me know how much you paid for that stretch, and I promise to pay you back. Go on…
    - Bradley May 12, 2020 (11:20 pm)
      
      The only thing that matters is results. Bottom line: people are driving through and ignoring the signs. I drove past the sign at 63rd today at 6pm, parked southbound in front of the benches across the street from the sewage treatment plant, and went for a beach stroll. There were many other patrons parked around me. Afterwards, I exited southbound to Beach Drive and saw some poetic justice: a resident driver had to wait to make a right turn into his now-restricted street as us park patrons made our turns onto Beach Drive.
    - heartless May 13, 2020 (7:46 am)
      
      “The only thing that matters is results.”
      
      I wish you had written this much earlier in our exchange, rather than posturing and pretending and bringing up points as smokescreens.
      
      So you’re not interested in debating the matter, you’re not interested in evaluating any of your arguments, and you’re clearly not interested in self-reflection.
      
      I feel silly for having tried to engage you in discussion, for having thought about your arguments and for responding as if we were working together on figuring out something.
      
      And I feel sorry for you that you believe results are the only thing that matters.
      
      You set a poor example.
    - Bradley May 13, 2020 (1:04 pm)
      
      1) I’m sorry you’re only interested in personal attacks and not policy. 2) I’m sorry you’re on the side of privileged elitists and not every Seattle resident, every Washington State resident, and every tourist.
    - heartless May 14, 2020 (8:24 am)
      
      There is nothing personal here, no need to get your knickers in a twist. But I’m not going to let you get away with acting like a child in a public forum without calling you out.
      
      And that’s how you act–you act like a child who really wants a toy and the parents have just said no. You are not interested in (or able to engage in) rational arguments or discussion. You claim I am not interested in policy, when in this very series of exchanges I directly responded to your two claims: that closing the street was for the few and those fortunate enough to be ambulatory, and that tax-payers pay for that street and so deserve to drive on it.
      
      I directly addressed and countered these points, and your response was to completely ignore the topic and derail the entire conversation by spouting off “The only thing that matters is results,” which, in addition to being a thing said by fanatics, is completely meaningless in the current context. (To make it simple for you: the result is that street is closed to through traffic. That’s the result. Still agree that the only thing that matters is results?) But again, it’s like talking to a child throwing a tantrum, where they just cough up a phrase they’ve heard adults use, without even understanding what it means.
      
      So by all means, continue to endorse a gathering a large group of people to protest the closure, even though you can’t articulate why it matters. Continue to push for a large group of people to gather in the middle of a pandemic to protest a tiny road closure (not even a closure!). By the way, do you remember when local students held a protest against Trump? You called the protest “Disgusting” and “anti-American and anti-democratic” (Nov 9, 2016).
      
      So that’s that. I hope you really read what I’ve written, and think about your positions and arguments–and the responses you’ve received, and try to figure out where you should really stand. But from what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think you can engage in an actual discussion of this topic, and so I will bow out and leave you to your semi-coherent rants and ramblings. I’m sure you’ll be fine, since you clearly have the support of “every Seattle resident, every Washington State resident, and every tourist” (“Everyone loves me! Just ask them! The support is huuuge, just huuuuge, ask anybody!” Kinda reminds me of someone…).
      
      Ciao.
    - Bradley May 14, 2020 (1:33 pm)
      
      It sounds like you could really use a relaxing drive between 63rd SW and Constellation Park. It’s good medicine. Enjoy.

Paul Hage May 12, 2020 (3:00 pm)

A fair solution may be closure to non-resident vehicles during summer weekends. We are retired and have made the drive regularly for 10 years. We avoid Alki on summer weekends for just the reasons expressed here. During most weekdays, even during the summer, traffic intensity is much less. The rest of the year traffic is lighter yet. One way traffic makes sense. The section of Alki from Cactus to the residential portion could be open if a U turn was provided at the residential end.

1994 May 12, 2020 (3:57 pm)

The Bicycle Sunday program works over on Lake Washington Blvd where 2 Sundays a month, during summer months, it is closed to motor vehicles. I think the Parks & Rec coordinates this with the SDot. They should consider this for the entire Alki drive. It seems less drastic then simply saying the streets is closed or open only for local traffic.