‘STAY HEALTHY STREETS’: Here’s that long-promised survey

| Coronavirus | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, Beach Drive “Stay Healthy Street,” last month)

More than a month after a community survey about “Stay Healthy Streets” was first promised, it’s finally launched. First, a refresher – over the spring, the city designated more than 20 miles of streets as “Stay Healthy Streets,” banning vehicular through traffic except for delivery and emergency vehicles. Most are part of Neighborhood Greenways, with exceptions including the stretch of Alki Avenue and Beach Drive that was added to the program. That and another park-adjacent “Stay Healthy Street” in North Seattle were rebranded “Keep Moving Streets,” and the city said they were temporary, while the other 20 “Stay Healthy” miles citywide (including two areas of east West Seattle) will be permanent. The survey’s questions include whether you use any of the “Stay Healthy” or “Keep Moving” streets and what you like and/or dislike about them. It’ll be open until July 15th – you can take it here.

Alki resident June 23, 2020 (7:07 pm)

So the beach drive rocky beach will be permanently closed? Who voted for this? It’s a public beach, the beach at Me Kwa Mooks was completely packed with cars, no parking because of this. I grew up going to the rocky beach and now take my grandkids. I’m livid about this decision.

WSB June 23, 2020 (7:31 pm)

No, as noted above, the city says it’s temporary.
- AMoose2 June 23, 2020 (9:20 pm)
  
  No, it is open and with the lack of cars going by it is a far nicer experience to visit the beach. I was down there earlier this week at one of the super low tides and the lack of traffic and ability to make full use of the road was great.
Michael June 24, 2020 (2:09 am)

I live half a block from that rocky beach and visit at least once a day. There’s tons of street parking on Beach Drive, much closer than Me Kwa Mooks. The beach itself is not closed.

JM June 23, 2020 (8:34 pm)

Why don’t you read the post and after you read then take the survey so your input is taken into consideration! I find it so frustrating when people read a headline and then post a reactionary comment when they obviously are getting angry before they even know what the post was about.

Alki Lifer June 23, 2020 (8:39 pm)

The stretch from Beach Drive to Alki Ave is not a permanent part of the Stay Healthy Streets program yet? Why I’m so freakin livid about this. I’m sending emails to Durkan and Herbold immediately. Why I oughta…😤😤😤

Julia June 23, 2020 (9:37 pm)

I started taking the survey but it didn’t address the issue of the Alki Point closure so I stopped. I’ve already emailed the mayor and Lisa Herbold, twice. (No response from either)

psps June 23, 2020 (10:00 pm)

In other words, publicly-funded gated communities.

Michael June 24, 2020 (2:09 am)

Only if you consider parks gated communities.
Chardo June 24, 2020 (10:18 am)

Yes, just like a gated community except anyone can walk, run, bike, skate, or whatever through it.
KT June 24, 2020 (12:31 pm)

“Publicly funded gated communities.” Exactly.
- Kathy June 24, 2020 (2:30 pm)
  
  It’s not gated, you can walk right in. You can literally park your car on a side street within 30-40 feet of the park. Much closer than you can park at Lincoln Park. If you are disabled and can’t walk 30-40 feet, there are handicap parking spots.

wetone June 23, 2020 (10:46 pm)

Who is responsible for questions on survey ? very interesting. I think survey needs more personal questions;) Looks like Durkan and SDOT wants to take more roads away…..

KM June 24, 2020 (7:09 am)

If you read about the programs or visit and of the streets involved, you’ll see they are still there—they weren’t take away and there are no proposals to do so. Their use is being shifted—the city not losing any roadways.
heartless June 24, 2020 (8:01 am)

Taking more roads away?

Funny, most people see it as the opposite, as taking roads back, and letting many more people use them than before.
- Wes C. Addle June 24, 2020 (10:06 am)
  
  “Clapping Sound”

Joe Z June 24, 2020 (5:24 am)

What do we have to do to get California on the list? At least on weekends.

nonni June 24, 2020 (5:13 pm)

and people who work for/ patronize businesses open on weekends on Calif. Ave will get there How???
- Tsurly June 24, 2020 (7:09 pm)
  
  Park adjacent to it and walk.
- Joe Z June 25, 2020 (7:32 am)
  
  The businesses hate when they close a block for the farmer’s market, not a single person can get there.
  - WSB June 25, 2020 (11:09 am)
    
    The sidewalks remain open. We’ve been in businesses on that block (Click!, Easy Street …) during the market.

Meeeee June 24, 2020 (6:01 am)

Pretty biased questions, certainly not looking for hearing anything except how to expand the program

JJA June 24, 2020 (8:20 am)

The comments on these posts about the Stay Healthy/Keep Moving streets (especially Beach Drive) consistently reflect misunderstandings about how they work and even where they are. I hope that anyone responding to the survey takes the time to learn the facts and doesn’t just rely on what they see in comment threads.

Sky June 24, 2020 (8:22 am)

Wow. Bias in survey writing. I am legitimately curious why this isn’t up for public voting.

Lola June 24, 2020 (8:48 am)

Wow just took the Survey. Lot’s of Questions that had nothing to do with the Streets. It does look like they want to take the roads away from the people who use cars.

John June 24, 2020 (11:55 am)

Seattle declared a war on cars more than a decade ago! Just look to downtown with how hard it is to park and get around. Yeah they keep jacking up the price significantly to take the bus. 10 years ago it was less than a dollar to get downtown now if these new fancy buses with wifionboard it’s nearly $4

Neighbor June 24, 2020 (9:12 am)

Unless I’m misunderstanding this, all this does is ban *through* traffic. And that particular section near Constellation park isn’t somewhere that through traffic makes any sense anyway. Yes, you might conceivably have driven there as a way to get a view of the water while driving, but you would also have had a view of the water by using the arterial on 63rd, since you’d have views on Alki and on Beach Drive at Me-Kwa-Mooks. Maybe I am misunderstanding it, because I don’t understand what all the fuss is about.

Duwamesque June 24, 2020 (9:26 am)

Beach Dr near Constellation Park is vastly improved under the Stay Healthy Streets program compared to what it was before. Constant traffic jams, air choked with exhaust, dangerous drag racing and an unsafe criminal element on warm weekend nights. As others have noted there is still plenty of parking close to Constellation Park so everyone can still enjoy that beach. Now we have kids, bikes, pedestrians and neighbors in a community square for everyone. I hope everyone takes this survey and the City make this a permanent closure to through traffic. Take back your streets!

Rocky Be-Otch June 24, 2020 (9:28 am)

Exactly PSPS! Have the residents approached you guys with their petition yet. It’s not about safety, it’s all about keeping the people they don’t like out, just ask them.

SLJ June 24, 2020 (10:11 am)

It’s nice to have more room so we can stay 6 feet apart, but some people like to park along Constellation Park to view the water. It’s difficult for people with limited mobility to access the park if they can’t drive there to park close by and go to one of the benches. If they made the street one-way, it would still allow more walking/biking room and allow everyone easy access to the beach. And yes, I mentioned that in the survey.

GreenLakesLover June 24, 2020 (11:03 am)

Constellation Park (aka Rocky Beach) is OPEN, and more people than ever before are using it. Anyone who believes it is closed should go for a visit and see for themself how this beautiful spot has been transformed into a safe and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy. If you’re disabled you can still drive down the street and park in a designated handicap space and much like other City parks, there’s parking close by with just a short walk to get in to the park. “Steet closed” does not mean keep out or stay away. It means more space for people to walk, skate and bike as well as sufficient width for wheelchairs and walkers to maneuver. It’s actually a park now instead of a dangerous playground for the car clubs to make deafening amounts of noise and drive recklessly with their vehicles, leave trash, paint graffiti, use the rocky bulkhead for a toilet, openly consume drugs and alcohol and block pedestrian access by congregating in large groups on the sidewalks. When that was going on before Safe and Healthy Streets, the public truly was denied use of this iconic West Seattle gathering place.

Lola June 24, 2020 (12:04 pm)

Neighbor, It is now pushing all of the Cars who used to like to sit and look out over Rocky Beach it is pushing them all Down to Me- Kwa-Mooks. Their Neighborhood is getting all the Traffic and Parked Cars. Tell me why there is not enough room on the Sidewalks to Walk or Jog? You have two sides of a street? Or if you want to do long distance stuff we have Tracks, Madison, The one by the WS Golf Course and all along Lincoln Park you can bike, walk, jog with a nice big wide path. Why do you need to use the Streets to do all of this????

This June 24, 2020 (1:14 pm)

Because people need adequate safe and healthy spaces outside for essential exercise and fresh air, while social distancing, during a pandemic.

Cars were developed to be a mode of transportation. People are treating them now like mobile living rooms you can move all over the city and park in other peoples neighborhoods to enjoy other window views.

The street is open to all people, just not cars. Visit, park nearby, get out of your car and walk a very short distance, sit on a bench or a rock if you need to, and enjoy the improved view.
Neighbor June 24, 2020 (2:07 pm)

As someone who regularly walks in both Constellation Park and Me-Kwa-Mooks, I can tell you that prior to the “Stay Healthy Street” designation I did routinely have to walk in the street at Constellation Park because people who were parked and congregating were blocking the sidewalks, sometimes on both sides of the street. And that was even before we were supposed to be practicing social distancing. With that as an added factor, it is nice for the street to have less through traffic so that there’s adequate room for everyone to use the space. At Me-Kwa-Mooks there’s grassy park space, so even when people are congregating they’re less likely to be actually blocking the sidewalks, at least in my experience.
Kathy June 24, 2020 (2:45 pm)

Lola, you tell me why people enjoying the park should have to zig zag through backed up car traffic in order to safely socially distance. The sidewalks are not wide enough to allow the minimum of 6 feet of separation. You tell me why that residential street should be a backed up with idling vehicles all the way to the Lighthouse with people just driving through or looking for non-existent parking and finding it difficult to get back onto the arterial. This road should not be a thoroughfare or a traffic jam. It is not an arterial, so permanent closure would enforce this with out the need for police to control traffic.

wetone June 24, 2020 (4:03 pm)

Nothing has changed on roadway around Alki point sense it was built. Always open for all to use and access area like visiting Light House (when open) taken ones elder or handicapped family member to view sights and sunset and soooo much more. Alki beach side has no parking on nice days, but there is walking paths, bike lanes, green area…… no reason to steal public right of ways only to be used as a park when there are multiple parks with-in blocks. Alki field, Schmitz Park, all of Alki waterfront, Jack Block Park, the list goes on. Only difference today: city does not enforce laws, want’s cars off roads, there are multiple groups that want to control Seattle’s roadways, many people NOW living in area want the peace and quiet of today even though when they moved to area it was not so. I know things are busier today, so lets do something fair for ALL and make it a ONE WAY STREET with parking on one side, bigger walk way and nice bike lane ? This tactic of closing areas does nothing but move problems to next neighborhood and is Seattle governments way of doing business these days. If ones not happy about noise, traffic, partying then call SPD. If that don’t work, vote different next time. I know this area better than most as it was one of my paper routes 50 yrs ago, still live close by and use area (road) almost daily ;)

Tsurly June 24, 2020 (7:18 pm)

“If ones not happy about………… If that don’t work, vote different next time.”

Sounds to me like you should take your own advice.
Foop June 25, 2020 (3:28 pm)

“I know this area better than most because I used to frequent it 50 years ago”Okay boomer.I don’t live near alki, I love this, these roads make for a nice bike ride through. I’ve been to me kwa mooks several times since as well, no parking issues. I don’t mind and haven’t had issues parking on 63rd and walking for biking to businesses on alki. Give the streets back to the people.

Graciano June 24, 2020 (6:34 pm)

This is still in the budget with the City facing $300 million shortfall.

Brad Chrisman June 25, 2020 (10:19 pm)

From what I’ve seen over the past several weeks, the Stay Healthy Street program at Alki Point has resulted in significantly more people enjoying the area — walkers, runners, bikers, dog walkers, people in wheelchairs, families, parents with baby strollers, kids on bikes, tots on bikes with training wheels, skateboarders, roller skaters, unicyclists. For the first time in decades, there’s a park-like atmosphere on those streets. It’s been a wonderful thing to behold. People are voting with their feet.

I think a change in signage would clear up a lot of ambiguity and confusion. The current “street closed” signs are off-putting and misleading. The message should be “welcome to our Stay Healthy Street” and note that it’s open to everyone, but closed to through traffic.

I understand why some people’s first reaction might be to resist this new idea. I’ve lived in West Seattle for 62 years, and I enjoyed the occasional drive past the lighthouse and along that part of the beach. I get it. But I would encourage anyone who’s not sure to come down, take a walk or a bike ride, and experience it for yourself.

Decades ago, some very forward-thinking civic leaders created the park that we know today as Alki Beach Park. Years later, other community-minded people worked to establish the Alki Trail, which is enjoyed today by so many. I don’t know anyone today who would advocate for removing the Alki Trail in favor of adding more parking spaces.

Those generations of community leaders did us all an enormous favor. It’s our turn.

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