FOLLOWUP: Alki Point Keep Moving (Stay Healthy) Street still technically ‘temporary’

(Tuesday photo, 64th/Alki)

When SDOT announced a survey last week featuring three design concepts for the Alki Point Keep Moving (Stay Healthy) Street‘s future, it sounded a lot to us like the street’s closed-to-through-traffic status had been made permanent. Not so, says SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson: “We were not intending to indicate a change in overall project status. As you noted in your story, the language in our new survey is very similar to what we’ve said in the past, and we are also continuing to label the Keep Moving Street as a temporary closure in the project map on the front page of the survey. We are still working to secure funding for designing and building permanent changes on the street based on community input. In the meantime, Alki Point will remain a Keep Moving Street in its current form until spring 2022 or until we secure funding for permanent changes on the street.” He added, “At this point, we’re just exploring these concepts and it’s possible that the feedback we receive could lead us to explore new ways to combine popular attributes from each concept, or to reconsider if there is a strong trend of people saying that they don’t like any of the concepts.” If you have an opinion one way or another and haven’t replied to the survey, go here.

Brian September 8, 2021 (5:00 pm)

These streets are one of the DUMBEST ideas of the defunct City of Seattle and namely Mayor Durkan. Streets are meant for cars, and parks are made for non-vehicle activities. The voter should have had a say in this senseless pet project. Of the many 20+ miles of these streets, nobody is ever found “playing” in them. Most are in areas in which houses have this thing called a yard. Hopefully this whole project is overturned. Too bad millions in taxpayer dollars were already spent. #NewCityCouncil

Elle September 10, 2021 (10:10 am)

Not true! Pedestrians and kids have been enjoying the street so much more, there is zero need for cars to drive around that street, the less cars the better!

Blbl September 8, 2021 (5:03 pm)

Right out of Trump’s playbook. Just call everything “temporary” and you haven’t done anything wrong because you haven’t done anything at all.

major_sigh September 8, 2021 (5:47 pm)

Huh??
- What Do I Know September 8, 2021 (7:57 pm)
  
  That’s exactly what I was going to say, but you beat me to it–Huh??

momosmom September 8, 2021 (6:32 pm)

Why are we still talking about Trump anyways?!

rob September 8, 2021 (6:46 pm)

BLBL that’s one heck of an imagination to think some how trump has direct connection to our SCC.

Marianne McCord September 8, 2021 (7:26 pm)

A stay healthy street in South Delridge needs public input. Trenton St between 17th and 16th Streets needs to re-open! It dead ends into the traffic circle since 17th is also a restricted street. Delivery trucks have wrecked havoc to the circle. Everyone goes around the barriers on Trenton to get to 16th. It is a major hazard for neighbors, pedestrians and drivers. Countless of people have sent emails asking the city to reconsider at least this small section. Nada from city. PLEASE, PLEASE get rid of those barriers!!!

Kyle September 8, 2021 (8:06 pm)

I sent many emails and they didn’t respond to many of them. In one they said they would talk with HPAC, which asked for it to be removed from this section for what is now probably a year ago.
Texas Tom September 8, 2021 (8:19 pm)

Agreed, this particular closure is absolute garbage. I am through that area every day and ignore it at every possible opportunity, and so does everyone else. I haven’t seen a single person walking in that street for 18 months. Just another fantastically stupid decision from our city council.
- ⚄ September 8, 2021 (8:34 pm)
  
  Walk it twice a day, must be on a different schedule.
  - Texas Tom September 9, 2021 (10:36 am)
    
    In the middle of the street? Why? The sidewalks are perfectly usable, and the whole “avoid people outside by huge distances at all times” is no longer a thing. There is literally no reason for that street to be closed.
    - What Do I Know September 9, 2021 (12:06 pm)
      
      The sidewalk along Beach Drive is not wide enough, that’s why people have to walk in the street. Otherwise you are constantly stepping off the sidewalk for oncoming pedestrians or if someone wants to pass from behind. I walk this stretch regularly and it happens to me if I try to stay solely on the sidewalk. If cars are parked at the curb, then I have to also walk around them. How difficult is this to understand?
    - Texas Tom September 9, 2021 (4:39 pm)
      
      Not as difficult as understanding that’s not the area we are discussing here, apparently.
- What Do I Know September 8, 2021 (10:25 pm)
  
  I walk along Beach Drive/Alki every afternoon and usually see at least a dozen people either walking, jogging, or biking. What time of day do you go through there that you don’t see anyone?
  - Texas Tom September 9, 2021 (12:03 pm)
    
    This reply thread is about the closure of Trenton between 16th and 17th. Please read more carefully before commenting in the future.
    - Kathy September 10, 2021 (12:35 am)
      
      Maybe hijacking a thread is how they operate in Texas. You’re in Seattle now. This article/discussion is about the Alki Stay Healthy Streets.
    - sam-c September 10, 2021 (10:41 am)
      
      Regarding the thread hijacking comment, the original poster (not Texas Tom), sounds frustrated and has tried expressing concerns through other avenues (emails to the city) and hasn’t gotten anywhere, thus sharing comments here, instead. So, not sure it’s helpful to chide them about thread jacking.
- Rhonda September 8, 2021 (10:32 pm)
  
  I’m there most days of the week and I only see someone walking in the vehicle lanes about once every 2 weeks.
- smartypants September 9, 2021 (2:52 pm)
  
  I also walk it twice a day. You must be one of those car drivers speeding around, overlooking the beauty of the area.
- Elementary mom September 10, 2021 (10:14 am)
  
  We walk in this street with our kids 2-4 times a day, along with lots of other people. You’re just making things up.
D-Ridge September 10, 2021 (11:46 am)

Trenton heads to Highland Park Elementary and the playground, many families, including ours, walk this street often. If you want to dangerously speed through the neighborhood you can go one block south to Henderson.
- Kyle September 11, 2021 (8:27 pm)
  
  No one is saying dangerous speeding is okay. That one block has sidewalks, and speed humps. The rest of Trenton to the east of 16th can stay a SHS. It’s just the one block west that leads to the light crossing Delridge. The 16th to 17th block should be eliminated. Cloverdale could become the SHS if needed as there is no light to cross Delridge on that street.

Ted September 8, 2021 (7:41 pm)

If you do not like this violation of Seattle RCW with a street take over – voice your displeasure with the survey above.

Curious September 8, 2021 (8:28 pm)

If, on the other hand, you’d like the street better aligned to provide much needed room for pedestrians, especially those who are mobility impaired, while maintaining necessary vehicle access, please let your preferences be known by taking the survey. Remember this is not an arterial street, no buses, and there are already handicapped parking spaces. Also, this street has more pedestrian and bicycle traffic of any Stay Healthy street even though it’s not permanent.
Jort September 9, 2021 (12:05 am)

I know people think that cars have constitutional rights, but just as a point of clarification, NO laws are being broken with this street designation, AND there’s no such thing as the “Seattle RCW.” That’s a make believe thing, just like the supposed, make-believe “law” that isn’t being violated.
- Mark Schletty September 9, 2021 (9:16 am)
  
  Wrong Jort. City Ordinance requires extensive public input and desirability analysis BEFORE any street can be restricted or closed. That hasn’t happened and this survey is not adequately doing it because it doesn’t offer the option of completely reopening the street. And people should know that the City Council has already passed a policy declaration to make the Alki street closure permanent, without any notice to anyone. I sent the Blog a copy of the new policy so Tracy can check it out.
  - Jort September 9, 2021 (6:29 pm)
    
    No it doesn’t. This is a fantasy that car drivers think – that they deserve to have veto power over every single thing that might restrict their capability to drive. Your car does not have constitutional rights. The city can do what they want with the streets, and car drivers — legally — can deal with it and move on with their lives. This whole notion that closing streets is “unconstitutional” is such an insane, silly example of the psychological phenomenon known colloquially as “Car Brain Disease.” Your car is not an extension of your human form.

jack September 8, 2021 (7:50 pm)

Wow, just to go back to what is was is now an uphill battle. This was dropped on us by idle SDOT workers during a pandemic specifically because of a pandemic. With little community input when it was put in place. Now we get a survey with three options you must go out of your way to disagree with. “We are still working to secure funding for designing and building permanent changes on the street based on community input. “. Getting a little ahead of yourself?

Marianne McCord September 8, 2021 (7:58 pm)

Ted, there have been many ways we have voiced our concern: in person at meetings, emails to SDOT, petitions, too many surveys filled out, etc, etc. I appreciate your comment but truly we have done EVERYTHING that can be done and still no response from city. This little section is of the street is 2 houses and an alley in length. It would make the world of difference for traffic which is the reason we have streets… to allow movement through our city.

Curious September 8, 2021 (10:13 pm)

The Keep Moving section of Alki/Beach is NOT an arterial street and access to it is useful only for sightseeing and local residents accessing their homes. 63rd Ave SW, on the other hand, is meant to move traffic, including buses, it is at least twice as wide and IS a designated arterial street. One can more easily move through Alki using 63rd, I live in the area and that’s what I use.

KWestSeattle September 8, 2021 (9:21 pm)

These street closures are by far the biggest *head scratch* response to covid and making them permanent is ridiculous. I’m sure homeowners on that stretch of beach drive would love to make it permanent but I vote no.

high land park and frustrated September 8, 2021 (10:42 pm)

I vote NO to all of them. Please remove all of them. People are speeding thru them and angered by the multiple blocked streets and not sure how to navigate around them when multiple cars show up at the same time. We live in the city with side walks and they are paid for so use them, because they work and are safe.

Texas Tom September 9, 2021 (10:39 am)

Absolutely agree. The “closed/not closed” status of these streets is actually MORE dangerous to pedestrians than just picking one status and sticking with it. Encouraging people to walk in the middle of a street that vehicles could potentially be using at any time is utterly insane.

StopCuttingDownTrees September 8, 2021 (11:04 pm)

This makes about as much sense as a “Stay Healthy I-5” where the on ramps say ROAD CLOSED but it’s full of 60-mph vehicles dodging walkers, rollerbladers, bicyclists, and skateboarders.

curiousquestioner September 9, 2021 (12:26 pm)

What happens if I ignore the signs and just drive on the street?

1994 September 9, 2021 (9:30 pm)

Nothing – you just drive on the street – but you may get some dirty looks from those using the street that are not in a moving vehicle. I have to say I concur with Paul Hage’s comment below. Lake Washington has bicycle Sunday during the summer months where a set stretch of Lake WA Blvd is closed for certain hours but those residing on the street can access their homes if they don’t have a rear access point. SDOT should consider something similar for parts of the Alki peninsula instead of making these so called safe streets a 24/7 thing.

Paul Hage September 9, 2021 (12:26 pm)

Thu, 8 Sep. – just drove through Constellation. Now sitting in my car at Me qua mucks in a rare shady spot. Few walkers, no bikes – maybe six cars between the lighthouse and 63rd. I make this trip very frequently. It is part of my route to the grocery store – any store, any time. The conflicts between users are specific to summer weekend days – so eight days x three months – or (365/24) 15 percent of the year. The other 85 percent of the time, and probably more because not all summer, weekend days are nice – there is no justification for vehicle restriction. If some restriction is the public opinion, the restriction should be applied on summer weekend days only.

Kathy September 10, 2021 (12:22 am)

There are no grocery stores on the Alki Stay Healthy/Keep Moving streets. Do yourself and all of us a favor and leave your car at home. When you come to visit, walk or take the bus. There are too many people driving their cars through the Alki neighborhood “just for fun”. Most of their cars burn fossil fuels, produce toxic emissions, contribute to climate warming and cause noise pollution. A normal citizen walking down the street can’t hear themselves think let alone listen to an audiobook due to the constant noise from motorized traffic. The marine and seabird life at the park will benefit if you don’t bring along your automobile when you visit. Don’t begrudge a couple of streets out of the many in Alki that are reserved for a more peaceful experience that everyone is invited to share, including people from all over West Seattle, the entire city /region, and even visitors from other states and countries. Thank you.
- zark00 September 10, 2021 (10:25 am)
  
  @Kathy – nice sentiment if it were even remotely close to true. All you really proved is that the perception of elitism from Alki residents is accurate. Did you really just post that people shouldn’t drive through your neighborhood because it makes it hard for you to hear your audiobook? Unreal level of tone deafness. You chose to locate in one of the most popular tourist areas in greater Seattle, and now are demanding everyone either play by your rules or stay out. I hope you can see how awful your perspective truly is.
  - Kathy September 10, 2021 (11:32 am)
    
    Wow, over the top response. We are only talking about two streets that people are hyperventilating over, not our whole neighborhood. I take it you don’t live here, so you don’t know what you are talking about. I have lived in this neighborhood since 1975, not on the Point or on the Stay Healthy streets. It has always been just a regular neighborhood like yours, not a tourist area. Our beautiful parks attract a lot of visitors and bring a lot of car traffic. So excluding drive-through traffic adjacent to only one of these many parks cannot seriously be considered a hardship on anyone. Also, would you please explain to me why in these days of climate crisis anyone can justify going for a joy ride in a fossil fuel burning vehicle.
    - Lamont September 10, 2021 (4:42 pm)
      
      I live about two blocks away, I still need to use the parking in those areas for water access, cutting off parking access cuts off shoreline access for gear. Its been suggested that I could just move down the shoreline, but that just puts me in competition for ever shrinking amounts of parking, which effectively denies access through making it much more annoying. It is also part of a pattern of less and less shore access for recreation over time in favor of private property around puget sound.
    - Auntie September 10, 2021 (5:40 pm)
      
      My “joy ride” is sometimes the only joy I have. I am disabled and it is so much easier for me to just cruise along in my car than it is to park and lower my wheelchair out of my van and then load it back in. And I sure wouldn’t want to interrupt your audiobook listening with the annoying whir of my motorized wheelchair. I, too, have lived in West Seattle since the 70s (some of that time on Alki) and it’s just the way it always has been and probably always will be, as people are attracted to our area.
    - Alki Point Supporter September 10, 2021 (6:58 pm)
      
      FYI- Beach Drive at Alki Point never had any designated disabled parking spots until it was made part of the Stay Healthy Street program.

KayK September 9, 2021 (10:20 pm)

Sorry there are two different locations being discussed here. One is a route needed by neighbors in South Delridge/ Highland Park neighborhood to access vital food and other services, particularly as our arterials are flooded with WS bridge detour traffic. The article is about enjoying a walk by the shores of Puget Sound with more or less traffic. Should not be considered in the same context.

namercury September 10, 2021 (10:04 am)

On the 63rd and Alki blockage. It seems clear to me that the City/SDOT has made up its mind to impose restrictions at least as great as now and is going through the motions of “public involvement”. This will impose restriction on 98 % plus of the Seattle taxpayers who may desire to drive through this scenic area. All change options should be rejected! Open it up to what it was before it was “temporarily change for COVID”.

Auntie September 10, 2021 (10:39 am)

I would have to take three buses to get to Alki. Since that would take up about half my day, there would be little point in even going. Oh, wait – that is really what you are hoping for, isn’t it?

zark00 September 10, 2021 (1:45 pm)

That is exactly what people like Kathy above are hoping for, and literally demanded. She can’t hear her audiobook, so everyone should just stay out.
Kathy September 10, 2021 (5:39 pm)

How many buses do you think people in Alki and North Admiral have to take in order to just go to a doctor appointment or do their errands? Who do you think we are? You have a car, good for you. We only ask you to to use it with some respect for the environment and to not use the Stay Healthy/Keep Moving streets as a place to just drive through. Thank you.
Curious September 10, 2021 (7:58 pm)

@Auntie if you are the same commenter above who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, there are three handicapped parking spaces that were put along Beach Drive after it became a Keep Moving Street.

Sorry, comment time is over.