18 Replies to "STAY HEALTHY STREETS: 2 chances this week to learn/talk about future of Delridge/Highland Park segments"

• Kyle October 25, 2021 (4:29 pm)

  What is there rational for the removal of the sections near Holden? Lot’s of bridge cutters over there. The one block of Trenton west of 16th is the one that needs to go. It makes the traffic light crossing at Delridge useless.

• Joe Z October 25, 2021 (4:46 pm)

  The amount of Seattle-processing over this is insane. Can SDOT go more than a few weeks without spending taxpayer time and energy making slight adjustments to literally everything?

  All residential streets in the city should be stay-healthy streets. Thru-traffic should never be allowed on any of them. The only thru pathway should be to the closest arterial street.

  There should be hundreds of traffic barriers added to residential streets in West Seattle. In most cases it should be impossible to drive more than 4-5 blocks in a straight line. Instead, we’re designing this political system of haves and have-nots where the “lucky” blocks get the luxury of quiet and safety while the neighboring streets become more dangerous. What a shame. 

  • spooled October 25, 2021 (5:15 pm)

    So you’re ok with increasing the speed limit on arterials back to something realistic?  When all streets are 25 all streets are arterials.  You can’t have it both ways.

    • Joe Z October 25, 2021 (8:59 pm)

      Speed limit is set by street design, not by a sign that isn’t enforced. 

      • BlairJ October 26, 2021 (10:28 am)

        Speed limit on non-arterial streets is now 20.

  • Jort October 26, 2021 (11:12 am)

    I agree, Joe Z. But this is mostly related to the fact that our politicians are elite members of the Driving Class, themselves, and want to virtue-signal about being “environmentally friendly” and caring about other transportation options while still always and forever prioritizing cars at every opportunity, because Car Brain Disease. The only sustainable path forward for cities is to reduce driving, and the only way to reduce driving is to re-prioritize other methods ahead of driving. This involves reallocation of street space and making the choice to drive harder and harder. No city has found a way to avoid this conflict, but those that face and confront it head-on flourish and thrive. Seattle will need to do this, too, someday. But it will take politicians with actual courage, and not a 1960s “cars are the past, present and future” mentality. 

  • 1994 October 26, 2021 (9:51 pm)

    You said it best Joe Z, “ while the neighboring streets become more dangerous. ” This is exactly what is happening because some streets have been ‘blocked off’ . The reality is the SDOT is pushing traffic onto other nearby streets… maybe contributing to making other streets more dangerous!  SDOT needs to take a 2nd look at their stay healthy streets idea which is not fair at all….. And, intolerance is not going to take us into the future in a pleasant manner.  

• Marianne McCord October 25, 2021 (6:44 pm)

  There has been huge opposition to the Trenton St. closure. NO ONE is obeying the closure between 17th and 16th streets. The constant traffic navigating around the barriers is a real public safety issue. There is absolutely no reason for this closure!James Le, SDOT representative, gave a presentation to HPAC in Oct 2019. In a subsequent email he noted that in a 2017 traffic survey, 1,200 vehicles used Trenton Street between SW Delridge Way and 9th Ave SW daily. Le acknowledged the data was old (now 5 yrs old) and that new data was needed to properly assess traffic usage.  To my knowledge, no subsequent studies have ever been provided to the public. Trenton St is a vital traffic street for the residents of Highland Park and South Delridge neighborhoods- we use it to get to Westwood Village, HP Elem, HPIC, Westcrest Park, Southwest Library, etc.  Trenton, Henderson and Holden are the only three east-west streets that traverse the peninsula. Don’t close one of them!The city never asked for community input prior to the Stay Healthy Street initiative. The city has ignored petitions/ numerous requests/ emails for reconsideration. (Other alternative streets were proposed.) Most importantly, the Trenton St. closure has never been utilized in the same manner as other Stay Healthy Streets closures- Alki and 17th Ave SW.  As much as I appreciate this Friday meeting and the HPAC meeting, I sincerely hope that this does not become permanent without a vote. A meeting between the hours of 2-4pm is not convenient for most people. It’s during the work day and few have time to mosey-on-down to give input. And it may be hard to truly gauge public opinion at the virtual HPAC meeting this Wed night at 7 pm.
  While we are dealing with 10’s of thousands of vehicles moving through are our neighborhoods, please do not close off this important street!
  Marianne McCord
  former vice-chair HPAC
  South Delridge resident

  • Doreen October 25, 2021 (7:01 pm)

    Perfectly stated!

  • Maxwell Silver October 25, 2021 (7:16 pm)

    The entire program was a farce to begin with, and the Trenton street closure is the most farcical of them all.  I’d like to think that someday, someone from SDOT with their head not lodged in their a– will take notice but that seems increasingly unlikely.

  • 1994 October 25, 2021 (11:05 pm)

    Thank you Marianne McCord – very well written. 

  • flimflam October 26, 2021 (5:52 am)

    People navigate around the barriers because it’s a public street that we all pay for, not a private road.

    • DC Morrison October 26, 2021 (10:41 am)

      Well said!!

  • 98126res October 26, 2021 (6:22 am)

    Well said, thank you. Why aren’t they listening to neighborhood feedback?  Their public displays and methods, rather than concern, real listening, action and follow up to neighborhood input, feel more like one sided shows to mask the city’s intention to move forward with their own centralized long range plans. PR and Communication firms plan and stage community meetings set up to ensure the plan goes ahead, and convince people’s it’s for their good.  At a few meetings in west seattle, meetings were slick with power point, spreadsheets, food, displays, “data” and their visions of utopian progress. Need a return to mutual respect.

  • Wseattleite October 26, 2021 (11:12 am)

    Marianne, very well put.  I certainly do not have time to wander on down in the middle of a workday afternoon to inject some reality to the process from people who actually work to support the tax base to finance all this effort.  Hopefully there are more of you speaking up when the opportunity allows, and the dialogue is not overrun by activists with personal agendas and little else to do in life. 

• DC Morrison October 26, 2021 (10:42 am)

  We want our lanes back and our speed limit returned to 35 mph.

• Jay October 26, 2021 (12:36 pm)

  I love the massive speed bumps on my street that limit traffic to 20mph. I think this should be the case on any non-arterial. 15-20mph for the block or two from an arterial to your home is plenty. It’ll also keep hooning away from where people are walking.

• Mary Spielmann October 29, 2021 (12:40 pm)

  Well said, Marianne! I would like to add that having 4 traffic calming measures in 3 blocks is OVERKILL. Trenton Ave SW between 16th and 18th has  1) Two traffic circles more than 20 years old   2) Two stop signs, one for 16th Ave SW which is fine because it’s an arterial, and another at 17th which is a neighborhood greenway and is completely redundant with the circles and only confuses drivers  3) Two speed bumps, totally ridiculous, and  4) The barriers on both sides of 16th Ave SW. This is too much and nobody asked for it! Get rid of the barriers and speed bumps and it will still be just as effective 

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