FOLLOWUP: 26th/28th/Andover/Yancy protected bike lane complete

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

First, six years of RVs … then, eco-blocks … now, a protected bike lane. SDOT says the bike lane installed from SW Andover and 26th to Yancy/Avalon is complete, now that the post installation is complete.

The announcement to what had been dubbed the “SW Andover Collaboration Team,” which included the two major businesses along Andover, was forwarded by City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s staff. It’s only been a month since the full plan emerged, which in turn was less than two months after the long-running RV encampment was cleared.

DC September 14, 2022 (10:51 am)

Has there ever been a bike lane completed this fast – from first proposal to design to completion? I guess we should start parking RVs on every street we want bike lanes?

skeeter September 14, 2022 (12:09 pm)

DC, you are so right. My head is still spinning. Usually bike lanes take years of planning and countless hours of begging. And if just one car parking space is lost then get ready to have the bike lane scrapped after years of effort. But alas – Seattle has recently discovered something that it hates even more than bike lanes!

M September 14, 2022 (11:15 am)

Concrete curbs to protect the planting strip but not the people riding. Brilliant.

D-Ridge September 14, 2022 (12:27 pm)

Seriously, can someone explain the rationale? Are we indebted to the plastic post industry?
- AM Biker September 14, 2022 (8:52 pm)
  
  Indeed. Plastic posts provide no protection, AND they prevent street sweepers from clearing away broken glass and gravel from the bike lane.
  - WSB September 14, 2022 (10:23 pm)
    
    SDOT has a dedicated bike-lane sweeper
    https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2021/04/22/namethatsweeper/
    If you come across hazards in a bike lane or any other right of way, please report to 206-684-ROAD or during off-hours 206-386-1218.
    - bill September 15, 2022 (7:37 am)
      
      WSB: Yes, Seattle has ONE bike lane sweeper for the entire city.
VBD September 14, 2022 (12:45 pm)

I hate being curbed in on both sides when biking in lanes. I like having an escape route.
- M September 14, 2022 (6:47 pm)
  
  As a cyclist, I like the set up. VBD….just be thankful we have a nice bike lane there. Would you prefer the old set up? Riding past RVs, chop shops, tents, garbage, rats and have car traffic on your left side? I applaud the city for taking care of getting the lane in so quickly.
SLN September 14, 2022 (12:54 pm)

Well… small victories, I guess? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Question Authority September 14, 2022 (1:00 pm)

It’s to prevent RV’s from parking between the path and fence, and those curbs exist so infrequently on paths why get all wound up over a drastic improvement to the neighborhood.
StuckInWestSeattle September 14, 2022 (1:15 pm)

Thats actually a really good point I had not noticed that.

Flo B September 14, 2022 (12:35 pm)

This appears to be SDOT’s version of “eco blocks”.

StuckInWestSeattle September 14, 2022 (12:53 pm)

They mostly setup up shop now at the community college at 16th Ave SW. Now there are even a couple of boats. Trucks and RVs now . Garbage is piling up and they are spreading out over the sidewalks. I have seen them tagged with Orange but as usual from the city no enforcement. We need an absolute ban to living in RVs in our neighborhood or public streets and parks. This needs to stop.

PSPS September 14, 2022 (2:19 pm)

“They” and “absolute to ban on living” and “This needs to stop.” What you are really arguing for is criminalization of poverty. It doesn’t work that way. I do agree that “this needs to stop” if “this” means poverty. Then, there wouldn’t be so many “them.”
- BP September 14, 2022 (3:18 pm)
  
  oh give it a break – it’s not criminalizing poverty to criminalize illegally parking vehicles and your hyperbole is just that
- T Rex September 14, 2022 (3:20 pm)
  
  You can be poor, but you don’t have to live in filth. And if they are poor, there is plenty of welfare and food benefits. Which they probably already get. Living in filth in RV’s, leaving your damn garbage in the road and your surroundings, attracting rats, cars that have no tires on them, bicycles and parts, etc….That is not simply poor. Yes, they may be great people, but there is something wrong with people who CHOOSE to live like that.
  - Words matter September 15, 2022 (9:19 am)
    
    ‘plenty of welfare and food benefits’
    
    If this was true, wouldn’t we see less of these situations and people in severe need, less of these conditions?
    
    Regarding welfare and food benefits, my understanding is that for single individuals who qualify (ie. without income or seriously poor, making less than something like $1000~ month and trying to pay for housing and other living related expenses for example), the maximum food benefit is around $240 a month.
    
    There isn’t much other monetary assistance available, unless possibly short term assistance with basic needs found through a church, or non profit, which can be hard for folks to seek out and find.
    
    There are some good, well known programs, to help people with energy bills (but have to have a home first), and healthcare available for unemployed and seriously poor, but once these folks start working, are at risk of losing their free healthcare and may not be in a position to afford or healthcare.
    
    People also lose their food benefits once they start working and make more than whatever the amount is that disqualifies them, again, think it’s somewhere in the $1000-$1500 a month range.
    
    Anyone out there having navigated these services, want to share more regarding their experience, trying to get back on their feet?

Jeepney September 14, 2022 (1:13 pm)

I would have preferred to see the lanes batter protected with concrete instead of plastic bollards.

MLI September 14, 2022 (1:27 pm)

The RV’s are now on 16th by the college. There’s garbage all over the sidewalks.

Tired September 15, 2022 (3:42 pm)

Yep I saw today that the hated black RV from Harbor Ave is there now too. Its going downhill fast and no one does anything. There are 3 by the botanical gardens that seem better than the rest. But they are multiplying like rats. Kinda how I see them too.

Joe Z September 14, 2022 (1:41 pm)

There’s a whole stack of plastic posts sitting in a brush pile on Avalon. Most of these will eventually meet a similar fate. Any chance someone can park some RVs on California Ave?

Erik September 14, 2022 (2:02 pm)

Wow that was fast. Glad to see our tax dollars hard at work. I assume the city felt the need to take action fast. It can’t be easy keeping up with the ever moving RV encampments, so the fewer places these RVs have to park, the easier it is for them to clear them out. I prefer an option of this versus simply putting up concrete barriers of whatever kind, at least its useful in some way. Props to the city for putting these up so quickly!

Jeff September 14, 2022 (3:01 pm)

Yeah shunning the poor is so good!!! Yippeee!!!
- Gay September 14, 2022 (6:49 pm)
  
  Jeff. Shunning commenters with concerns that differ from yours is also in poor taste.

Bike guy September 14, 2022 (3:26 pm)

Do “the missing link” next

Mj September 14, 2022 (4:03 pm)

There is a person living in a vehicle by Hiawatha Park, he plays by the rules via moving it regularly and not making a mess. Is this too much to ask for PSPS?

Kevin on Delridge September 14, 2022 (5:26 pm)

I hope all of the folks displaced are in a safe place and situation.

This bike lane is wonderful and I hope it serves many. I also hope we can get some more lane protection in the future.

tim September 14, 2022 (7:52 pm)

Nice. Thank you Mayor. Bye bye city council, Herbold and the rest.

WS cyclist September 15, 2022 (9:00 am)

It’s like you didn’t read the article: the bike path plan was developed by Herbold’s staff. Meanwhile, all the mayor has down is punch down on unhoused people and simply move them from your neighborhood to someone else’s.

Al September 14, 2022 (8:05 pm)

Sad to see —15 years ago that gym used to be the best in W Seattle. It was so popular and crowded, every single spot in the lot, on the street, and along the fence, was totally packed with customers. This was well before the RV trend, of course. Hard to imagine this neighborhood ever returning to that level of prosperity again.

Kathy September 14, 2022 (10:23 pm)

Sadly it seems to be in the crosshairs of the light rail tracks. It’s still a very good health club, and there are plenty of cars and some bikes there when I visit at 11 am on Wednesdays. The teachers I’ve had there are great and so are the employees. I see people are using the climbing rock again. It will be a shame to see it go.
- Sara September 15, 2022 (8:52 pm)
  
  It’s leaving? It seems to be thriving!

Kathy September 14, 2022 (10:30 pm)

I do find it odd that they placed a post right in the bike bypass lane. If you are turning left into the health club you have to dodge the posts to escape the bike lane.

Sorry, comment time is over.