FOLLOWUP: Speed humps finally planned for Alki Avenue

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

After years of community requests that the city do something to deter speeding on Alki Avenue SW, SDOT is finally going to try speed humps, as hinted back in May. Christopher tipped us this morning about the sighting of outlines for the future installations; we photographed this set on Alki just east of 63rd SW, and driving Alki/Harbor to look for others, spotted another set of outlines on Alki just west of 57th SW. We then asked SDOT about the plan; here’s the reply from spokesperson Madison Linkenmeyer:

Two speed humps are being installed on Alki Ave SW later this month where there is high pedestrian crossing activity. The locations are between 63rd Ave SW and 62nd Ave SW and another one between 58th Ave SW and 57th Ave SW. We’re also installing on Alki Ave SW some in-lane crosswalk warning signs that say “State Law Stop for Pedestrians within Crosswalk.”

These speed humps and signs came through the Vision Zero program in coordination with the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department.

Official community notification of the impending installation is scheduled for next week.

Lin September 2, 2022 (9:20 pm)

We need them all along Alki. The “racetrack” is from 63rd to California.

Rhonda September 2, 2022 (10:04 pm)

Some of us have kids at daycare and school there. Many West Seattleites use the arterial to get to and from their homes. A couple humps near 63rd and 57th are fine as traffic usually slows to a crawl there, anyway. But no one would tolerate speed humps all along the lengths of California, 35th, Delridge, Roxbury, or Fauntleroy, so Beach Drive and Harbor Avenue should be no different.
- Reed September 3, 2022 (9:57 am)
  
  I would tolerate and strongly encourage speed humps along all of those arterials.
  - Del September 3, 2022 (1:04 pm)
    
    I’ve seen the engineered speed cushions and would be happy if the city placed them along schools, dangerous cross walks, and other high pedestrian traffic areas.
  - MSW September 3, 2022 (5:28 pm)
    
    And you drive 25 mph up Admiral way right?
- Elton September 3, 2022 (12:28 pm)
  
  Why wouldn’t we tolerate speed humps on high pedestrian streets? I don’t think you need the for the entirety of these streets but certainly more than we have today with how much reckless speeding there is.

Eric September 2, 2022 (9:25 pm)

Simply wonderful news! Thank you!

Chrissy D September 2, 2022 (10:20 pm)

And at the curve on Beach Drive at the 4000 block, that is the high speed, low visibility zone.

Larsgo September 3, 2022 (3:04 pm)

Agreed. It’s downright scary trying to cross to get to the park.
Zipda September 3, 2022 (11:01 pm)

North Beach Dr area desperately needs these. It’s a nightly scary high speed and dangerous race track.

WSeaRes September 2, 2022 (11:02 pm)

Many other locations in Seattle could use these speed humps, especially Fauntleroy Way SW between SW Alaska & SW Findlay where vehicles pick up speed especially where 2 lanes turns into one just south of SW Edmunds. Also on California Ave SW between SW Walker St and just before the hill leading down to Alki. Last night it was a raceway for several hours and I am just waiting for the night I hear a car lose control and/or wreck into another car pulling out of the side street onto California to see both cars go up in flames in a tragic unnecessary and avoidable accident. I’m not talking just 5-10mph over the speed limit but these vehicles last night on California Ave SW had to of been going in spe ds upwards of 50+ mph for several blocks as well. It’s just a matter of time an innocent civilian in another vehicle is killed. I know SPD is short staffed and has higher priorities these days to focus on but maybe SDOT can look into speed bumps these routes as well. But the fact Alki is just now getting approved for them after a very long time of well known consistent speed issues brings me little to no hope for fixing these other problematic routes in W Seattle anytime soon even if it means potentially saving innocent lives.

Ferns September 3, 2022 (2:04 am)

The level of hopligsnudm you’re talking about with regards to the racing is not a simple matter if traffic control. It’s organized crime of a dirt. It needs policing and punishment like cars impounded and fines. As far as I know, no police patrol, ticket, arrest, any “racers” even though we all know where they race and when. Speed bumps harm everyday traffic and occasional damage cars – a road near me gas one that requires about 5pm speed it less and is unsafe to drive at the posted speed over. Perhaps a speed camera on alki would make more sense to protecting pedestrians. After all, it looks like the motorcycles will be able to zip between the speed humps. Stop the organized crime of street racing instead of dubiously effective speed humps that create their own problems on a commercial street.
JayJay September 3, 2022 (7:09 am)

Why would you put speed humps on a main road with traffic signals already installed? Might as well put them up and down I-5 while we’re at it.
FormerWSResident September 3, 2022 (8:52 am)

Speed bumps and lower limits on arterials cannot continue to be the answer to everywhere with street racing. West Seattle is becoming undriveable due to so many bumps. There are no easy ways to go north/south any more as everything is speed limited to a snail’s pace. I am a speed limit follower, so I crawl along as other cars fly by me. We need enforcement. In some places in Europe, cameras ticket at 5mph over. Let’s do that here and raise the arterials back to 30-35mph so that law abiding citizens do not have to bump over speed bumps as we slowly traverse the city.
- Reed September 3, 2022 (9:59 am)
  
  The problem isn’t just the street racers. Everyone else who drives recklessly and think the rules don’t apply to them are also part of the problem.

WS Resident September 3, 2022 (12:15 am)

Why do them so that motorcycles can just weave through them? Also, if they’re as mellow as the ones on Beach Dr they aren’t going to slow people down much. I just wish the city would actually commit to making a real impact rather than this half way attempt.

RoadGeek September 3, 2022 (9:39 am)

Typically, gaps are spaced so that ambulances and fire engines can drive through the gap without slowing down emergency response. It’s positioned so you have to be straddling the center line to do it, so ordinary drivers can’t get away with it in traffic, but first responders can with lights and sirens.

Runner September 3, 2022 (7:32 am)

When there is a police presence on Alki Ave the traffic and noise is civil. As soon as they are gone it’s a free for all, racing loud cars and motorcycles endangering every walker, biker, runner and visitor along the walking and biking paths. Someday an out of control vehicle is going to potentially hurt some innocent people. This is a serious safety issue that the city ignores. The speeding and reckless driving laws need to be enforced.

Frustrated September 3, 2022 (3:48 pm)

And people still try to say we don’t need the police.

We need balance September 3, 2022 (8:28 am)

Just something to think about, the response time for our emergency vehicles, having to slow down to go over speed bump. The routes getting speed bumps (and the routes your wanting speed bump on) are their way of getting to us, especially when time is of essence.

Al King September 3, 2022 (12:37 pm)

Reed;Runner. The real reason all laws are not enforced to the letter is that NOBODY wants that to happen. You, and everyone else on the road-cars, bikes, pedestrians has and does every day break a law and violate a city/county/state traffic law. 100% enforcement means you too could and would be cited. The dilemma for the finger pointers is only having “those other” law breakers cited. I encourage everyone to google the laws for all road users and see what is actually on the books pertaining to cars, bikes and pedestrians.

nwpolitico September 3, 2022 (4:19 pm)

Actually, I would like enforcement of laws to happen. In any case, it is entirely reasonable to support increased enforcement of traffic laws that have an outsized danger for both drivers and the people around them when not followed.

they September 3, 2022 (2:30 pm)

Some might remember the city had put in speed bumps many years ago to manage speed but removed them all after a very short period of time. We loved them back in the day because they aloud those of us whose cars didn’t have enough power to smoke the back tires a way to really get em going…

SpencerGT September 3, 2022 (2:35 pm)

Makes sense.

22blades September 3, 2022 (4:14 pm)

Good news, but there are already some speed “dips” though. Go 25 by some of the construction sites & you’ll get a rude surprise from the shoddy street patches (Yes, that’s you 1700 block).

Auntie September 3, 2022 (4:58 pm)

I remember, back in the day, not so long ago, that people got tickets for dangerous stunt-driving on Alki, speeding (remember the motorcycle cop who used to sit on Admiral Way?), and other driving infractions. Not sure why none of this is enforced anymore. I sit at the boat ramp watching these bad actors every day and even when there is a cop in the parking lot, they don’t bother to pull them over. Why not???

WS Environmentalist September 3, 2022 (6:29 pm)

Per 5 SPD officers who arrived for 3 different burglary calls, their hands are tied by Seattle City Council regarding enforcement of break-ins, speeding and drug dealing on Harbor Ave SW and Alki. Shocking! At one point, I saw a bike that had been stolen being pushed up the street – it was reported in the WSB – and the SPD did nothing. When I queried Lisa Herbold, she blamed limited patrol officers for the on going crime wave. In one of the incidents, 2 of the officers could see a drug deal going on next to an RV but, even after I said “are you going to do something?”, I was advised that they could do nothing. What is going on? How did we get to this point in West Seattle and King County? Can we call in the DEA? What about the Sheriff’s Dept? Does the whole of the Seattle governement and SPD need to be investigated by the WA AG or the USDOJ? I feel like we are living in some lawless country. And, I will not get started on my opinion of the forces of MAGA.

Derek September 3, 2022 (9:08 pm)

This will just move racing to another part of town.

alki perspectives September 3, 2022 (10:20 pm)

Big deal. Alki residents have had their fill of street racing and dangerous stunt driving so let some other part of the city have a taste and see what hell Alki has become.
- Todd Anderson September 4, 2022 (2:26 pm)
  
  Yup……….it’s FINALLY time for action…will it be perfect? No, but doing something is better than the status quo which will end up killing someone not to mention driving everyone who lives in Alki Ave crazy

John Roberts September 4, 2022 (9:42 am)

WS Blog folks – Your image of a sign that says traffic must stop for pedestrians ‘within’ a crosswalk is misleading in that it seems to imply that peds in an unmarked intersection are fair game to run over. From the WADOT website: Every intersection is a crosswalk – It’s the law. Drivers must stop for pedestrians at intersections, whether it’s an unmarked or marked crosswalk, and bicyclists in crosswalks are considered pedestrians. Also, it is illegal to pass another vehicle stopped for someone at a crosswalk.

WSB September 4, 2022 (6:41 pm)

The image is from SDOT, not us. You could certainly raise the concern to them before they install the signage. We’ve written about the stopping rules many times.

Todd Anderson September 4, 2022 (2:24 pm)

Having lived on Alki Ave for many years this is a long-time in coming and greatly appreciated…….the idea that police can control this is not in the cards completely…..there can never be enough police and if you look at the police calls on weekends and nice weather evenings (when the drag racing and general chaos ensues) you’ll see that they are very busy with all sorts of serious issues and can’t afford to park on Alki Ave just to deter these people……low profile speed bumps, traffic cameras, double center line to discourage dangerous passing and lighted pedestrian signs are all options that don’t require more police…….recently my legally parked car was destroyed by one of these out of control noisy cars and just days prior to that I had to drag my little dog through a crosswalk while running when a speeding racer approached and apparently didn’t see us or care.

Bronson September 6, 2022 (10:47 am)

One set of speed bumps is within 50 feet of the stop sign at Cactus, and as such, is unnecessary and an absolute waste of money. The would be better off placing that set further east.

Sorry, comment time is over.