FOLLOWUP: Speed-hump work starts along Alki, Harbor Avenues

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

On Friday night, we reported on a sudden SDOT announcement that more speed humps were planned for Alki/Harbor Avenues, as well as a section of raised center divider. Thanks to a tip this morning from Carolyn, we learned that the crews are already out today doing some of the work – as of our check about an hour ago, they had outlined six locations for speed humps, and were also restriping the angled parking at Duwamish Head:

Here’s where we saw the six sets of speed-hump markings, all on Harbor Avenue SW except for the last one:

-Just east of Seacrest
-Just east of Don Armeni
-2 sets alongside Don Armeni itself
-Just west of Don Armeni
-1210 Alki

While we were out photographing those, SDOT’s Ethan Bergerson replied to our Friday followup question about the location of the raised center divider: “The raised center divider will be in the curved part of the road between SW California Place and Luna Park. There will be multiple segments with gaps to allow cars to turn in and out of driveways.” He also said that the restriping of the Duwamish Head parking is part of “refreshing” painted markings in various locations; he added that the crews will be ” making some small repairs to the sidewalk where it has been damaged by tree roots slightly east of Luna Park.”

Niko December 4, 2022 (1:47 pm)

So because the city can’t properly deal with street racing and they want to continue their war on cars they just add more of these things contributing to wear and tear on vehicles

Alki resident December 4, 2022 (2:09 pm)

So the people with low riding vehicles and motorcycles won’t be able to drive down there? This is asinine .

NW December 4, 2022 (2:52 pm)

Would think priority would be given to the clogged storm drain on the westbound off-ramp west seattle bridge. Large pool of standing water read somewhere weeks back in comments here still a problem today with below freezing temperatures!

WSB December 4, 2022 (2:54 pm)

Drains are SPU; this was an SDOT crew.
Lucy December 4, 2022 (4:02 pm)

Comrade,you could grab a rake and your rubber boots and clear the drain yourself. Or you could wait for the authorities to do it next week.
- Flo B December 4, 2022 (5:48 pm)
  
  Lucy. Ummm the problem NW pointed out is on the offramp from the high bridge to westbound Admiral Way. If he was clearing, you’d be here saying how unsafe that was and that the city is supposed to clean. Sigh.
- Auntie December 4, 2022 (6:03 pm)
  
  I’m thinking the powers that be would frown on a citizen getting up on the bridge to clear the drain.
- NW December 4, 2022 (7:55 pm)
  
  That’s the spirit Lucy like that don’t depend on someone else to do it do it yourself. I have cleared quite a few storm drains also. However it is in fact on a busy off-ramp and man is it clogged by the look of all the water! Thanks WSB yes it is not an sdot job.
Molly December 5, 2022 (8:20 pm)

I ran into that puddle WEEKS ago and I was afraid my Prius was going to start floating (or sinking) in the water. It was SO deep. I can’t believe it’s STILL like that!

56thAndAlki December 4, 2022 (4:19 pm)

Great now they’ll race in the most residential stretch of Alki between those humps and the ones in front of the businesses to the west.

MyThruppence December 4, 2022 (4:52 pm)

Rhetorical question I was just asking myself. Is the overarching strategy to simply make Alki so much less enjoyable to get to that fewer people will visit to enjoy it? Do local folks think there is enough business traffic to sustain all the local businesses? There isn’t.

WestSeattleBadTakes December 5, 2022 (8:51 am)

If driving over some speed bumps makes the area not enjoyable for you, maybe some self-reflection is in order.
- MyThruppence December 5, 2022 (9:34 am)
  
  If my opinion on this matter makes the comments area not enjoyable for you, then some self-reflection is in order on your part as well.
  - WestSeattleBadTakes December 5, 2022 (11:18 am)
    
    Good news for me then, I am having a great time!
- Todd anderson December 5, 2022 (5:16 pm)
  
  Having my legally parked car destroyed by street racing and nearly being run over in a crosswalk with my dog makes me happy that something is being done…….drag racing up and down Alki Ave all night long in the summer gets old too
Scubafrog December 5, 2022 (12:53 pm)

Hopefully the minute bumps will avert injury or worse. The race cars and speeding motorcycles that frequent Alki at all hours are sure to harm someone (and have). Maybe these tiny inconveniences (that no law-abiding citizens will notice) are enough to impact some ne’er-do-wells. Hopefully stopping for pedestrians isn’t a day-ruiner.

wetone December 4, 2022 (5:20 pm)

Simply amazing to me that SDOT and city government have speed bump installation on Alki ave such a high priority…… especially in December………. Must be short on work ;) I don’t want to hear about any budget shortages for REAL needed roadway repairs when they have time and money for these types of projects. Don’t care about about cost, as it all adds up. How much time and money is being spent on roadway project around Alki point ? One more example of wasted taxpayer dollars……. People causing problems will continue, just moving to next street.

Alki resident December 4, 2022 (9:06 pm)

The buses and the old folks in their group van will love going over those bumps. Said no one ever.

Cindy December 4, 2022 (10:57 pm)

It’s the war on cars, not even electric cars. If the businesses move out do you think hotel/motels can move in and taxes can be collected from them too?

Jort December 5, 2022 (12:11 pm)

How many businesses have closed due to one-and-a-half-inch speed bumps being installed on their street? How many do you think, maybe, in history? Any? They’re tiny speed bumps. Do cars slowing down from 45 to 40 mean businesses are just forced to close? I again will note that even the slightest, most literally insignificant inconveniences to car drivers are always framed in apocalyptic, civilization-ending terms. They’re speed bumps. Speed bumps.

Tran Nguyen December 5, 2022 (12:04 am)

This will be a good thing for the area. I live on the hill and speeding is very dangerous.

lb December 5, 2022 (8:24 am)

So much for nice smooth beach drives now.. it’ll feel no different than any other seattle road with a bunch of potholes now. good job sdot you accomplished nothing good 👏👏 the speed bumps slow somebody down for what? a few seconds? then right back at it. at this point might as well cover west seattle in speed bumps.

Zzz December 6, 2022 (8:49 am)

The speeds bumps slow down your beach drive for what? A few seconds? Then you’re right back at it!

snowskier December 5, 2022 (9:30 am)

Let’s hope these bottom out and bust up the suspension of more than a few of the street racers. Shouldn’t be much of an impact to rest of us enjoying a slow cruise by the beach.

Silas December 5, 2022 (12:22 pm)

When will all the streets have speed bumps? Can I request one being installed in my driveway? Oh wait, I don’t have driveway.

Jethro Marx December 5, 2022 (1:27 pm)

I absolutely love all of these inane comments, but Silas, yours is the inaniest. What a peninsula!

WSEA December 5, 2022 (1:45 pm)

The comments on this page are cracking me up. I dont have too much of an opinion on the bumps (or humps) but I also dont make a mountain out of mole hill. He he. Is this what people are thinking they are installing?

Steve Peters December 5, 2022 (4:13 pm)

It seems that city government has no trouble finding funds for projects that annoy people. We don’t want or need more speed bumps diminishing our quality of life in West Seattle. Lisa Herbold are you listening? sp

Jort December 5, 2022 (7:59 pm)

Diminishing your quality of life?!?!?!?! They’re speed bumps! They’re an inch and a half tall! How could a virtue-signaling speed bump “diminish” your life?! At all?!?!?! Your quality of life?!?! For a speed bump?!?!

Citizen Sane December 6, 2022 (2:04 pm)

Sadly, speed bumps are just Another Bad Idea Whose Time Has Come (or, another example of ‘This is why we can’t have nice things’). We have too many people who act like selfish, entitled jerks, and we don’t dare enforce the law because too many of us think actually holding people accountable for misbehavior isn’t ‘woke’. Personally, I’m tired of this pattern of ‘punishing everyone for the actions of a few’. Let the Police do their jobs. Arrest and fine the crap out of street racers, and stick ’em in jail if they don’t pay!

Bixonalki December 9, 2022 (1:53 pm)

The bumps are such that if you’re going the speed limit (25mph) you don’t even really need to slow down. At least that’s what I’ve found. With that I’d say they’re appropriately designed.

Bixonalki December 9, 2022 (1:56 pm)

One thing I just noticed that surprised me was the new double yellow line in front of our condo, as in no passing. Haven’t checked yet to see where else they have that. We ARE on a curve so that might be why.

Sorry, comment time is over.