SDOT downsizing High Point Healthy Street

| High Point | Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

Back in April 2020, SDOT announced West Seattle’s first “Stay Healthy Street,” in High Point and vicinity. Now it’s planning to downsize. Here’s the announcement sent this afternoon, with word of a chance to talk with SDOT about it next week:

Over the last year we’ve been doing additional reviews and updating our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on community use trends and public feedback. For the High Point Healthy Street, we plan to remove the Healthy Street designation for some of the route while making another section permanent.

Permanent: Segment A – on 34th Ave SW, between SW Holden St and SW Graham St – is proposed to become a permanent Healthy Street. We plan to install permanent signage with a concrete block base and new painted curb space around it at each intersection. There is an option to replace the concrete base with a planter barrel if a neighbor wants to maintain it. Our Healthy Streets webpage has more information about adopting a planter.

Removal: We will be removing Segments B, C, and D and returning them back to a Neighborhood Greenway.

Segment B – SW Graham St, between 34th Ave SW and High Point Dr SW
Segment C – High Point Dr SW, between SW Graham St and Sylvan Way SW
Segment D – SW Holly St, between 34th Ave SW and 31 Ave SW
Please see the map (above) for your reference on the segments.

Join us June 27 for an Open House. We will have light refreshments to share and staff will be available to listen to your feedback regarding this update.

When: Tuesday, June 27, between 5:30 pm-7 pm

Where: High Point Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way SW, Room 207

They’re also asking your opinion on what type of permanent signage a Healthy Street should get – this SDOT photo shows the two “main options,” planter or signpost:

More info on the options is here. Meantime, we’ll be following up with SDOT Monday on whether other Healthy Streets are in for changes.

Rhonda June 23, 2023 (6:06 pm)

That’s great news, but SDOT needs to get rid of the A section, too.

Biker June 23, 2023 (8:22 pm)

There are no safe streets to travel on via bike in west seattle along 35th ave. If they get rid of the section A, we will be riding along with the idiots who speed through other side streets. So no thanks. Keep A.
- Not so healthy June 24, 2023 (10:13 pm)
  
  As a B resident, I can assure you everyone is ignoring the signs and still speeding anyway. Would never bike on or let our kid play on our “healthy street”. It’s far too dangerous, even with speed bumps. I truly think only speed traps would make a difference.
Biker 2 June 24, 2023 (7:10 am)

The more healthy streets we have the safer it will be for bikers going at 20 mph… The slower cars in WS drive around 40 mph the faster ones l am guessing drive around 45-50 mph or at least that is what it feels and sound like when you get passed on your bicycle.
Car-free resident June 24, 2023 (9:36 am)

Cool Rhonda and I suppose you’d want me taking up your precious space along a larger arterial like 35th? Traffic safety improvements are a win for everyone, please be reasonable.
- Rhonda June 24, 2023 (12:33 pm)
  
  As someone who lives on 34th SW in the Arbor Heights area and used to own a house on 34th SW near Othello I’ve never had a problem bicycling on its entire length going back to 1991. Likewise, every stretch of N-to-S streets that parallel 35th SW are already wonderful to ride on. The choices are many.
Smith June 27, 2023 (8:05 am)

The barriers, speed bumps, all the extra signage, the speed cameras, the
stop light cameras, the how fast your going radar signs all make people
feel like we live in a totalitarian society. Most arterial streets
have bike lanes. Most of delridge way is down to 2 lanes as is 35th
which makes getting out of driveways on those streets difficult without
interfering with traffic. Unsafe streets need to go away.

mem June 23, 2023 (6:23 pm)

When will South Delridge be down-sized?

Samantha June 27, 2023 (8:14 am)

it already has, there are only 2 lanes of traffic

Don Brubeck June 23, 2023 (6:25 pm)

Good decision. 34th needs traffic calming as a safe alternative for walking and biking parallel to the arterial on 35th. It has destinations for kids: West Seattle Elementary, Our Lady of Guadalupe church and school, Walt Hundley playfield and the community center and Roxhill School. The other streets within High Point don’t need special restrictions because they are already designed for low traffic speeds and High Point has some of the best pedestrian and public play spaces and gathering spaces in the city along those streets.

Jeff June 23, 2023 (7:07 pm)

That seems like the right balance. The A section truly serves as part of a connection between high point and Westwood areas, and the others are just sort of spurs to already well served areas.

KSJ June 23, 2023 (7:19 pm)

Good news about keeping a greenway on 34th. Lots of pedestrians and bicycles use that street every day, with multiple schools and a big park along the route. Now they just need to improve the speed bumps, they are not high enough to slow anyone down.

m June 23, 2023 (7:30 pm)

The fact that any part of a greenway needs an upgraded designation to improve active transportation safety tells you that the greenway designs are lacking to begin with and not truly safe routes for cyclists when implemented. SDOT should focus on building proper bike routes and do away with this current multi-tiers active transportation street designation approach.

Rob June 23, 2023 (8:36 pm)

Don’t get me wrong but I have been all over these safe streets an not once have I seen anyone I mean anyone out playing or for that matter anyone doing anything at all on these streets. No kids no bike riders no BBQs going on no kick ball games not even hopscotch.

KL June 24, 2023 (7:33 am)

I live on this section of 34th, there is still through traffic that races down the street even with speed bumps but I often see my neighbors kids playing basketball or riding bikes/scooters down these roads.Personally, I love it and am glad they are keeping it.
Not so healthy June 24, 2023 (10:23 pm)

…because no one wants to get creamed by the through traffic that’s ignoring the signs and still speeding on a daily basis.

Erin98126 June 24, 2023 (12:40 am)

I’d love to see what “community use” trends the city is using to base this decision off of. Like Rob said, I think I’ve seen a bicycle on this route maybe twice in the past 3 years? I’ve seen more bicycles using 31st, which isn’t a “Greenway street.” I think this is unfortunate, especially since Guadalupe closes Myrtle between 35th and 34th nine months out of the year. It makes it especially confusing to get to the community center and Walt Hundley.

31st & Myrtle Neighbor June 24, 2023 (8:33 am)

This has been my constant feedback to the city. When OLG closes Myrtle for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, it naturally forces traffic onto 34th to Othello or Willow to get through to 35th. Additionally it makes it confusing to get to the Community Center.
WestSeattleBadTakes June 24, 2023 (9:08 am)

Good things happen when you make the streets safer. Try considering anything beyond tomorrow’s commute.
eastvashon June 24, 2023 (10:38 pm)

I rode this today and saw 3 other cyclists on my trip, from morgan to myrtle maybe you need glasses?

Amy June 24, 2023 (6:31 am)

I live on 34th. Cyclists do use this street for commuting and families walk with their kids and pets. The unfortunate part is the illusion of safety as there is consistent speeding on this street. That needs to be addressed if this is to be permanent healthy street.

David Barson June 24, 2023 (4:34 pm)

I’m not a biker and I drive 30mph on 35th. But here is my complaint with this organization. Think about it, we have a bridge out for 2 years and all of West Seattle has to drive on Sylvan to get off the island. Sylvan was backed up everyday at the cemetery Sylvan/High Point Dr./Holly intersection. Yet these moron’s post a sign on the High Point/Sylvan intersection restricting the amount of space/room for cars turning off Sylvan entering High Point. And this was done off a arterial detour route. And let’s not forget that many of these drivers are from our immigrant community and to be honest, their inexperience was compounded by this absolute confusion and a total LACK OF COMPASSION from this City of Seattle organization. Obviously this is just my opinion and doesn’t address the need for ‘Safe Streets’ for bikers and walkers, but the sooner the above barrier is taken down, the safer Sylvan Ave. will be for all drivers.

Michael Oxman June 25, 2023 (8:03 am)

Walking tree tour beginning at the 34th & Graham segment of the Healthy Street. Learn about tree species identification and history of their contribution to the landscape. Stay Healthy Streets
48 Items (facebook.com)

James June 25, 2023 (12:05 pm)

Time to get rid of the one in Alki. I still use the street anyway. The rich don’t get be the only ones to enjoy nice views. I like to cruise my old car over there from time to time.

YT June 25, 2023 (7:33 pm)

That section near Alki is less than a half mile of street for people to enjoy, and certainly not exclusively rich people. Cars can cruise all of the other several miles of road along the beach. It seems fair to let people enjoy at least this small percentage of it.
- Sanity Lives Here June 26, 2023 (9:26 pm)
  
  When you close off a street, you force cars onto other surrounding streets which then increases their traffic and results in decreased safety of those streets. Please explain how this is fair to to anyone living on a street next to a “safe street”?

High Point Neighbor June 26, 2023 (10:48 am)

Any update on the speed bumps on 31st by West seattle Elementary? With school being back in the neighborhood this Fall, it’s worrisome we don’t have a cross walk or speed bumps to deter the reoccurring speeding on the street.

30th & Myrtle Neighbor June 27, 2023 (1:05 pm)

I’ve also been wondering how there is zero school signage or safety cross walks or speed bumps on 30th across from the school. Seems very unsafe, especially with the school being closed for 2 years the neighborhood has forgotten that kids will be enmasse next fall

JB June 26, 2023 (1:51 pm)

I’ve never understood why they put Healthy Streets in High Point. The sign says that local traffic can use them, but only local traffic ever used them anyway! High Point is not a shortcut to anywhere else, so what traffic did they actually reduce? None. The same cars that used them before April 2020 were still using them. It was pointless and served no purpose other than to place an orange barrel in the road that you had to drive around.

Lizabeth June 27, 2023 (4:09 pm)

Why aren’t they doing follow-ups? 21st SW was closed for 2 or 3 year,s, & we needed it while Delridge was closed for over a year- now downn to 2 lanes, so 1 bus or garbage truck backs up traffic for blocks). South end of 21st was used as a garbage dump. long stretches of bramble bushes, noone was “strolling”or throwing a block party, just bizarre choice. Ditto Trenton, an arterial during the bridge closure they erected barricades, I literally have not seen a single pedestrian walking or biking in the 3 year (still) closure, My friend who lives on Trenton thinks it’s nice but dumb/useless.

Sorry, comment time is over.