From the ‘other’ Healthy Street to hope for ‘The Hum,’ updates from HPAC’s April meeting invitation

We’ve published recent updates on the Alki Point and High Point “Healthy Streets” – so what’s up with the other one SDOT set up in West Seattle, the Delridge/Highland Park “Healthy Street”? That’ll be a central topic at this Wednesday’s HPAC meeting. HPAC’s announcement also includes an update from the resident who was sleuthing the return of “The Hum” as discussed at a previous meeting:

As folks are starting to get out and about, gearing up for spring and summer walking and rolling, SDOT will be our guest this month to talk about the future for the Delridge/Highland Park Healthy Street network. All users of the routes in question are welcome, regardless of where you live.

These routes were put in place during the pandemic to broaden access to safe outdoor spaces. Most often they were installed along existing or planned Neighborhood Greenways. Streets being considered for changes include portions of 21st Ave SW, 15th Ave SW, 17th Ave SW, 11th Ave SW, SW Webster and SW Trenton, noted in dashed purple lines on this map.

We understand that Planners want to hear:

-What part of the network should be kept and improved?
-What kind of barriers, amenities and signage are preferred?
-What part(s) should return to general usage?

We will also expect to have Seattle Police Department representatives on hand to answer community questions and hear any concerns.

Look forward to seeing folks in person!

General announcements:

Just in!! We have an Update on “The HUMM.” From concerned resident Matthew H, who has been leading outreach on this quality of life issue:

“I’ve been in touch with CalPortland and they conceded their industrial vacuums are creating noise. The mufflers they installed wore out faster than they thought they would. They assured me that the new mufflers would be installed by the end of the month.”

For those not aware, or new to the area. These huge vacuums are used by the concrete supply companies along the Duwamish Waterway to unload powdered materials shipped here to use in their products. Hopefully they are able to get these repaired shortly as promised!

That turned out to be the source of the sound back when we covered community advocates’ quest to figure out the same problem more than a decade ago, and as we’ve told people more recently, the sporadic reports of its return have usually coincided with a dry-cargo ship being in port on the river. Meantime, HPAC’s meeting starts at 6:30 pm Wednesday (April 24) at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

11 Replies to "From the 'other' Healthy Street to hope for 'The Hum,' updates from HPAC's April meeting invitation"

  • Brandon April 22, 2024 (7:10 pm)

    I hope someone can make it on my behalf to say, “back in my day, all the streets were healthy.”  I unfortunately won’t be able to make it because although I live on one of those greenways, I dare step foot on one of those predetermined unhealthy streets and don’t know how to do travel without a pretty designation that makes me feel safe.

  • TreeHouse April 22, 2024 (7:51 pm)

    Thank you Matthew H for all the outreach on and work on the hum. It’s been driving me crazy during the middle of the night and I found it super odd I had not seen others complaining about it. Im surprised there is not a city law on excessive business noise – especially when it’s literally all night long. 

  • Kyle April 22, 2024 (7:52 pm)

    I feel like it’s been years and the feedback keeps falling on deaf ears. Please get rid of the closure on Trenton from 16th Ave SW to 17th Ave SW. There are already sidewalks and traffic calming speed humps that are meant for cars. This was put in with no vote and under a public health emergency that is no longer active.

    • Bbron April 22, 2024 (11:09 pm)

      nah, I walk in that area and am incredibly thankful for the healthy streets. the argument that these somehow shouldn’t go thru because they were initiated by the pandemic is silly because, what, we can’t continue to implement things that worked well just by virtue that they were tried out in 2020? I won’t ever understand you drivers that somehow feel that you need the road network to be multiple times redundant… there are multiple ways to get around the healthy streets without using them nor having any significant impact to your commute. why are y’all afraid of an additional turn or 2?

      • Kyle April 23, 2024 (9:10 pm)

        Great let’s have a public survey on removal or keeping them. Something that wasn’t done when these showed up overnight during the pandemic. Seems like plenty of sidewalk on the block I mentioned for, ya know, walking.

      • Canton April 24, 2024 (7:13 am)

        Nah, “I” drive that area… Keep forgetting it’s all about… YOU. Since YOU walk in that area, tens of thousands of OTHER people should bow to your needs?…

  • Gatewood resident April 22, 2024 (8:34 pm)

    Thank you Matthew and WSB for the hum update and I am quite relieved this will be fixed. It woke me up at 5 am last Friday (question sent to WSB that day). It was the first time I had heard it and I couldn’t live here if that awful noise continued.  

  • Mark April 23, 2024 (7:00 am)

    Thank you Matthew! The hum has been especially bad the last week or so. Last night was one of the worst nights. Some folks can’t hear it/barely hear it because of the frequency but for those that can hear it…it’s such a nuisance 

  • Joan April 23, 2024 (7:20 am)

    Yes, thanks. I’ve been hearing a hum too, and was curious.

  • Mark May 9, 2024 (10:35 pm)

    WSB – the hum has been VERY loud the last week despite the report saying the issue was due to a worn down muffler that was guaranteed to be fixed by April. It clearly has either not been fixed, or the part is not sufficient in muffling the noise. 

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