(WSB photo, last month)
You might remember the uproar when SDOT announced in May that not only would it convert the Duwamish Head angled parking to parallel parking, it would likely add more than 100 new parallel spaces in the 1200 to 1700 blocks of Alki Avenue SW. At first SDOT attributed the proposed addition to City Councilmember Rob Saka – whose budget action last year set aside $175,000 for the angled-parking-to-parallel conversion as well as “to restore parallel-only parking to Alki Avenue SW adjacent to (the Duwamish Head) location” – but he then said he was not in favor of “restoring” that parking. SDOT proceeded with a survey and promised a final decision after that. The final decision is in today, and it’s “no additional parking.” The survey results were part of today’s announcement; SDOT says it received 882 responses, and since it wasn’t a yes/no survey, its summary does not have a count, but ultimately concludes that more people were against the parking expansion:
The West Seattle Parking Adjustments Survey results reveal a divided consensus among participants regarding the addition of parking to the water side of Alki Ave SW. A significant portion of respondents expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact and aesthetic disruption, emphasizing the need to preserve Alki’s natural beauty and pedestrian-friendliness. On the other hand, many saw the lack of parking as a hindrance to accessibility, particularly for visitors and families, which could negatively affect local businesses dependent on tourism and foot traffic. Overall, there were valid arguments on both sides, with more people opposing.
Bottom line, says SDOT, with that decision, that particular project is complete: “The proviso directing SDOT’s existing budget to implement changes is limited to parking adjustments, so nothing further is planned at this time.” (We’ll be asking them how much of the $175,000 remains, if it was supposed to go toward parking restoration too, and what it’ll go toward instead.)
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