FOLLOWUP: Promised lighting installed outside Alki businesses, in hopes that brighter = safer

| Safety | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Back in March, as reported here, the Alki Community Council announced a city commitment to install “pedestrian-level” lighting outside businesses in the wake of a burglary wave. This weekend, the lighting is being installed.

The videos were sent by ACC president Charlotte Starck, who told WSB this morning:

Lights are going up on Alki Avenue between 63rd and … at Christos and Do Si. These are the LED daylight-activated to help prevent crime given (the burglaries). It’s a positive step as we advocate for a safer Alki. Petro Fotopolous is thrilled.

Fire Tacos got theirs yesterday and owner Erica loved it. Also, the (staffer at) the bike rental place liked the idea so he has better lighting in the evening when he closes.

But that’s not all the ACC is hoping for, Starck adds: “We are still waiting on SDOT to let us know if they will do anything to make the restaurant row stretch from 63rd to 57th safer, to slow down and deter the burnouts and sprinting and donuts in the pedestrian high-traffic areas.”

Foop April 26, 2026 (5:59 pm)

Find a way to close restaurant row to cars and expand patios and more area for street vendors and activities.

Alki resident April 26, 2026 (7:36 pm)

Reply

No thanks. We’ve lost enough parking around the beach as it is.
- Trenchant P Mundane April 27, 2026 (5:25 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  Yes, parking on Alki is currently included on the currently listed on the International Red Cross list of illegal torture methods. We should be thinking of ways to add more parking, not reduce what little is available now
  - Kyle April 28, 2026 (10:59 am)
    
    Reply
    
    SDOT was going to add 100 parking spots last year where their is existing road space but caved to NIMBY’s who think cars create crime and urbanists who want to punish folks who can’t afford Alki to take an hour long bus ride with a transfer.
Klingon April 26, 2026 (7:52 pm)

Reply

YES. That street is begging to be pedestrianized. Insane that anyone eating outdoors has to sit facing a bunch of traffic between you and the beach
Bdubbs April 27, 2026 (9:17 am)

Reply

What are you going to do – tear down houses and build road further back? Just moving the problem of cruising a little further from the beach? This makes zero sense. The simple fix is go back to pre-pandemic time (even just 2018-2019) when officers were present at the beach, deterring cruisers from revving their car, and people doing other dumb stuff.

K to the F April 26, 2026 (6:02 pm)

Ugh, I hope this helps with safety but it certainly won’t for stargazing along the water there. I hope they’re shielded for this but also for marine life on the beach and in the water. (100% guessing they’re not)

K April 26, 2026 (9:06 pm)

Reply

Exactly my concern.

Neighbor April 26, 2026 (7:24 pm)

Interesting idea. Has this been successful elsewhere?

Guy April 26, 2026 (9:51 pm)

I saw SCL out there and was wondering what they were doing working on a weekend. Great reporting as always, thanks for shedding some light on what was going on.

Ronald April 26, 2026 (11:32 pm)

GUY… No pun intended, “shedding some light..”IT…🤪

North Admiral Cyclist April 27, 2026 (10:26 am)

The new lights along Alki are positioned over the sidewalk and are a flat-shaped fixture that appears to be LED style. They are on all the telephone poles I saw through the main business area of Alki, and appear to just shine down (so they should not create “dark sky” or “light pollution” problems). Glad to see these pedestrian-oriented and crime-deterrent lights go in. In such an urban area, the safety aspect is more important to me than concerns over dark sky issues. Good job to the Alki Community! Would love to see these go in the Admiral District – especially along California Ave, where it is so dark and many pedestrians trying to cross the road.