39 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Lander Pedestrian Street info in The Junction"

• CaptAdmiral August 2, 2026 (1:24 pm)

  This is a terrible idea. There are many, many people that live, park, and access their homes in the alley perpendicular to Lander, not to mention delivery, utility, and waste disposal trucks. The PCC end of the alley cannot handle customer, delivery, and residential traffic all at once. And when the alley is blocked by PCC delivery vehicles or waste management, those that park and live behind there would be stuck having to wait indeterminate amounts of time.Remove the street parking from the Lander/Lafayette area if need be but removing access to the alley from a very necessary end is not the answer. This whole idea is a solution in search of a problem.

  • Alki Parent August 2, 2026 (5:41 pm)

    Looking at the flyer, it appears that the planned space does not remove access to that alley. The part they show as shaded and planned for a pedestrian zone is between that alley and California. That strip of Lander is 1 way, so this change would have zero impact on alley access.

    I am in favor of changes like this.  

  • FormerLafayetteParent August 2, 2026 (5:44 pm)

    Too bad. This is a direct result of poor and dangerous driver behavior. The egregious and dangerous driving I observed over the five years of dropping my kids at school makes this street closure an absolute must. SDOT must have observed it as well during the failed school street implementation. 

  • Alley Resident August 2, 2026 (7:20 pm)

    Agree that this would be very difficult for the 70+ residents who live along that alley. For those mentioning that it would only close after the alley, Lander is one way at that stretch. Unless they change that – and remove the current parking on Lander – those who live along the alley would only be able to enter the alley from Lander and would be forced to exit into the already busy PCC parking lot. It also is unfortunate that SDOT has yet to contact the apartment residents who would be most impacted by this change. I have reached out to them about doing that. It would be helpful if SDOT did something to control the use of the alley as a pass through between PCC and Lander. 

    • K August 3, 2026 (5:12 am)

      Inconveniencing some of the 70 alley residents (not all of whom drive) to protect the lives and safety of 300+ children seems like a reasonable tradeoff to me.  Did I miss something? 

      What number of children is it okay to endanger so car drivers can come and go with the utmost convenience?

      • Kyle August 3, 2026 (6:45 pm)

        How many accidents and what kind have actually happened here? Let’s use some data instead of hysterics.

        • k August 4, 2026 (6:02 am)

          You’re talking to Alley Resident, right?  Their conjecture that a one-way alley will somehow have a detrimental impact on their quality of life was met with conjecture that having a bunch of kids in closer proximity to more cars would increase the danger to them while there.  One conjecture DOES seem a little easier to support, given pedestrian injury and fatality statistics (could not seem to find any statistics citing additional injuries or deaths from crowded parking lots while actually in cars).

          If you would like to keep hysterics out of the conversation, please actually read the whole conversation.  Conjecture was met with conjecture to make a point.  You and I both know there are no statistics showing resident deaths from exiting via one-way alleys because that is literally not a problem that exists.

        • LongTime44th August 12, 2026 (5:28 am)

          Facts Kyle.  We live here.  We see every day what occurs.  My children walked every day to school at Lafayette, and the biggest issue was: 1. Some parents at drop-off and pick-up 2. Excessive speed on 44th at any time of day3. Issues while people are parking on Lander.   And yet, in 17 years of living here, I have not seen a child (or adult) hurt at that intersection.Lander is too tight and congested as is. Parking should be eliminated completely on that stretch of Lander and actual speed bumps in the alleyway and 44th.  Eliminate the parking and replace with extended pedestrian/bike path, but maintain a single lane eastbound that allows for both ingress and egress to the alley.

      • Rebecca August 3, 2026 (8:10 pm)

        Please cite your source, K.  I’ve lived on Lander for 11 years and don’t recall a reported child + vehicle collision.  

        • Chewbacca August 4, 2026 (5:58 pm)

          And thank goodness that this street is entirely like all others, meaning that all experience from other locations is NOT APPLICABLE. No safety improvements anywhere until there is a death at that exact location!

        • Foop August 5, 2026 (1:17 pm)

          Sad that the argument against such a small bit of space being returned to the people is “not enough children have been injured or killed here to justify it”

• Lafayette Neighbor August 2, 2026 (4:14 pm)

  My impression from what was said is that it would be a closure of the street in front of Good Society on Lander. Full time, not just during school hours. What is the benefit for the neighborhood? Seems like a benefit for someone else.

  • Foop August 2, 2026 (7:44 pm)

    Seems pretty clear to me that the benefit is an outdoor plaza where people of all ages and abilities can enjoy not sitting next to car exhaust while enjoying being a part of a community.peoples streets are intended to host events, be a place to play, let the people enjoy.

    • Look Both Ways August 3, 2026 (6:17 am)

      …or people could just continue doing all that at the existing giant park right across the street; and not disrupt current residences and businesses.

      • Foop August 3, 2026 (3:35 pm)

        There are currently no residents impacted by this change. If you’re driving and use this to cut through by a school, consider working up the strength to move your foot for a few more seconds to move that little automobile around the block instead of through it. I know it may cause strain, but we have some really good PTs you can visit in west Seattle if need be.

        • Look Both Ways August 7, 2026 (4:19 pm)

          Typical snark and reductive comment here; while ignoring the facts stated that BOTH residences AND business would be disrupted with this proposed change. Further ignores the unqualified costs and resources SDOT would expend (aka waste) on creating another public space across an already existing giant park. But as usual… don’t let facts distract from one’s singular worldview.

    • Concerned resident August 13, 2026 (6:08 am)

      There is no shortage of outdoor space at all in our neighborhood. From the corner involved, a full 25% of the land is full-time public use, and after school hours maybe 40% of public use with the play area at Lafayette elementaryInconveniencing, local residents, making their day less efficient, more prone to traffic jams and getting stuck behind trucks and kid drop off, etc. is a big negative for no meaningful positive.There is never been an accident involving a child at the street. Asking parents to park a block away and then walk the kids into school instead of parking at the school to drop their kids off at an unnecessary hassle to the life of every family.If last night’s charrette is any evidence, the people who are actually pushing this are gerontocrats from Alki who want less traffic for their personal bicycling to the grocery. The only time I’ve seen traffic issues on this block are cyclist, trying to cross California from east to west into the one-way section of Lander, and elderly people not seeing pedestrians around the stop sign area by the school. Neither of those will be fixed by taking away road access from local residents.

  • Pat August 7, 2026 (10:24 am)

    Tend to agree. PCC often blocks one end of the alley with trucks, Not being able to exit at Lander is a safety issue and fire hazard.  There are many of us who use the alley for parking.Why should Good Society Benefit and others greatly inconvenienced.

• MW August 2, 2026 (5:46 pm)

  That’s awesome, looking forward to it! I frequently walk past this spot and folks are always making illegal turns out of this alley which is especially dangerous this close to the school and park. 

• Lauren August 2, 2026 (7:57 pm)

  Looking at the site with similar project info, this looks AWESOME. Fully support. https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/urban-design-program/people-streets-public-spaces

• 22blades August 3, 2026 (5:16 am)

  It’s ironic that some of the most dangerous driving you can see is after parents drop off their kids at school. The blocks around Holy Rosary become a free fire zone with parents speeding, blowing through stop signs & intersections. 

• Donna August 3, 2026 (9:32 am)

  This is appalling.  It is giving free land to a brew pub and putting children in danger and hurting working families!There is a huge after school care program on this half block.  Working families have their kids in care so that parents can work to afford to live in West Seattle.  The pickup is on this half block.  If it is closed, where will pickup be?  Is is dangerous to stop on California and load small children.  The brew pub already took 3 parking spaces, was that even allowed?  They are over the curb.  And now they want even more free land?Another example of Seattle hurting working families.This is a BAD IDEA!

  • WSB August 3, 2026 (1:31 pm)

    The roots of this actually go back to the Lafayette “School Street” test 3+ years ago.
    https://westseattleblog.com/2023/04/school-street-test-planned-alongside-lafayette-elementary/

  • Kathy August 3, 2026 (3:49 pm)

    Donna, did you ever stop to ask yourself or SDOT why you feel it is dangerous to stop on California and load small children?  Could it be the poor street design on California that promotes dangerous driving behavior?  Perhaps SDOT should also consider road safety improvements on California, not just Lander, at this intersection. Lafayette Elementary students deserve safe routes to their school. Drivers make mistakes and around schools it can result in tragedy.

  • The Good Society August 3, 2026 (6:33 pm)

    Hi Donna,

    There are a few things worth correcting in your post.

    First, before our streatery, there were two parking spots.  There is now one. I am happy to walk anyone through the spacing to show this.

    Secondly, this is not our project.  We will not get any additional land out of this, free or otherwise.  Also, we do not get “free land” – the city property we occupy is permitted and paid for in compliance with SDOT rules and regulations.

    Finally, while we see benefits to the neighborhood and community at large, this project will also complicate our business operations in terms of deliveries and moving product between locations. As such, we view our role as supporting whatever the larger community wants.

    Hope this clears some things up!  Cheers!

    • Look Both Ways August 3, 2026 (8:27 pm)

      Wonderful balanced response! We’ll be by to support you soon!

• Lafayette Dad August 3, 2026 (11:42 am)

  I also don’t understand this. There’s a large park and another large public playground right next to this area. Why do we need to block off this tiny area of pavement for pedestrians?  What’s their plan for school drop offs with this street closed?(this is coming from someone who bikes or walks with my kids to school most days) 

• West Seattle Lite August 3, 2026 (1:12 pm)

  As a nearby resident who walks more than drives, who generally supports street closures and street signage, and who frequents Good Society, I don’t understand how closing this section is beneficial. I have seen people drive down the wrong way and drive too fast, but that seems to be in the minority. It’s a nice little one way exit for coming up Lander, and also provides an additional exit for the hundreds of residents who live on CA but who have parking access from the alley. Seems more dangerous to people crossing the alley from the PCC parking lot into and out of PCC.

• North Admiral Cyclist August 3, 2026 (2:35 pm)

  As is typical in American cities, in excess of 40% of the total land area in the City of Seattle is dedicated to cars.  That’s the percentage of total land area provided for vehicles to move around on roads and streets, and park on street or in lots.  Still, it is not enough for many people.  They bristle at the idea any of it would be re-dedicated to pedestrians, public spaces, bikes, children.  I just don’t know how they do it in many European cities, where they only hand over 15 to 25% of the a city’s total land area to cars.  

  • WesternAlumn2020 August 3, 2026 (3:49 pm)

    It’s mostly due to the age of European cities. Italy for example, has narrow streets and historical contingencies at every turn – they can’t logistically increase their car land percentage. American cities on the other hand (especially on the West Coast) were built after the automobile and naturally catered to the dominant mode of transportation. High time for change tho!

  • MW August 3, 2026 (6:07 pm)

    You don’t understand. The 70 residents along the alley will have to make a 0.2mi detour! The horror! Since they never use public roadways for recreation like the people who will be occupying their road, they will  lose a full 30s every day driving to and from work.

• Nearby Neighbor August 3, 2026 (4:36 pm)

  Closing the street just turns public space into an expanded brewery playground. Kids are already running unchecked on the sidewalks while their parents drink—expanding the area will only make it worse.

  • rankler August 4, 2026 (7:39 am)

    You say worse, most people say better. 

    • Concerned resident August 13, 2026 (6:17 am)

      I disagree with you, Rankler. Kids running amuck from the Good Society are going to be and even more risk when their parents let their guard down even further. We have amazing public space in our neighborhood. If you don’t know that, then you probably don’t really live here. Maybe you are one of those Alki cyclists who just rides up here for groceries? Sacrificing vital road access, inconveniencing families dropping off children, and wasting public money or not solutions for any of the perceived problems. If you wanted to protect pedestrians, have some people come through and enforce speeding and stop sign laws. Install speed bumps. Invest more money in Hiawatha and the Lafayette play area.If we continue down this path of closing valuable road space and parking, while in increasing population density with cookie cutter four packs on previous single-family homes with no on – property parking, we’re going to end up in a situation where no one could park when they get home from work and dropping your kids off a further block away from the school becomes a battle every day.Please consider not hurting local residence for poorly thought out vanity projects.

• WSide August 4, 2026 (9:39 am)

  Bad idea! This is ridiculous and will create more problems for the area. The so called “dangerous driving” is a direct result from parents dropping off and picking up and not obeying laws. It’s already a clusterf* with parents parking too close to corners and alleys and ignoring the stop signs. If you close off east bound traffic to Calif. on that stretch, it would force more traffic on the surrounding streets and be less safe. 

  On the SDOT website the first line of this project says “Transforming our streets into places where people want to be.” Ya, right, I surely want this public roadway to be closed off for the benefit of who? The Good Society states that the “we see the benefits to the neighborhood and community at large.” The way I see it, with the street closed off at the alley, our “Public Space“ adjacent to your beer garden and Lafayette will seem like an extension to your business.

  • The Good Society August 5, 2026 (9:23 am)

    If you’re going to quote us, it would be lovely if you could use the entirety of our post (or even just the entirety of that very same sentence!). This will make our operations more difficult. This is not our project and we will not be getting additional space out of this.

    However you feel, we encourage you to provide the feedback and engage with SDOT, who actually owns and is driving this project.

• WSS August 4, 2026 (5:23 pm)

  This proposal will not make any difference on the overall safety of our neighborhood. The traffic will simply be diverted to the surrounding streets. The real problem lies with those that exceed the speed limits, disregard stop signs/lights and ignore no parking signs- all of which are designed to improve safety.  BTW, the main offenders seem to be the parents dropping off their children and those frequenting the brewery. Why not address these issues?Given that there is a large park across the street as well as a school playground, this proposed closure seems primarily to benefit a constituency of the brewery, (by those who may not even live in the immediate area),  at the expense of us who do.  This narrowly focused closure doesn’t address the actual safety concerns. How about speed bumps, speed limit/red light cameras and accountability for those that violate the safety and respect of our neighborhoods?  I hope that we can actually get serious about addressing the real problem. 

• Kaia August 6, 2026 (9:33 am)

  What problem is this actually trying to solve? I’m a resident on 44th and see this creating a lot of problems without much upside. This will simply move congestion more into the neighborhood and to 45th and make 45th and Admiral a lot more hazardous, too. Having more access points, not fewer, to the school is much more logical. Also trucks making sharp turns to the alleys use that stretch right now and I think it would make alley jams exponentially worse. This feels like it mainly benefits the brewery and I am strongly opposed. To my knowledge there have been no actual issues with school kid safety. The retail benefits are also marginal. Safeway already closed the entrance at that intersection, presumably for security reasons. I also frankly find the congestion and noise from the brewery excessive and don’t want more of it. They haven’t been the best neighbor and basically funding an expanded beer garden for them does not make me happy. If the concern is around the school access and safety, and the one I find most valid, I would advocate for removing the parking spots now on Lamder, adding drop-off only ones and keeping the street open, making street parking by permit on nearby streets, and encouraging more use of the 45th school entry point not just the 44th one. Perhaps adding a covered walkway to encourage use on the school grounds. 

• LongTime44th August 12, 2026 (6:01 am)

  Why not model this after the work Seattle did on Bell Street?
  Seattle converted four blocks of Bell Street into a linear park while retaining vehicle access. The City describes it as having one lane of traffic, continuous level pavement, landscaping, lighting and open space, with pedestrians, cyclists and automobiles sharing the space. 
  More importantly, the Seattle Design Commission explicitly says the project’s biggest challenge was:
  adding park-quality experiences while retaining vehicle access
  The street continued to serve cars, bikes, buses and emergency vehicles. 
  That’s remarkably close to your Lander argument.
  The important design lesson is that they didn’t solve the pedestrian problem by simply taking half the street away. They changed the character and geometry of the street so that pedestrians have priority while vehicles remain accommodated.

Sorry, comment time is over.