West Seattle, Washington
01 Wednesday
Back in May, SDOT held a walking tour in Highland Park (WSB coverage here) – one of several in West Seattle – to gather community input on where new sidewalks/walkways should be built with Seattle Transportation Levy money. Today, the department sent the results, in report format, including the map above, showing blocks that are going to “move into conceptual design.” The report explains:
In most cases, sidewalk or walkway will be designed on one side of the street. Sidewalks and walkways may be constructed from a variety of materials including paint, asphalt, concrete and barriers. Specific design treatments are decided based on factors including the space available on the street, drainage needs, existing infrastructure, impacts to parking, slopes, and estimated construction costs. Projects will be in construction between 2026 and 2029. We will be working closely with adjacent property owners as design progresses. Updates will also be provided on our project website. Project schedules will begin to be available as soon as the end of 2025.
They’re looking for feedback by next Wednesday (October 8) at LevySidewalk@seattle.gov – see the full report here.
Thanks for the photos! Between the sunbreaks and showers, that rainbow showed up. Katie S. sent the photo above and says, “Watched this beautiful rainbow today at Lincoln Park. It lasted a long time.” The photo below is from Gene Pavola, a bit further north:
The National Weather Service forecast says we might get a thunderstorm this afternoon. (The NWS says it’s working through the shutdown, aside from a few things.)
(WSB photo, this morning)
While the park expansion less than two blocks away languishes, another city project in Morgan Junction appears to be approaching construction. Checking on the Morgan Junction electric-vehicle-charging lot site between Fauntleroy and Morgan, north of 42nd SW, we discovered the winning bidder’s contract was finalized just this past Monday. Zenisco Inc. beat out eight other bidders, according to this page on the city’s bidding website, which says the contract amount is $823,250. Zenisco’s project gallery is heavy on telecom work. This is a Seattle City Light project, as we’ve been reporting since 2022, and we have a message out to SCL to ask how soon they expect construction to begin. Back in April, SCL had projected it would start this month and be ready in spring, just a few months after an estimate that it would be finished this fall.
This area’s U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a West Seattle resident, has a list of questions/answers about the federal government shutdown, and we’re sharing it in case it’s helpful. The questions addressed on this list are not about the politics of the shutdown but about its effects – questions you might have about federal-government services such as Medicare, Social Security, passport applications, etc. See it here.
(Lincoln Park photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Here’s what’s happening for October’s first Wednesday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (and if we’re missing something – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thanks!):
WALKING FOR WELL-BEING: 10 am Wednesday walks leave from 47th/Fauntleroy (this is a last-minute reminder, so would-be walkers can set their calendars for next Wednesday morning!).
TODDLER READING TIME AT PAPER BOAT: 10:30 am at the bookstore. (4522 California SW)
FREE ECO-TOUR: Starting at the Duwamish Longhouse (4705 West Marginal Way SW), 11 am-noon. (Friday and Saturday too, if you miss this one!)
SOUTHWEST ARTIST SHOWCASE – DROPOFFS BEGIN: As explained in our calendar listing, the annual Southwest Artist Showcase starts this weekend at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), and you can participate just by bringing in up to 3 artworks for inclusion. Library’s open noon-8 pm today for the first day of dropoffs.
NO AMERICAN MAH JONGG TODAY: Afternoon meetups are still on hold until The Missing Piece reopens in its new West Seattle Junction location.
FREE KIDS’ ART WORKSHOP: With Rec’N The Streets at Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW), 3 pm.
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS:
ROCK BAND GAMING AT MR. B’S MEAD CENTER: 5-10 pm, new weekly event in South Delridge! (9444 Delridge Way SW)
FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix your broken item instead of throwing it out! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
MUSIC AT C & P: Rhythm and Roots Night at C & P Coffee, 6-8 pm: “For fans of roots, blues and heritage music and acoustic music with a variety of instrumentation beyond guitar (dobro, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, hand drums, etc.)” All ages, no cover. (5612 California SW)
POTTERINGS OPEN STUDIO: 6-8 pm, drop in and create! If you want some inspiration, this month’s spotlight project is a seasonal pumpkin luminary. (3400 Harbor SW)
FREE ART CLASS: 6-8 pm, pay what you can, all levels invited to explore watercolors at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
WEST SEATTLE URBANISM: All are welcome at the group’s weekly happy-hour meetup, 6-8 pm at Great American Diner & Bar. (4752 California SW).
CRIBBAGE NIGHT: 6 pm at West Seattle Eagles (4426 California SW), membership not required, come play!
CLASSIC SF BOOK CLUB: 6 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW) – this month’s book is “The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham.
PIANO NIGHT AT UPWELL: 6 pm, music with your beverage(s) at Upwell Coffee and Wine! (4811 California SW)
TONE CIRCLE: 6 pm at Alki Arts (6030 California SW), “show up and sing!” Preregistration required. $20.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RUN: An energetic way to mark the middle of the week – the weekly 6:15 pm group run with West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) – all welcome, regardless of pace!
GET RAINWISE: In-person event at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) with info on how to get a rebate for a cistern and/or rain garden on your property, if you’re eligible! 6:30 pm.
LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer lineup. (7902 35th SW)
MUSIC BINGO: Weekly music bingo at at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm.
KUNDALINI YOGA: 7 pm at Inner Alchemy Studio/Sanctuary (3618 SW Alaska). $35.
TRIVIA x 4: Four West Seattle trivia spots on our Wednesday list: Admiral Pub (2306 California SW) at 7 pm … Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) has Wednesday trivia at 8 pm … Quiz Night also starts at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and it’s an 8:30 pm start for trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW), all ages until 10 pm.
SKYLARK OPEN MIC: West Seattle’s longest-running open mic – 7:30 pm signups for the weekly event at The Skylark. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
KARAOKE AT ADMIRAL PUB: You’re invited to sing at the pub starting at 8:45 pm. (2306 California SW)
Planning something that’s open to community participation/observation? Please send us info so we can add it to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(2024 photo by Janelle Otterholt)
Now that it’s October, Halloween is just under a month away.Just four weeks and one day until Halloween. We’ve noticed some decorations are already up. So it’s also time for a reminder that we showcase Halloween decorations every year and would love your photo(s)! You don’t have to provide your exact address as long as it’s a vicinity where people who want a firsthand look are likely to find the display (“in the xx block of xxth Street,” for example). It’s also helpful if you indicate whether the display’s more intended for night – lights? – or day (or spooky any time of day). westseattleblog@gmail.com or text to 206-293-6302. P.S. Business displays welcome too – we see every year that some go all-out with the seasonal spirit!
6:02 AM: Good morning! It’s Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
The forecast for today is showery at times, high in the mid-to-upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 7:09 am; sunset, at 6:47 pm.
ROAD WORK
-The Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight this Friday night/Saturday morning for maintenance.
-The South Park Bridge will close overnight for four nights in the coming week: 7 pm Friday to 6 am Saturday, 7 pm Saturday to 6 am Sunday, 7 pm Monday to 6 am Tuesday, and 7 pm Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday.
–59th SW in Alki was open as of late Tuesday (thanks for the tip; we went there to verify at day’s end) – we’re checking to see if the closure is indeed entirely over.
-“Natural drainage” construction closing the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.
TRANSIT TODAY
Washington State Ferries – WSF continues two-boat service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Issaquah, because of a boat breakdown on another route, but has added M/V Salish as an unscheduled third boat. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where; ferry alerts will update when the situation changes. That’s also where you’ll find information on new fares that start today.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west. Also note, maritime-opening info is again available via X (ex-Twitter):
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
2:17 AM: Police are in the 4400 block of California SW, where a person was found dead early today outside a business building on the west side of the street. SFD medics were summoned but they told dispatch the person “was an obvious DOA” and they canceled the response quickly. There’s been no word on the circumstances or whether it’s considered suspicious; we’ll be following up later this morning.
11:43 AM: Though they’re not releasing other details, SPD tells us the report title indicates that this is a suspected case of death by suicide. It’s now up to the Medical Examiner to determine the cause and identify the victim.
If you’re having thoughts of self-harm, the 988 hotline is available 24/7.
If you don’t use our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and daily lists, you might not know about all five of these local book clubs featured monthly. They’re all open to whomever shows up, no preregistration, dues, or memberships required:
WEST SEATTLE CLASSIC SF BOOK CLUB: Next meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, October 1), 6 pm at Paper Boat Booksellers (4522 California SW). This club discusses classic sci-fi/fantasy books; this month’s title is “The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham (1957).
WEST SEATTLE BOOK CLUB: The WSBC was originally the West Seattle Silent Book Club and has grown into a massive multi-venue event with hundreds of readers, first Thursday of most months, reconvening at 7 pm this Thursday (October 2) after summer break. Choose your venue, choose your book, come read quietly, then talk with people – or don’t! This month’s locations, from North Admiral to White Center, are in our calendar listing.
WEST SEATTLE MODERN CLASSIC BOOK CLUB: Ed, who leads the Classic SF Book Club mentioned above, created this one too. The next meeting is 3 pm Sunday (October 5) at Paper Boat Booksellers, and this month’s book is “Rosemary’s Baby” by Ira Levin (1967).
WEST SEATTLE CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Julia‘s club gathers at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW) one Sunday afternoon a month. For the next meeting on October 26 – 2:30 pm to chat, 3 pm to start discussing – they’re reading “The Witches of Eastwick” by John Updike (1984), which was made into a movie in 1987.
MORBIDLY CURIOUS BOOK CLUB, WEST SEATTLE CHAPTER: The name of this club explains the mindset of readers to whom it appeals! Perla is your host, and “Ghostland, an American History in Haunted Places” by Colin Dickey is what MCBC is reading this month. Next meeting is at 7 pm Thursday, October 30, at 2 Fingers Social (9211 Delridge Way).
Any other West Seattle book clubs open to more readers? Let us know so we can list them in our calendar too!
When we mentioned that the second season of in-water Duwamish River cleanup starts tomorrow, we also noted some overnight closures of the South Park Bridge are planned. The first dates have just been finalized:
Upcoming Overnight Closures of South Park Bridge
Nights of October 3, 4, 6, and 7, 2025This week, the South Park Bridge will be fully closed overnight to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for two nights on Friday, October 3, and Saturday, October 4, ending the morning of October 5. Closures will occur from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Next week, King County Road Services will also close the South Park Bridge to traffic on the following nights: Monday, October 6, and Tuesday, October 7, ending the morning of October 8. If additional dates are needed, the bridge may be closed again at night on October 9, 10, and 11. We will notify the community if these additional dates are needed.
During this time, the bridge will be in the “raised” position to accommodate dredging activities underneath the bridge. Unlike daytime construction, recreational vessels will not be permitted to pass beneath the South Park Bridge during this time.
King County Metro Route 60, which travels over the South Park Bridge, will be rerouted during the hours of the bridge closures. To learn more about the Route 60 reroute, please check Metro’s Service Advisories page. …
You can expect additional South Park Bridge closures later this fall and winter.
6:46 PM: Seattle Police are on the scene of a two-car crash on the east side of the 35th/Trenton intersection. No injuries but one driver is reported to have walked away from the scene; they’ve checked both vehicles and neither is reported as stolen. They’ve called for a tow truck and have been looking for the missing driver.
7:51 PM: The scene is clear. No word whether they found the missing driver.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While the Morgan Junction Park expansion site rolls toward its next step – hydroseeding, now that the contaminated soil has been replaced with new fill dirt – the community group fighting for a “skate dot” at or near the site has just talked face-to-face with city reps.
Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association, which rose from a community effort to unofficially “activate” the long-vacant site with skateboarding features a few years ago, has put volunteer time and grant money into what they originally were told could be built along with the rest of the expansion project at no extra cost.
(Grindline’s schematic for proposed ‘skate dot’ at Morgan Junction Park site)
Then Seattle Parks‘ project team changed and so did the message they gave to MJAWA – that the price tag for the “skate dot” (a relatively small skatable area within a park, not a full-fledged skatepark) was much higher than the estimate given by the skatepark experts at Grindline when creating a schematic design for MJAWA, and that the skate feature could not be covered by the project budget even though that is now estimated at $7.5 million, more than two-thirds of which has been spent.
Standing at the current Morgan Junction Park site in a drizzle late Monday afternoon, MJAWA reps, Seattle Parks reps, the president of the Morgan Community Association, and reps from two nonprofits who’ve been supporting MJAWA through the process, Skate Like a Girl and Seattle Parks Foundation, talked for about an hour and a half. MJAWA didn’t get exactly what one of its leaders, Matt Johnston, kept asking for – a cost estimate just for what they propose building, without throwing in the cost of other complications – but some progress was made.
The biggest complication, said new project manager Trae Yang, is stormwater drainage, made more complex by the slope of the site. If the skate dot goes in the existing Morgan Junction Park – the scenario with which MJAWA and the previous Parks team had been working – a pipe has to go 500 feet downslope to the west. If it goes on the expansion site, she said, chances are it could be connected to a pipe at street level. But using that site would require a different design, since the one on which MJAWA worked with Grindline incorporated some existing features at the current park (and MJAWA leaders reminded Parks that one of the concerns about the expansion site had been noise for adjacent residents, less of an issue if it were built on the park site further south).
All the new concerns are because of requirements imposed by stormwater regulations dating to 2016 which Yang pronounced “pretty brutal.” She added that “infiltration” drainage is not allowed because of the contaminated soil at the park expansion site – even though it’s been removed, the site isn’t totally clean. And even though Parks and SDOT have reportedly resolved the issue of ownership of the Eddy Street right-of-way that bisects the park-and-addition site, Yang said she still needs to find out whether any of that is contaminated. (The existing park site apparently got a clean bill of health sometime back, though it held a service station/vehicle-repair shop before its short-lived time as a potential Seattle Monorail station site.)
MJAWA leaders expressed their frustration that all this seems to be in danger of washing their two years of work with the previous city team – including $72,000 worth of design work funded in part by a city grant – down the drain, figuratively and literally. And not just their work – also the community’s buy-in and enthusiasm: “We told the entire community this is where it would be.”
So the bottom line for that aspect of the project, Yang explained, is that she has a lot of investigating to do to figure out the stormwater-drainage issue and how the park addition’s original design – even before MJAWA got involved – can factor into it: “We still don’t know a lot about the site.” (That despite the city having bought it more than a decade ago, and having demolished the commercial building it held just a few years after that.) She and other Parks representatives – including Kim Baldwin, Olivia Reed, and Annie Hindenlang – said that’s likely to take at least a few months, and committed to monthly updates on where that stands.
But they still wouldn’t give MJAWA what they were desperate for, a ballpark number for what skate-dot construction might cost, separate from the drainage issues and any other site complications. MJAWA wanted the city to acknowledge that resolving drainage difficulties was a Parks issue, not theirs. As Johnston put it, “It’s like Parks is putting some bricks in our backpacks when we’re just trying to ride our bikes.” Baldwin countered, “Parks will fund as much as we can but we just don’t know” the extent. Hindenlang said they needed to figure out the site constraints before they met again with the designers who’d been involved in the project, Board and Vellum.
MJAWA did get city reps to acknowledge that they’re the ones who changed the terms – the skate dot’s current state of limbo isn’t the community volunteers’ fault. But that’s not much solace when the future is to some degree clear as mud. Yang expressed some hope that things will turn out to be not as costly or problematic as she fears but stressed that she has a lot of work to do to get answers. And some of the issues she’s dealing with could come down to factors such as how tough their assigned reviewer at the Department of Construction and Inspections will be.
Skate Like A Girl’s Kristin Eberling said the most important constituency in the process was waiting for answers too: “I’d like to have something to tell the 13- to 17-year-olds I’ve been telling about this.”
WHAT’S NEXT? Among other things, there’ll be a project update of some kind when the Morgan Community Association has its quarterly meeting on October 15 (watch morganjunction.org for details). And MJAWA promises updates too.
No word yet from D.C. of any deal to avoid a federal-government shutdown. A statement from the Port of Seattle is the first to land in the WSB inbox with a statement about a local agency’s response plan:
Port of Seattle facilities, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and the Port’s cruise terminals, will remain fully open and operational should a government shutdown begin on October 1. The Port is working closely with its federal partners to keep operations as close to normal as possible.
SEA passengers are encouraged to follow standard recommendations and plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to a domestic flight and at least three hours prior to an international flight in order to provide enough time to park, transit, check in, and go through security. The Port will continue to offer the popular Spot Saver program to reserve a security screening time, and encourages travelers to confirm travel information directly with their airlines.
“The Port of Seattle urges Congress to find a bipartisan solution to avoid or minimize any shutdown of the federal government and to retain the federal workforce necessary to keep trade and travel running smoothly,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Ryan Calkins. “Our facilities will remain operational during any shutdown, but many of our federal partners will be working without pay. Additionally, any shutdown could cause disruptions to our regional economy, which is already seeing impacts from global and economic uncertainty. We hope those traveling through our gateways will join us in thanking our federal workers for their ongoing professionalism during this time. The Port will do all we can to support them in the case of a shutdown.”
The Port is determining what actions it could take to support its federal aviation and maritime security partners, who would be working without pay during this period. During the 2018-2019 federal government shutdown, the Port worked with a variety of partners and the community to provide federal workers with food and other essential supplies, as well as access to resources to help them deal with missing paychecks.
The port has multiple facilities in West Seattle, including parks and docks.
Don sent that photo Monday, after noticing installation of the new school-zone speed cameras on Admiral Way for the return next year of Alki Elementary, once its new building is complete. That led us to check in with SDOT for the status of the new school-zone speed cameras that have been scheduled to start operation this year, on California SW near West Seattle High School (not far from Lafayette Elementary, too). SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali‘s reply revealed that they’re likely to start with the southbound direction only:
The new southbound school zone speed camera on California Ave SW near West Seattle High School has been installed and is in final testing. We expect it to be activated in the coming weeks, though the exact date is still being finalized. Once activated, the camera will issue warnings only for the first 30 days after activation, with citations beginning after that period. SDOT will share information with the community when the camera goes live. Notices will be mailed to drivers during the warning period.
A northbound camera is also planned for West Seattle High but has been delayed due to underground utility conflicts. Our engineering team is working on a solution, and we’ll share an updated installation timeline once available.
SDOT also verified that the Alki Elementary-related cameras on Admiral Way are in place (as shown above) “but will remain inactive until the new school building opens, currently expected in 2026.” Five other school zones in West Seattle have ticketing cameras, listed here. Getting a ticket from a school-zone cam could cost you more than $200.
One day after pulling the third boat from Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth because of a ferry breakdown elsewhere, Washington State Ferries says it expects that the Triangle Route “will be on the two-boat schedule for the next couple of weeks.” But starting this afternoon, WSF is adding back an unscheduled third boat, the 64-vehicle M/V Salish. (Check the Vessel Watch tracker to see when it’s officially on the run.)
(Seattle Public Utilities photo)
If you’re looking for somewhere to get outside in the early fall sunshine, Longfellow Creek’s Salmon Bone Bridge is an option again. Seattle Public Utilities‘ Brad Wong just sent word – with the photo above – that the bridge has reopened. That’s a month earlier than the potential late October reopening mentioned when the foot bridge was closed this summer for more renovation work. The bridge is over the creek between 26th and 28th SW, north of SW Nevada [map].
(The sun’s end-of-day appearance on Monday, photographed by Carol Ann Joyce)
Here’s our Tuesday list, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FREE PLAYSPACE: West Seattle Church of the Nazarene is opening its free community playspace, 9 am-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays. (42nd/Juneau)
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING: Morning and afternoon sessions, 9:30 am start, individual department presentations continue. See the agenda here; watch live via Seattle Channel.
QI GONG AT VIVA ARTS: 10 am with Natalia – last-minute reminder, so mark your calendar for next week!. (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW)
POSTCARDS4DEMOCRACY: New postcard-writers as well as returnees are welcome at this weekly advocacy gathering, 10:30 am-noon at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). Sign up here before you go, if this is your first time.
ROTARY CLUB OF WEST SEATTLE: Noon lunch meeting at West Seattle Golf Course (4470 35th SW) features a speaker from PeaceTrees Vietnam. (WSB sponsor)
CHESS CLUB: All levels welcome! 1:30-3 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). Questions? Email conwell@conwelld.net.
DINE OUT FUNDRAISER FOR WSHS FOOTBALL: Both dine-in and online orders are eligible for this fundraiser at West Wings (2329 California SW) benefiting the West Seattle High School football program, 4-8 pm.
HIGH-SCHOOL SPORTS: Chief Sealth IHS girls’ soccer hosts Rainier Beach at Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 4:30 pm.
DROP-IN WINE TASTING: 5-8 pm Tuesdays at Walter’s Wine Shop (4811 California SW) – $15 fee, $5 off with bottle purchases.
DEMONSTRATION FOR BLACK LIVES: Long-running weekly sign-waving demonstration on the corners at 16th/Holden. 5-6 pm. Signs available if you don’t bring your own.
TRACK RUN WITH WEST SEATTLE RUNNER: Meet up by 6:15 pm at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) for WSR’s free weekly track run.
HIGHLY CAPABLE/ADVANCED LEARNING DISCUSSION: 6:30 pm regional gathering for Seattle Public Schools families/staff involved with or interested in these services, at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle).
CREATE POTTERY: Weekly 6:30-9 pm “girls’ night” at pottery studio The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW), register in advance to work on your project(s).
SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING: New classes continue, 7 pm at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW). Our calendar listing has details including how to check if they have space. Newcomers are always welcome, and the first class is free.
WOMEN’S MEDITATION CIRCLE: Weekly small-group event at Mama Be Well Healing Studio (4034 California SW), 7 pm. Our calendar listing has info on registering before you participate.
BINGO: Play free Tuesday night Belle of the Balls Bingo at The Skylark, 7 pm. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
TRIVIA X 4: Four options for Tuesday night trivia – The Beer Junction (4711 California SW), Sporcle Pub Quiz with David at 7 and 8 pm … 7 pm at Ounces (3803 Delridge Way SW), free and hosted by Beat the Geek Trivia; 7 pm at Zeeks Pizza West Seattle (6459 California SW), hosted by Geeks Who Drink; 7 pm at Admiral Pub, free, prizes. (2306 California SW).
If you are organizing an event, class, performance, gathering, etc., tell your West Seattle neighbors via our event calendar, from which we draw our daily lists too – just email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
For more than 30 years, the Southwest Library has hosted the anual Southwest Artist Showcase, a non-juried exhibition in which you can participate just by bringing in art to display. The dropoff period starts tomorrow (Wednesday, October 1) and continues through Friday; the showcase starts Sunday (October 5), with an opening reception 11 am-12:30 pm, and continues during regular library hours through November 2. For other details, see the infopage about the showcase, then get ready to submit up to three of your artworks over the next three days. Southwest Library is at 9010 35th SW.
8:07 AM: Texter reports 2-car crash blocking eastbound bridge’s right lane before 99 exit.
Earlier:
6:01 AM: Good morning! It’s Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET
The forecast for today is rainy at times, breezy too, high in the mid-to-upper 60s. Sunrise will be at 7:07 am; sunset, at 6:49 pm.
ROAD WORK
-The Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight this Friday night/Saturday morning for maintenance.
–59th SW in Alki is closed for the school-construction project; we’ll check on progress this week.
-“Natural drainage” construction closing the east end of Sylvan Way is under way.
TRANSIT TODAY
Metro buses – On regular schedule and routes today.
Washington State Ferries – WSF went to two-boat service on the Triangle Route on Monday, with M/V Kittitas and M/V Issaquah, because of a boat breakdown on another route. Vessel Watch will show you which boat is where; ferry alerts will update when the situation changes.
Water Taxi – Regular West Seattle service; summer/early fall schedule, with later runs on Friday and Saturday nights through October 10.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:
Low Bridge – Here’s the view looking west. Also note, maritime-opening info is again available via X (ex-Twitter):
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: In addition to the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.
See a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
From trails through the greenbelt to connections across the blacktop, HPAC‘s first fall meeting covered a lot of ground. The community coalition for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge gathered at Delridge Library this past Wednesday night.
POLICE UPDATES: These updates usually start community-coalition meetings, with rotating representatives from the department, this time Community Service Officers. The year-to-date stats they brought for all of the Southwest Precinct were the same ones we’ve reported in coverage of other recent West Seattle community meetings; for Highland Park specifically, shootings, burglaries, motor-vehicle thefts, and thefts in general are down, robberies, aggravated assaults, rapes, and arsons are up, and there’ve been no homicides so far this year (same as at this point last year).
There was some discussion of the new SPD directive to report parking violations by phone rather than via the Find It Fix It app. The point seems to be that SPD wants these reports to come in in real time, rather than in a system where they might not be seen for a day or two. That led to a discussion of encampment concerns and potential new parking restrictions, including a growing encampment at the bottom of Highland Park Way hill. Perhaps the greenbelt gate could be closed at night? was the question. (Nobody from Seattle Parks was there, so that’ll have to be brought up in another way.) There were also concerns about fires in the area; one response from last Monday was mentioned, in the 6700 block of West Marginal Way (categorized as “rubbish fire” but no other info available).
RIDGE 2 RIVER: Speaking of the greenbelt, this organization currently has a survey open to help determine where trails should go in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, the city’s longest contiguous stretch of forest, mostly running through eastern West Seattle. Paul spoke; he explained that his group has a “broader definition of the WDG than the city does.” Yes, the WDG already has some trails; Paul noted that sibling organization West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails has mapped current trails but they’re mostly unplanned, uncoordinated, given that it “over time developed this network of trails which is fun to explore but it’s an adhoc process and not … the best system that could be there in terms of serving the community’s needs, environmental impact, etc. … If we were thinking about the greenbelt holistically,” something different would be created. They’re in the midst of a two-year process to determine that.
Where do people want to go? How do they want to get there? How can they avoid geologically unstable areas? In addition to community input, they’re also launching an expert analysis of the greenbelt. And they’re mapping destinations like həʔapus Village Park and Shoreline Habitat, Westcrest Park, Riverview Playfield, although “we don’t know if people would really use trails to get to those places.” Could there be a spine trail that would get you to almost anywhere in the greenbelt? Current phase, bottom line, information gathering, “and then out of that we’re going to develop some alternatives for different levels of greenbelt improvements” and they’ll have some community meetings for input, then a city process, and probably around early 2027 they’ll have a “preferred alterntive.”
They really want people to take the survey – only 200 have so far – it’s a long survey but Paul said they’re “fun questions.” If you can, go walk in the greenbelt and then take the survey! WDGT has monthly hikes if you want to go with a group – they have two more, in October 18 (from Pathfinder K-8) and November 15 (from the north end of the South Seattle College campus), before winter. The survey will be open until they get enough responses, so probably at least a couple more months. They’re doing in-person outreach too, including tabling at last Saturday’s West Seattle Ecology Fair.
RECONNECT SOUTH PARK: Maria and Jorge were there from the organization exploring the idea of reconnecting the community torn apart by Highway 99; she gave the backstory. They’re currently looking at the “reroute and reclaim” option. She noted she’s never been able to look at the highway the same way since learning it covers what was once a fertile valley where abundant food was grown. People who live by it now live 11 years less on average than others – not just because of the highway, but that’s a large contributor. She explained the state provided funding for them to do a community study and technical analysis. “The highway created 22 dead-end streets in South Park,” Maria said. And of course there’d be a question of where the truck traffic goes. The project has been under way for three years. Before turning it over to Jorge, Maria stressed, “We’re not anywhere near design – this round is about identifying an option and taking a look at whether it’s possible. This is about what we’re leaving for our kids. We all have to look ahead and not just think about us right now.”
Of the possibilities suggested so far, Jorge said the Reroute and Reclaim option would eliminate the freeway. “That could create 2700 new jobs, would reduce South Park traffic by 64 percent.” Second and third options are similar – the highway would turn into a boulevard, like Delridge. 25 percent less traffic or 47 percent less traffic. All the reclaimed land would be available for new housing and parks. The last option is “bridges and trails,” with the highway staying the same but adding community connections “on both sides.” Maria pointed out that the big clover-leaf intersection would be removed.
To some, this may all sound like an impossible dream or foolish venture, but: “We can be bold,” Maria exhorted. Supporters are certain it would increase safety, business, communication. She said they’ve gotten youth involved with this too, including the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps. If you’re interested in finding out more or even pitching in to help, volunteers@reconnectsouthpark.org is the email address.
NEXT MEETING: HPAC is planning to meet at the Southwest Library next month; October 22, since the fourth Wednesday is their usual meeting night. Watch hpaction.org for updates.
West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor) is celebrating 15 years in business!
Back in 2010, we opened our doors just as the recession was making its dramatic exit. From that very first day on October 1st, you’ve showered us with your trust and support, and we are so grateful! Through a pandemic and, oh yeah, a 2 ½-YEAR BRIDGE SHUTDOWN, your loyalty kept our shop busy and our team going. While half of small businesses don’t make it to 5 years, we’ve made it to 15! A massive thank you, West Seattle!
Chris, Kacie, Pedro, Michael, Elliott, Alex, Joe, and Nate
West Seattle Autoworks is on the southwest corner of 35th and Webster.
Madison Middle School has an acting principal as of today, according to a district memo sent to families (thanks for the forwards) and posted on the school website, signed by Superintendent Fred Podesta:
Dear Madison families and staff,
We are writing to inform you of a leadership update at Madison Middle School. Beginning Monday, Sept. 29, Dr. Gary will be on health leave.
During Dr. Gary’s absence, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Scott Pierce as the acting principal. Dr. Pierce has most recently been serving the past three years as an Assistant Principal at Rainier Beach High School. Dr. Pierce brings 15 years of leadership experience with a strong commitment to equity focused, inclusive, and rigorous learning environments.
Principal Pierce will begin his transition with staff and the school community during the week of Sept. 29 – Oct. 3 and is looking forward to supporting and working with the Madison community officially beginning Monday, Oct. 6.
To support a smooth transition, Regional Executive Directors Chris Carter and Katrina Hunt will provide oversight and guidance. Furthermore, assistant principals Dr. Elizabeth Allen and Ms. Trisha Pilapil will be instrumental in ensuring consistency and stability during this time.
As always, our top priority remains the academic success, safety, and well-being of every Madison student.
Thank you for your continued support.
Dr. Gary has been Madison’s principal for 12 years.
(File photo)
If you have questions about the Westside Neighbors Shelter in The Triangle, West Seattle’s only shelter, it’s opening its doors for an open house this Saturday. Here’s the announcement:
As cold weather approaches, the open house is a chance for leaders, community members, press, and potential volunteers to tour the space, ask questions, and learn how the Shelter operates and who it serves. The Shelter is run by volunteers and private donations.
Where: American Legion Post 160 (Westside Neighbors Shelter), 3620 SW Alaska Street, West Seattle
When: Saturday, October 4, 2-4 pm
Refreshments will be served in the Hall starting at 2 pm. At 2:30, Keith Hughes will present the Shelter’s history and its current impact on the unhoused community. One or more former shelter clients who now have housing will speak about how their experience at the Shelter helped them get on their feet.
After the presentation, guests will be able to tour the Shelter and learn how the Shelter’s all-volunteer workforce serves unhoused people in West Seattle with meals, hygiene, clothing, and a place to get warm.
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