West Seattle, Washington
17 Saturday
SDOT sent that photo as part of a reply to our question about the status of the additions it promised at “the curve” toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge, a location that’s seen more than a few crashes. The department says its crews have finished installing what it told us about two weeks ago – “curve warning signs, and raised pavement markers to enhance visibility for approaching drivers.” SDOT says they’re still evaluating additional action, including “reflective markings on the existing guardrail” and “either grinding the top layer of pavement or installing a high-friction surface treatment.” We’ll continue following up.
12:25 PM: Mayor Katie Wilson has announced her first two executive orders. One is regarding homelessness. Here’s how the city announcement summarizes it:
Mayor Wilson is ordering immediate action to bring people inside by expediting the expansion of shelter and affordable housing.
Her executive order to accelerate the expansion of emergency shelter and affordable housing will:
-Rapidly expand and expedite the provision of new shelter and affordable housing by immediately launching an interdepartmental team to identify options for financial incentives, permitting changes, and other policy changes.
-Identify and prioritize city-owned public land and other public lands which could be used to temporarily or permanently site new emergency shelter and housing.
-Coordinate with regional partners to identify shelter programs that have capacity to add units to existing programs.
-Identify best practices working with organizations with expertise in behavioral health to support substance use disorder treatment and mental health counseling for housing and shelter programs.
You can see the actual order text here. We’re asking some followup questions, including the timeline. The other executive order involves a bus lane on Denny Way downtown; read that order here.
ADDED 3:28 PM: We received answers to our followup questions via mayoral spokesperson Sage Wilson.
-We asked about a timeline – “rapid” could mean many things. His reply: “The literal reality of ‘rapidly’ is one of the early outcomes of the EO – need to hear from the departments what is possible. The mayor is determined to move quickly, however, and spoke today about FIFA this spring as a time to take stock. (Her full remarks are available on Seattle Channel.)”
-We also asked if encampment resolutions (sweeps) were being suspended until more shelter is available. The reply: “Resolutions of encampments are not suspended and the Unified Care Team certainly still exists and is still at work. For example, I believe an RV site near the stadiums was just cleared recently. The mayor is assessing how we can do better than the current procedures, and her visit in Ballard yesterday was part of that to really see for herself. But resolutions are continuing to proceed – city reporting shows 101 resolutions of encampments & RV sites since 1/4. And as the mayor said in her statement yesterday, clearing encampments and managing public space will continue to be part of the city’s approach.”
One question Wilson is checking on further – and we’ll add the answer when it arrives – is whether private shelters like the one in West Seattle have a role in the planned pursuit of more space.
ADDED 3:41 PM: The answer to that: “Yes, expanding privately operated shelters is one strategy that would help meet the goals in the Executive Order on expanding shelter.”
Thanks to the texter who sent that dashcam video along with an alert about the lane closure it shows, at “the curve” that’s been the location of more than a few crashes, toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge. We’re not finding an official traffic alert about it, but given the presence of at least one Seattle City Light truck, it could be work related to the crash the other night that brought down a pole at the pullout (we’ll check with SCL in the morning). In the meantime, if you’ll be headed that way, or know someone who will, caution is advised.
8:19 PM: Thanks for the tips. While we were away from the desk for a while, yet another collision was reported in the curve/pullout area toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge. The SFD 911 log shows initial dispatch just after 6 pm; there was another dispatch just before 7 but archived radio indicates that was NOT a new crash – apparently someone called in the same one a second time. Our video shows the spun-out car and downed pole/sign around the time of the second response – we assigned a back-seat passenger to try to get a visual as we past eastbound; that didn’t work so we turned around and went westbound, and what you see is what we got – the car is briefly visible around :13 in. We’re checking with SFD re: injuries. If you missed it, here’s our latest story on what SDOT says it will do regarding the crash risk in that area.
10:19 PM: SFD says no injuries were reported.
(Reader photo sent by CJ, December 14)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Is it the drivers’ fault or the pavement’s fault? The discussion reignites almost every time we report a crash toward the southwest end of the westbound West Seattle Bridge, in the general area of the pullout near the two remaining “Walking on Logs” sculptures and the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign. The “drivers’ fault” faction says people are just driving too fast. The “pavement’s fault” faction blames an inconsistency in the road surface right in that spot.
(Reader photo sent by Mike, October 26)
We don’t have hard-and-fast data on crashes at this location – the SDOT collision map is neither comprehensive nor (location-wise) precise, and our archives are not necessarily comprehensive either, nor is publicly visible data: The SFD 911 log will show a collision only if there was a dispatch for injuries, and the SPD police-data map if the crash was reported by a 911 caller. Plus, there’s no functioning traffic camera in that spot, so for visuals, we’re reliant on reader photos. But our archives alone show more than a dozen mentions of crashes in that spot just this year.
(Reader photo, October 24)
Back in February, we sought and reported on SDOT’s response to our inquiry about whether any action was planned regarding this area. A department spokesperson said at that time that they planned “to add safety enhancements to encourage drivers to approach the curve at a safer speed” and then might evaluate pavement work if that didn’t help. The timeline given was “this year.”
(Reader photo, OMarch 24)
So now we’re at the end of “this year.” After more crashes in mid-December, we asked SDOT for an update. Here’s how they responded this time:
Based on recent crash activity and additional review, we will be installing two near-term safety enhancements to improve driver awareness of the curve:
-curve warning signs, and
-raised pavement markers to enhance visibility for approaching drivers.The work orders have been issued.
This represents a slight change from what was discussed earlier this year. While reflective markings on the existing guardrail were previously mentioned as a potential third treatment, that option is still under internal evaluation.
As we shared in February, our pavement engineers and Vision Zero team have also been evaluating longer-term solutions to improve traction in this area, including either grinding the top layer of pavement or installing a high-friction surface treatment. Those options remain under consideration and would need to be scheduled further out, taking into account resources, weather, crew availability, and traffic impacts.
We’ll continue to monitor conditions at this location and assess whether additional measures are recommended.
Some pavement work was done in that area during the 2020-2022 West Seattle Bridge closure, as we reported, and showed, in this story about a visit to the work zone toward the end of bridge-repair work.
Seattle Public Utilities’ policies/schedule regarding Christmas-tree disposal:
Customers can compost trees and holiday greens for free from December 26 – January 31! Remove all decorations, cut into sections 4-foot or less, and place trees or bundled greens next to your Food & Yard Waste cart on your regular collection day. Apartment residents may place up to two trees next to each Food & Yard waste cart at no charge. You can also drop off up to 3 trees less than 8 feet in length at a Transfer Station.
And also, a reminder that the “regular collection day” is disrupted for some again this week:
No change for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday pickup customers, but no collection on Thursday, so Thursday customers will get pickup on Friday, Friday customers will get pickup on Saturday. The transfer stations are closed on New Year’s Day too. So bottom line, you have until the end of January for free tree disposal – but if your tree is drying out, better to avoid fire risk by not letting it stay until it’s unsafe.
We heard a bit of the radio exchanges about this around 10 this morning but not enough description to write about – until this photo came in just now, literally completing the picture. (Thanks to CJ for sending it.) Another crash in the area where some think the pavement is the problem, and others blame speed. The driver of this 4Runner wound up in the grass by the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign; no other vehicle was reported involved, and the initial SFD dispatch to check out the driver was quickly downsized.
(Access during construction)
Last month, when SDOT announced it would proceed with additions promised for its Alki Point Healthy Street (Beach Drive and Alki Avenue west of 63rd), it didn’t have a date beyond “as soon as later this year.” This afternoon, SDOT sent an update saying work will start “as soon as the weekend of December 20,” for the 63rd/Beach Drive crossing features. Here’s the plan for the 63rd/Beach work:
As soon as the weekend of December 20th, we’ll begin installing intersection upgrades at 63rd Ave SW and SW Beach Dr. Crews will install new accessible curb ramps and a new flashing pedestrian crossing sign. Work is expected to occur over a three-week period, with some pauses between phases like demolition and pouring new concrete. We plan to work on one side of 63rd Ave SW at a time to minimize traffic impacts.
During the work, you can expect:
-Primary work hours from 9 AM – 3 PM, Monday-Sunday. Crews may set up or take down equipment outside of these work hours. Crews will not work on December 25 or January 1.
-Temporary sidewalk, crosswalk, and lane closures.
-Access to Beach Dr SW at 63rd Ave SW will be closed while crews are working. Local access will remain open via 64th Ave SW. Access will re-open outside of working hours.
-Traffic shifts around the work area on 63rd Ave SW. Traffic will remain open in both directions with the assistance of flaggers.
-Relocated pedestrian crossing across 63rd Ave SW north of the work area.
-Signed detours for pedestrians and protected pedestrian walkways around the work areas.
Other planned additions won’t be installed until next year, according to today’s SDOT update, because they need drier weather.
Of all the policy areas over which Mayor-elect Katie Wilson will preside, much speculation has centered on public safety – what will she do to help make Seattle a safer city? Today she’s announced her “vision for public safety,” including her decision to keep the current public-safety chiefs (Police, Fire, CARE chiefs and Office of Emergency Management director). Here’s her full announcement:
Seattle’s next chapter begins with a commitment to a shared vision of community safety: that everyone in Seattle, of every background and every income, deserves to be safe in their homes, streets, parks, and places of business in every neighborhood across our city. We envision welcoming public spaces, thriving local businesses, and lively communities where every person is safe, supported and valued. Achieving this vision requires a comprehensive strategy that builds trust, strengthens accountability, and modernizes our public safety system so it works for everyone who lives, works, and travels in our city.
I understand public safety as a shared responsibility, requiring police, fire, emergency management, alternative responders, service providers, community leaders, businesses, and residents to work together to get results. And it is time to build a coordinated, modern system which reflects that shared responsibility and helps us address our most difficult challenges, including persistent neighborhood-based safety issues, gun violence, behavioral health, and substance abuse.
That’s why I am retaining Seattle Police Department (SPD) Chief Shon Barnes, Seattle Fire Department (SFD) Chief Harold Scoggins, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Director Curry Mayer, and CARE Chief Dr. Amy Barden. They are each committing to lead their departments in accordance with my vision of community safety. With active partnership and direction from the Mayor’s office, I believe these leaders can work together and form a unified team committed to strengthening coordination, reform, accountability, and results.
My administration will work with Chief Barnes to make SPD a place where professionalism, integrity, compassion, and community partnership are at the center of every action. We will strive for a workplace culture where employees are valued and empowered. Promotions will be rooted in performance, integrity, and good judgment, and every SPD employee will be encouraged to share concerns, experiences, and good-faith feedback with leadership. I am committed to retaining and recruiting officers who represent the diversity and values of Seattle, and to building trust between SPD and communities across the city.
SPD cannot — and should not — respond to every challenge alone. My administration will work with Chief Barden to fulfill the mission of the CARE department to respond to calls that do not pose a threat of violence or involve a medical emergency. CARE now houses our diversion programs, public safety shelter resources, and street safety teams, moving toward a more fully integrated continuum of response to public order issues stemming from unmet needs. And central to our modern, diversified safety model, seamless coordination between SPD, CARE, and other non-police services will ensure the right responder is dispatched for behavioral health crises, welfare checks, and nonviolent situations. Fulfilling CARE’s intended role is essential to improve outcomes for vulnerable residents and neighborhoods alike and to support sworn officers to focus on the critical work for which they are the right responders.
SFD under Chief Scoggins will continue its national leadership in life safety and emergency medical response and deliver high-quality fire, EMS, and rescue services across all neighborhoods.
And through Director Mayer’s leadership at OEM, we will build our city’s resilience to disasters, including severe weather, and emerging threats by working hand-in-hand with communities to ensure preparedness efforts reflect their needs and strengths.
Most fundamentally, our vision of public safety will be rooted in community partnership. We will build long-term relationships in neighborhoods and work intentionally with service providers, outreach teams, diversion case managers, business improvement areas, small businesses, and community organizations and adopt a problem-solving approach that addresses root causes instead of relying solely on enforcement.
Seattle is ready for a new chapter — one where public safety is effective, equitable, accountable, and rooted in partnership with our communities. And with this leadership team, and with your support, we will deliver a safer, stronger, and more resilient Seattle.
While the work of these four departments is essential to keeping Seattle safe, a comprehensive vision of public safety involves the work of many more City departments and stakeholders. Public safety also means protecting our immigrant communities, ensuring the safety of LGBTQ+ community members, protecting privacy and addressing concerns around surveillance technology, and preventing traffic violence and ensuring that our streets and public spaces are safe for all users. It also means working to ensure that every resident has what they need to live a dignified life, so that fewer people commit crimes of poverty and desperation. My administration will take this holistic approach to public safety seriously and we will be announcing further decisions and actions in the weeks and months ahead to further this vision.
(WSB photo from Election Night)
Three days after a death at the encampment near Rotary Viewpoint Park (35th/Alaska) and West Seattle Stadium, city crews swept the area – “resolution” is the official city term. But it wasn’t a reaction to the death; the city had told a reader – in November 7 communication on which we were CC’d – that the site was “elevated to be resolved soon, pending availability of the necessary shelter resources.” Then another reader told us late Wednesday that they had seen crews there earlier in the day. So we followed up with the city’s Unified Care Team spokesperson Kate Jacobs, who confirmed:
Rotary Viewpoint Park/West Seattle Stadium vicinity: The Unified Care Team completed resolutions at two unauthorized encampments in this area on December 3 after official notice was posted on November 29. UCT outreach counselors offered shelter and supportive services to all 30 people residing across the two locations. Four offers were accepted.
(WSB photo, 16th/Barton, Tuesday)
We also asked about the results of the city operation reported here Tuesday at 16th/Barton, long an RV encampment zone. Jacobs replied:
SW Barton: UCT outreach counselors offered shelter and supportive services to both individuals residing at this location. Neither offer was accepted.
Jacobs said that’s not the end of their work at those sites:
Outreach counselors will continue engaging with people who declined resources to learn more about each person’s needs and keep building trust. It often takes numerous interactions before someone is willing to accept services, shelter, or complete an assessment for permanent supportive housing.
The reader who tipped us about the stadium/Rotary Viewpoint Park sweep wondered if the people there had had much notice, so we asked Jacobs about the current policy:
UCT gives people as much notice as possible for a resolution. The amount of notice is determined by local regulations, the unique circumstances of each site, and available resources.
Sites that require 72-hour notice under the Multi-Department Administrative Rule (MDAR) receive at least that much notice and sometimes significantly more.
Immediate Hazards/Obstructions are situations in which UCT must act quickly due to health or safety risks, or because an encampment significantly obstructs access to public spaces. In these cases, UCT notifies individuals of the resolution when they arrive on site, typically providing 30 minutes of notice before work begins. Once immediate safety risks and hazards are addressed, UCT works to provide reasonable time for people to pack personal belongings and identify items they’d like UCT to store versus debris that can be thrown away.
Sites that do not qualify for a 72-hour notice under MDAR and are not an immediate hazard or obstruction typically receive between 24 and 72 hours of notice.
Last June, after months of controversy over City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s espousal of removing a centerline curb on Delridge Way, he and Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the curb would stay and three other projects would be done instead. The biggest of those projects is about to start:
SDOT says work could start as soon as this Friday (December 5) on the 22nd/Delridge turnaround. From the flyer it’s sent to nearby residents:
New Turnaround at Delridge Way SW and 22nd Ave SW
As soon as Friday, December 5, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will start construction at Delridge Way SW and 22nd Ave SW in the Delridge neighborhood at the request of City Councilmember Rob Saka pursuant to a budget investment passed by the Full Council. We will reconfigure the triangle at Delridge Way SW and 22nd Ave SW by building a 24-foot wide turnaround on the north side of the triangle connecting the two streets (see map). This will improve circulation for people driving in this part of the Delridge neighborhood. Please note this project will remove the existing informal parking in this triangle and add landscaping within the triangle area south of the street segment.
The other two projects involve signage; together, all three cost $500,000, according to SDOT, a quarter of what the original plan was budgeted for.
A few days ago, we noticed “no parking” signs up on SW Barton for today through Thursday, both sides of 16th SW, in an area known for RV camping. The city info-flyer attached to some of the signs listed the purpose as “remediation” – cleanup – as part of the Clean City program. On the day we saw the signs, RVs had already cleared out of the west block, but were still in view on the east side. So we went by to check this morning; no RVs in sight on either block, but city Parking Enforcement officers were there (above), and while we were there, a flatbed tow truck arrived, apparently for the livestock trailer left east of 16th:
We’re following up with the city’s Unified Care Team.
Thanks for the tip and photos! A reader reports that the intersection of 26th SW and SW Genesee is now an all-way stop, after SDOT installed signs on Genesee today:
This comes five-plus years after a community controversy over a different plan to calm traffic at that intersection: In 2020, SDOT announced a sudden plan for “diverters” at this intersection and 26th/Brandon; after neighborhood pushback, they shelved the idea in March 2021, and that’s the last time the word “diverters” appears in our archives. 26th SW is a greenway through the area.
Chances are that you haven’t answered this year’s Seattle Public Safety Survey yet, since researchers say they’ve received replies from only about a third of one percent of the people who live in the Southwest Precinct jurisdiction (West Seattle and South Park). We first told you about it a month ago; it’s only open for another two weeks. Seattle University researchers oversee it, and, they explain, “A report on the survey results will be provided to the Seattle Police Department to help them better understand your neighborhood’s safety and security concerns, and community-police dialogues will be held in May-August 2026 to provide opportunities for police-community engagement about the results.” The survey is available until November 30, in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Korean, Oromo, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese, all linked here.
The photo and report from Delridge Way SW and SW Alaska were sent by Shane:
Wanted to write as I didn’t see it mentioned on the road work today … it looks like the city (finally) put in an official crosswalk by the Delridge Playfield. It’s just paint and a couple signs but it’s still much clearer to cars that this is an official crosswalk now and hopefully is a step toward real pedestrian safety improvements along this road!
(The median was already there, but without crosswalk markings.) Customary reminder – this corner and others were/are crosswalks even without paint.
Two days until November, and two days until Seattle Public Utilities yard-waste customers can start setting out up to 10 extra bags every collection date this month. SPU sent the annual announcement today:
Seattle Public Utilities offers free extra yard-waste pickup for all household food and yard waste customers each week throughout November.
When customers keep leaves off streets and out of storm drains, it reduces ponding and flooding during fall storms. To support this, customers can put out up to 10 extra bags of leaves for free each collection day in November.Customers should place extra leaves in:
-Paper or certified compostable lawn and leaf bags, or
-Personal reusable containers with lids.Winter weather is here, and SPU encourages customers to take these additional steps to keep streets and drains clear, report problems, and stay informed:
-Report clogged drains through the Find It, Fix It app.
-For urgent drainage, wastewater, and drinking water issues, call SPU’s 24/7 Operations Response Center at 206-386-1800.
-Sign up for AlertSeattle, the city’s official emergency alert system.
Note that Find It, Fix It, is for NON-urgent issues, so if something is presenting an immediate life-safety hazard, call SPU’s 24/7 as listed, or even 911 if you can’t get through to a live person.
(Reader photo)
5:19 PM: For the second consecutive day, a driver has ended up on a business-district sidewalk in West Seattle. This time, it was the northwest corner of 42nd/Oregon – as shown by the street sign brought down on the car. We don’t know much about the circumstances, only that it was originally dispatched around 3:15 pm as a crash “with two patients,” neither described as seriously hurt/ill, and only one SFD engine was sent. (Yesterday’s car-on-sidewalk crash was at 16th/Roxbury.)
7:08 PM: Readers have added more info. Meantime, Dan sent this photo from another angle:
7:35 PM: SFD tells us two people were treated at the scene:
-74-year-old woman in stable condition, transported to Swedish First Hill via AMR.
-37-year-old woman in stable condition, did not need transportation to a hospital.
(WSB photos)
Also in The Triangle, Seattle Fire Station 32 opened to community members for two hours this afternoon, hosting a Fire Safety Fair. It wasn’t just a chance to learn about fire prevention – it was also a chance to be reminded that firefighters spend more of their time on medical calls than actual fires:
“Hands-only CPR” demonstrations were part of the fair. SFD teaches CPR classes for community members periodically.
Station 32 is home to West Seattle’s biggest lineup of vehicles – Battalion 7, Ladder 11, Medic 32, and Engine 32.
The Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster) is one of two Seattle Police precincts accepting dropoff disposals on this Drug Take-Back Day. Before 2 pm, go to the community room off the public parking lot, and you’ll find crime-prevention coordinator Matt Brown. He has some freebies too while they last, like secure drug lockboxes.
Dropped-off drugs had already filled two boxes when we stopped by and they had started a third.
You’ve seen them on Duwamish Head in Alki, and now they’re on the east edge of High Point too: Bollards atop a raised concrete median on Sylvan Way. After a reader tip about the installation, we asked SDOT for the official explanation, and finally got it today from spokesperson Amy Abdelsayed:
SDOT identified Sylvan Way SW between High Point Dr SW and SW Sylvan Heights Dr as a high collision location last year due to the frequency of crashes that occurred at the intersection involving drivers crossing the roadway centerline and running off road. To address these crashes, SDOT’s Vision Zero program recently added raised pavement markers and centerline curbing in areas along Sylvan Way SW to improve visibility of lane lines and approaching roadway curves.
The SDOT collision map is not particularly conclusive, but we searched our archives for and came up with 74 results mentioning Sylvan Way and crash.
3:01 PM: Nicole has been trying to report this to SDOT and hasn’t gotten through yet so in case it hasn’t already been cleaned up, she wants to let other bicycle riders know: “Rode my bike downtown and back this morning. There’s broken glass on the bike trail from the tragic accident. Spokane and East Marginal. Heads up to bikers.”
4:56 PM: Nicole just sent this update: “I just got off the phone with SDOT Incident Response; they are aware of the issue and said they are sending someone now to clean up the glass now.”
1:49 PM: We first showed you that map back in August, when SDOT confirmed where it’s planning to add speed cushions on 60th, 61st, and 62nd SW in the heart of Alki. After a reader spotted the first preparatory outlines this week, we asked SDOT for an update on the construction timeline. They say installation will start as soon as next week (Monday, October 20 and beyond), weather permitting, and hope to provide us more details shortly. Here’s the original construction notice.
2:39 PM: Update from SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali: “The start of construction has been pushed to Wednesday, October 22, due to rain … Construction is expected to last about four days total across all three streets, with each block impacted for roughly one day. The schedule will continue to be weather dependent since wet conditions prevent asphalt work.” Sidewalks are expected to remain open but drivers might have to detour during “active construction.”
Thanks to Rick for the tip. Residents along 26th SW between SW Barton and SW Roxbury, just south of Westwood Village, recently got notification of a “traffic-calming” feature SDOT plans to install: Parking-lane lines. The map above, from the official notice that we requested and obtained from SDOT, shows where they’ll be painted. The notice explains:
On 26th Ave SW between SW Barton St and SW Roxbury St, we will install parking lane lines. These changes to the street will slow traffic and make the street safer for people walking, rolling, and biking.
We are planning to begin to install these improvements before the end of the year. We anticipate this work to be completed over a couple of weekends. Please note this work is weather dependent and subject to change.
The funding for this, SDOT says, is coming from not the current Seattle Transportation Levy, but its predecessor, Move Seattle.
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