West Seattle, Washington
02 Monday
West Seattle’s first school-zone speeding-ticket camera, on Fauntleroy Way near Gatewood Elementary, will likely be joined by two others. In the final week of the school year, Mayor McGinn has just announced five more proposed camera locations around the city, “based on an analysis of documented speeding problems that showed these schools would receive the greatest speed reduction and safety benefit from automated speed enforcement” per the official announcement. Two would be on SW Roxbury: Roxhill Elementary and Holy Family School. (They’re shown in red on our Google Map above, while Gatewood is shown in blue.) If the City Council approves funding, these and three other cameras would likely be installed early next year, according to the news release from the mayor’s office, which also says that the “four existing school zone camera locations have seen an average reduction of 16 percent in citations for speeding, from the week of December 10 to the week of April 22. … 96 percent of those who received a citation and paid it did not get another citation.” Seattle Police activated the Gatewood camera last November.
How do the candidates for Seattle Mayor differ in their philosophies toward and plans for keeping Seattle safe? With the August 6th primary election getting closer – 
the vote that will determine which two of those nine candidates advance to November – you’ll get a chance to hear from them later this month. The city’s Precinct Advisory Councils are co-sponsoring a public-safety-focused mayoral forum at 10 am Saturday, June 22nd, at City Hall downtown; we received the announcement today from the Southwest PAC’s Pete Spalding. All are welcome, and while RSVPing isn’t mandatory, the co-sponsors are hoping to get an idea of turnout, so if you can RSVP to seattlecpac@gmail.com, please do. That’s also the e-mail address to which you can send suggested questions before the forum. Along with the PACs, the forum’s co-sponsors are City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen and Tim Burgess (now a former mayoral candidate). It’ll be moderated by West Seattleite and journalist/broadcaster Brian Callanan of the Seattle Channel.
(Map provided by SDOT)
The Admiral Way hill north of the West Seattle Bridge is in for more changes, according to an announcement just in from SDOT. Spokesperson Peg Nielsen tells WSB the changes will “widen the bike lane and existing buffer (to) make it feel safer for people riding bikes and encourage cyclists who might otherwise use the sidewalk to use the bicycle lane. This change will make for an even more pleasant walking experience for pedestrians.” According to Nielsen, this will be facilitated by removing on-street parking on the east side of Admiral south of 3508 Admiral Way (map), and time restrictions are planned to the north:
SDOT has visited the location six times since August 2012. During each visit, no more than five vehicles have been parked south of 3508 Admiral and on average 50 percent of them were cars ‘for sale’. As a result, we do not anticipate the parking change will significantly impact local residents. We’ve also heard concerns about the potential for vehicles to park long-term in front of residents just north of this address (on the east side). As a result, we are planning to limit parking to four hours Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. up to SW Olga Street.
A letter was mailed to residents along this portion of Admiral Way notifying them of our plans. SDOT is interested in hearing their feedback and have invited them to e-mail walkandbike@seattle.gov or call 206-684-7583 by May 31.
The last major round of changes for this section of Admiral Way was back in 2010, when what started as a “rechannelization” proposal was eventually downshifted to “restriping,” including an uphill bike lane and parking removal down the hill, south of City View.
Tonight, another followup on the recent discussions of “low-flow” – 500 gallons per minute – fire hydrants that remain in parts of West Seattle and whether people living by those hydrants – particularly a few concentrations in Arbor Heights – are at higher risk. Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore asked us to share this:
For the past few years, the Seattle Fire Department has been working in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities to achieve greater fire protection in Arbor Heights. Since 2011, SPU has updated the water mains, added fire hydrants, and has installed red rings to clearly identify low-flow hydrants. These additional measures assist the Seattle Fire Department with our fire-suppression tactics and also provide an increased level of safety and fire protection to the residents in Arbor Heights.
Each Seattle Fire Engine carries 500 gallons of water, enough to extinguish an entire room fire. Also every fire engine is equipped with 1000 feet of hose line. This is enough hose to reach the 1000 gallons-per-minute (gpm) hydrants which SPU has placed within 1000 feet of all residences in the city.
Concern surfaced after SPU announced it’s working this month to place reflective red rings on the remaining “low-flow” hydrants; we first published the map above on Monday showing their locations – click the image to get a larger PDF of the full citywide map.
Following up on the Seattle Public Utilities announcement published here last night regarding work starting today to place reflective red rings on the city’s 70 remaining low-flow hydrants, so firefighters can make fast decisions when arriving at fire scenes – we now have the map and list of locations from SPU. What you see above is the West Seattle section of the map; click it to get a PDF of the full-size citywide map. And if you see one you want to know more about, click here for the PDF list of exact addresses. We count 28 served by West Seattle fire engines (note the E37, E32, and E29 designations). Three are listed as being in the unincorporated North Highline area just south of West Seattle, and one is in the area served by South Park’s Engine 26. SPU says it expects to have all of the low-flow hydrants – which, it stresses, are fully operational, but just deliver less than 500 gallons per minute – marked by the end of the month.
More utility news tonight: Seattle Public Utilities plans to start work tomorrow to ensure that the city’s remaining low-flow fire hydrants are clearly identifiable. It’s an issue that came glaringly to light during the August 2011 fire that destroyed a home in Arbor Heights while firefighters struggled to get an appropriate water flow. That area has seen hydrant and water-line upgrades since then, and the city reported later that year that it was working on how to clearly mark the low-flow hydrants that remain in service within city limits, about half of them in West Seattle. Here’s the SPU announcement:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews will install a red reflective ring on low-flow fire hydrants in your neighborhood. Low-flow hydrants are defined as those that deliver less than 500 gallons of water per minute.
The red ring provides a distinct and very visible way for Seattle Fire Department personnel to quickly and easily identify low-flow hydrants in cases of emergency.
Low-flow hydrants are fully operational, but output less water per minute than other hydrants.
This morning, Roxhill Elementary principal Sahnica Washington greeted scholars arriving by bus – two blocks north of campus! Here’s why: All month, Roxhill families have been part of “walking school buses” – and today was a chance for bus-transported scholars to join in too, with the help of Feet First and the state Transportation Department:
FF even brought along its famous giant Chicken (as in, “why did the chicken cross the road …”)
Crossing the road – and walking along it – will soon be even safer for kids headed toward Roxhill, which, as explained in the Feet First announcement, “is the recipient of a Safe Routes to School grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation. This grant will fund a new sidewalk on SW 30th immediately south of Roxbury, and improvements to the intersection of SW 30th Ave and SW Roxbury, due for construction in the summer of 2013.”
(5/7/2013 photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Less than two weeks after 54-year-old Lance David died at East Marginal and Hanford after his bicycle collided with a truck, and one week after participating in a memorial ride to that site, Mayor McGinn says today that he’s asking the City Council to approve $900,000 in safety improvements to that area, and about half a million for lower Spokane St. and feeder roads such as Delridge and Admiral. Read on for the official announcement, which includes other proposed work around the city:
“Click It or Ticket” will also be “Hands Off Your Phone, or Else” starting later this month, warns the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, which just announced: “Between May 20 and June 2, motorists in King County can expect to see law enforcement patrolling city and county roads in search of unbuckled drivers and passengers and drivers using their cell phones. Last year, during this same time period, officers on routine and extra patrols statewide issued 3,171 seat belt violations amongst the 11,047 motorists who were stopped. Similarly, last year during this time period, 1,059 cell phone violations were written.” The departments that’ll participate in these patrols include Seattle Police, says WTSC.
(Tuesday photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Since the deadly crash on East Marginal Way eight days ago, much has been said about improving the route bicyclists from West Seattle (and points southward) take to get downtown and beyond. This morning, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – shown above during Tuesday evening’s memorial ride/gathering (WSB coverage here) – asked us to share this update:
Plans to Improve Bicycle Route from West Seattle to Downtown
Tom Rasmussen, Transportation Committee Chair, Seattle City CouncilLast week’s fatal collision between a bicyclist and a truck resulted in an outpouring of grief for the death of Lance David and sympathy for his family. While we are not certain what led to the collision, I am determined to improve conditions on this route that will benefit bicyclists and motorists.
Last week I completed and posted my newsletter. The main subject is Seattle’s bicycle plans and policies. Here is a link to the newsletter.
A few days after the article was posted, I held a work session with SDOT staff. We pored over a large map of the route to identify options for improvements. I know this route, and I bicycle along this route to and from work when my meeting schedule permits. It is very challenging because of the heavy traffic and the many and sometimes confusing crossings. There are long stretches where the streets have been pulverized by the mammoth trucks going to and from the Port. The conditions require extra caution on everyone’s part, whether they bicycle or drive this route.
Please know that it did not take this heartbreaking fatality to bring attention for the need to improve this route. Last fall, the City Council increased the 2013 SDOT budget for bicycle improvements city-wide. We specifically funded planning for improvements to portions of the West Seattle route to downtown.
During the next several weeks I will continue to work with SDOT and members of the community to develop a plan for improvements to the West Seattle – East Marginal Way bike corridor. I am determined to implement those plans as soon as possible.
The many suggestions during the past week in the comments section of the West Seattle Blog are very helpful. If you have other suggestions for improvement, please post them in the comment section or write me at tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov. Thank you.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
6:42 PM: At a time when most people riding their bicycles on the low bridge are headed westbound for home, dozens were eastbound this evening, riding in memory of Lance David. He’s the 54-year-old Federal Way man killed last Wednesday morning when his bike collided with a semi-truck on East Marginal Way, along the route so many West Seattle riders take toward the port and downtown. The deadly crash has brought both mourning and calls for action, and SDOT is evaluating the area to see what safety measures can be taken relatively quickly. Local bicycling/safety advocates from West Seattle Bike Connections and West Seattle Greenways organized tonight’s ride to both honor a fellow rider and emphasize the urgent need for safety improvements.
(More of Christopher’s photos added 7:36 pm)
ADDED: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli reports that the participants included Mayor McGinn and Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
Seattle Police bicycle officers also accompanied the riders:
City Bicycle Advisory Board member Jodi Connolly of West Seattle participated too, and spoke at the site where the crash happened:
The board regularly meets on first Wednesdays, which meant its May meeting was hours after the deadly crash, discussed several times that night, as we reported afterward.
(Photo by Eric Shalit – rough pavement at E. Marginal/Hanford; ‘ghost bike’ in background)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The bicycle rider killed in the East Marginal Way crash on Wednesday has just been officially identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office as 54-year-old Lance David of Federal Way.
We also have learned that a memorial ride for Mr. David is being organized for this Sunday, 1 pm, from Marymoor Park – full details are on this Facebook event page.
Meantime, since the crash, safety concerns continue to percolate, with two crashes today leaving riders hurt.
First, what happened today: Just before 9:30 am in the 400 block of Alaskan Way, blocks from yesterday morning’s crash, a 53-year-old man lost control of his bicycle and crashed to the ground, the impact breaking his helmet, according to public-safety radio communications. So far, authorities have not reported any other vehicles involved; the man was taken to the hospital.
A few minutes before that, we later learned, a 32-year-old woman had fallen from her bike after colliding with a car on Delridge Way SW alongside the Boren school building. Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says she “suffered minor scrapes and bruises” and didn’t want to go to a hospital, so firefighters took her home.
Bicycle safety was already on many people’s minds since the deadly crash on Wednesday morning. Many bicycling advocates are reaching out – May has long been Bike to Work Month and Bike to School Month, so some events already were scheduled; for example, tonight, riders can stop by the West Seattle Tool Library for free bicycle repairs, 6-9 pm (northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW). Says Stu Hennessey, “Our goal is to help our bicycle community ride smooth and safe.”
And there’s a bigger picture to safety, as discussed at last night’s Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board regular monthly meeting downtown – which began with a moment of silence in honor of Mr. David.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes this time around. First up, a “dog” stolen from a porch along 59th SW across from Alki Playfield:
That’s local guitar teacher Richie Jenkin and “Fire,” the big stuffed dog who has long been a fixture on his porch – till now:
I was out of town and upon my return I saw that my “dog” Fire, who sits on my porch 24/7 bringing moments of amusement and pleasure to many folks as they walk to and from the beach, had disappeared. I hope whoever took Fire is enjoying, yet I would somehow love to have Fire back if they care to return, no questions asked.
On the flip side, a suspected stolen item that’s been found – by Ted:
Folks should contact me – ted.ellis@gmail.com – for a Baby Trends stroller that appears was dumped in front of my house after a potential garage break in or something? Seems like whomever left it was using it to carry stuff they may had taken and decided to dump it. Any break-ins in Arbor heights or Shorewood – would probably have been where it came from.
Ted’s note came in earlier this weekend – so it wouldn’t be related to this, but we did want to note that police responded to at least one Arbor Heights burglary today: 3200 block of SW 100th, reported around 1 pm. No other details.
And from a WSB reader who didn’t want to be identified, a car-prowl report:
Just wanted to alert readers of West Seattle Blog that my car was broken into last night, near the corner of Murray Ave SW and Lincoln Park Way SW, just north of Lincoln Park. They pried my window open, rummaged through the glove-box and the other compartments of my car. Fortunately, I had nothing of value inside and so nothing was taken. I was half-expecting them to leave me $5 out of pity.
Another reminder that the next crime-prevention meeting is Tuesday night, all welcome at the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting, 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct – details on the WSBWCN website.
(Machinery photographed at Highway 99 tunnel launch-pit site by Don Brubeck)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Highway 99 tunneling machine is here, and being re-assembled. But once it goes into the ground, it won’t be “out of sight, out of mind” by any means.
Drivers and bus riders, in particular, might wind up noticing in a big way:
WSB has learned that the Alaskan Way Viaduct might close for an unspecified amount of time later this year when the machine arrives 80 feet below what remains of the elevated roadway, despite the work that’s been done to reinforce it so it could stay “safely open” during the tunnel construction.
Unless you live near the century-old Alki Point Lighthouse – or have been out on the water in the area this week – you probably haven’t noticed, but it’s shining less brightly than usual. Sarah, a lighthouse neighbor, noticed, and e-mailed us to ask about it. She feared it might be a permanent replacement, a dimmer LED-type light – and certainly, some lighthouses around the country have made that change, we discovered while researching. In this case, however, the U.S. Coast Guard tells WSB, it’s a temporary situation, one that’s even resulted in a special alert atop the USCG’s latest regional Local Notice to Mariners. According to the Coast Guard spokesperson we reached, there is a power problem at the lighthouse, so they had to put in a temporary light run by a DC battery, which means “the light can’t be energized enough to project a typical visibility range of 15 (nautical) miles – it is at five miles.” No estimate yet how long it will take to fix the problem so the full-power light can return to service. (2010 photo by Keri DeTore for WSB)
If you have unused and unneeded – or expired – prescription medication(s), another Drug Take-Back Day is coming up on April 27th. Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis says the precinct (on Webster just west of Delridge) will be the local drop-off site again this time, 10 am-2 pm. He also notes that they cannot accept syringes/needles – just medications; more info here. Last year, participants dropped off 238 pounds of unwanted medications at the SW Precinct – more than anywhere else in the city.
12:19 PM: Out of the WSB inbox, from Cathy in the 39th/Morgan vicinity:
Shortly after 11:00 AM this morning I saw a guy in my neighbors yard, looking towards my window with some kind of binocular. As he was leaving the neighbors’ yard I yelled out to him asking him what he was doing. He said reading my electrical meter. He did have on a Seattle City Light shirt or vest, and a yellow hard hat. It didn’t seem right and I called the police (they still aren’t here 11:42). I called Seattle City Light and they confirmed, they DO NOT have anyone working in West Seattle today. They also had a similar call from someone on Ambaum earlier. I did not see a City Light truck in the alley or on the street. Keep your eyes open for this (person) and call 911. Black guy, early 30s, 6 ft or so, fit.
1:01 PM: See the comments, in which it’s noted that regardless of what the city said, there IS apparently meter-reading going on today …
(Video and photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
You heard here about the plan for Seattle Fire Department trainees to practice their skills at the soon-to-be-demolished structures on the future Murray Combined Sewer Overflow storage-tank site across from Lowman Beach. Now, see (and in the clip above, hear Capt. Eddie Nelson explain) for yourself what happened. WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams shadowed them during the first day of their two-day training session:
That’s trainee Josh Milton readying his air pack. Next, trainee Ricardo Cuevas, putting on his breathing mask:
After getting geared up, trainees headed up to practice cutting a roof for “vertical ventilation:
More scenes from the firefighter trainees’ work – which comes about midway through their training – ahead:
“The current situation raises serious concerns about Nickelsville’s ability to protect the health and safety of its residents.”
That was part of Mayor McGinn‘s response to WSB today, after we requested comment on the situation reported here on Sunday – centering on the encampment’s Central Committee declaring that it was having trouble “preventing the overrun of our community by meth dealers and barred, violent former campers,” blaming police for not supporting camp decisions to evict such people. Our story, meantime, included an incident one week ago in which the SPD report indeed quoted police saying that people on public land had no right to tell others to get off that public land – while also including a would-be evictee claiming they were getting booted for going to police about an alleged crime.
The mayor, meantime, says more police help is in order; the second and final sentence of his reply to us was, “The immediate next step is to increase our police presence through the use of directed patrols from the Southwest Precinct.” We hope to hear something about that when precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler speaks to the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network on Tuesday night (6:30 pm, SW Precinct, Delridge/Webster); then on Wednesday night, the Highland Park Action Committee, the neighborhood council closest to the encampment, plans a Nickelsville update during its regular monthly meeting (7 pm, HP Improvement Club, 12th/Holden).
Earlier this week, the new Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights community council heard from Seattle Police crime-prevention coordinator Mark Solomon (here’s our report). Later in the week, he addressed two recurring topics in his periodic community newsletter – the rules regarding door-to-door sellers, and when it’s OK to call 911. You might find the advice helpful, so if you aren’t on his mailing list, check out the newsletter in its entirety here, courtesy of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network.
There’s a scam born every minute. Every second, probably. Our coverage of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meeting last week mentioned some, in relation to mail fraud. Now, the state Attorney General’s Office has just issued this warning about the latest trend in e-mail “spoofing” – read on:Read More
With 100 comments on the original story, it’s the hottest WSB topic this week, so we just went down for a look at the safety-curb construction now under way on Fauntleroy Way west of California. As first reported Tuesday, this is being put in to prevent people from trying to pass buses while they’re stopped on the south side of Zeeks Pizza (WSB sponsor), since that passing puts westbound drivers in an east/northeastbound lane. While talking to an SDOT manager about a few topics late yesterday, we asked if this treatment was under consideration anywhere else; the reply was “no” – this is the only spot reported to have generated this type of concern, so far. Work is scheduled to continue through tomorrow.
ADDED 12:07 PM: Different angle, courtesy of Morgan Community Association president Deb Barker:
ADDED 12:49 PM: In case you miss it in comments – Chas Redmond, also from MoCA, reminds us that you have a unique opportunity to ask questions of/voice concerns to the head of SDOT, director Peter Hahn, here in West Seattle next week. He’s scheduled to be at the Southwest District Council meeting at 6:30 pm Wednesday, March 6, Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle, next to SW Pool).
Two neighborhoods with multiple car prowls are among the newest reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch. From Tommy:
Over the last week, there have been at least two vehicles with broken windows. One was a minivan near SW Juneau St and 25th Ave SW (first a broken front window, then the next night all side windows were broken).
This morning, walking my dog, I saw a neighbor on the 5400 block of 26th Ave SW picking broken glass out of her car door. She said that overnight, someone broke out the window, then stole nothing. Just wanted to get it out there in case someone sees something.
(added) CM sent word of this car break-in, not far from Tommy’s area:
My car was broken into early Sunday morning in the 4800 block of Delridge. Police said it looked like they were trying to hot wire it – damage to the ignition. Hard pressed to afford the repairs.
(back to original report) And this report from Fauntleroy:
Wanted to report several car prowls early Saturday morning 2/23 on Director St. at the bottom below 45th Ave SW.
At least 3 cars were broken into sometime between 2 am and 4 am, all parked in residence driveways. Small items were taken, and in one case, and expensive stereo/navigation unit was hacked out of the dashboard.
Police were notified and reports filed. If anyone else in the adjacent area was affected, please let us know. We’re wondering how far-reaching and organized this might have been.
Ahead, two more reader reports – a patio theft, and a “suspicious person” situation that might not have been a crime, but yielded some advice that a witness wants to share with you:
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