West Seattle, Washington
04 Wednesday
(Saturday image from SDOT camera looking west across low bridge)
On Saturday, we reported on the West Seattle low bridge going out of service for hours. Following up today with SDOT, we learned from spokesperson Mariam Ali that this all traces back to the September crash that closed it for six days:
We’re still uncovering small electrical issues that have arisen since the crash into the barrier. It seems the impact has caused an intermittent electrical short, which is tripping the fuse. The sporadic nature of this problem has made it tough to diagnose.
Additionally, there’s another intermittent issue that led to longer closures, like the one we saw on Saturday. This problem involves the controller mistakenly registering that the barrier is fully closed when it isn’t. The root of the issue lies in a mechanical gear that triggers a limit switch as the barrier opens and closes. Sometimes, this gear can slip or skip a tooth, throwing it out of sync with the gate’s movement. We’re continually making adjustments to minimize this movement and keep the gear aligned, but the problem persists.
We are working with the barrier manufacturer to find a more permanent fix.
Thanks for the tips – the changeover has happened on the Admiral Way Bridge, as earthquake-resistance work continues, and traffic is now using the north half of the bridge (which is technically two bridges), with the south half closed to traffic. The outside northernmost lane is handling westbound traffic, and the inside lane is handling eastbound. Pedestrians are also now routed to the north side of the bridge. Fairmount Avenue beneath the bridge also remains closed for the duration of the project, into early next year. And commenter Admiral 2009 notes that today’s changes mean Walnut Avenue SW is closed at Admiral.
A commenter just noted that signage is going up on Admiral announcing the impending change of direction for the Admiral Bridge earthquake-strengthening project. Almost simultaneously, SDOT replied to our request for information on its status:
We will likely shift traffic near the end of this week (November 1, 2024), but this will depend on the weather. When we do make the change, traffic will move from the south bridge to the north bridge, with one lane going westbound, the other going eastbound, and pedestrians using the sidewalk on the north side of the bridge. This will have to happen in two steps, which may take some time (it won’t be instant):
Step 1 – We will move the temporary concrete barrier to the south side of existing curb at/on the Center line of the bridge. There will be one eastbound lane and one westbound lane on the outside lanes of both bridges in this step.
Step 2 – Traffic will be moved to the north bridge with one eastbound lane and one westbound lane. The south Bridge will be closed to traffic.
The project is expected to continue into early next year; Fairmount Avenue remains closed to all traffic under the bridge. It’s been two months since the top-deck lane closures began.
Graphic courtesy of Metro: Newly revised proposed bus-stop changes for 16th Ave SW between Holden/Henderson
By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
In response to pushback from area residents, King County Metro is proposing a newly modified set of scaled-back changes to bus stops and service associated with the 125/128 routes on 16th Ave SW between SW Holden Street and SW Henderson Street (see image above).
These changes, shared with us at WSB and discussed at last Wednesday night’s monthly meeting of the HPAC community coalition (serving Highland Park, Riverview and South Delridge), represent a partial rollback of the more-abruptly announced changes that caused a stir when they were announced back in February.
Metro is now looking for community feedback on these changes, in the form of an online survey that is being broadly promoted and will be open until November 22nd.
Some bus-riders have likely already noticed the new “Proposed Stop Changes” signs (including a QR code that links to the same online survey) that Metro began posting last week at various stops on 16th Ave SW:
Based on the initial feedback from HPAC attendees in last Wednesday’s meeting, the reception to Metro’s proposal seems likely to land much better this time around. “In general, this is all good news!” said one attendee. Here’s what the process now looks like, with potential implementation happening in the new year:
A complete rundown of the bus changes and the rationale from Metro is down below, but first, some other HPAC items from the meeting, which was facilitated by co-chair Kay Kirkpatrick.
After opening remarks, HPAC acknowledged last week’s passing of WSB co-founder Patrick Sand, calling it “sad news” and commending Sand for always improving morale of those around him, and “just getting stuff done.”
Next up, SPD Officer German Barreto from the Southwest Precinct provided a crime-stats update. He said that for Highland Park, aggravated assaults are trending down (but up for the past 28 days compared to 2023), and vehicle theft is down. For Delridge, burglaries have gone up (33% for the past 28 days compared to 2023). In terms of specific events, he mentioned a shooting and attempted robbery in Highland Park on September 30th (shots fired, nobody hurt), and in South Delridge a shots fired incident (no victims or property damage) on September 5th.
SW Precinct Operations Lt. Nathan Shopay was also in attendance, and he addressed the fact that neighbors told him that although crime is down in the past year, they “hear a lot of shootings in the distance.” Shopay said that there have indeed been some events “behind the greenspace” and down the hill, mostly just shots, but as one attendee pointed out there have been some significant events such as the shooting at Shree’s.
Barreto and Shopay both reiterated the importance of neighbors calling in whenever they hear gunshots (or if they experience any potentially criminal event). They said that for data collection purposes, and staffing, SPD uses that data to help make decisions and often to link together suspects and crimes at a later date. “Make the call to 911, it’s never an inconvenience.” One attendee said that they’ve typically received good response from 911 calls. Another asked about a recent robbery they had heard about, and Shopay said that SPD has “caught about half of the guys responsible for 60-70 robberies in the area,” (SPD info here) which was a big win. Another attendee thanked officers for their assistance with some specific issues in their neighborhood (such as a troublesome property near 20th and Henderson), and asked about why there would have been several people on her block that were suddenly ticketed for expired plates all at once — Shopay said that it was likely because the vehicles were flagged as part of parking regulations related to recent RV parking enforcement.
Next up was an update from Sean Blackwell from the city’s CARE Department (Community Assisted Response and Engagement), who confirmed that his team plans to expand the number of Community Crisis Responders (CCRs) from 11 currently to 28 eventually. This will include, in the first quarter of 2025, an expansion into the South Precinct and into West Seattle’s own Southwest Precinct. He said the role of CCRs is to support and complement police and fire responders, and to focus on connecting people to necessary services while dealing with crisis situations. He mentioned a YouTube video that talked about some of the team’s successes. Blackwell echoed what SPD staff said about 911 calls — always call, if you see/hear something — and said that he finds the community meetings very valuable and plans to attend more in the future.
One attendee said that they once attended a workshop about “how to make a good 911 call” by providing the right information, and asked if SPD/CARE staff could perhaps do something like that for HPAC in the future. Blackwell said that’s definitely an option, although he said that 911 dispatchers are well-trained to ask the right questions, and to get the right information. He said that one of the main complaints he hears from residents is “OK, I call 911 and ask for someone to come, but how come it took so long?” He said that SPD has staffing challenges, and steps are being taken to fix that but it will take some time. Incoming calls are prioritized: if it involves threat to life or bodily harm or is an emergency, then it’s a “priority 1” call and it gets triaged and dispatched first. If multiple calls come in with high priority, then it can lead to delays, but regardless it’s important for residents to call 911 and engage with the right people.
At that point in the meeting, the Metro bus stop discussion took center stage for the rest of the meeting. Kirkpatrick thanked Metro staff for following up and coming back to talk to the group. There were three Metro staff members in attendance: Robbie Frankel, Drew Robinson and Jessica Vu. Frankel drove the discussion and presentation, and said “we want to apologize for causing confusion in the past; we are here with a revised proposal” and look forward to hearing the public’s feedback via the online survey between now and November 22nd.
Here is the full list of changes and rationale from Metro, sent to us and also shared with HPAC last Wednesday night:
Bus stop changes proposed to create better King County Metro bus service
To improve bus service for riders in Highland Park, King County Metro is asking for public feedback on a handful of bus stop changes along 16th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Holden and Henderson streets in West Seattle.
In early 2024, Metro gathered feedback on an initial proposal to change stops along 16th Avenue Southwest for routes 125 and 128. A summary of feedback from riders highlighted that:
- For safety and comfort reasons, many riders prefer to cross the street at intersections with flashing pedestrian lights (Southwest Kenyon Street, Southwest Thistle Street, and Southwest Trenton Street) and avoid crossing at busy streets (Southwest Holden Street and Southwest Henderson Street.)
- Stops at Southwest Thistle Street are important for community access.
- Many students use the northbound stop at Southwest Trenton Street.
As a result, Metro is proposing closing only four existing closely-spaced bus stops, relocating one bus stop and installing one new bus stop. As part of these changes, Metro proposes sidewalk, shelter and ADA improvements to be built in partnership and funded by the City of Seattle Transportation Measure. This area also has seen recent service improvements with the launch of Metro Flex and added service on routes 60 and 125.
In the section of 16th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Holden Street and Southwest Henderson Street, consecutive stops are roughly 600 feet apart, compared to Metro’s target of having stops no closer than 1,300 feet. This area is a good candidate for bus stop improvements, and consolidating some stops ensures that city investments are made in stops Metro is committed to keeping. Reducing the number of stops also means each stop will be able to be made ADA-accessible.
Metro’s online survey of riders runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 22. Analysis of public feedback will take place later this year. Stops will be improved by the City of Seattle on a rolling basis beginning in 2025 and Metro will keep stops locations open until construction improvements at the remaining stops are completed.
Rider alerts with online survey links in English, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese are scheduled to be installed along the corridor beginning Oct. 24.
Proposed stop closures
- 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Elmgrove Street, northbound (stop #21390) and southbound (stop #22210)
- 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Cloverdale Street, northbound (stop #21370) and southbound (stop #22230)
Proposed relocated stop
- Southbound stop (stop #22244) at 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Henderson Street relocated to serve as a westbound stop at Southwest Henderson Street and 17th Avenue Southwest
Proposed new stops
- New southbound stop added at 16th Ave SW and SW Trenton St
Planned stop improvements
- Sidewalk improvements including adding bus bulbs, repairing damaged sidewalks, and rebuilding/adding bus landing pads at multiple stops
- Installing a new shelter with seating for the northbound bus stop at S Thistle St (stop #21380)
- Installing a new bench for the northbound bus stop at SW Trenton St (stop #21360)
- Improving ADA accessibility
No changes
- 16th Ave SW and SW Holden St, Southbound stop (stop #22190)
- 16th Ave SW and SW Kenyon St, Southbound stop (stop #22200)
- 16th Ave SW and SW Thistle St, Southbound stop (stop #22220)
- 16th Ave SW and SW Henderson St, Northbound stop (stop #21350)
Several meeting attendees thanked Metro for the changes, and asked for some follow-up clarifications (described in the map at the top of this article). One attendee thanked the team for keeping the Thistle stop, and for Sunday service (making it easier to do weekend grocery runs).
Others asked whether work needed to be done for certain bus stops, to make them more usable and safer — one near Kenyon, for example, has a sidewalk that’s very uneven due to tree root damage. The Metro team said that, yes, that’s something that they look at, but in many cases like that the tree is actually on private property, which makes it more difficult to manage.
Another attendee said that “I really appreciate the 125 route; it’s the fastest ride downtown on most days” and is glad that it’s been prioritized. Another attendee agreed, and added that the 125 is going to be essential to connect to the new light rail line. Frankel confirmed that, yes, the 125 route “rose to the top of all of our metrics” as the Metro team was looking at how to prioritize and optimize route changes. “We’re thrilled to offer improvements to it.”
An attendee also called out the Metro Flex service for routes 60 and 125 as a great example of a new offering that really makes a difference for residents.
HPAC meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month (with some “months off”) from 7pm-8:30pm, currently via Zoom. The group can be contacted via email at: hpacchair@gmail.com
SATURDAY: We don’t get this kind of announcement often, but we’ve always been interested in preparedness, and this topic resonates. Maybe you’ll want to spend a little time talking with these researchers on Tuesday night:
Oklahoma State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are conducting a study about the use of micromobility (light, low-speed transportation modes) and resilience hubs in disasters. This study is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being conducted in partnership with local disaster preparedness organizations in Seattle to enhance community resilience.
The research team is seeking focus group participants (see below for date/time options) to learn more about how community spaces and transportation networks can better support Seattle communities during times of disaster or other kinds of disruption. We hope that you will consider joining a focus group to share your ideas! Individuals must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Each participant will receive a $50 Amazon gift card in appreciation of their time. Limit one focus group per participant.
Please email kidziorek@charlotte.edu to RSVP for a focus group (Choose any ONE of the date/time/location options below):
Tuesday, October 29 (6:00 – 7:00 PM), West Seattle Branch – Seattle Public Library (2306 42nd Ave SW)
Wednesday, October 30 (6:00 – 7:00 PM), Lake City Branch – Seattle Public Library (12501 28th Ave NE)
Saturday, November 2 (1:30 PM – 2:30 PM), Beacon Hill Branch – Seattle Public Library (2821 Beacon Ave S #5813)Participation in the focus groups is voluntary. We expect that there will be minimal psychological or physical risks or discomfort as a result of your participation in this research. The personal benefits for your participation include learning more about local hazards and disaster preparedness. The societal benefits will be a better understanding of the transportation and resource needs of different communities in disaster scenarios. In turn, this will allow researchers and emergency planners to more effectively prepare for the transportation and resource distribution needs of individual communities in the event of a disaster.
We want to thank you for your cooperation and invite you to contact us by email or phone if you have any questions about the purpose of the research, what we are asking you to do, the possible risks and benefits, your rights as a study participant, or any other questions you might have. Please feel free to reach out to the study leaders below at any time.
Thank you for your consideration,
Dr. Katherine Idziorek, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
kidziorek@charlotte.edu, (980) 729-5722Dr. Chen Chen, Oklahoma State University
chen.chen10@okstate.edu, (405) 744-5710
SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Dr. Idziorek tells us they’ve had a great response and the group is full, as is the waitlist.
(The size/shape alternatives under consideration for Fauntleroy terminal/dock replacement)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Building the new Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal could take up to four years.
That’s part of what the project’s Community Advisory Group learned during an online meeting Wednesday night.
The time frame depends on what alternative is chosen for the new dock – Washington State Ferries is on the verge of deciding on an alternative to carry forward into environmental review. “We’re getting to the end of the PEL (planning and environmental linkages) study process.”
WSF’s David Sowers started the meeting by revisiting the Good to Go! tolling/advance-ticketing study, a focus of the CAG’s previous meeting last month.
Group member Judy Pickens asked about costs. Sowers said it’s in the report – they had options from $5 million to $20 million for using Good To Go! He said it’s effective in its full implementation but only saving a few minutes in “dwell time. … That for us was not enough to .. (pursue) significant policy changes” that it would take, “not something we could implement any time soon.” He added that the cost of operating and maintaining the system is sizable too – “some capital upfront costs … if money were no constraint, it might be a lot more doable, but the benefit we saw” (wasn’t enough to suggest they pursue the costly option).”
WSF’s Hadley Rodero reminded everyone that they had decided to carry a partial implementation of Good To Go! into the level 3 screening, as well as Wave To Go advanced ticketing with a “similar-sized” dock. (All the dock sizes being screened are bigger than the current one.) So all vehicles will continue to go through toll booths.
Another group member, Mardi Clements, said she was glad that there’d be some time saved, so everyone would benefit.
Next, Sowers focused on the factors that would have to be considered for construction. WSF will continue some level of service during construction – the dock won’t be completely out of commission. Sowers said they’d been asked by a King County Water Taxi rep if passenger-only service would be an option. Site constraints include “a narrow piece of land on which to operate.” Permitting requirements will include addressing noise, dealing with staging areas. “We know construction is disruptive – it’s impactful, sometimes stressful, but will lead us to a product we’ll all be happy with.”
Construction criteria are spelled out here:
Regarding maintaining some level of service, they may consider building a temporary slip as well as looking at ways to move passengers. Sowers said they’d also recently hired consultants to look at the Triangle Route schedule – reviewing it for the current time as well as construction.
He handed off to Ed Thomas, project engineering lead, who got further into construction details. He said they’re still trying to identify construction staging and office areas.
In the first stage, they’d use the existing dock. Then for 15-18 months, traffic would move to the temporary slip. Phase 2B, another move, then Phase 3, the temporary dock/slip would be removed and the new dock would move.
They chose the A alternatives for the graphics but that does not mean other options have been ruled out, Thomas clarified in response to a question. In response to another one, WSF acknowledged that some of the offshore components will be replaced as part of the project.
Group member Anne Higuera said she’s “excited to see this” and asked questions – starting with, have they consulted any contractors yet? Sowers said no, but there are a lot of people on staff with experience enough to know these plans are promising. Would materials come in and go out through West Seattle or be barged in? Both, said Sowers – a fair amount of suppliers are on the Duwamish River, for example. It’s a large-enough project that “most of the work is going to be done from the water,” he said. Higuera wondered if the temporary dock should perhaps be built elsewhere on the West Seattle peninsula. No, said Sowers – “building it in a completely different location” would require another level of permitting, among other things. He said they acknowledge building the temporary dock and demolishing it will be costly, but there’s no way around it.
Is there an estimated start date? Sowers was asked. No – could be as early as 2027-2028, “regardless of the option” chosen, he said. And yes, he replied to a question, they have to work around fish windows (times when in-water construction is not permitted because of fish-related considerations).
How much holding will there be on the temporary dock? “Less than 84 cars, so there will be additional traffic that queues on Fauntleroy Way, Sowers said. Thomas said it could range from 18 to 40 vehicles on the dock, depending on how the loading/offloading phase works during construction. So it’s a small temporary structure, Clements said. Yes, Thomas confirmed, it would be pretty much the same between all the alternatives.
The estimated durations are based on all the permit requirements and noise/work hours rules, Thomas said. Pickens asked, so anything affecting the creek flow would be limited to three months of the year? Yes, said Thomas.
Group member Justin Hirsch said he’s glad to see the temporary slip idea – the concept of rerouting downtown just wouldn’t work. But he’s worried that potentially three years of traffic backups on Fauntleroy is daunting, so traffic would need active management. “Sometimes Fauntleroy Way SW looks like a Mad Max movie and it’s going to look even more like that.”
WSF’s Hadley Rodero stressed that planning for schedules and traffic flow will be vital, including how they communicate it to the community.
Thomas said there’ll be a 15-foot-wide clear zone on both sides of the dock, north and south.
For construction duration – depending on the alternative chosen, anywhere from 33 to 48 months. And that’s just the “physical construction activities,” Thomas said.
Sowers then picked up the topic of “construction-delivery method.” They intend to use “design-build” – a single contractor who will design and build the project – as opposed to design-bid-build. “This is more of a ‘best value’ approach to project delivery,” Sowers said, adding that it helps the state manage risk, via one contractor being accountable for so much of it. He said it also means the project can be built faster – maybe they’ll come up with a better way to phase it. (And yes, they’ll have incentives for finishing earlier.) “I want to dispel any myths that the design-builder is going to do whatever they want” – they still have to live up to terms of the contract, Sowers said.
Group member David McDaniel hoped they’d be reviewing a “rough draft” sooner rather than later.” Sowers agreed. He said they’d like to build it faster, but the current estimates are in a three- to four-year timeframe.
In other discussion, Sowers said WSF has a lot of leeway about what they can put into the request for bids – if they wanted the building to be sided in cedar, for example, they could specify that. There’ll also be more community engagement as they move further into the planning purpose. They’ll also have to decide if the CAG will go forward in its current configuration.
As the meeting moved toward the hour and a quarter mark, it was pointed out that WSF had just sent an alert about possible reduced service to Vashon tomorrow morning – “we have to make sure that doesn’t happen during construction,” WSF was told.
Yes, Cove Park north of the dock will be affected, temporarily, Thomas acknowledged in response to another comment. But, CAG member Frank Immel pressed, will it be closed? No, that’s not the intention, Thomas said. Immel and Clements said that the project should take the space it needs – “we as a community have lived without that (access) before,” like during the pump-station project last decade. Speaking of Cove Park, WSF is still working to acquire the “little white house” property north of the park and is in negotiations with King County, said WSF’s Charles Torres. They’re keeping the tenants apprised. They’d use the site for staging and break-room space for starters, with the intersection project starting as soon as next year. Then they’d use it for construction administration during that project, and find a way to occupy it during the interval before terminal construction begins.
Other discussion included logistics and aspects of the intersection project, which will signalize the intersection. Nearby residents along Upper Fauntleroy Way will be taken into consideration as the signal is built, the group was assured. WSF’s Mark Bandy said the signal height should not lead to major effects for nearby residents.
Here’s what happens next – the last steps before choosing a preferred alternative for the new dock’s size and shape:
No date yet for the next meeting – you can watch this page.
As mentioned in our morning traffic/transit notes, the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry route has been down to one boat since early this morning because of a fueling-vessel problem. But as of a short time ago, Washington State Ferries says, it’s returned to two-boat service.
A few readers have asked lately about the status of the future Morgan Junction EV-charging lot, eight spaces with chargers on an ex-substation site east of 42nd SW, between Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Morgan. Early this year, Seattle City Light told the Morgan Community Association that design was at 90 percent, and they expected that construction would be under way by now. We checked with SCL’s Jenn Strang about the status, and she told us:
Morgan Junction is our largest and most ambitious EV-charging station project to date requiring more time, engineering, and permitting than one of our more typical EV charging station projects. We’ve also experienced significant delays with procurement of the chargers and other electric service equipment. This is likely due to the rapid increase in transportation electrification costs nationwide.
So what’s the revised timeline? Strang didn’t say (we’re asking again on followup), and the project website hasn’t been updated since the early-in-the-year briefing.
After two and a half months of intermittent work by night and day, SDOT has announced this morning that the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project – on the West Seattle Bridge extension between Highway 99 and I-5 – is officially complete.
SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson summarizes, “Between July and October 2024, we repaired all of the damaged pavement on the deck’s surface, which was prone to potholes and ‘alligator skin’ cracking. Crews repaved the bridge deck with a synthetic polyester concrete to help ensure it remains in good condition over time. We also made drainage improvements and bridge deck repairs on the westbound lanes.” The project cost $7.5 million, much of that covered by grants, including federal money on which we reported in 2022. Most of the work was on the older eastbound side of the SSV.
(WSB photo, Fauntleroy dock last Sunday)
12:45 PM: Washington State Ferries has lost a boat to at least a week of repairs – and though that boat wasn’t on the Triangle Route, that route is still caught up in the resulting shuffle. The boat that’s out of service is one of the system’s biggest vessels, M/V Tacoma, which has been on the Bainbridge Island route, and WSF says it’s out for at least a week “due to a serious mechanical issue that was discovered last night.” So the same-size M/V Puyallup is moving to Bainbridge. Here’s where the Triangle Route effects come in: M/V Salish, which has been the unscheduled third boat (nicknamed “ghost boat”) on Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth, will move to Edmonds/Kingston to replace Puyallup, so the route serving our dock will only have the regular two boats TFN. (Vessel Watch shows Salish northbound right now in fact, just past Alki Point.)
3:10 PM: Just in from WSF – the expected weeklong repairs of M/V Tacoma took only hours, and the Salish will be back as the unscheduled Triangle Route boat tomorrow.
We’ve been mentioning that SDOT says “a bit” of work remains to be done for the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project (the SSV is the extension of the West Seattle Bridge between Highway 99 and I-5). SDOT told us late today that some of that work will be done overnight tonight, so one lane closure is planned, the inside left westbound lane, 8 pm to 6 am.
Two Washington State Ferries notes of West Seattle interest:
FAUNTLEROY MOVES: M/V Cathlamet has been out of service for Coast Guard-required drydocking,” per WSF, but is expected to return to service later today, replacing M/V Kitsap on the Triangle Route, likely by the 5:45 pm Vashon to Fauntleroy sailing. Cathlamet and Kitsap are the same size/class, so that won’t change capacity. But Kitsap will then head to Mukilteo/Clinton, replacing 90-vehicle M/V Sealth, so that route will be back to “normal vehicle capacity,” WSF says. (Sealth in turn is headed to the San Juans to replace M/V Chelan, which, WSF says, “will move out of service for maintenance work through the end of October.”
FAUNTLEROY TERMINAL PROJECT: It’s not on the project website yet, but a Community Advisory Group member tells WSB that the next CAG meeting has been set for 6 pm Wednesday, October 23, online as usual. Watch for the viewing link to appear here soon. WSF continues working toward a “preferred alternative” for the terminal/dock-replacement project, expected to go into construction 2027-2029.
Washington State Ferries has been hosting two systemwide community meetings a year. This year, they added a third; if you missed the first session today, an identical session is set for 6 pm tomorrow.
We monitored the first one at noon today to get toplines from the WSF executives’ presentation and hear what people were asking about.
Toward the start, WSF’s Hadley Rodero, facilitating, polled the 125+ attendees to see what routes they generally use. Mukilteo-Clinton was the top response, at 29 percent, followed by Seattle-Bremerton at 18 percent, with Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth at only 8 percent, so there weren’t a lot of questions about the Triangle Route. But here’s what caught our attention otherwise:
STAFF SHORTAGE EBBING? System boss Steve Nevey decclared, “We’re well on our way to resolving our personnel issues.” Exactly how they’re doing that was described throughout the meeting in a variety of ways large and small, all the way to hosting high-school students to try to impress on them that it’s “cool” to work on a ferry. The system had 13 engine-room interns this year, noted WSF’s Nicole McIntosh, saying that 9 of them became employees.
VESSEL SHORTAGE: That will take longer to resolve, but they’re working toward finding a builder for new ferries, with about 12 companies around the country indicating initial interest, and the review of “pre-qualification” submissions imminent. Paying for them might become an issue if Initiative 2117 – repealing the state’s Climate Commitment Act – is passed in the general election; one attendee asked in Q&A if the CCA funded any of the new ferries and Nevey said about 25 percent of the cost was expected to come from that source. Another attendee asked about the “bonus boat” (aka “ghost boat”) on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth and asked why that “unscheduled” third boat couldn’t just be plugged into the full three-boat Triangle Route schedule. WSF’s John Vezina explained that the Triangle Route schedule is meant for three Issaquah-class boats, and the “bonus boat” is usually smaller, so it wouldn’t be able to keep up, and instead is being used – seven days a week as of last weekend – to help the other two stay on schedule.
FAUNTLEROY TERMINAL PROJECT: No new information, but WSF’s David Sowers briefly recapped where the project planning stands:
Once a preferred alternative is chosen early next year, the next stage of the planning/design process will take about a year and a half, he said.
RELIABILITY: Systemwide, reliability rose a bit January through August this year compared to last, reported Nevey (no route-by-route breakouts, though):
The presentations took just under half an hour, and the Q&A ran a full hour – mostly issues unrelated to the Triangle Route, so we aren’t noting them here, except for one point of interest: Asked when the ferries might offer wi-fi again, the answer was that they’re “investigating” it, after an unsuccessful test run long ago – Starlink is one of the systems they’re looking at.
Again, you have another chance to listen – and to ask questions – at 6 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, September 25); register here for the link.
(Workers on low bridge this morning, photos sent by Eddie)
Five days after a suspected drunk driver crashed into a gate/barrier on the West Seattle low bridge, SDOT is not yet sure when the bridge will be able to reopen to drivers.
But, as these photos show, crews are working on repairs – here’s the latest SDOT update:
Our engineers and maintenance crews have been making ongoing progress on repairing the damaged gate.
Earlier this week we separated the gate arm into two segments and took the damaged arm segment to our repair shop. We then removed the internal machinery and repaired or replaced each component as needed.
We received the replacement steel housing yesterday and technicians worked throughout the day to complete the necessary modifications to make it compatible. We modified the steel housing with new cutouts and support brackets and then installed the interior machinery including the gate’s motor, linear actuator (the component that extends to lock the gate in place), sensors, and wiring.
Today we will begin reattaching the repaired arm segment to the segment that was not damaged in the crash. After the gate is physically reattached there will still be a lot of electrical work to complete, such as rewiring the components, fixing damaged connections, and re-installing the sensors and switches.
We will not know for sure whether the repairs have been successful until we’ve completed the reassembly and the entire system is tested. There are electronic sensors inside the mechanical gate arm that act as safeguards and prevent the bridge from operating without a functional gate. If there is damage to the mechanical or electrical components that we did not observe during the disassembly, we will likely discover it during this testing.
Each step we complete will bring us more confidence about our progress and when we can reopen the bridge to cars and trucks.
As previously noted, if the low bridge isn’t ready to fully reopen by the weekend, SDOT will modify the plan for Spokane Street Viaduct work. Meantime, the low bridge’s side path remains open to biking, walking/running, and rolling, and the bridge is able to swing open for ship traffic.
(September 11, 2023, photo courtesy “Boating Motes”)
Washington State Ferries, long strapped for vessels, is going to be without one of its biggest boats for an extra year. WSF announced this morning that the conversion of M/V Wenatchee to hybrid-electric, under way for about a year at Vigor on Harbor Island (the photo above is from the day it was towed there), won’t be complete until next summer. The work was supposed to be complete by now. WSF’s announcement says it’s not just conversion work but also “the necessary and long-planned upgrade to its aging propulsion system” that’s under way. The announcement quotes WSF’s System Electrification Program administrator Matt von Ruden as saying, “There are no issues with the technology itself, but as is common with major vessel retrofits, we have faced some challenges in working this new technology into the existing vessel.” They’ll be applying lessons learned to the next two Jumbo Mark II class ferries scheduled for conversion at Vigor; WSF says the next one, M/V Tacoma, won’t be taken out of service until Wenatchee is back in operation. So far the remaining work includes installation of thousands of feet of electric and fiber optic cable plus installation of battery modules, and once all the work’s done, they’ll have at least a month of sea trials and other testing. The conversion will give the ferries the ability to run on diesel, battery, or hybrid-diesel battery. Though these boats don’t serve the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run, news of the longer downtime is of note systemwide with the ongoing vessel shortage.
ADDED 1:26 PM: We asked WSF spokesperson Suanne Pelley specifically about any Triangle Route impacts. First, she reiterated that Tacoma won’t go in until Wenatchee is out. Here’s the response:
In the big picture, we will not begin conversion and propulsion work on the Tacoma, the next of our largest vessels to undergo hybrid-electric conversion, until the Wenatchee returns to service so this news does not change the immediate status of available vessels. The Chimacum, a 144-car Olympic Class vessel, will continue to run on the Seattle/Bainbridge route while Wenatchee is out.
For Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth, we will continue to operate the third “bonus” boat when we have crew and a vessel available. Starting on Sunday, with the start of fall schedule, we expect to be able to run the third, unscheduled vessel seven days a week instead of M-F as we’ve been doing all summer, providing more consistency and helping to keep the weekend service on schedule.
Friends, family, and fellow riders gathered at Lincoln Park this morning to remember Steve Hulsman before a ride in his honor. Mr. Hulsman, 66, was killed last December in a collision with a driver in Arbor Heights. He was a longtime volunteer ride leader for Cascade Bicycle Club, which organized this ride as a tribute. Some who gathered were there in commemorative orange T-shirts:
They included Mr. Hulsman’s widow Rita Hulsman, one of the pre-ride speakers, who has advocated tirelessly for safety in the months since his death.
She spoke after Cascade’s Tyler Vasquez and Lee Lambert, the High Performance Cycling team’s David Longdon, and District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who talked about the Seattle Transportation Levy on the general-election ballot, which he amended to include a TBA protected bike lane to be named in Mr. Hulsman’s honor.
They’re all in our video:
Before the riders departed, they toasted Mr. Hulsman:
Participating riders had their choice of three routes this morning, 14 miles to 42 miles.
12:07 PM: Thanks for the tips. SDOT crews are installing West Seattle’s newest speed cushions today – including what are, we believe, the first ones ever built on California Avenue SW (not counting the raised crosswalks in The Junction). Above is the newly installed set on California just south of Myrtle, and below is the outline for a set just north of Myrtle:
SDOT also is installing speed cushions/humps on Myrtle west of California. This is all part of Safe Routes to School traffic calming around Gatewood Elementary – we hadn’t received a specific construction notice but found this mention nested in the “current projects” list on the SRTS website:
Speed humps and all-way stops on SW Myrtle St, SW Frontenac, and California Ave SW near Gatewood Elementary (expected in 2024 or 2025)
The all-way stops on Myrtle were already in. We’re checking with SDOT for more specifics.
12:51 PM: SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali tells WSB that these weren’t expected to be installed until early next year but the crew managed to accelerate. She sent a map of all the new speed cushions in this round:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The state’s automated tolling system Good To Go! might be a payment option for the future Fauntleroy ferry dock replacement, but it’s not worth relying on entirely, or worth giving a dedicated tollbooth.
That’s a key result from Washington State Ferries‘ long-anticipated study of how Good To Go! and advance ticketing might factor into the dock rebuild. The presentation was made at last week’s online meeting of the Community Advisory Group for the project – here’s the draft report provided to committee members. Below, WSF video of the meeting, followed by our summary:
First, for context, here’s where the project planning stands: WSF is continuing to screen nine alternatives for size/configuration of the new dock, all with footprints bigger than the current dock. WSF is expecting to zero in on a preferred alternative by the end of this year. Construction is currently expected in the 2027-2029 biennium.
The advisory-group members had long been asking for information on how alternate payment methods, both Good To Go! and advance ticketing, would affect performance of the new dock, and shape its design and operation expectations. GTG is not currently used by WSF; advance ticketing, Wave 2 Go, is, and they estimate 50% to 60% of Triangle Route (Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth) riders use that.
We’re spotlighting this trio of events in case you haven’t already seen them in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
STEVE HULSMAN MEMORIAL RIDE: This Saturday, Cascade Bicycle Club is gathering riders to remember the West Seattle man killed in a collision with a driver in Arbor Heights last year:
Please join us on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 9:00 am for a memorial ride to celebrate the life of Steve Hulsman, the long-time Cascade member and volunteer Ride Leader who was tragically hit and killed while biking in West Seattle in December.
We will gather at 9 a.m. in the main parking lot at Lincoln Park in West Seattle [8011 Fauntleroy Way SW], where Steve’s family and close friends will speak about his life and love of bicycling. We will also hear from elected officials about the need for continued investment in protected bike lanes and active transportation infrastructure to improve safety for people biking and walking. Before departing by bike, we will raise a toast to Steve (coffee, Nuun, and orange juice will be provided). The ride is expected to start at about 10 a.m. following a safety briefing from Cascade Ride Leaders. All riders must wear a helmet and attend the safety briefing to participate.
The ride is offered in three distinct routes, 14 miles to 42 miles. Full details are on the Cascade website.
TRY OUT ADAPTIVE CYCLES: Outdoors for All is returning to West Seattle’s Alki Point Healthy Street (Beach Drive north of 63rd SW) this Sunday with another free adaptive-bike demo event for people with disabilities. This will be like the one back in June, from which the organization shares this photo:
The organization says this is for “anyone age 7+ who needs an adaptive bike due to permanent or temporary disability, or those who are no longer comfortable riding a 2-wheeled bike due to balance and coordination issues.” You’ll find them there 10 am-2 pm Sunday (September 8).
LEARN ABOUT GREENWAYS: Stu Hennessey is organizing a bicycle tour of West Seattle Greenways at noon Saturday, September 14, free, no registration required, with West Seattle Bike Connections. Stu explains, “I feel that this safer route plan has not been fully understood by cyclists and motorists alike. This is an educational ride with stops to explain connections and future Greenway prospects. The 12-mile route has some hills. Most streets are quiet and have low traffic count and low speed limits.The ride will be un-mapped while we ride together. No one gets left behind.” Just show up at his shop, Alki Bike and Board (2606 California SW; WSB sponsor), before departure time.
(Cover of draft plan being circulated for comment)
If Sound Transit keeps to its announced schedule, the route and station locations for West Seattle light rail will be finalized before year’s end. Other aspects of planning are proceeding before that momentous decision – including city work envisioning how the stations will change the areas around them. As part of that, SDOT has released “street concept plans” for formal feedback. In this phase of feedback, these plans are in the form of “director’s rules” that would serve as guidelines for “the design of future pedestrian, vehicle, and multimodal transportation infrastructure in the right-of-way, with stated goals of expanding public space, expressing community character and history, providing safer environments for people moving through the neighborhoods around the future light rail stations, and improving connections for people walking, biking, and taking transit.” You can see the entire document here. We’re excerpting the text that summarizes what they’re proposing – note that this is just a fraction of what’s in the document:
DELRIDGE STATION AREA STREET CONCEPT
The street concept design for the Delridge Station Area includes:
• A raised intersection at SW Andover St and 26th Ave SW
• Stop signs and a narrow crossing on SW Andover St at 26th Ave SW to keep people walking and biking safe crossing SW Andover St
• A walking-, rolling-, and biking-friendly street with landscaping on 26th Ave SW north of SW Yancy St by closing the block to people driving
• A turn-around for people driving on SW Andover St near the station to allow vehicles to return to Delridge Way SW and reduce vehicle volumes at 26th Ave SW
• A design that can tie into the future upgrades to the 26th Ave SW Neighborhood Greenway south of SW Yancy StThis design incorporates the following proposed station area assumption:
• Nucor truck access will no longer be from SW Andover St and will instead be from a new signal entrance off of Delridge Way SW at SW Charlestown St
• SW Charlestown St will be transit-access only from SW Andover St
• Future neighborhood greenway improvements for people walking, rolling, and biking on 26th Ave SW south of
SW Yancy St
• The design for 26th Ave SW will be refined in coordination with Sound Transit and other restoration work done around Longfellow Creek
For the Avalon station area, the document notes, “This street concept plan does not include Fauntleroy Way SW, which has an existing project design that dedicates more space for landscaping and for people walking, rolling, and biking.7 The designs identified in this plan are compatible with a future project on Fauntleroy Way SW and align with the design intent identified in the Fauntleroy Boulevard design.” That said, here are the descriptions of two for the Avalon station area:
36TH AVENUE SW/SW GENESEE STREET CONCEPT
The street concept design for the intersection of SW Genesee St and 36th Ave SW includes:
• A realignment of SW Genesee to square up the intersection with Fauntleroy Way SW
• A multi-use trail on 36th Ave SW between SW Genesee St and Fauntleroy Way SW that provides more space for people walking, rolling and biking along the neighborhood greenway
• A raised crossing across SW Genesee St at 36th Ave SW
• A plaza or landscaped space between the new alignment of SW Genesee St and Fauntleroy Way SW; could include covered seating, art, and/or a community gathering spaceSW AVALON STREET CONCEPT
The street concept design for SW Avalon Way includes:
• A widened raised two-way bike lane on the north side of SW Avalon Way for people coming from the east and the west to access the light rail station
• A bike lane on the south side of SW Avalon Way for people biking east
• Expanded plaza space on the north side for people walking and rolling, and greenery that connects into the future light rail entrance of off SW Avalon Way
• A narrower street to make it safer and more comfortable for people crossing SW Avalon WayThere are two versions of the design for SW Avalon Way. The first is a near-term design that can be completed in order to provide access to the new Avalon light rail station. The second is a long-term vision of what the street could look like with additional permanent improvements. One aspect of this long-term vision would be to explore driveway consolidation and closures where appropriate.
Finally, three proposed street-concept designs for The Junction’s station area are described in the SDOT document as follows:
SW ALASKA STREET CONCEPT
The street concept design for SW Alaska St includes expanded space for people walking and rolling, as well as space to gather and wait for the light rail, bus connections, or to connect between the station entrances and the commercial corridors along California Ave SW and Fauntleroy Ave SW. There are raised bike lanes and two transit-only lanes between California Ave SW and Fauntleroy Way SW, with general purpose traffic allowed on SW Alaksa St between 44th Ave SW and California Ave SW and west-bound only between 42nd Ave SW and California Ave SW. This five-block corridor will also have pedestrian features such as raised crosswalks and intersections, all-way stop control, pedestrian- scale lighting, benches, and wayfinding.
There are two design concepts for the block of SW Alaska St between 44th Ave SW and California Ave SW. The first concept is a low- cost design that largely retains the existing curb locations. The second concept includes a “full rebuild” design that moves curb lines and has bike facility with more separation from vehicles. These concepts would need to be aligned with bus operational changes on this block, which are currently assumed to happen in conjunction with the Ballard Light Rail Extension line opening, anticipated around 2039. Because of this, the concepts for SW Alaska St between 44th Ave SW and California Ave SW may not be implemented within the same time frame as other concepts for SW Alaska St east of California Ave SW.
42ND AVENUE STREET CONCEPT
The street design for 42nd Ave SW will open the space in front of the station into a plaza space. This will help connect into the expanded space on SW Alaska St to gather and wait for the light rail or bus connections, and creates new pedestrian-focused space to host community events such as an expansion of the West Seattle Farmers Market. This space will have places for shaded seating, abundant landscaping, and connections for food trucks or other vendors, such as electrical hookups. South of the plaza space, 42nd Ave SW will have raised bike lanes, as buses will also be using this half-block of 42nd Ave SW to exit a layover space between 42nd Ave SW and 41st Ave SW, and between SW Alaska St and SW Edmunds St.
41ST AVENUE STREET CONCEPT
41st Ave SW will be redesigned to provide more space for people walking and rolling, and space for extended landscaping and trees. It will also allow for buses to enter the layover facility. There is a planned east/west mid-block pedestrian connection that ties in the pedestrian connection through the transit layover facility to a potential future connection to the east. One aspect of this design would be to explore driveway consolidation and closures where appropriate.
The full document also includes details on what lighting, pavement, wayfinding, and other components should look like, as well as many more renderings related to the proposals described above – including cross-sections of existing and future channelization.
HERE’S HOW TO COMMENT: This draft street-concept plan was published in tandem with an environmental checklist – specifically referring to the street-concept plan, not the light-rail project itself; you can see that notice here and the related checklist here. Comments on those and/or the street-concept plan can be emailed to Ian.Macek@seattle.gov and/or Lucien.Ong@seattle.gov. Deadline is September 12.
WHAT ELSE IS NEXT: We’re awaiting the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which ST suggested would be released “late in the third quarter” (which ends September 30). A possible timeline hint – checking the public event calendar for Alki Masonic Lodge while looking for something unrelated, we noticed a placeholder for “Sound Transit” on Tuesday, October 1. (That’s been a location of previous major meetings/open houses related to the West Seattle light-rail project.)
It’s the information long requested by the Community Advisory Group for the Fauntleroy ferry-dock replacement project – results of a study on how dock operations would work if the electronic pass Good To Go! is used. The CAG will finally get to hear about and discuss it next Wednesday (August 28). The online meeting also will include an update on how the project might change the Fauntleroy Way intersection at the dock entrance. The meeting at 6 pm Wednesday is open to community attendance; go here to register for the link. The CAG’s most-recent meeting was a little over a month ago (WSB coverage here). The project is still in a relatively early planning stage, with the new dock’s size and configuration yet to be chosen.
(WSB photo: Diesel-powered Water Taxi M/V Sally Fox, as seen Tuesday at Seacrest)
You’ve likely heard about Washington State Ferries‘ plan to build electric vessels. Our area’s foot-ferry fleet, Metro Transit‘s King County Water Taxi, is moving that way too. In a recent newsletter, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka mentioned that the Puget Sound Regional Council‘s Executive Board – on which he serves – had approved funding for “electrification improvements” to the Water Taxi. (The money originates with federal highway and transit funds, Saka added.) So we asked Metro’s Al Sanders for details. He tells WSB:
As part of Metro’s transition to becoming a zero-emission fleet, the Marine Division is researching the technology available that will allow the Water Taxis to go from using diesel-powered vessels to sailing with ships that use hybrid and/or battery-electric power.
The $1.7 million grant awarded by the Puget Sound Regional Council will be used on the design and engineering of new electric vessels and associated charging infrastructure needed to support the fleet. The grant would be used to initiate the design of two new 150-passenger battery electric vessels, along with the design of shoreside vessel charging and other electrical infrastructure at Pier 50.
When in service, the vessels will reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with water taxi service in support of the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan.
Sanders says the design work hasn’t started, so there’s no timeline for this yet. The two current Water Taxis, M/V Doc Maynard and M/V Sally Fox, were both launched in 2015, at a total cost of $11.8 million, also mostly from federal funding.
Back on Friday, we reported on SDOT‘s announcement of impending traffic-calming additions to West Seattle streets as part of the Safe Routes to School program. Some readers wanted more specifics, especially on locations, so here’s what we’ve found out:
DENNY’S NEW CROSSWALK: SDOT’s announcement mentioned a community-designed decorative crosswalk by the entrance of Denny International Middle School. With a traffic circle right at the entrance, readers wondered, where will the new crosswalk go? The image above answers that question – across SW Kenyon on the west side of the intersection; the east side already has a conventionally painted crosswalk.
TRENTON’S NEW SPEED CUSHIONS: We asked SDOT how many speed cushions are planned for SW Trenton. We’re told they plan four sets, between 25th and 29th.
We asked one more question … is there a date for construction to start? SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson says, “We’re still working to schedule construction sometime later this year.”
| 8 COMMENTS