A few more things of note, along West Seattle streets: The “rechannelization” – striping that’s part of the last phase of the road reconstruction – has begun along Fauntleroy Way; we spotted the striped-in bike lane tonight, as we headed northeast. SDOT announced recently that the work will be done by the middle of this month. And “sharrow”-painting continues to stretch further south:
We just noticed sharrows have been roughed in along Thistle between California and Delridge (map).Last but not least, Rhonda from The Mortgage Porter (WSB sponsor) called our attention this morning to this scene along Jacobsen Road just east of Beach Drive, south edge of Me-Kwa-Mooks Natural Area (map):
She wondered what was being cut and why, and so did we when we saw it, so we contacted the Parks Department – the crew had clearly labeled Parks vehicles – and Dewey Potter tells us:
This was a single dead alder tree that our Tree Crew Chief identified. It was hanging close to the road and the driveways of two houses. The bark was starting to fall off the stem and branches. The crew will leave a snag for habitat if possible. That is the only tree being removed.
North Admiral resident Jerry from JetCityOrange got that video on the West Seattle Bridge Friday night as the monthly Critical Mass group bicycle ride rolled into West Seattle (if you want to “fast-forward” through the clip, the first bicyclists appear around :24, the first major group around 1:40), with two Seattle Police cars alongside the front of the group, as you can see toward the end of the clip. (Independent journalist Johnathon Fitzpatrickreported via Twitter that one officer told him before the ride “I’m gonna be making sure nobody does anything ignorant” – in reference to cars around the riders; he also published a TwitPic from The Bridge.) We also got a tip about the bicyclists from Rhonda @ The Mortgage Porter (WSB sponsor) and got down to Alki in time for a photo:
Critical Mass happens every fourth Friday, leaving downtown at 5:30, via different routes that aren’t mass-publicized ahead of time. More info here. There was an online suggestion that World Naked Bike Ride participants might be along for the ride, but if you look closely at Jerry’s video – everybody seems to be dressed.
Is the Metro bus stop in front of the new QFC going to be put back after construction is finished? The stop used to be right infront of the middle of that lot along Alaska, across the street from Jefferson Square’s stop.
On behalf of Metro, Linda Thielke provided the answer, and we’re sharing it here in case anyone else was wondering the same thing:
SDOT has agreed to let the stop go back in if it can be at least 20′ back from the intersection. Looks like that will be possible once the construction is all finished.
(As reported recently, QFC is hoping to open that store September 16th.) As many WSB stories begin with questions as with more-classic “tips” like “something’s on fire” – so questions are always welcome, editor@westseattleblog.com (or other means of contact, all listed here).
(Fauntleroy/Juneau photo taken last week by Chas Redmond)
Just in from Marybeth Turner at SDOT:
We are happy to announce that final paving on Fauntleroy starts tomorrow!
The project has progressed nicely. Our contractor, Gary Merlino, will begin the final overlay tomorrow and expects to complete the work by Friday night. Traffic will be shifted several times throughout the day but uniformed police officers will be on site to assist traffic. We expect work to continue into the PM peak hour as crews work long days in an attempt to complete all the paving before the weekend.
Shortly after the final overlay is completed, the contractor will begin striping the roadway with the new “channelization” (lane line configuration). Barrels and caution tape will remain in place until all of the striping is completed. During the same time, the contractor will take care of the finishing details and cleanup work.
Work is expected to wrap up in mid-September. We thank everyone in advance for their patience.
Here’s how the road will be configured after the work is done:
It’s become a Thursday tradition this summer – SDOT’s roundup of where in Seattle you’ll find big events, and how they might affect traffic. (Reminder – as we reported yesterday, the King County Water Taxi will have extra runs for tonight’s Sounders match and Saturday’s Seahawks game.) Read on —Read More
Someone asked us to check into this – we can’t find the original note but we did find the answer on the King County Water Taxi site: there WILL be late runs after the Sounders game tomorrow (as well as Sept. 3 Seahawks, and extra-late this Saturday night post-Seahawks if necessary). The schedule’s here.
Following up on last night’s report about the work that’s closed Ferry Avenue near Seacrest (map), we checked with SDOT today to get details on the schedule and the scope of the work. They’ve replied with two things: First, they created an update on the relatively new (and frequently updated!) SDOT Blog; second, they shared this official construction-update flyer, which explains that this is actually a two-part project, with the work expected to last at least two months, and the north end of Ferry remaining closed for the duration. (Thanks again to WSB’er JayDee for the original tip and photos including the one at left.)
Thanks to those who’ve sent notes about a power outage in the Admiral District. One report says it followed a “loud bang” – and Diana says that Admiral Safeway has been without power for about half an hour. Seattle City Light says that the outage is within these boundaries: Admiral to Hanford, 42nd to 50th, but they’re not sure how long it will take to fix. A tipster has just sent the photo you see above, showing crews with what he describes as a downed line, south of Lafayette Elementary. 2:52 PM UPDATE: The tipster says the crews on the scene just told him they’ll need about an hour to splice the line. (Early Monday note – Jamie says their power came back on around 5:30 pm. We’ll be checking with City Light today regarding the official cause and how many homes/businesses were involved.)
Separate incident but also involving City Light: Crews have been working on a utility pole hit in a crash this morning; SW Morgan has been closed a few blocks up the hill east of West Seattle Thriftway as a result. We just went back to check (and to take the photo shown above) and they tell us they should be done, and be able to reopen the road, within an hour or so. (Thanks to Dasi for the original report on this, and Tom for the update that the road was still closed.)
The schedule for closing the southbound lanes on First Avenue South between South King Street and Railroad Way has changed. The lanes will now be closed on Monday through Wednesday, August 17-19, and possibly also Thursday, August 20, if needed, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sidewalk on the western side of First Avenue South will also be closed. A detour will be provided to South King Street and then to Railroad Way, back to First Avenue South. (Please note that Railroad Way is divided by a median, so traffic turning left from King Street to head south on Railroad Way must stay to the right of the median.) The closure is needed for the operation of a large crane working on a private building.
(WSB photo from June 2009)
Though the very existence of the King County Water Taxi has become a campaign issue in the County Executive race, its West Seattle and Vashon services continue chugging back and forth across Elliott Bay multiple times a day, and plans to make the West Seattle run year-round starting next year are still proceeding. As part of those plans, the dock at Seacrest is to be upgraded, with work to be done this fall – replacing the floating wooden dock (shown above) with concrete – and that work has just won approval for “shoreline substantial development” (scroll down to the second-to-last notice on this page); that decision is appealable to the State Shoreline Hearings Board, according to today’s notice. The project still needs construction permits, which are in progress, according to the official city page. Given the county budget situation, we checked with County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s office – he also chairs the King County Ferry District Board. Reply: “At this point we are moving forward with all plans for service improvements to West Seattle and Vashon until otherwise directed by the Ferry District board. The board will be making several important decisions in the coming months in the budget process.”
Throughout the summer,SDOT has been issuing these roundups toward week’s end, to let everyone know where traffic might be affected around the city on Friday/Saturday/Sunday. We’ve been sharing them because we know you just might want to venture off the peninsula. No West Seattle events this time around (though plenty’s going on, as usual), but read on for the roundup:Read More
Traffic alert for West Seattleites who use 1st Avenue South to and from downtown, just in from SDOT:
The southbound lanes on First Avenue South will be closed between South King Street and Railroad Way South from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Thursday, August 13 to Tuesday August 18 for operation of a crane on a private building. The sidewalk on the west side of First Avenue South will also be closed.
The southbound lanes on First Avenue South will be closed between South King Street and Railroad Way South from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, August 13 and 14, and Monday and, Tuesday, August 17 and 18. The sidewalk on the western side of First Avenue South will also be closed. A detour will be provided to South King Street and then to Railroad Way, back to First Avenue South. (Please note that Railroad Way is divided by a median, so traffic turning left from King Street to head south on Railroad Way must stay to the right of the median.) The closure is needed for the operation of a large crane working on a private building.
Though it seemed to have a ring of finality, remember, the July 23 announcement that the city wouldn’t recommend paid street parking for The Junction was NOT the end of the year-plus-long city parking review of the area. Full findings and recommendations are yet to come – will some areas see more restrictions? fewer? or? — and if you want to be part of the process, here’s your next chance: The West Seattle Junction Parking Project Committee‘s next meeting is now set for a week from Thursday – 6 pm August 20th, at the Ginomai arts center (southwest corner of 42nd/Genesee; map). Dante Taylor, who’s heading the parking review for SDOT, explains, “At this meeting we will discuss the findings from the parking study and available parking management tools for WSJ.” You don’t have to be a committee member to be at the meeting. Need to catch up on what’s been reviewed and studied so far? Here’s our archive of Junction parking-review coverage; here’s the official project page on the SDOT website.
The City Council just postponed a briefing it had been scheduled to receive this morning on the “Central Waterfront Concept” for the Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor – aka, the bored tunnel. But there’s new information on the project today: WSDOT has finally gone public with videos that were previewed to “working group” members earlier this summer. The one above takes you through the tunnel; this one, what the waterfront would look like after The Viaduct comes down (currently expected around 2016):
WSDOT discusses the simulations in more detail here. Meantime, the “working groups” are on summer hiatus, but scheduled to meet again in fall to review the latest proposals for not only the tunnel itself but also the transportation systems/networks/grids at both ends. (Here are links to graphics showing what they’ve been looking at so far.)
While West Seattle only has one RPZ – Restricted (formerly “residential”) Parking Zone – right now, potential changes in the rules have attracted attention here because other areas are interested in RPZs, particularly residential neighborhoods in The Junction. After a long round of hearings and meetings, the city has now released its “draft Director’s Rule” on RPZs, triggering a month-long public-comment period. See the 20-page proposal here; see the contact info for comments here. In the “draft rule,” page 14 is where you will find the proposed criteria for establishing a new RPZ, including these points:
An RPZ may also be initiated as part of a comprehensive neighborhood parking plan. For example, in 2005-2009, SDOT established 10 new or expanded RPZs with extensive community engagement as part of broader on-street parking management plans. …
The Director may establish a new or expand an existing RPZ when 75 percent of the curb space
parking on 10 contiguous blocks (20 block faces) is generally occupied, and when over 35
percent of those vehicles are used by non-residents. If these conditions are not met, SDOT will
formally notify the person(s) requesting the RPZ that it did not qualify. Even if these criteria are
not met, the Director has authority to establish an RPZ when the parking problem would be
ameliorated and the public interest would be served by creation of an RPZ. …
(The first is noteworthy for The Junction, since its “comprehensive neighborhood parking plan” review is still in progress.) September 8 is the comment deadline; contact info is on this page.
FAREWELL, FERRIES: Two of the four steel-electric ferries the state took out of service and sold for scrap started their final journey last night, under tow. Since they were briefly in Elliott Bay, you might have seen them; if not, here’s a Seattle Times photo. Until concerns about their seaworthiness arose, a steel-electric was usually the third boat on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run. Quinault and Nisqually were the two towed last night; the other two, Klickitat and Illahee, will be towed away later this month.
Several people have asked via e-mail and Facebook whether the King County Water Taxi is planning extra runs tonight because of the huge turnout expected at the Sounders/Barcelona game. Answer from county transit spokesperson Linda Thielke: No. But please do note, they’ve already warned of possible bus delays in the Pioneer Square/SODO areas. 1:39 PM UPDATE: Just got new information from Thielke — she says Argosy has agreed to an “11th hour” addition of runs to help with the expected postgame crush:
Argosy WILL add runs to help with traffic for the Sounders Game tonight. They will continue the half hour schedule after the usual (last) 7:30 run and continue through 9:30 pm. The last sailing from Seattle will be at 9:30 this evening. This is an 11th hour addition – thank you Argosy!
And she sent a postscript minutes later:
Just confirmed with Argosy that they will delay the 9:30 sailing to West Seattle if the Sounders game is not over. The purpose of that last run will be to get folks from the Sounders game to West Seattle.
From right around that spot (Idaho/West Marginal), southward to SW Brandon, bicyclists, walkers and runners will have to detour off the Duwamish Trail next week – according to this announcement fromSDOT:
The Seattle Department of Transportation is repairing the Duwamish Trail where sections have been damaged by tree roots and general deterioration.
The trail will be closed between SW Idaho Street and SW Brandon Street from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, August 3 and 4, and may be closed 24 hours a day on Wednesday through Friday, August 5 to 7, if it cannot be made safe for trail users after work hours.
Bicyclists and pedestrians will be detoured onto West Marginal Way SW. Advanced warning signs have been provided along with a notification board at the ends of the trail.
The SDOT pre-weekend roundups of where you’ll run into road closures etc. around the city have proven to be a popular feature, even if there’s nothing West Seattle-specific; just got the latest one this morning, so read on to see where to find the fun and/or where to avoid:Read More
Bus riders who work downtown or who can get away at midday will want to know about this one – not just listening to politicians, but also a chance for you to ask questions — read on:Read More
When Sea-Tac’s old cell-phone lot shut down in early June, the new one was projected to open in “early July.” That time frame came and went, but today’s finally the day the new lot’s ready to go – 9 am, according to this news release. The new lot has 100 spaces, about twice the capacity of the old one; it’s just north of the old one.
One note of interest, following up on this afternoon’s bulletin that the city is NOT considering pay stations for street parking in The Junction, because the statistics just don’t show a need. (See our 1:02 pm bulletin here.) Knowing that the city had originally said it would do parking reviews in Morgan Junction next year, Admiral in 2011, and Alki in 2012, we asked if those timetables had slid, since this review has taken a year and a half. Here’s the reply from SDOT spokesperson Rick Sheridan:
The Morgan Junction is the only West Seattle area on the near term schedule for a review of parking. This community parking project is tentatively planned for 2010, but that may change due to staffing availability. We still plan to work with the Admiral and Alki/Harbor Drive neighborhoods, but that will occur much further down the road.
Someone asked us to check into this – we can’t find the original note but we did find the answer 
and the scope of the work. They’ve replied with two things: First, they created 
Though it seemed to have a ring of finality, remember, the 
One note of interest, following up on this afternoon’s bulletin that the city is NOT considering pay stations for street parking in The Junction, because the statistics just don’t show a need. (
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