Fauntleroy/Dawson signal update: Almost done
Caught this photo around noon while heading to the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), where we had the chance to chat with a great group of seniors interested in hearing the latest on WS development and other happenings. (When we headed back the other way, the lights themselves were back under wraps.) Previous WSB coverage of the Fauntleroy/Dawson signal is here and here.
West Seattle Gas Price Watch: New “leader” of the pump pack
We usually crop the rear-view mirror out of “taken from the car” photos. However, the above shot seemed to capture the flavor of our drive-by survey of West Seattle gas prices late last night. It shows the station that now has the highest WS price for regular – $4.33 @ 35th/Barton Exxon. Just ahead – the full West Seattle survey, which now includes a map as well as the text list of current and past prices:Read More
Parking alert: Sidewalk work set to start tomorrow
Noticed these signs along the west side of California SW just north of Morgan Junction – between Graham and Raymond (map). The “no parking” warning kicks in tomorrow and the project is described on the signs as “sidewalk restoration.” (There’s also a stack of “businesses open during construction” signs ready to go, too.)
First full ’08 month for Water Taxi a biggie
As promised the other night, when King County Councilmember Dow Constantine told the Southwest District Council that the Elliott Bay Water Taxi’s ridership was up 17 percent over last year (as of mid-May), we now have the complete May report, and it has other interesting details — read on:Read More
Traffic alert: Another round of Delridge work this weekend
Just in from the city Transportation Department:
SDOT paving crews will repair failed concrete panels on the west side of Delridge Way Southwest at Southwest Elmgrove Street on Saturday, June 7. (Last Saturday crews repaired pavement on the east side of the street.)
The crews plan to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting with breaking out and removing the damaged concrete. One lane will remain open to traffic. Flaggers will assist drivers through the area. On-street parking will be restricted. When the new pavement has sufficiently cured, expected Saturday evening, the full street will be reopened to traffic.
Elmgrove doesn’t fully intersect with Delridge – this is the 8100 block of Delridge – here’s a map.
Update: RapidRide briefing under way now
If you want to see what local transportation leaders are telling the Seattle City Council Transportation Committee about West Seattle’s forthcoming RapidRide bus service — the briefing’s under way now (on the Seattle Channel, on cable and online). We’ll post a wrapup afterward, or bulletins if something dramatic is revealed. Looks like they’re starting with a lot of background that’s already been reported here in connection with previous public meetings and briefings. 9:28 AM ADDITION: Two noteworthy items so far – the West Seattle route will be called the “C Line” — also, the buses will have wi-fi service, likely free to the user. 10:01 AM ADDITION: Metro has put up a slide showing the route will go all the way to Westwood Village. This has not been officially announced previously. Metro also says the service is scheduled to start in September 2011 — previously they’d just said 2011.
West Seattle Gas Price Watch: The 1-week pump jump
Actually, it’s been a one-year pump jump – see that nostalgic photo at left? Admiral Chevron, exactly one dollar cheaper, exactly one year ago today (here’s the WSB report from 6/2/07). Anyway, back to the present: We were just getting used to $4/gallon regular, when suddenly $4.20-something/gallon regular began to appear … so we surveyed the West Seattle gas stations again late last night for the specifics on what’s happened in the past week, including not only the highest and lowest prices, but also which station went up the most in the past week and which went up the least:Read More
Awaiting the latest on RapidRide? Briefing ahead
It’s been almost five months since the initial info about Metro RapidRide bus service to/from West Seattle began making its way around West Seattle (including that bus-concept sketch we photographed at a JuNO meeting). Routing announcements were to be made “within a few months,” Metro officials said at the time; no formal announcements yet, but the next major progress report is expected on Tuesday, when the Seattle City Council’s Transportation Committee has this scheduled (9 am):
What’s going on with Rapid Ride, Metro’s bus rapid transit between West Seattle and downtown? The Committee will be briefed by Seattle Department of Transportation Director Grace Crunican and Metro’s General Manager Kevin Desmond.
RapidRide isn’t supposed to start rolling till 2011, but routing decisions were to be made now so that preliminary work could begin.
Traffic alert: Road repairs on Delridge tomorrow
Just in from SDOT:
SDOT paving crews will repair failed concrete panels on the east side of Delridge Way Southwest at Southwest Elmgrove Street on Saturday, May 31.
The crews plan to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting with breaking out and removing the damaged concrete. One lane will remain open to traffic. Flaggers will assist drivers through the area. On-street parking will be restricted. When the new pavement has sufficiently cured, expected Saturday evening, the full street will be reopened to traffic.
Maps don’t show Elmgrove and Delridge directly intersecting; you can see the vicinity (north of Thistle) on this map.
Wild traffic-stoppers on the 1st Avenue South bridge
(Click photo to see a much-larger version)
That photo and the following backstory are courtesy of Shannon and Jason, best known in the WSB Forums as Shibaguyz:
As we were on our way to the Ballard Farmers Market this morning, we
were stopped at the 1st Ave S bridge by the usual red traffic light accompanied by the drawbridge gate lowering in front of us. Thinking the bridge was about to go up, we turned off the car and prepared to listen to NPR while we waited patiently. Much to our surprise, it wasn’t a boat crossing that held up traffic but a flock of Canada Geese.
In all, we counted 5 adults and twenty youngsters. Not in the picture, was the falcon that kept diving at the flock, trying to grab one of the youngsters that was lagging behind off to one side of the road. It took about fifteen minutes to encourage them to leave the bridge and, as we drove past, they were all walking along the sidewalk on their way back down toward the water. One can only imagine the thoughts going through the minds of this flock of geese as they found themselves in the middle of this foreign place.
Just thought we’d share this with the WSB readers. We are not alone on this planet… and it is we who are the aliens. Just a thought…
West Seattle Gas Price Watch: Another WS-wide survey
Ah, remember the good ol’ days when the stations were running out of “3” for their signs, not “4” (photo @ left taken at Delridge Exxon) … 12 weeks ago, we checked and reported the posted regular and premium prices from all West Seattle gas stations (sorry, we haven’t been able to include biodiesel as their prices are not posted on signage that’s easy to spot during a drive-by survey), as it looked like prices were about to start a steep rise. Five weeks ago, we repeated the survey; tonight, while out working on another project that was taking us to every corner of WS anyway, we did it again. Here’s what we found, with the 12- and 5-weeks-earlier prices listed too:Read More
Low-bridge-restrictions proposal just “published” – your turn
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
2 1/2 months after we first told you about West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s renewed push to try to ease rush-hour traffic by keeping the low bridge (Spokane Street Swing Bridge) from opening during certain times of the day, the proposal is now officially open for your comments, and the clock is ticking toward a decision. As the U.S. Coast Guard‘s regional bridge commander Austin Pratt had explained in our followups (coverage here and here), a two-month comment period was to open as soon as notice of the proposed rule change was published in the Federal Register; he just called to let us (and you) know that the notice was published today, triggering the start of a public-comment period lasting until July 21st. He also sent a copy of the relevant pages of the Federal Register; see them here. Excerpted from that, the specific rule language is as follows:
The proposed rule would enable the Seattle Department of Transportation
(SDOT), the owner of the Spokane Street Bridge, to keep the draws of that bridge in the closed position in order to help alleviate roadway traffic Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the proviso that openings shall be provided at any time for vessels of 5000 gross tons or more.
Whether you want to express support for this or opposition, what’s REALLY important now is following the official procedure for commenting (there’s also an official procedure for requesting a public meeting on this) – read on for those specifics:Read More
Fauntleroy/Dawson signal-construction schedule moved WAY up
This was most recently mentioned by Sue in her comment on the Fauntleroy-speeding thread last weekend – now, we get word from Megan S (thank you!) that the Fauntleroy/Dawson (map) pedestrian signal is apparently happening sooner rather than later:
Our intersection has been marked with white spray paint for a few days now, so I figured they might be updating the wheelchair ramps or something, but apparently they are going to be putting in a pedestrian signal at this intersection. Since this is right near two fairly busy bus stops and the Fairmount Playground, it is about time that someone make the street a bit safer for people wanting to cross it. Didn’t see this news on the blog, so figured I’d give a heads up to both drivers and those on foot. According to the flier we received on our door today, further info can be found by contacting Awelker Nurhussen at awelker.nurhussen@seattle.gov, or Valerie Lee at valerie.lee@seattle.gov (this latter works in the traffic signal operations department of SDOT) Also of possible concern is the fact that parking will be limited in the area during construction – not such a big deal for those of us with driveways, but I know that there are both apartments and condos in the area.
Megan tells WSB the flyer said that the work originally wasn’t scheduled to start till late summer, but the equipment’s available now so it’s starting this week.
Spokane Street Viaduct project: How it’ll change your life
Say goodbye to what might be the oldest dated street sign in the city, as just one small part of the big upcoming project to change the ramp configuration of, and widen, the Spokane Street Viaduct – once known as the “West Seattle Freeway,” currently considered part of the “West Seattle Bridge” between Highway 99 and the I-5 northbound/southbound ramp split. As money to pay for it continues advancing through the City Council — it’s time for a closer look on exactly what this project will involve, and how it’s likely to change your driving life before, during, and after. We recently sat down at SDOT headquarters with the city’s project manager for the Spokane Street Viaduct work, Stuart Goldsmith, and its communications manager LeAnne Nelson, and here’s what we found out:Read More
… the city is trying to do it with a new campaign called “Give Your Car the Summer Off.” (
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