West Seattle, Washington
26 Saturday
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.
(SDOT photo)
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 Way
There 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 Ia*******@*****le.gov and/or Lu********@*****le.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.”
More speed cushions are in the works for West Seattle, and this time they’re not at the beach. SDOT sent us a list of projects they plan to build by year’s end as part of the Safe Routes to School program, aimed at making it “easier for students to walk and bike to school.” The descriptions are from SDOT:
SW TRENTON TRAFFIC CALMING
To support Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School students, we’ll install traffic calming on SW Trenton St between 25th and 29th. It will include “speed cushions” and “paint and post” bulbs to improve the visibility of the crossing at Trenton/26th – next to Westwood Village.
Last year, SDOT installed an all-way stop at 25th/Trenton, followed by speed cushions in the CSIHS vicinity on SW Thistle.
DECORATIVE CROSSWALK AND ALL-WAY STOP AT DENNY IMS
Denny students held a design contest for a decorative Community Crosswalk in front of their school on Kenyon.
The crosswalk marks the central entrance to the school and will be installed with an all-way stop.
PERMANENT ‘SCHOOL STREET’ ON GENESEE HILL
We’re making the Genesee Hill Elementary School Street permanent. Both entrances to the School Street will feature more durable signage, painted curb bulbs, and art. Genesee Hill students designed the pavement art that crews will install on SW Dakota St to support a safe and welcoming school environment.
23RD SW WALKWAY
Connecting between Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and the newly redeveloped Delridge Wetland Park, we’re installing a walkway with a planter strip and trees on the west side of 23rd Ave SW.
SDOT’s website lists a few other Safe Routes to School plans for West Seattle but notes they’re “paused pending funding.”
(WSB file photo)
SDOT says it’s giving a “comprehensive review” to a letter three community groups sent regarding the Highland Park Way hill lane-conversion proposal. We’ve been reporting on the proposal since May; SDOT says it plans to convert one downhill driving lane into either a bicycle lane, a new multipurpose path, or both. Here’s the letter sent last month by HPAC, West Seattle Bike Connections, and the Morgan Community Association, spelling out concerns and offering two additional options. Here’s the letter in its entirety:
Dear Highland Park Connection Team, SDOT, & Seattle City Council Transportation Committee Members –
Thank you for the initial round of presentations aimed to improve public safety infrastructure on Highland Park Way SW, AKA Boeing Hill. We appreciate the robust effort you all made to get out into the community of users of this route.
Highland Park Way SW is a major transportation route from West Seattle. Capacity and transportation options for travel by bus, car, truck and bike are critical for resiliency of the transportation network, as we have painfully learned from the recent extended closure of the West Seattle high bridge. Added to the corridor is increasing Single Occupancy Vehicle traffic from the Vashon/Southworth/Fauntleroy ferry route and growing housing density in the region.
Highland Park Way SW is also a key segment of a potential mid-peninsula east-west bike route over the ridges and valleys connecting Morgan Junction, High Point, Delridge, Highland Park and the Duwamish Trail and South Park.
From speaking with SDOT staff and our constituencies over the last month of outreach we all agree with the perception that the hill:
• Encourages vehicle speeding and unsafe driving practices due to the 11% grade.
• Needs better facilities separated from vehicle traffic for those walking, biking and rolling.We also heard numerous remarks regarding the lack of solutions offered by SDOT for improvements. All options put to the public so far were variations of a single idea. Will the agency be listening to the feedback from the public and pivoting to responsive design options, or just checking the “outreach completed” box in their workplan? Working in true partnership with community is a two-way communication.
Concerns we have heard about the design to date:
• Loss of vehicle carrying capacity and lanes needed to stack vehicles at the bottom of the hill as drivers self-sort to access West Marginal, the First Ave South Bridge, SR599 and SR509.
• Unsafe bus/bike/vehicle interactions as coaches stop to serve transit riders.
• Driver fear of head on interactions with opposing traffic.
• Loss of capacity for large semi-trucks, garbage trucks, emergency vehicles, snowplows,
tandem gravel trucks, and the like. While not designated as a “freight route”, the fact of the matter is that it is frequently used as such by delivery vehicles of all sorts and sizes.
• Reduction in resiliency of the route (which is prone to interruption by landslides, downed trees, accidents, etc.) The five lanes at the base of the hill are needed to route traffic around these short and historically long term interruptions as noted by Seattle Police Department.
• As has been stated numerous times in public conversations, this route is an essential option for folks living on the West Seattle peninsula at large to access the rest of the City, providing redundancy in emergency situations such as the closure of the West Seattle High Bridge, low bridge maintenance, etc.
• Pedestrians and drivers fear of road rage incidents from choked off traffic produced in a single lane of downhill traffic.
• Adverse Impacts to egress/ingress for residents on the east side of Highland Park Way who rely on SW Othello St. There are at least 79 households currently that rely on that route to get out of the neighborhood.
• High volumes of runoff water on the roadway surface during rain events causing unsafe conditions for bike-riders.
• Non-intuitive bike riding on the “wrong side”, riding on the left of oncoming bike riders instead of on the right in two-way bike lanes.
• This type of roadway design should not be considered as ‘one size fits all.’ The improvements should be related to the unique hillside conditions as well as the needs of the project.
• We have seen multiple examples of this sort of bicycle mitigation done as “paint-and-post” protected bike lanes on other city streets. Protection for cyclists is minimal, and much of it appears as clutter to our city, with frequent vehicle damage breaking off white poles and creating garbage in the roadway. This is an entry portal into our area, a beautiful greenspace and natural corridor. Any work done should complement this in design and materials and provide robust protection for people biking and walking.
• Our area has been overlooked for decades by the City and lacks infrastructure taken for granted elsewhere. We expect this project to be a step to rectify this in a quality manner.In conclusion, given these concerns, we are not satisfied that this is the best solution that can be attained for the two problems above. We urge SDOT to go back to the drawing board, and suggest study of the following ideas:
Option 4:
• Replace the existing narrow asphalt sidewalk with a wide multi-use path on south side, outside of existing roadway, with a curb separating downhill bike from uphill bike/pedestrian traffic. Unlike the SDOT concepts, put the downhill bike lane on the right of uphill lane (as is the custom in the US).
• Avoid the dangers of bus pullouts into a downhill bike lane as in SDOT concepts. There is plenty of right-of-way width for a good design. Toward the top and at the base of the hill some retaining walls will be needed, some poles will need to be relocated and a small number of trees would need to be removed. It is worth funding a project that meets safety standards and is intuitive, comfortable, and predictable for all users.
• Maintain existing vehicle lane configurations.
• Enforce speed limits with enforcement cameras and police patrols.Option 5:
• Narrow HP Way SW to one vehicle lane at the top of the hill as cars start downhill from the Highland /Holden intersection. Convert the right-hand lane for downhill bike traffic and replace the existing sidewalk with a multi-use path for uphill bike and uphill and downhill pedestrian use.
• As traffic reaches Othello St, move all bike and pedestrian traffic off road to the right onto a widened and improved off-road bike/pedestrian pathway. This allows the bus coaches to pull over to serve the Othello bus stop while letting vehicle drivers pass them to the left. It also keeps this area wider where the most active landslide slopes are on the uphill side.
• As the roadway opens up into two downhill lanes, vehicles will be approaching the curve, where most drivers naturally slow down, keeping traffic speeds down.
• The right of way below Othello Street is much wider at this point and can support a widened bike path without retaining walls until near the base of the hill.Note that Option 5 would cost less than option 4, but is less intuitive for bike riders, requiring either a bike crossover at Othello, or riding on the “wrong side” on the lower section as in SDOT’s options.
We understand that solutions retaining the lower three eastbound downhill traffic lanes may require more work like drainage and retaining walls on the trail, but feel that the option should be studied. We also suggest consideration of automated camera enforcement of the speed limit in any solution proposed.
We also suggest a pilot of any design(s) chosen to go forward that would reduce vehicle roadway width. By installing temporary orange traffic buffers like those recently placed on the 4th Avenue South Bridge drivers can experience the conditions and make further improvement suggestions.
We look forward working together in authentic collaboration to develop a safer route for all.
Highland Park, Riverview & South Delridge Action Coalition (HPAC)
West Seattle Bike Connections (WSBC)
Morgan Community Association (MoCA)
SDOT’s James Le sent the groups an acknowledgment of the letter yesterday, six weeks after they sent it to SDOT; he wrote, “We want to assure you that we have received your letter and we’re taking a comprehensive review. Thank you for your understanding. We’ll get back to you with our response soon.” HPAC’s Kay Kirkpatrick confirmed that was the first they’d heard from SDOT since sending the letter (which you can read in PDF here).
(SDOT traffic-cam view of work zone, looking west toward West Seattle Bridge, on Sunday)
As noted in our morning traffic roundup, we asked SDOT for this week’s schedule of which lanes will be closed and when, as the Spokane Street Viaduct resurfacing project continues. Here’s what they’ve provided – with the caveat that it’s always possible there’ll be a last-minute change:
7 PM, Aug 12 (Mon Night, tonight) to 6 AM, Aug 13
Eastbound Left Lanes closed
Eastbound ramp to SR 99 open – 1st Ave & 4th Ave ramps open7 PM, Aug 13 (Tue Night) to 6 AM, Aug 14
Eastbound Left Lanes closed
Eastbound ramp to SR 99 open – 1st Ave & 4th Ave ramps open7 PM, Aug 14 (Wed Night) to 6 AM, Aug 15
Eastbound Left Lanes closed
Eastbound ramp to SR 99 open – 1st Ave & 4th Ave ramps open7 PM, Aug 15 (Thur Night) to 6 AM, Aug 16
Eastbound Left Lanes closed
Eastbound ramp to SR 99 open – 1st Ave & 4th Ave ramps open7 PM-10 PM, Fri Aug 16
Eastbound Two Left Lanes closed
Eastbound ramp to SR 99 open – 1st Ave & 4th Ave ramps open10 PM, Aug 16 (Fri Night) to 5 AM, Aug 19 (next Monday_
All Eastbound Lanes closed
Westbound Single Left Lane closed
1st Ave ramp open – 4th Ave ramp open
Eastbound ramp to SR 99 open
Northbound 1-5 off ramp to westbound Spokane Viaduct closed; ramp to Lower Spokane Street remains open
This week’s schedule is also now on the project website.
The extensive discussion about the Alki Point Healthy Street in the past few years has focused almost entirely on its south stretch – Beach Drive from Alki Point to 63rd SW. Some of the “permanent” features installed on its north stretch – Alki Avenue from 63rd SW to the point – have led to a problem that multiple nearby residents have emailed us about.
The photo above, from Greg, was taken near the west end of the beach park. It shows a “no parking” sign at left – and cars parked past it, despite the “wheel stops” meant to reinforce the message. He explained that “people continue to park illegally, blocking the turnaround past 64th Place. 64th Place (which has many families with children) has now become an unsafe arterial. Even without cars parked illegally on Alki, most cannot make the tight radius turn and must back up. The most dangerous issue are those who don’t understand the traffic flow past the circle and they DRIVE in the bike lane.” Greg says he had reported it to the city without response before contacting us. So we took it to SDOT, whose spokesperson Ethan Bergerson tells us:
We are considering some adjustments to help address these concerns:
-There is currently a gap between the concrete wheel stops by the bike rack which is large enough for a vehicle to drive through or park. We could add another wheel stop to fill this gap and clarify this confusion.
-We are also considering moving the “Street Closed Ahead” sign to be more visible from a distance to drivers as they approach this cul-de-sac.
For a better view of the “cul-de-sac,” here’s a photo from Jennifer:
We’ll keep watch to see what happens.
(Admiral Way Bridges from Fairmount Avenue, via Google Maps Street View)
The Admiral Way Bridge earthquake-strengthening project is now in its fourth week. Work is primarily continuing under the bridge, where Fairmount Avenue is closed to all traffic until early next year. But some work is planned on the deck, as we’ve reported. Now, though, there’s a big change in the plan. Thanks to MJ for the tip on this – SDOT confirms that it is no longer planning two weekend-long full closures of the bridge. Lane closures are still planned (no official schedule yet).
11:43 AM: Washington State Ferries just issued an alert that the Triangle Route is down to one boat because of “mechanical issues” with M/V Kittitas. WSF says engineers are on board working on the problem(s); the ferry is moored at Vashon. This leaves M/V Kitsap alone on the route for now – watch its whereabouts here.
1:30 PM: WSF says the Kittitas is back in service.
Thanks for the tip! SDOT crews were out today working on some of the 10 new speed cushion/hump sets promised for the Alki/Harbor Avenue area. We found three now in place on Harbor – near Jack Block Park‘s main entrance (photo above), near Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), and near the West Bay Coffee drive-thru. We reported last Monday on the locations where the new speed humps/cushions are planned, shown on this map:
The ones now in place on Harbor are the easternmost ones shown on that map. The new Alki Avenue locations have been marked off; construction wasn’t supposed to start before tomorrow but impending rainy weather may have factored into the change of plan. The city hopes the added humps/cushions will reduce racing and other aggressive-driving problems; as per City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s Monday announcement, SDOT also is still planning some lane narrowing, and is considering whether anything can be done with the Duwamish Head angle-parking zone, which nearby residents want to see changed to reduce its appeal as a gathering spot.
Today’s El Mercadito pop-up shop and farmers’ market in South Park had special guests:
Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Councilmember Rob Saka, Metro general manager Michelle Allison, SDOT senior deputy director Francisca Stefan joined South Park community advocates, including members of the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, in celebrating this week’s launch of Metro Flex on-demand transit serving Delridge and South Park. While Metro is a county service, as we reported when the launch was announced two weeks ago, the Seattle Transit Measure is paying for the new service. That’s why both city and county reps spoke at Duwamish Waterway Park today – here’s what everyone had to say:
Harrell and Saka stressed that this is a boon for “underinvested” communities like Delridge and South Park.
Stefan said this is filling gaps in the transit network, and being able to get where you need to go “can be life-transforming.”
Allison said it’s about equity and flexibility as well as convenience, and reflects community voices.
One of those voices is that of South Park’s Ruby Montes De Oca, who said that additions like this are helping as “South Park is starting to shine with new hope”:
Metro Flex’s South Park/Delridge launch is the start of a two-year pilot. We asked Metro how the first week had gone; spokesperson Jeff Switzer said those numbers aren’t in yet but we might be able to get an update next week. They realize the word hasn’t gotten out widely yet and plan a new promotional campaign to ensure more hear about it. You can book a ride, in the service area, by calling 206-258-7739, using this website, or using this app. Here’s a peek inside one of the vans:
One of the places especially excited about Metro Flex is the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle – their location at 4705 W. Marginal Way SW isn’t on a bus route but Metro Flex can take you there! The service is available seven days a week, 6 am to 11 pm.
We first told you six months ago about Stu Hennessey‘s quest for a more “walkable Admiral” (District). He is a business owner in Admiral, proprietor of Alki Bike and Board, and walks the talk, not only on human-powered transportation, but also on other sustainability issues. Making Admiral more walkable would require some city changes, and Hennessey has launched a yard-sign campaign to get community support for them:
The QR code on the sign takes you to this page, which spells out the three proposals he introduced back in January:
Admiral and California All-Walk intersection. The biggest safety concern for pedestrians crossing the streets is the right turn on red. Is it wise to have cars and pedestrians using the same crossing?
Mid-block raised crossings between Lander and Admiral near the Safeway entrance at Menchie’s yogurt and between Admiral and College St. Specifically crossing to the Admiral Theatre. These crossings would eliminate one parking space and have a bulb out to the lane edge with flashing crossing signs.
Permanent closure for SW Lander St. between California Ave and 44th SW. This is an often-ignored one-way and daytime-temporarily-closed street that could be used for an emergency gathering point for Lafayette School, auto-free pickup of students, and a potential event space such as a farmers’ market.
The page also suggests emailing three city contacts – SDOT (68******@*****le.gov), Councilmember Rob Saka (ro******@*****le.gov), and Economic Development director Markham McIntyre (ma**************@*****le.gov)- to voice your support for a more walkable Admiral. Hennessey has a few spare yard signs for Admiral businesses, and flyers for posting in windows – stop by his shop (2606 California SW) to ask about those.
We’ve been reporting for two years on the SDOT plan for resurfacing work on the Spokane Street Viaduct – the West Seattle Bridge section east of the Highway 99 overpass – and today, they’ve announced the dates for the closures that’ll be needed to get the work done – both lane closures and full closures of one side of the roadway. SDOT says work will start “as soon as” next Monday (July 29):
This work will require multiple weekend closures of all eastbound travel lanes and one weekend closure of the westbound travel lanes. There will also be overnight closures of one or two lanes at a time on weeknights this summer and fall.
These closures are necessary to repair damaged pavement which is prone to potholes and “alligator skin” cracking. Crews will repave the bridge deck and apply a synthetic polymer sealant to the road surface to help ensure it remains in good condition over time. Crews will also make drainage improvements and bridge deck repairs on the westbound lanes.
Weekend Directional Closures (schedule subject to change):
10 PM Friday, August 2 to 5 AM Monday, August 5: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 9 to 5 AM Monday, August 12: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 16 to 5 AM Monday, August 19: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 23 to 5 AM Monday, August 26: All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane closed.
10 PM Friday, August 30 to 5 AM Tuesday, September 2: All westbound lanes closed.Weeknight Overnight Lane Reductions:
Crews will close one or two lanes at a time on weeknights between 10 PM and 5 AM starting as soon as July 29, 2024. These weeknight lane closures will continue through the summer and fall of 2024.
SDOT notes that the project “is funded by a $5 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Improvement Program, which is funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and then passed to WSDOT’s Local Bridge Program.” (We first reported on that grant two years ago.) That’s not the entirety of the funding, though, as we reported in June that Combined Construction won the project with a bid of $7.5 million.
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