West Seattle, Washington
25 Saturday
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:04 AM: Good morning! Welcome to the last day of the first week of the Viaduct closure. Since last Friday, the tunneling machine has dug 175 feet of the 385-foot distance it needs to go to be clear of the Viaduct’s underside – that’s the total as of about an hour ago.
5:19 AM: We’ve looked all around and so far this morning, no crashes or incidents. The big theme at yesterday’s briefing with city, county, and state traffic/transit reps was “don’t go back to your old ways” (as well as, thanks for what you’ve been doing to ease things so far).
5:40 AM: Still wide open out there. We’ll have someone out at Seacrest again this morning to see how the Water Taxi runs are going – usage has remained well above previous levels but with room for more. Here’s the schedule.
6:01 AM: The high bridge is starting to look busy. (Added) So does KING 5’s helicopter view of I-5 NB, just north of the West Seattle Bridge.
6:12 AM: Reminder if you didn’t catch our update last night – sometime today, between peak periods, SDOT will stripe the new crosswalk at Avalon/Yancy.
6:22 AM: Sunshine at the Water Taxi dock (and tomorrow’s forecast is even sunnier):
Our photo shows part of the line for the first sailing of the day, which we’re told had 100 on board, up from 95 yesterday. Meantime, scanner mentions some backup at Spokane/East Marginal Way (checking on whether that’s truck traffic for the port terminals). And thanks to Paul for today’s first commute report.
6:33 AM: The bridge backup is really kicking in.
6:56 AM: The 6:45 West Seattle Water Taxi run is down from the past few days, 137 passengers, just about half the capacity. On the bridge, it’s busy but not backed up to the Fauntleroy end yet.
7:02 AM: Heard a little more (via scanner) about Spokane/Marginal – it’s trucks backed up waiting to get into Terminal 46. Here’s the live camera view; here’s a screengrab from a moment ago:
Police are on scene making sure the intersection’s not blocked and monitoring for safety issues (busy bicycle route, among other things).
7:13 AM: Remember our discussion here the other day about cars cutting under the bridge and turning left onto Avalon just before the bridge ramp? Just heard a dispatch for SPD to check it out.
7:24 AM: 198 on the 7:15 am Water Taxi run, down about ten percent from yesterday. If you are heading out on land – the bridge is now in full backup mode.
7:30 AM: Via Twitter, Jeff reports, “Admiral backup back to Monday-Tuesday level. To the Stevens staircase.” Meantime, the low bridge is looking pretty busy – haven’t had a maritime opening since 5 am, but likely some high-bridge diversion. (The “live” view is atop this story.)
7:44 AM: Michael tweets, “Lower Spokane is the worst it has been during the closure.”
7:53 AM: 160 on the Water Taxi a few minutes ago, up one passenger from yesterday. Our crew at the dock says there are reports of shuttles getting caught in traffic (more than usual) so dropoff, bike, driving (free parking at Pier 2) might be better ways to go if you’re headed to Seacrest before the last morning-rush run at 9:15. Also, we’re continuing to get texts from people saying the truck backup on East Marginal is still affecting other surface vehicle traffic.
8 AM: Another Twitter report on the surface trip – from @aussieshed, “From south Delridge Way SW to east side of lower Spokane Bridge – 45 minutes…so far.”
8:35 AM: Like the traffic, the commute reports in comments pick up as the morning goes on, and Avalon is getting panned today. Our crew headed back from the Water Taxi dock about 15 minutes ago experienced it too. We’ll be on today’s conference call with WSDOT and SDOT to talk about tunneling and traffic, and will be asking about Avalon enforcement as well as about the truck backup on East Marginal.
8:42 AM: South Park Bridge has closed to surface traffic/opened for maritime traffic. Live camera’s here; screengrab for posterity’s sake:
8:50 AM: South Park Bridge is open to surface traffic again.
9:04 AM: Here’s the ongoing truck situation – live pic of E. Marginal/Hanford:
9:28 AM: Paul sent this photo of the bicycles on the 8:15 am Water Taxi:
And **now** it looks like the East Marginal truck backup is finally easing … at least a bit.
(Photo by Don Brubeck)
It’s not just the Viaduct closure that’s putting more people on pedals – Wednesday happened to be Bike to School Day, and Alki Elementary students led the way, as usual.
(This photo and next by Terry Kegel)
Not only did they have scenic rides to school, they had a bike rodeo too.
This year, May is being celebrated in our region as Bike Everywhere Month.
Heads up for tomorrow: The last major component of the 30th/Yancy/Avalon/Andover safety project is scheduled for tomorrow, NOT Friday as previously reported: SDOT says the crosswalk striping across Avalon will happen on Thursday, outside peak hours, the contractor promised the city. Pushbuttons for the flashing crossing beacons on both sides of Avalon are scheduled for installation tomorrow, too. The work at this multi-point intersection has been under way for more than a month.
Like lemonade? You’ll find it at more than half a dozen sale sites on West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day – now just ten days away.
Into vintage stuff? Lots of that.
Want to make music? One sale promises a piano; another, a pump organ.
Film fan? Old movie posters at one sale.
There are cat toys, dog toys, a saddle, a hand-carved rocking horse, a sale laden with “elephantiana” … Collectors’ items and art from a multitude of nations … Clothes, toys, gear for kids of all ages … Everything but the kitchen sink. Wait, one sale DOES HAVE a kitchen sink. Another will have a small clawfoot tub.
While doublechecking sale listings as our mapmaking process continues, we made notes of some of the most unusual items, and what you see above is still just a fraction … Saturday, May 14th, 9 am-3 pm (with a scattering of sales starting earlier and/or going later), is the big day, all over West Seattle. 330+ sales will be on the map when we publish it here and at westseattlegaragesale.com this Saturday, one week in advance of sale day. Sellers keep telling us they most enjoy meeting their neighbors; even if you just want to wander around near your neighborhood, you’re likely to have multiple choices. It’s the 12th year for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, ninth year that we at WSB are coordinating and promoting it. One week from Saturday … more countdown info tomorrow!
After three years of leading Alki Elementary School, principal Shannon Hobbs-Beckley has just announced she is leaving. Here’s the letter she sent to her school community (thanks to the person who forwarded it):
Three summers ago, I was enjoying the break between school years when I learned of the opportunity to apply for the role of principal at Alki Elementary. I was energized by the possibility of leading a school with highly skilled staff members, successful students and dedicated families, all within my own community. When I joined this school, it was to become a part of Alki. I am forever grateful that I took the risk to apply and that I was chosen as the next leader for the Alki community. Alki Elementary and this community are everything that I imagined; a school comprised of intelligent, innovative and hardworking teachers and staff members; brilliant, creative, joyful and persistent students; and active, informed, committed and supportive parents. It is a place where I feel inspired, challenged and proud.
It is with mixed emotions that I share with you my plan to leave Alki at the end of this school year. I am electing to seize a new and very different leadership opportunity than anything I have done before, either professionally or personally. I have accepted a leadership position at an American School in Brazil. My family and I are moving in mid-July and will begin working and attending school there right away. I am nervously anticipating acclimating to a new school, a new culture, a new language and a new way of life. I am also excited to experience the thrill of lifelong learning, the meaning of global citizenship and to grow as a person and an educator. I will carry each of you with me, in the warm memories of how honored I have been to serve you for the past three years.
As we work together to conclude this school year and lay plans for what lies ahead, I am confident that the Alki community will continue to thrive. We have worked hard to build a school characterized by collaboration, academic excellence, acceptance, compassion and positive outcomes for students. This is a school where staff, students and parents work together for the social, emotional, physical and intellectual development of each child. These traditions remain. Your unwavering commitment to the school, students, staff, and to one another will ensure that the mission of success and excellence for all students persists for many years to come.
The process for my replacement will commence immediately, as Alki looks forward to the next school year. We will keep you updated on the hiring process.
Thank you all for your kindness and support.
Warmly,
Shannon Hobbs-Beckley, Principal
Alki Elementary School
Hobbs-Beckley came to Alki from the Kent School District.
In case you hadn’t heard, or forgot, the annual GiveBIG donation drive for hundreds of nonprofits was extended through today because of technical glitches with the Seattle Foundation’s new donation software. So this is one last reminder – you have until midnight TONIGHT to give to participating organizations who will then be eligible for added “stretch” dollars. As usual, we made a list of local participants and their special donation links for the event – you’ll find it here.
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
4:05 PM: No incidents so far but we’re committed to having traffic/transit watch atop the page during peak commute times as the Viaduct closure continues, so here we go for Wednesday afternoon.
5:08 PM: Crash on the 1st Avenue South Bridge – Seattle Fire and Washington State Patrol are on the way. Don’t know which side yet. (Update – here’s the camera view.)
5:24 PM: If you haven’t seen it yet, we did cover today’s multi-department media briefing on how traffic’s going. (Have finally added the video, too.) Bottom line, they’re still urging you to continue whatever changes you’ve made, because they’re helping. And if you take the Water Taxi – consider shifting earlier or later so passenger loads are more spread out. Speaking of which, thanks to Ashley for this photo of the line for the 5:15 from downtown:
5:52 PM: Just in from Jeff Switzer at KCDOT, Water Taxi numbers:
199 riders at 4:45 pm, 221 riders at 5:15 pm
5:58 PM: The “low bridge” has just closed to surface traffic.
6:11 PM: And the bridge has reopened.
7:50 PM: Another tunneling update tonight from WSDOT – 162.5 feet along the under-Viaduct way, getting closer to the halfway mark. Here’s the full evening update, including an overview of pm traffic and transit.
(WSB photo)
If you were among the Admiral-area residents who noticed helicopters overhead at midday … no crime, no crash, just TV crews looking for an aerial view of what you see above: As reported here Tuesday, Seattle Parks sent this piece of heavy equipment called a Spyder to the slopes where news of illegal tree-cutting sparked an outcry back in March. As we first heard from City Councilmember Lisa Herbold on Tuesday, Parks decided to send the crew to clear away blackberry overgrowth and look for any further evidence of trees cut beyond the 100+ already estimated, while helping prep the site for “eventual restoration.” Otherwise, the city says the investigation continues; no charges so far. The work is expected to continue tomorrow.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:20 PM: Almost didn’t make it to today’s multi-department briefing on Viaduct-closure traffic … because of the traffic. The bridge was still backed up to the crest at 10:30 am, and 1st Avenue S. was bumper-to-bumper. First highlight, the daily late-morning tunneling update:
149 feet of the 385 to get the machine clear of the underside of the Viaduct. But, Dave Sowers of WSDOT told us and the other media at this morning’s briefing (held as usual on the downtown Water Taxi dock, because of the Viaduct backdrop), they don’t want to predict when they’ll be done with the under-the-Viaduct phase – let alone speculate on whether there’s any chance of finishing that sooner than the “about two weeks” timeframe. The ground remains stable around and over the machine, Sowers said, and everything “looks great.”
(From left, SDOT’s Jon Layzer, Metro’s Victor Obeso, WSDOT’s Dave Sowers)
No Seattle Tunnel Partners rep at this briefing (unlike the one via phone yesterday, which was focused on tunneling), since this was supposed to be about traffic and transit. We asked Victor Obeso from Metro if the afternoon problems headed this way were going to lead to any changes in the southbound routes that have been getting stuck behind trains at Lander. Short answer: No. Longer answer: They’re continuing to monitor and evaluate.
More to come in a bit. We also recorded it all on video so you can watch for yourself once we have it uploaded. (UPDATE: Here’s the video:)
ADDED 1:36 PM: Other toplines – unlike the Water Taxi, where passengers can be very precisely counted, other modes of travel can only estimate trends since the closure began. Bus usage in general is estimated to be up a single-digit percentage overall, Metro says, but they ran more than 70 extra trips the first three days. Sound Transit, 10 percent for light rail, 15 percent for Sounder trains. Something else that’s up: Jon Layzer of SDOT noted a big increase in “blocking incidents,” although deployment of Incident Response Teams and other people to help clear them has been helpful.
Anything they’ve learned so far that will be kept post-closure? he was asked. While he didn’t commit to anything, he did promise they would have an “after-action report” to look at such things.
(WSB photo from last month)
11:02 AM: Three weeks ago, much discussion was sparked by our report on the potential fate of a beachfront house just north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock and community-maintained Cove Park. A Seattle Parks rep had come to the monthly meeting of the Fauntleroy Community Association (which we routinely cover) to talk about a potential decision ahead: The house, purchased by the county for office and staging use during the now-concluded Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project, might be available to the city “almost free” in a trade involving right of way. Chip Nevins from Parks’ acquisition division promised there would be a community meeting before any decision was made. And today, we’ve confirmed that public meeting is set for Tuesday, May 24th, 6:30 pm, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (south end of historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, at 9131 California SW).
Even before confirming the meeting plan today with Parks – which says a formal announcement will go out later today – we got early word of it from neighbor Claudia, who has created a website about the site and the impending decision.
4:18 PM: Here’s the text of the official Parks flyer for the meeting, which we just received:
Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the community to learn about the opportunity, and first step in a process, to expand Cove Park through a land swap with King County. This property, 8923 Fauntleroy Way SW, with 35 feet of beacjfront property, is immediately to the north of Cove Park in West Seattle, which lies just to the north of the Fauntleroy Ferry dock. Seattle Parks and Recreation planner, Chip Nevins, will present the proposed project, answer questions and gather community input about the proposed trade.
In 2015 King County Wastewater Treatment Division finished the upgrade to the Barton Pump Station,
next to the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, to accommodate West Seattle’s growing population. As part of the
construction of the new pump station, King County acquired the property just to the north of SW Barton
Street, which was used as their temporary construction offices. Now that the project is finished, King
County no longer needs the property and is proposing to trade it to the City in exchange for the vacation of the portion of the SW Barton Street right-of-way where the pump station is constructed.Chip Nevins presented this idea to the Fauntleroy Community Association in April. Seattle Parks and
Recreation encourages the community to come to this meeting and learn about the proposal.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
From celebratory words about community, to concerns about the current city leadership’s attitudes toward business, much was said at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s annual Westside Awards breakfast, held this morning at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) on the downtown-facing waterfront.
(Evening update: Video clips and photos added, below)
Board chair Elizabeth Pluhta opened by explaining how the Chamber works to support local organizations. She works at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor), which with 1,000+ employees, she pointed out, is the largest employer in West Seattle. Attendees also heard from Chamber CEO Lynn Dennis.
Elected officials in attendance included City Councilmember Lisa Herbold and Port Commissioners Stephanie Bowman and John Creighton.
Those who were introduced started with the Business of the Year, C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), “sort of a landmark in West Seattle” as described by Nancy Woodland from WestSide Baby (which has a year-round diaper drive at C&P) in her introduction.
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:05 AM: Good morning! It’s the sixth day of the two-weeks-or-so Alaskan Way Viaduct closure. The state is now posting early-morning tunneling updates as well as late-morning and mid-evening, and as of this morning, the tunneling machine has gone 148 feet of the 380-foot stretch that will get it clear of the Viaduct’s underside.
If you are using the Water Taxi this morning, and driving to Seacrest, you have a new reason to try the Pier 2 parking, which still hasn’t been even half-utilized – there’s an added no-parking zone in the area, on the inland side of the street across from Don Armeni, ~20 or so spaces off-limits 8 am-5 pm for the next three weekdays for utility-related work on the project that’ll be at the ex-Alki Tavern site. There’s also a morning event in the area – the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s annual awards breakfast bringing ~200 to Salty’s (WSB sponsor).
5:32 AM: So far this morning, no incidents, and the bridges/roads are still relatively quiet. Transportation authorities are hoping you’re not going back to your regular departure time – stretching the commute across a wider timespan is key to getting through the closure period.
6:07 AM: Trouble on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry run – from WSF, “The 5:45 am sailing from Vashon (was) cancelled due to a shortage of Coast Guard documented crew. Replacements have been dispatched. The Issaquah will resume service with a late 6:10 am sailing from Fauntleroy.”
6:15 AM: The high bridge is all brake lights, as the camera view above shows.
6:20 AM: We’re checking in on the Water Taxi again this morning – here’s the first run leaving Seacrest:
95 passengers on this run (the 6:15 to downtown).
6:31 AM: If you’re using surface streets to head to the north side of downtown or beyond, be forewarned there’s a big fire response on 1st Avenue in Belltown (at Lenora) right now. (update) The call has been updated to Western/Lenora, where Western is closed off right now for the SFD response.
6:51 AM: 156 on the second Water Taxi run, up from 144 yesterday, but still leaving with 100+ empty seats. The bridge remains jammed. See the comments for some early bus reports. And if you have a question about how things are going traffic/transit-wise – please comment, or e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com – we’re going to this morning’s 11 am briefing downtown with reps from all the key departments and we’ll do our best to get an answer.
7:11 AM: Update on the Harbor Avenue parking situation mentioned earlier – Just heard from West Seattle architect Tim Rhodes, our contact on the project in the 1300 block Harbor, with whom we spoke yesterday after local resident Carolyn pointed out the new no-parking signs. He says, “Our project has agreed with SDOT to hold on the required utility investigation work on the west side of Harbor Avenue and do the work on weekends for the time being to lessen any impacts to the the street parking. We know that this will help the neighborhood with parking during this difficult viaduct closure.”
7:16 AM: Weather update – a little bit of drizzle.
7:38 AM: Admiral Way update from Jeff via Twitter:
@westseattleblog Admiral only backed up to City View right now. About half as far as last 2 days.
— Jeff Kusowski (@jjkusowski) May 4, 2016
Water Taxi update – 218 passengers on the 7:15 run.
7:48 AM: 159 on the 7:45 West Seattle-to-downtown Water Taxi run, substantially down from yesterday. Sorry we missed the alert on the low-bridge closure – according to @SDOTBridges (which remains linked atop this story so you can check it directly), it was closed to surface traffic 7:31-7:45 am.
8:16 AM: Washington State Ferries warns that Issaquah, on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run, is still half an hour behind. You can check on it via Vessel Watch. Meantime, as you can see in the cameras we feature above (refresh the page any time for the newest image), 1st and 4th are about as busy as the bridge. If you can go to work much earlier than usual, you’re probably in the best position to beat the jams until the Viaduct closure is over.
9:26 AM: The low bridge has closed to surface traffic.
9:39 AM: And now it’s open (to surface traffic) again.
How should our city handle its next 20 years of growth?
The 575-page proposed answer to that question is now public – the updated “comprehensive plan” proposed by Mayor Murray.
With the recommended plan’s release, it heads to the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee (whose members include our district’s Councilmember Lisa Herbold). This is the first major comprehensive-plan update since 2004. One of its key points is an echo of what happened a decade before that, in the city’s first such plan: “The urban village strategy is this Plan’s approach to managing growth. … The City intends for each of these areas to see more growth and change over time than other commercial locations or primarily residential areas, and together they will accommodate the majority of the city’s expansion during this Plan’s life span.”
The announcement from the mayor’s office – which you can see in its entirety here – includes:
Seattle 2035 includes goals and policies, including those that:
· Guide more future growth to areas within a 10-minute walk of frequent transit
· Continue the Plan’s vision for mixed-use Urban Villages and Urban Centers
· Monitor future growth in greater detail, including data about racial disparities
· Increase the supply and diversity of affordable housing consistent with the Mayor’s Housing Affordable Livability Agenda (HALA)
· Update how we measure the performance of the city’s transportation and parks systems
· Integrate the City’s planning for parks, preschool, transit, housing, transportation, City facilities and services
Our area has four urban villages – which are part of the list of neighborhoods in the section of the report that includes highlights from neighborhood plans. You can search that section for each of these:
Admiral
Delridge (not an urban village)
Morgan Junction
West Seattle Junction
Westwood/Highland Park
The plan spans many topics, from off-street parking to potential North Highline annexation. As the announcement observes, “Forecasts suggest that over the next twenty years, Seattle will need to accommodate 70,000 additional housing units, 120,000 more residents, and 115,000 additional jobs.” This would set a framework for doing that. The plan “and related legislation” will go to the PLUZ Committee later this month, the announcement says. The comments that went into it were gathered in a variety of ways, including meetings like this one in West Seattle last November.
Soccer player(s) in the family? Two notes tonight – first, about an open training session tomorrow for one group of potential Premier players, and second, tryouts next week for two groups of potential Select players. First:
The Highline Soccer Association (HSA) currently represents more than 4,000 youth soccer players from the communities of Des Moines/Midway, Sea-Tac, West Highline, and West Seattle. The Association is made up of two Recreational Soccer Clubs (the West Seattle Soccer Club and the Highline Soccer Club), a Premier Soccer Club (the Highline Premier Football Club), and a Select Soccer Program (HSA Select).
Highline Premier FC, the highest level of training in the HSA, is hosting an open training session tomorrow, May 4, from 6-7:30 pm, at Walt Hundley Field in West Seattle, for boys born in 2007/08. Families with boys in this age group are encouraged to come out for a kick around, meet the coaches, ask the managers questions about the club, and let the boys have some fun and test their skills. For more information, contact Jessica Pierce at 206-200-8333.
Meantime, the HSA Select program continues its tryouts next week. On Monday (May 9th), girls born in 2004 try out 5-6:30 pm at Walt Hundley, where boys born in 2003 and 2004 try out 6:30-8 pm that same night. Full details on the tryouts can be found here, including how to register for tryouts.
Walt Hundley field is at 34th SW/SW Myrtle in High Point.
That photo is from Nancy, one of two smashed-in vehicle windows she noticed at Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area late today. We’ve had other reader reports lately, and the SPD crime-report map shows nine car-prowl reports in the general Westcrest vicinity in the past month, though that’s likely an undercount, since some don’t report it and some file online, which takes a while to work through the system. While an SPD “car-prowl prevention” one-sheet mentions calling 911, Nancy says today’s victims tried that and were pointed to the non-emergency line, where they gave up while waiting (as we’ve been reporting, the call center has fewer 911 lines while renovations are under way and calltakers are in temporary quarters).
Don’t leave anything in your car; you might not be as “lucky” as one recent victim, whose backpack and wallet were stolen from her car – also via window-smashing – while she was walking her dogs; the backpack was found tossed aside at 14th and Barton, according to the finder, who contacted us while trying to locate the owner. The victim told the finder that hundreds of dollars were run up on the cards in her wallet before she got them canceled.
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
4 PM: The return trip is already under way – this update came in via Twitter a few minutes ago:
@westseattleblog already a back up on Lander to 1st FYI…..been on it for about 12 min, jerking fwd foot by foot.
— Kate Lang (@katja71) May 3, 2016
Other notes as we start the pm-commute coverage:
–Tunnel contractor tells media on conference call that the under-Viaduct tunneling is “going very well” (our story includes drone video inside tunnel and machine)
-All sides of 30th/Yancy/Avalon intersection are open; SDOT says crews will be back Friday to stripe the new crosswalk, likely midday & short-term
-Added no-parking zone on Harbor, inland side of street, mostly across from Don Armeni, next three days 8 am-5 pm, attributed to construction company (working to find out more – thanks to Carolyn for the tip – UPDATE: Project rep says it’s “utility investigation” work that has to be done before they can finally get a demolition permit for the ex-Alki Tavern-and-vicinity site)
5:02 PM: Crash at 37th/Andover is blocking Andover both ways, per scanner. Also, there’s a fire alarm – but no fire visible, per arriving SFD crews – at 3250 Avalon Way.
6:35 PM: Commenters are still reporting delays with the southbound bus reroutes on Lander. We’ll be asking about that at tomorrow’s megabriefing downtown with reps from the county, state, and city, regarding how traffic/transit is going. Meantime, some numbers from this afternoon’s Water Taxi runs from downtown to West Seattle, via the KCDOT – a capacity run at 5:15 again:
Preliminary ridership for peak commute Tuesday evening, leaving Pier 50:
4:45 pm: 191 riders (last Tuesday was 51)
5:15 pm: 278 riders (1 did not board) (Last Tuesday was 101)
5:45 pm: 186 riders (last Tuesday was 60)
8:32 PM: Latest progress report on tunneling – 131 of the 380 feet it’ll take to get to the point where they’ll reopen the Viaduct. Here are the details as well as traffic recaps from the afternoon/evening.
Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, A Child Becomes Preschool. Here’s what they’d like you to know about who they are and what they do:
We have been educating preschoolers in the Admiral area of West Seattle since 1989. We’ve evolved from a small in home school to three age-specific classrooms that support students ages 2 1/2 – 3, 3 – 4, and 4 – 5. We approach teaching and learning with a child-centered philosophy knowing that preschoolers operate on a wide continuum as they develop skills and stretch their cognitive abilities. We believe this time is critical in a child’s educational journey as skills that are built during these years will carry them onto successes throughout a lifetime.
A Child Becomes Preschool creates a warm and nurturing learning environment that is mindful of each student’s unique qualities and focuses on building social and emotional skills like self-regulation, trust, empathy, and conflict resolution. Our program uses themes that integrate science and social studies into the curriculum. These themes carry through play, literacy, experimentation, art, and song as students develop cognitive and reasoning skills.
We pride ourselves on hiring and maintaining highly qualified teachers who teach from the heart, understand the importance of emotional intelligence, and continue to evolve in their education with ongoing study in early childhood development. We love what we do!
A Child Becomes Preschool offers summer camps for both preschool- and school-age students. These camps are a continuation of our learning philosophies and most importantly make learning fun!
If you’re interested in preschool for your child, call our office to schedule a tour – 206-932-4642. You can register now online for summer camps.
We are members of Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we offer: www.achildbecomes.org
We thank A Child Becomes Preschool for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Two notes today on the investigations of illegal tree-cutting in north West Seattle’s Duwamish Head Greenbelt:
(March photo by WSB’s Christopher Boffoli)
35TH SW ‘CLEAR-CUT’ SITE: No word of charges against anyone yet, but City Councilmember Lisa Herbold shared an alert that there will be “activity” the next two days at the site off the 3200 block of 35th SW, where cutting apparently done in January came to light in March. She says, “As part of the City’s investigation into the cutting of City trees near 3200 35th Ave SW, a contractor will remove blackberry bushes from the site on May 4th and 5th. The removal should reveal whether there are additional stumps, and will also help prepare the site for eventual restoration.”
ADDED 10:12 PM: Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter provided a few more details, saying the contractor “… will bring a large machine called a Spyder to the site of the trees cut … A crew from Kemp West will use the machine to clear the dense blackberries from the site. … The City’s investigation of the incident continues.” The work could start as early as 7 am.
(back to original report) SUNSET/SEATTLE SITE: As first reported here last Friday, the city also is investigating illegal tree-cutting on a Parks-owned slope beneath a popular unofficial roadside viewpoint. The investigation came to light because of a letter sent to area residents, asking if they had information on the cutting, believed to have been done in February. We subsequently had asked Parks how many trees they believe were cut; spokesperson Christina Hirsch now tells WSB that they’re expecting the number after a city arborist visits the steeply sloped site this week for an assessment.
(Added: Newly released WSDOT video recorded by a drone inside the tunnel and tunneling machine)
12:06 PM: “Tunneling is going very well.” So said Chris Dixon of Seattle Tunnel Partners, the state’s contractor on the Highway 99 tunnel, during a media conference call wrapped up a short time ago. He said there’s been no problems – “no adverse effects, no settlement, no movement” either with the machine or with the ground through which it’s tunneling and the first Viaduct “bent” under which it’s gone. As for the distance they’ve gone – 117 feet so far, of the 380 that will get them to the other side of the Viaduct’s underside – he said it’s about what they’ve expected. We’ll have full details in a bit.
12:30 PM: More details from the call: They’ve now mined 17 “rings” since leaving “Safe Haven 3,” the stop before going under the Viaduct. The “bent” under which the machine has gone is numbered 98W – “W” for west, and it’s now under 97W, with 96E next, “the column in the intersection of Yesler and Alaskan Way … after we pass that, (they go under) 95E, the foundation on the east side.” The next one is the one to which the machine gets within 15 feet, as much mentioned prior to this phase of tunneling. They’re expecting to average about 4 rings a day but Dixon warned not to be alarmed if a day shows less progress than that, because they are stopping the machine here and there along the way for maintenance and for replenishment of the soil conditioners they’re using while moving ahead – the first day of this phase was 1 ring, then three on the 30th, seven on the 1st, and six yesterday.
Its average speed, Dixon said, is 30 millimeters per second, with the capacity to go twice that fast, and indeed they expect to go faster once the machine is past this phase – averaging six rings a day in the next phase. In response to another question, he stressed again, “we’re right where we anticipated we would be.” And he said they’re far enough out of “Safe Haven 3” that there’s no longer any concern of a sinkhole or other disturbance atop that area.
No traffic updates, since this focus was on the tunneling itself, but WSDOT did say, don’t get complacent and go back to your old ways – “please find different ways to be out there ‘off peak’.”
P.S. We’ll again have special afternoon/evening commute coverage here on WSB, starting around 4 pm. In the meantime, the commute conversation continues in comments following our Tuesday morning coverage.
For the rest of your Tuesday – highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and inbox:
DINE OUT FOR HUNGER: As mentioned in our look at West Seattle and White Center beneficiaries of today’s GiveBIG, you can help the White Center Food Bank by going to four WC food establishments – Full Tilt Ice Cream, Noble Barton, Proletariat Pizza, Zippy’s Giant Burgers – that are donating part of their proceeds today. Go here for details before deciding where to go!
DINE OUT FOR BASEBALL: 6-9 pm tonight, eat at Talarico’s in The Junction and part of the proceeds will help the West Seattle High School baseball team. (4718 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE BIKE CONNECTIONS: 6:30 pm at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, it’s your monthly chance to get involved with the local bicycle-advocacy group. (41st SW/SW Alaska)
BICYCLE COMMUTING 101 FOR WOMEN: West Seattle Cyclery has a session 7:30-8:30 tonight, followed by a test ride on Saturday morning, 8 am-10 am. Topics will include:
• Rider Safety
• How to get downtown
• What to wear
• What gear to take
• Basic bike maintenance
Free, at WS Cyclery in The Junction, followed by another session and test ride next week. (4508 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE QUILTERS: 7 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle. (California SW/SW Oregon)
MORE … on our full calendar!
(Video by Rick R)
That’s reader video of a gray whale seen off Brace Point this morning – likely the same whale that was moving slowly through the center of Puget Sound last Saturday. As Robin Lindsey of the Seal Sitters Marine Stranding Network reported, authorities went out to assess that whale’s health on Saturday, but they have yet to make a statement on what they found. This time of year, gray whales still in Puget Sound might be ailing and/or hungry. One died off north Vashon last month. The reader who sent the video and photo this morning said the whale was heading slowly north toward the Fauntleroy ferry dock at the time.
We have since heard from someone who saw it off Lincoln Park. Updates if and when we get them – and if you are out on the water, remember that you have to stay at least 100 yards away.
(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
5:04 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Day 5 of the two-weeks-or-so closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct while the Highway 99 tunnel machine goes beneath it. Our expanded morning-commute coverage starts with some numbers:
–106 feet: How far the tunneling machine has gone as of about an hour ago, since its restart last Friday
–2,047 bicycle trips: New record for the counter on the low bridge, set yesterday as of 5:45 pm, 200 more than the old record on 5/14/15 per Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections
–1,189 West Seattle Water Taxi riders: Morning commute total Monday, more than triple the previous Monday’s ridership. (Still lots of room at the Pier 2 park-and-ride lot, so try it if you need parking! – info here.)
5:21 AM: If you have been using I-5 northbound *south* of the West Seattle Bridge, this is NOT the time to do it – big emergency response at Albro for a rollover crash [traffic cam here] blocking the two center lanes.
6 AM: That crash has now cleared to the shoulder, but – again, this is SOUTH of the West Seattle Bridge, so it won’t affect you if you’re going to NB I-5 *from* the bridge – miles of backup will take a while to clear. No other incidents in this area so far in the early going.
6:22 AM: As we’ve seen the past two weekday mornings, the (high) bridge is getting busier earlier. General advice from commenters’ commute stories has been to time-shift. Meantime, we just heard from co-publisher Patrick Sand at Seacrest – no number yet for the 6:15 am West Seattle Water Taxi run due to some communication problems but they’ve put out cones to improve the line organization:
6:29 AM: 125 for the first Water Taxi run, up from 87 yesterday.
6:53 AM: The high bridge is in full-usage mode. The Water Taxi’s 6:45 run had 144 people, only two more than yesterday. Also just in, a new final count for Monday bicycle trips across the low bridge – 2,525. (Check our daily calendar preview around 9:30 am for your next chance to get training, if you’re thinking about trying bike commuting soon.)
7:03 AM: Scanner reports “3- or 4-vehicle collision at 3261 Avalon Way,” police and medics en route. That’s just east of 35th. If you’re on a bus or otherwise in passenger mode and go by, please let us know what you see.
7:09 AM: Jennifer reports “nothing there,” which explains why the SFD callout has already closed.
7:24 AM: 208 riders for the 7:15 am Water Taxi run, down a bit from yesterday’s 221. They’re working to speed things up in a variety of ways – not just line organization as mentioned earlier but also sending staffer with ORCA Card reader down the line while people wait:
Thanks to the texter who sent us an informal count from on board in case we didn’t get an official one!
7:40 AM: 1st Avenue South is “congested” per scanner – we’re listening to SPD discussions of logistics to try to address traffic trouble spots while the Viaduct closure continues. They’re describing 4th Avenue NB as looking “real good,” meantime.
7:54 AM: 192 on the Water Taxi run at 7:45, down twenty from yesterday.
8:03 AM: Avalon trouble reports: For one, @allonsy says there’s a “broken-down C Line at 35th and Avalon.” A little further north/east, we’ve had reports of cars in the bus-only lane. And Chris sent this photo from the Luna Park area:
Chris explained, “In the picture you can see people making illegal left turns by Luna Park Café. This is a problem for people who have been waiting in traffic legally. While waiting in the queue I saw at least 20 cars cut in front.” Via Twitter, the SDOT Traffic Ops Center says they’ll make sure SPD knows Avalon might be in need of enforcement.
8:22 AM: 177 for the 8:15 Water Taxi run, only two-thirds of what it was yesterday.
8:48 AM: 4th Avenue has slowed down considerably, according to reports we’re hearing. So if you’re leaving late and headed that way, allow extra time.
8:50 AM: 134 on the Water Taxi run that’s under way now, up from 120 yesterday. We’re leaving the dock but our commute watch continues.
9:07 AM: From the scanner – stalled vehicle on the eastbound bridge before the 4th Avenue exit. A tow truck is en route.
9:14 AM: The “low bridge” (Spokane St. Swing Bridge) has just closed to surface traffic so vessel traffic can get through, first closure this morning.
9:42 AM: The bridge closure is over.
(UPDATE: Due to technical trouble with the Seattle Foundation’s new site earlier, GiveBIG is extended until midnight Wednesday night)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:56 AM: Until midnight tonight, your donation(s) to local nonprofits can go further during the Seattle Foundation‘s annual GiveBIG event.
If you’ve donated on GiveBIG day in the past – this is important: This year, they’ve changed how it works, if you want to help multiple organizations/groups – instead of going to multiple individual special donation pages, just go here and add as many recipients and donations as you want, and the total payment will be a single transaction.
But you CAN go to individual pages – the GiveBIG-specific donation links (not the same links as years past) for the locally helping/locally based organizations on the official list are below. If we’re missing anyone in WS/WC, please e-mail editor@westseattleblog.com and we’ll add.
· Alki United Church of Christ
· Arts Corps
· ArtsWest
· Association of Latino Professionals For America
· Blue Earth Alliance
· Camp Fire Central Puget Sound
· Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association
· Denny-Sealth Performing Arts
· Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group
· Duwamish Rowing Club
· Duwamish Tribal Services
· Empower Mentoring Program
· Environmental Coalition of South Seattle
· Explorer West Middle School
· Fauntleroy Children’s Center
· FEEST
· Free2Luv
· Friends of All-City Band
· Friends of the Animals Foundation
· Furry Faces Foundation
· Gender Diversity
· Highland Park Elementary PTA
· Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence
· Holy Rosary Parish School
· Irish Reels Film Festival
· Killer Whale Tales
· King County Library System Foundation
· Kol HaNeshamah
· Legal Counsel for Youth and Children
· Navos
· Northwest Center
· Opera On Tap Seattle
· Our Lady of Guadalupe School
· Plumbers Without Borders
· Pongo Publishing
· Providence Mount St. Vincent Foundation
· Reel Grrls
· SafeFutures Youth Center
· Seattle Adaptive Sports
· Seattle Glee Clubs
· Seattle Green Spaces Coalition
· Seattle People of Color Salon
· Seniors Creating Art
· Shine Bright
· South Seattle College Foundation
· Southwest Seattle Historical Society
· Southwest Youth and Family Services
· STAGEright
· STEM K-8 PTA
· Technology Access Foundation
· The Cabiri
· The Kenney Foundation
· The Mission to Seafarers – Seattle
· The Nature Consortium
· The Phffft Company
· the Service Board
· The Village of Hope
· The Whale Trail
· Totem Star
· Transitional Resources
· Twelfth Night Productions
· Vivace Chamber Players
· West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network (link takes you to Seattle Neighborhood Group; write WSBWCN in the comments)
· West Seattle Community Orchestras
· West Seattle Food Bank
· West Seattle Helpline
· WestSide Baby
· Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation
· Wheelchairs for Nigeria
· Whit Press
· White Center Community Development Association
· White Center Emergency Food Association [WC Food Bank]
· YES Foundation of White Center
· YMCA of Greater Seattle [then write in West Seattle to designate for local Y]
· Young Shakespeare Workshop
Again, you can also go here and start entering organizations’ names – if they’re part of GiveBIG, they’ll show up in the dropdown, and if you want to donate to more than one, just use the button on the form to keep adding.
P.S. At least one special event locally as part of GiveBIG – you can support the White Center Food Bank (which is in the GiveBIG system as the White Center Emergency Food Association) via Dine Out For Hunger, with four popular WC spots donating part of today’s proceeds – info here.
ADDED 4:26 PM: GiveBIG has now extended until midnight Wednesday night, after tech trouble with the Seattle Foundation’s new website led to slowness and crashing. Meantime, we’re adding a few more local nonprofits who’ve let us know they belong on our list.
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