West Seattle, Washington
24 Tuesday
Just in from Patrick the Sales Guy – the Trenton (north) entrance to Westwood Village is closed for asphalt work, so if you’re going to WV, you need to use the east or south entrances.
Looks like the SLUT won’t have a sib on this side of the bay. The formal briefing’s later today, and we can’t find the docs online, but the citywide papers say the latest lineup of future streetcar routes does NOT include one for West Seattle. (Previous WSB coverage here, from three months ago when a WS line was in the running.)
4:13 PM UPDATE: As you can see in the traffic-cam shot below, looks like the crunch is easing:
ORIGINAL REPORT: The westbound commute may be a mess well into the formal start of rush hour. Just talked to Peg Nielsen at SDOT; she says it’ll be another half-hour or so till all the bricks and debris a truck spilled on the westbound high bridge at the high rise are cleared — here are photos of the truck (first one thanks to Josh Sutton from the West Seattle YMCA, another sponsor turned tipster; second one thanks to WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, who cameraphoned it while driving by):
With traffic already backed up all the way to I-5, that means a real commute crunch. She says the low bridge problem briefly reported earlier this afternoon IS FIXED, so you can try the low bridge, or take 99 south past The Bridge and double back through White Center. We’ll keep you updated. Here’s the view westbound at the trouble spot:
Thanks to Rhonda Porter of The Mortgage Porter (WSB sponsor) for the tip: Accident on the westbound high bridge, west side of the rise, apparently involving a truck that lost its load. You can see the backup from this SDOT camera pointing east:
3:06 PM EYEWITNESS UPDATE FROM WSB TEAM MEMBER: What the truck spilled was a load of bricks, so the cleanup’s taking a while. The westbound backup goes all the way back to the exit from I-5.
Just found this in a city traffic advisory:
The March of Dimes March for Babies will occur on Sunday, May 4, with as many as 10,000 walkers participating. The northbound lanes of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed to traffic from 9 to 11 a.m. The march will begin at Qwest Field at 10 a.m., move south on Occidental Avenue South to South Royal Brougham Street, west on Royal Brougham to First Avenue South, north on First onto the northbound lanes of the SR-99 Alaskan Way Viaduct, and north on the viaduct to approximately the Western Avenue off-ramp. Then they will make a u-turn and move back to Qwest field along the same route.
A member of Team WSB reports a stalled car on the eastbound high bridge is starting to slow things down. It’s stalled “roughly even with Nucor” so the Fauntleroy approach will be most affected.
While over near High Point a short time ago, we detoured to see if the 34th/Morgan crosswalk promised by the city — after a long fight by neighbors and pedestrian-safety advocates — was in place yet. As the photo above shows, we discovered the SDOT crew is on the scene right now painting the stripes. This is the same spot where our video report in January documented the dangerous situation for kids headed to West Seattle Elementary (a few blocks south on 34th) and for their crossing guard. The city noted in this WSB update 2 weeks ago that this is a “temporary” crosswalk, but those who have long wanted it are cheering for it nonetheless. Perhaps no coincidence, it should be done just in time for a walk-to-school event later this week. 4:05 PM ADDITION: City Councilmember Nick Licata, who visited High Point a few months back to look at some of the pedestrian-safety concerns, has just launched a website devoted to the topic, although if you’ve got any of the types of photos he’s talking about, send them to us too, since our turnaround time’s an awful lot quicker.
The city just sent out a traffic alert about three May Day marches tomorrow that might affect you even though they’re not in West Seattle – particularly if you use Alaskan Way or East Marginal Way – so we’re passing it along:Read More
Just passed a massive backup on the eastbound high bridge – radio report says it’s a car vs. motorcycle crash, nobody hurt but even as we saw the fire and police units just rushing to the scene about 10 minutes ago, the backup was already all the way to the 35th/Fauntleroy entrance. Not sure if Delridge/Admiral onramps are any better so if you have to use The Bridge, try alternate routes or just try waiting. Here’s the city cam looking westward over the eastbound backup (refresh this page for the newest image)
8:18 AM UPDATE: Radio report says the vehicles are now off to the side but the backup will persist a while.
Two things about that photo of the south side of Barton, alongside Roxhill Park across from Westwood Village, are notable — what you see, and what you don’t see. What you do see: Shiny new “4-Hour Parking” signs, as promised to the Westwood Neighborhood Council and other activists (here’s our report from earlier this month; there also had been an update last month when we covered the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting). What you don’t see, as a result of the new signs: The makeshift used-car-sales lot (and RV park) eyesore and safety risk that this stretch had been (note the empty space in our photo – we pulled over just past the Metro bus parking zone on the west edge of the block).
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
We just checked in with Austin Pratt — regional bridge commander for the U.S. Coast Guard — to find out why the proposal to ban most openings of The Low Bridge during rush hours still hasn’t gone to official publication, and therefore public comment. We first told you about this last month — West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen‘s push for the restrictions to ease traffic troubles (March 3 WSB report), then the Coast Guard’s role in proposing and reviewing it (March 6 WSB report). As Pratt explained at the time, the proposal must be published in the Federal Register, and that launches a 60-day formal comment period and 30-day review period before a decision can be made; he was hoping that comment period would have started by now, but getting to the FR publication stage (which also will be reported in the USCG’s “Local Notice for Mariners“) required a series of approvals, and he told us a few minutes ago, “It’s on the Admiral’s desk today.” Barring any further delays, that means the comment period should finally open within a couple weeks; we will keep watch and let you know when it starts and how to make sure your voice is heard (which, as we reported last month, will require including the official “docket number” in your comment).
That photo, and report #1, from Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Mark Ahlness:
It’s finally happening! The sidewalk on the south side of SW 104th next to Arbor Heights Elementary School is almost finished. Many thanks to the Arbor Heights PTSA, who have worked for several years with the city to make this happen!
The Arbor Heights sidewalk project was first mentioned here last November.
Report #2: As Manuel noted in his e-mail, the issue he is following isn’t technically in West Seattle, but certainly affects a lot of WS drivers “who use South Spokane Street to go to Costco or work.” He continued:
I wrote SDOT inquiring about the poor condition of the concrete panels at the railroad crossings down there. Over time they sunk several inches, and drivers had to slow way down. They have since fixed the eastbound panels, but the westbound panels are currently pretty bad. Anyway, just passing along a well-thought-out response from our city.
Read on for the full text of the response that Manuel received and forwarded:Read More
Just in from the city Transportation Department:
A contractor for a private development will close the 2100 block of Bonair Drive SW in West Seattle to traffic next week to repair the roadway. The street will be closed between Alki Avenue SW and Halleck Avenue SW (map) for four to five days. Drivers will need to use an alternate route.
We asked the staff of West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine for some info-bits to add to our Elliott Bay Water Taxi countdown, and here’s one for starters — Take a close look at this year’s schedule; the “maintenance break” gap at midmorning is gone; King County staff worked with Argosy to shorten the time needed, so there’s now a 9:30 boat from Seacrest and a 10:30 boat from Pier 55. (The Water Taxi starts its season on Sunday; rides are free all day and there’s a celebration from noon-2 pm.)
One more event we’re counting down to – opening day for the Elliott Bay Water Taxi a week from tomorrow. (Full schedule here, including details on the opening-day festivities.) Rides are free all day that day, but for subsequent trips, there’s a coupon for a freebie on a postcard from West Seattle’s King County Councilmember Dow Constantine that’s landing in (postal) mailboxes now (we just got ours).
People returning home tonight from work to the Alki neighborhood along and around SW Stevens and 59th/60th environs will notice many new markings like that (as well as the word “locate”) on the curbs near driveways and corners, thanks to a city Transportation Department worker who was out there, wielding a can of white spray paint, this morning.
This is a busy parking street about to get busier, with the sign in the photo above heralding a teardown we’ve mentioned before, five units going up in its place, directly across 59th from Alki Elementary/Playground/Playfield. But the city marking project — delineating the areas around driveways/corners that must be kept clear — is the first step toward getting cars out of some illegal spaces on the street, for safety’s sake:Read More
Last night we published a letter on which we were cc’d, from Denise Sharify of High Point’s Neighborhood House, regarding some long-fought-for High Point-area pedestrian-safety improvements that are apparently finally on the way. This afternoon, we got the official details from SDOT communications boss Rick Sheridan and wanted to share that with you too:Read More
34th & Morgan is the High Point intersection – on the way to West Seattle Elementary – where we caught this school-crossing close call on video in January:
Neighborhood leaders and pedestrian-safety advocates have been trying to get that situation improved for a long time; in the story that originally accompanied that clip, we detailed some of their concerns. Then on April 1st, we told you about Denise Sharify, who works in High Point for Neighborhood House, pleading with the City Council’s Pedestrian Safety Committee to take action; we followed up the next day. Now tonight, we just got cc’d on this letter she wrote to them:
Dear Mr. Licata, Ms. Drago, Ms Clark, Mr. Conlin and Mr. Burgess:
I was walking to High Point this afternoon and discovered that Jim Curtin of SDOT was measuring this intersection for a temporary crosswalk. New student crossing signs will also be moved to appropriate locations. Two new signs to restrict parking were installed last week and Leah, the crossing guard reported that it is making a big difference for pedestrians and drivers. In addition, Mr. Curtin informed me that the half traffic light at 35th and Raymond will be changed to a full traffic light which is desperately needed.
I cannot thank you enough for you support and your commitment to making our pedestrians safer in this neighborhood. We will invite you to a celebration after the crosswalk is painted (and when the weather is nice).
Thank you very much,
Denise Sharify
Jim Curtin is the newly reassigned SDOT “community traffic liaison” who was part of the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership briefing we covered two nights ago. (The 35th/Raymond light upgrade is mentioned in that report; that addresses some of the challenges Councilmember Nick Licata witnessed firsthand during a High Point tour with Sharify and others [WSB video coverage here].)
Here’s the West Seattle version; unveiled today to accompany a mayoral news conference. (Some of what’s on the map is featured in our report from last night’s WSCSP meeting.)
On our way to tonight’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting at the Southwest Precinct, we spotted that radar-powered speed sign along westbound Morgan, just west of 40th, where people barrel down the hill toward Fauntleroy/California (we only registered 7 mph because we had to slow down for the photo!). This was a timely sighting because most of the WSCSP meeting was about this type of solution to some of West Seattle’s traffic problems — the method the experts refer to as “traffic calming” — here’s some of what’s in store, and where:Read More
Two weeks ago, at the contentious Alki Community Center meeting (WSB coverage from that night is here) about the proposed sidewalk project along an area consisting mostly of the north side of Alki Ave’s west end (shown above), one citizen asked city reps what kind of process would be needed to stop the project. The city promised to check into it, but had no quick answer because they’d never been asked to cancel this type of citizen-initiated (background here) project before. We just checked with Seattle Transportation Department communications boss Rick Sheridan to see if they’d come up with the answer. Short version — no; he tells WSB, “We are having internal discussions about it, but no formal decision has been made yet.” Meantime, Sheridan says feedback from the meeting and “other sources” is being processed, and adds, “In the near term, we will proceed with the project’s design while continuing to work with adjacent property owners and the community.” By the way, the presentation from the 4/2 meeting is available online now (see it here), with the various options the city presented, including a one-way alternative that pretty much died on the spot that night. And if you have feedback about the Alki sidewalk project, SDOT’s Sandra (Sam) Woods is the person to e-mail, sandra.woods@seattle.gov is her address.
HOW’S THE CITY SPENDING YOUR MONEY? The Bridging the Gap Citizen Oversight Committee is having its quarterly meeting tonight in West Seattle, 6:30 pm @ Youngstown Arts Center. Read more about the committee and the meeting here. They keep an eye on how the city is spending the money from the BTG levy.
“TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT” QUESTIONS? IDEAS? Luke Korpi, senior engineer with the city Transportation Department, is the guy to ask/tell – and tonight, he’s the guest at the West Seattle Community Safety Partnership monthly meeting, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge & Webster, east of Home Depot). This is also the monthly meeting attended by key police personnel from SWP with briefings on West Seattle crime trends and opportunities for you to tell/ask them about concerns in your neighborhood.
As discussed here a week and a half ago, not everybody wants a free street tree from the city. But a few people in that comment thread DID say “hey! we do!”, so in that spirit, we are passing along this SDOT announcement that just landed in the WSB inbox:Read More
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