West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
Tomorrow afternoon, as previewed here, the Sound Transit Board is expected to adopt a realignment plan – potentially delaying West Seattle light rail. 
Supporters of a transit alternative – a gondola system – have been trying to convince ST to seriously consider it as an alternative for the West Seattle spur of the system. They say a gondola line, which they call West Seattle SkyLink, could be built faster and cheaper than light rail between SODO and The Junction. So now they’re collecting signatures on an online petition with this request:
We ask Sound Transit to immediately commission gondola experts to conduct a technical engineering study on using a gondola as the West Seattle connection to the Link light rail spine.
We further ask the Sound Transit Board to use the results of the study to compare the gondola to light rail alternatives in reaching a determination on the best way to connect West Seattle to Link.
The gondola concept has been discussed for a few years, but the organized campaign under the name West Seattle SkyLink really revved up around the first of the year; we first talked with advocates in January. ST says it considered gondolas (see page 35) while planning ST3; SkyLink supporters think the transit agency should take another look. If you’re interested in signing their petition, see it here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Much of what was presented during the second meeting of the Community Advisory Group for the Fauntleroy ferry terminal replacement project was procedural – more about how information would/should be presented to them, than about the information itself.
One big exception: Group members got their first look at the Preliminary Purpose and Need Statement for the project – Washington State Ferries‘ rationale for why it believes this project is necessary. Here are the six slides laying that out:
Another road-work alert for the week ahead. This is part of the preparations for converting Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line next year, but it’s not part of the project on Delridge Way itself – that one is being done by a city-hired contractor, and this involves a county-hired contractor. After a reader tip that 26th SW work was beginning, we asked Metro for info, and here it is – repaving 26th SW south of Westwood Village, where buses are blamed for myriad paving woes:
Metro’s contractors, Walsh Construction, have already begun upgrades for RapidRide H Line at 25th Avenue SW and SW Barton Street (bus stop improvements) and at the intersection of 15th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street (road and pedestrian improvements) in the Westwood Village area. Starting as early as Wednesday, Aug. 4, Walsh will begin demolishing road panels in the northbound lanes of 26th Avenue SW between SW Barton Street and SW Roxbury Street.
This will start several months of work on 26th Avenue SW. The work will occur in phases moving from northbound to southbound over the remainder of the year. Paving of 26th Avenue SW has long been a request from community and Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation are excited to bring this improvement as part of RapidRide H Line. Improving the condition of the road will benefit all users and strengthen the roadway for future frequent future RapidRide H Line service.
As early as Aug. 4, northbound drivers will be detoured off of 26th Avenue SW between SW Roxbury Street and SW Barton Street. The turn from SW Cambridge Street to 26th Avenue SW also will be closed during work. The northbound closure is expected to last two to three months. Once the northbound demolition and repaving are complete, crews will move to work on the southbound lanes, reopening northbound traffic on the improved northbound lanes and detouring southbound drivers. Transit will also be rerouted off of 26th Avenue SW to 35th Avenue SW and the northbound bus stop located at the intersection of 26th Avenue SW and SW Barton Street will also be temporarily relocated to SW Barton Street.
Metro notes, “Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with some nighttime and weekend work.”
Sound Transit is circulating its proposed 2022 service changes for comment, and there’s one change proposed for ST Express Route 560, which runs between West Seattle, Sea-Tac, and Bellevue: Weekend daytime service would increase from every hour to every half-hour. That’s the only proposed change that would directly affect West Seattle, but it’s one of many systemwide. You can review them all and comment via this website, or by email at servicechanges@soundtransit.org; deadline for comments is August 22nd. ST also plans an online open house at 6 pm August 11th (register here) and public hearing at 11 am August 12th (register here). This is just for its current light-rail and bus service, not future projects such as West Seattle light rail (here’s the latest on that).
(WSB file photo)
Somewhere between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge in 2022 and the opening of West Seattle light rail – 2032? – is another major local transportation project: Replacing the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal. We’ve been reporting on the official start of the planning process, and tomorrow (Wednesday) night brings the next step – the second meeting of the project’s Community Advisory Group, 6 pm online. The CAG is one of three advisory groups for the project, along with the Technical Advisory Group, described as “technical staff from municipal, county, state, and federal agencies, federal and state resource agencies, as well as local tribes,” and the Executive Advisory Group, “local and state appointed or elected officials, transportation-agency leadership, federal partners, and tribal leadership.” (See the groups’ membership lists here.) Tomorrow’s CAG group is open to the public for viewing (register here), though there’s no public-comment period; you can email FauntleroyTermProj@wsdot.wa.gov with comments for any or all of the groups. A separate public-input process is also planned this fall, WSF says.
Two Washington State Ferries notes this afternoon:
CREW SHORTAGE: WSF says one of the Triangle Route (Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth) ferries is going out of service for at least the next few hours:
Due to a shortage of Coast Guard Documented Crew, the #2 Issaquah will cancel the following sailings on July 26:
3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. from Vashon to Southworth
3:55 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. Southworth to Vashon
4:35 p.m. Fauntleroy to Vashon
(Added: As of 10:15 pm, no official updates from WSF. But the VesselWatch tracker shows the Issaquah back in service.)
CATHLAMET FOLLOWUP: On Saturday, we reported on one of the Triangle Route ferries, M/V Cathlamet, going out of service after a mechanical problem caused a smoky scare.
(WSB photo of Cathlamet and emergency-response boats, seen Saturday from Fauntleroy dock)
On Sunday, Cathlamet was seen headed from Vashon to the WSF maintenance facility at Eagle Harbor. Today we asked WSF a few followup questions. Spokesperson Justin Fujioka tells WSB that Cathlamet was scheduled to go there for regularly scheduled maintenance starting today anyway. “That maintenance layup was scheduled for four weeks through the weekend of Aug. 21-22. It is unknown yet if Saturday’s incident will extend this scheduled layup period.” As for what went wrong, Fujioka says it was a problem “with the clutch on the #1 end reduction gear overheating, which caused smoke, but no fire. There were no injuries reported.” That is the same part that had trouble July 9th, taking Cathlamet out of service for about six hours.
If you ride Metro – occasionally or often – but haven’t yet answered its safety survey, today’s your last chance. The survey is part of what Metro calls its SaFE Reform Initiative – safety, security, and fare-enforcement reform. The survey is available here in 13 languages. You don’t have to answer all the questions – you’re allowed to skip any you don’t want to answer. Once Metro comes up with recommended reforms, pilot programs will launch next year.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
In case you also wondered about that temporary camera at 59th/Alki – it’s labeled as having been placed for an SDOT traffic study, but without elaboration on what’s being studied, so we asked. An SDOT spokesperson replied, “This camera on Alki Trail at 59th Ave SW is for the SDOT’s annual bike counting program, done at about 40 locations across the city and during the warm-weather months. More details about this type of count are available in our annual traffic reports on this webpage.” The most-recent report there, from 2020, cited a 2019 “average annual daily traffic” count for that spot as 340.
One more reminder that, as announced earlier this month, SW Roxbury will be repaved between 24th SW and 25th SW this week. SDOT and King County Road Services are partnering on the project, and plan to work Monday-Tuesday, 7 am-4 pm. The original alert says that “traffic will be reduced to one lane with crew members directing drivers.” Also: “For people walking, rolling, and biking in the area, sidewalk access will be maintained.” All of Roxbury was at one point scheduled for repaving as part of the Levy to Move Seattle, but then went on indefinite hold.
The decision is finally in on the West Marginal Way protected bicycle lane replacing a half mile of the outside southbound traffic lane north of the Duwamish Longhouse. The West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force has just been told – in their monthly meeting (watch here) – that the lane will be built.
>(Screenshots from slides presented at today’s meeting)
It’ll be a 4-foot, 2-way protected bike lane with a jersey barrier (here’s our previous coverage of the design that was recently unveiled).
SDOT contends that losing the lane at that spot will have a “negligible” effect on travel times. The construction will not start, however, until after the bridge reopens in 2022. In Q&A, Zora says the mayor has signed off on this. Here are the topline reasons for the decision:
In discussion post-announcement, SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe noted that traffic on WMW is not likely, post-bridge-reopening, to be anything near what it is now. He insists SDOT is committed to freight mobility (the city’s Freight Advisory Board opposed the bicycle lane, and the Port of Seattle expressed concerns). Other updates from the meeting will be in separate coverage.
Your next chance for updates on the West Seattle Bridge and related projects/issues is noon tomorrow, when the Community Task Force meets online. Here’s the link to watch; here’s the agenda. Updates will include the 60 percent repair design milestone, the latest low-bridge access stats, and West Marginal Way (still awaiting the bike-lane decision). The meeting is scheduled from noon to 2 pm; if you can’t watch, just one week later, SDOT promises bridge updates at its community meeting (5:30 pm July 21st). P.S. The West Seattle Transportation Coalition, which usually includes bridge updates at its monthly meeting, will NOT be meeting this month – instead of its regular meeting, which would have been on July 22nd, they’re urging everyone to attend SDOT’s meeting.
The city announced today that it’s adding a fourth scooter provider, Spin (pending final authorization). The same announcement trumpets a pilot program going in West Seattle requiring scooter and bike renters to park in designated “hubs.” They’re shown on the map above. From the announcement:
We’re testing a new strategy to improve parking in West Seattle. Over the past few weeks, several new bike and scooter parking spaces were painted along Alki Beach and near the King County Water Taxi dock. Starting this week, scooter and bike share companies will start using GPS technology requiring riders to park in these designated spots. If someone attempts to park on the sidewalk or sand, the app gives them instructions on where to move the scooter before the user can end their trip.
Several of these bike and scooter parking hubs are located on the street within “No Parking Within 30 Feet” zones near crosswalks, and new signs make it even more clear that it is illegal for cars to park there. This takes advantage of curb space that isn’t currently being used and helps keep the sidewalk clear so everyone can get around. It also enhances safety by preventing cars from parking illegally in a way that blocks other drivers view of oncoming traffic and people crossing the street.
SDOT’s announcement also says the new company, Spin, will operate mostly in West Seattle for starters – it’s already next door in White Center – and explains its technology guiding “better … riding behavior” as well as proper parking.
We reported back in May that the state Transportation Commission was starting the process of preparing for increases in tolls and ferry fares. We’ve since reported on the ferry-fare proposal. Now the commission has a survey open on proposed toll increases for facilities including the Highway 99 tunnel.
They’re looking for feedback on two options for raising toll rates starting October 1st, to cover a revenue gap. The two options: 15 percent for all dayparts, or 25 cents for all dayparts. Go here to offer your opinion by July 14th.
That’s the detour map provided by SDOT for closures of SW Genesee coming up the next two weekends – Friday, July 9th, until early Monday, July 12th, and the same timeframe July 16th-19th. Genesee will be closed between Delridge Way and 25th SW for “street upgrades” as part of the ongoing project to prepare for RapidRide H Line. Here are other key points of the weekly preview:
-Street demolition and paving along Delridge Way SW between SW Holden St and SW Thistle St to begin as early as July 12
This work includes upgrading several sections of the street in both lanes of traffic. We’ll share more details and a detour route for this work soon.-Overnight and weekend demolition and paving in select areas between SW Henderson St and SW Cambridge St to begin as early as July 16
We will mostly work near Boss Drive-in and Two Fingers Social.-Intersection upgrades at SW Henderson St continue into July. We are still working to upgrade the street at this intersection. Once this work is complete, we will begin upgrading sidewalks. We anticipate keeping the street closed during sidewalk upgrades due to the narrow width of the street and needing space for our equipment to operate.
Other details of upcoming work along the corridor are here. Still no estimate of how much longer SW Thistle, on the east side of Delridge, will remain closed.
(WSB photo, December 2020)
Bus stops along two West Seattle Metro routes have been bagged like that for the past half-year. This September, one set of stops will reopen. Metro plans to continue “suspension” of Route 37. But it is planning to bring back Route 22, which runs between Arbor Heights and The Junction. This was not in the tentative plan Metro had presented to a County Council committee earlier this year, but it was added by the time Metro returned to the council’s Environment and Mobility Committee last week. (Here’s the presentation, which notes that the Route 22 restoration was added to its fall plan because of survey feedback.) We didn’t hear about it until local transportation writer Ryan Packer mentioned it in a WSB comment discussion; we followed up with Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer, who confirmed, “Route 22 will be returning with weekday service with the fall service change, operating between 6 AM-9 PM. Similar to service levels pre-pandemic, service will be hourly.”
SDOT West Marginal Way info by WestSeattleBlog
Still no decision on the West Marginal Way protected bicycle lane proposal. But for those interested in this major detour route, some data that might interest you, if you didn’t get to attend last week’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting. WSTC had asked SDOT about collision and speed data for West Marginal; SDOT’s Brad Topol presented the slide deck you see above (here’s the PDF version). As of last week’s meeting, no major-injury collisions had happened on the road this year, he noted. The big trouble spot, not surprisingly, is the Highland Park Way intersection; the number of collisions in that area has tripled since the bridge closure. And while there’s been some reduction in speed along West Marginal, according to the data, people are still driving over the (reduced) speed limit. As a result, Topol said without elaboration, they’re working on “other methods” for slowing West Marginal traffic. Video of the meeting will eventually be available on WSTC’s YouTube page; WSTC expects to keep meeting through the summer, fourth (corrected) Thursdays, 6:30 pm, online, so July 22nd is the next date. (Our other story from last week’s meeting is here.)
We’ll be publishing reopening news as we get it (westseattleblog@gmail.com if/when your business/organization announces changes) – among the first announcements in, transit systems around Puget Sound have sent word that they’re returning to full capacity. Here’s the news release, with dates for the systems operating in or near West Seattle:
Riders soon will have more public transportation options as buses, trains and ferries in the Puget Sound region are returning to full capacity and opening all seats starting in July.
Governor Inslee is dropping state social distancing restrictions for transit as part of his decision to reopen the state. As vaccination rates continue to climb in the Puget Sound region and other state restrictions are relaxed, even more people are expected to use transit this summer.
Passengers still must wear masks on transit and at indoor transit facilities in compliance with the federal Transportation Security Administration mandate. Passengers also must continue to maintain a six-foot distance from bus drivers, except when paying fare.
The following agencies are removing signs or barriers that have blocked off seats during the pandemic: Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit, and Washington State Ferries.
[From that list, here are local-to-our-area dates]
Starting Saturday, July 3, normal passenger capacity will resume on Metro buses, on-demand services such as Via to Transit, Seattle Streetcar, water taxis, community vans and shuttles, vanpools, and Access paratransit.
Starting July 3, normal passenger capacity will resume on Link light rail and ST Express bus routes operated by King County Metro (Routes 522, 542, 545, 550 and 554). On Sounder, Tacoma Link and all other ST Express routes, normal capacity will resume starting July 1.
Starting July 1, normal passenger capacity will resume on ferries, and customers will no longer be encouraged to stay in their vehicles.
Announced today by Washington State Ferries:
Until further notice, the Fauntleroy/Vashon Island/Southworth route will be reduced to two-boat service on Sundays beginning on July 4. Starting this Sunday, the route will operate on its current Sunday schedule without the #3 vessel. Customers should plan ahead and check the schedule online to verify sailing times.
This difficult decision was made as a result of ongoing crew shortages and the need to reallocate limited resources throughout the ferry system. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as WSF works to maintain as much service as possible.
(WSB file photo)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Somewhere between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge and the construction of Sound Transit light rail lies another big local transportation project: Replacement of the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal.
As part of the planning process, Washington State Ferries is convening three advisory groups. One of them, the Community Advisory Group, met last night for the first time, online.
The CAG is launching with 24 members, chosen from among 64 applicants (we published the recruiting announcement back in April). Last night’s meeting was mostly a get-acquainted session, which is why WSF says it did not publicly announce the meeting in advance (we found out from a tip late in the day and have since watched a recording of the two-hour meeting, which WSF says will be available online “by early next week”).
In their self-introductions, many members described affiliations and experiences that give them many-faceted perspectives on the projects – for example, living in West Seattle with children going to school on Vashon Island, or living on Vashon but owning a business in West Seattle. The western end of the Triangle Route was represented too, with Southworth and Manchester residents. Here’s the full roster as provided by WSF:
Ana White | Southworth resident
Angus Macnab | King County resident/Vashon commuter student parent
Anne Higuera |West Seattle business owner/Vashon resident
Daniel Lewis | Southworth area community member
David McDaniel | Fauntleroy and Vashon community member
Devin Branson | Vashon resident and West Seattle commuter
DB Gates | West Seattle resident
Emily Scott | Vashon Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) Member, Vashon Island Foodbank Executive Director
Fletcher Sandbeck | Kitsap resident
Frank Immel | Fauntleroy Community Association, Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) member, neighbor
Gary English | Vashon community member
Greg McKinnon | Manchester resident, daily ferry commuter
Helen Westphal | King County resident
Jon Wright | West Seattle Transportation Coalition
Josh Gwynn | Southworth area community member
Judy Pickens | Fauntleroy Watershed Council
Larry Harala | Port Orchard/Manchester area resident, Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) member
Mardi Clements | Fauntleroy Community Association, West Seattle resident near ferry
Michelle McCormick | West Seattle and Vashon resident
Noelani Hatton | West Seattle resident
Richard Thorp | Southworth area community member
Scott Harvey | Vashon resident, irregular ferry traveler
Susan Fritch | Vashon resident/former West Seattle resident
Victoria Nelson | West Seattle Transportation Coalition Board Member, Fauntleroy resident
In addition to introductions, last night’s meeting included a brief recap of the rationale for replacing the terminal/dock – earthquake vulnerability, susceptibility to being swamped by rising sea levels, limited vehicle-holding capacity (room for 80 cars, though the regular vessels on the route hold 124, and WSF has said its system standards call for holding areas with room for about 1 1/2 vessels worth).
A major task early in the planning process, one for which the CAG members’ input will be sought, is a Planning and Environmental Linkages study, which WSF says will be done in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, since federal funding is expected to be part of the project. The group’s advisory role in the study, WSF says, will help define the “purpose and need” for the project and ways to filter alternatives. The alternatives they’ll consider, they were told later in the meeting, will be numerous – “many different configurations.” None have been shown, yet. Here’s the full slide deck from the meeting, with more on the key discussion points:
In open discussion, CAG members also asked for clarification on the roles of the other two advisory groups – Executive (mostly elected officials, as listed in this document provided by WSF at our request) and Technical (staffers from agencies listed in that same document).
WHAT’S NEXT: WSF will talk about the Fauntleroy terminal project (with construction not expected before 2025) during tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm online (see our calendar listing for information on participating/viewing/listening). The next CAG meeting is set for 6 pm July 28th.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Still deciding who to support for Seattle Mayor? Here’s another chance to compare the candidates – some of them, anyway.
This past Wednesday, five of the 15 candidates participated in a forum focused on transportation, equity, and environmental issues, sponsored by the MASS Coalition (Move All Seattle Sustainably). The five candidates were Lance Randall, Andrew Grant Houston, Bruce Harrell, Lorena González, and Jessyn Farrell; organizers said Casey Sixkiller and Colleen Echohawk also had been invited, but were unable to participate (a surrogate for Echohawk presented an opening statement). The forum was moderated by Erica C. Barnett, editor/publisher of Publicola.
As transportation is a perennially hot topic here – and with an eye ahead to the forum we’re moderating in three weeks – we watched this event. You can see the coalition’s video recording for yourself above. Our notes don’t cover all the questions asked, but you can read the coalition’s transcript here. In addition to opening statements and standard Q&A, the candidates were also asked to give quick yes/no answers to several questions. We’ll start with those:
SDOT has reiterated that it expects to make a decision by month’s end – “in Q2” is how they’ve phrased it – on whether to build a two-way protected bicycle lane in an almost-half-mile section of the outer southbound lane of West Marginal Way, not far north of the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse. When this was reiterated at last week’s meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, what wasn’t mentioned was that the department had recently presented a new design for the lane. We learned about this while watching this week’s meeting of the Seattle Freight Advisory Board (SFAB), which opposes the plan. The new design was presented on June 4th, when SFAB and Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board members talked about West Marginal Way with SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe. After hearing about it, we asked SDOT for the meeting slides. Here is the updated design:
This one has more about the jersey barrier:
The full slide deck from the June 4th discussion restates SDOT’s contentions about the proposal, including that it will have a “negligible” effect on other vehicles’ travel times, noting that other sections of WMW north of the Longhouse have one southbound lane already. For more backstory on the proposal, see our coverage of the February online meeting about the plan, which – in a nod to the vigorous support/opposition it’s inspired – began with a “moment of meditation and reflection.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Regarding the decision timetable, here’s what an SDOT spokesperson told us this week: “We recognize that there (are) two weeks left in Quarter 2. We are working toward a thoughtful and broadly informed decision on this complex project. We hope to be able to inform community of that decision soon.”
Two Washington State Ferries notes:
PROPOSED FARE INCREASES: The Washington State Transportation Commission, which has the final say on fares and tolls, has just settled on a fare-increase proposal to circulate for public input. The proposal is the one that won most support during the recent WSF public meetings and survey, known as Alternative 1 – increasing fares by 2.5 percent twice, in October of this year and October of next year. Watch for your chance to comment before the final decision. The higher fares are intended to meet revenue goals set by the Legislature. (ADDED 12:38 PM: WSTC says you can comment via this page or via email at transc@wstc.wa.gov.)
CANCELLATIONS: Announced by WSF:
Several late-night sailings to and from Southworth will be canceled due to needed terminal maintenance starting tonight through Thursday.
The following sailings are cancelled from Tuesday, June 15 through Thursday, June 17:
11:50 p.m. and 1:05 a.m. – Departing Fauntleroy to Southworth
12:35 a.m. – Departing Southworth to Fauntleroy
12:15 and 1:30 a.m. – Departing Vashon to Southworth
12:35 a.m. – Departing Southworth to Vashon
Friday afternoons bring the latest update on the Delridge Way repaving/utilities/more project preparing for RapidRide H Line. Today, there’s word of weekend work and more overnight work. First, the key points highlighted by the project team:
*SW Barton Pl intersection upgrades are nearly complete and the street will reopen soon
*The east side of the SW Henderson St and Delridge Way SW will be closed as early as Monday, June 14 for upgrades.
-This work will last approximately three weeks. I’ve also attached a detour map for this work to this email.*Seattle Public Utilities will be demolishing areas throughout the corridor for underground water utility upgrades this weekend, June 12 – 13
*We are continuing to paint final lane markings along the corridor. Parking restrictions will be in place while this work occurs. As a reminder, we will be working overnight.
*Bus-stop upgrades continue at SW Myrtle St and SW Holly St at the site of the future RapidRide stations
*We are wrapping up electrical utility upgrades between SW Holden St and SW Thistle St
-We will begin restoring the street as early as June 21
(That’s separate from the work that has SW Thistle still closed on the east side of Delridge.) Here’s the full preview for the week ahead.
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