Seattle Bike Blog

The case for an emergency SoDo bike path in response to the Spokane Street Bridge closure

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 30, 2022

The Spokane Street Bridge Connecting West Seattle to the mainland closed during the holiday ice storm and has been out of operation ever since. Repairs will take a minimum of two weeks, SDOT said earlier this week, pegging the earliest reopening date at January 10.

People in West Seattle have put up with a lot in recent years. When the Viaduct closed in January 2019, people listened to city leaders and hopped on their bikes to avoid adding to the traffic crunch. Thanks in large part to their efforts, the anticipated traffic problems never materialized. People took more bike trips in the middle of January 2019 than they did during warm summer days. People again took to bikes in big numbers when the Upper West Seattle Bridge closed suddenly in early 2020, again taking a load off the city’s strained streets. And they did all this without any significant bike infrastructure improvements. It’s time for the city to come through for people who bike to and from West Seattle by making sure they have a safe and connected bike route during the current closure. Safety is not too much to ask.

The official City of Seattle bike detour directs people down the Duwamish Trail to the 1st Avenue South Bridge, which is really the only option along the west side of the river. This route is almost great except for a short section of missing trail just south of the Spokane Street Bridge. SDOT under Mayor Jenny Durkan delayed a project to complete that trail, yet another poor decision by her administration that has come back to bite Seattle. The West Marginal Way SW Safety Corridor Project has already gone through years of outreach and study, so SDOT should consider putting a temporary version in place immediately that can be upgraded once the Spokane Street Bridge reopens: (more…)

tags: 1st ave s, lower west seattle bridge, west seattle

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Alert: The Spokane Street Bridge will be closed ‘at least two weeks’

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 27, 2022

Note that the High Bridge is a freeway with no walking or biking access despite extensive recent investments.

SDOT posted an update Tuesday evening with terrible news for people who walk or bike between mainland Seattle and West Seattle: The Spokane Street Bridge, the lower swing bridge with the biking and walking path, will be out of commission for “at least two weeks,” according to the SDOT Blog.

The Alki Water Taxi was already scheduled to run seven days a week this winter, though it will be closed January 1–2 for the holiday. You can also put most bikes on a bus (except oversized and electric bikes), though there are only three bike spaces per bus.

Otherwise, detouring all the way to the 1st Avenue Bridge is the only option for people biking, an extra five miles that add up to about a half hour each way according to Google’s estimate. And, of course, detouring to the 1st Avenue Bridge means navigating SoDo’s wide and fast streets that do not have a complete and comfortable bike route.

Considering the major disruption this poses to people who rely on biking, it would be a huge help if SDOT and/or WSDOT fast-tracked an emergency bike route from Georgetown to downtown. E Marginal Way, 1st Ave, 4th Ave or Airport Way are all viable options. The 4th Avenue South bridge over the railyard already has a lane closed pending repairs. Perhaps they could just extend that to connect S River Street and S Lander Street?

More details from SDOT: (more…)

tags: lower west seattle bridge, sdot, sodo, west seattle

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Alert: Spokane Street Bridge closed ‘all weekend’

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 24, 2022

The Spokane Street Bridge to West Seattle didn’t make it through the ice storm, and it will likely remain closed for the rest of the weekend.

SDOT Director Greg Spotts said on Twitter that the mechanical problem on the swing bridge “may have been caused by a power outage” during the ice storm. But regardless of the cause, it will be out of service “all weekend,” he said.

To stay updated on bridge progress, check the SDOT Traffic Twitter account. But if you need to cross between mainland Seattle and West Seattle tomorrow, consider an extended trip to the 1st Avenue Bridge as a little Xmas gift form the ice storm.

REMINDER: The Lower Spokane St Bridge is closed to traffic until further notice due to maintenance. Use alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/isXjvhnggH

— SDOT Traffic (@SDOTtraffic) December 24, 2022

You can also check the city’s traffic camera feed to see if it is open:

tags: Bike Route Alert, lower west seattle bridge, sdot, west seattle

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It’s an ice rink out there

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 23, 2022

I spent the morning ice skating all around Wallingford and pushing cars that got stuck on the ice. I put a shoulder into a jackknifed pickup truck and body checked it halfway across the street and into perfect parallel parking position next to the curb. I felt pretty bad ass. But seriously, it’s an ice rink out there.

A friendly neighbor took this video:

(more…)

tags: hockey, ice

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Yet another Eastlake Ave survey confirms: Build safe bike lanes!

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 22, 2022

SDOT released the results of autumn community outreach about Eastlake Avenue bike lane design options, and the results were once again very clear: People strongly favor safe bike lanes on this vital connection between the University Bridge and South Lake Union where there were 39 collisions involving people bikes between 2012 and 2017. According to the report summary, “Survey responses indicated strong support for protected bike lanes even if it meant removing parking and vehicle travel lanes.”

We reported about the survey and the various design options back in September, and the results are not very surprising. The most galvanizing question was whether the project should build skinny bike lanes or wider buffered bike lanes between Harvard and Fuhrman Avenues near the south end of the University Bridge. Here were the options presented:

The responses from 1,162 people were decisive with 91% preferring the wider bike lanes with buffer space:

210 people wrote an additional comment requesting the addition of a bike lane barrier.

Speaking of bike lane barriers, there was overwhelming 90% support for some form of permanent concrete bike lane protection. Only 8% of respondents preferred paint and post style barriers. I suspect the “concrete guard” option got some extra votes in part because the photo they included in the survey showed an example that had been part of an art project. So hey, let’s not forget about art! (more…)

tags: eastlake, fairview ave n, rapidride j, sdot

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How bikeable are the roads and paths near you? – UPDATED

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 21, 2022

PM UPDATE: It sounds like a lot untreated surfaces have turned to smooth ice after sundown. Take care.

I biked to play hockey last night, and the roads between the U District and Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate were in fairly good condition. As noted in our post yesterday, the city prioritizes arterial streets and bus routes for plowing and treating. So I followed my own advice and stuck to the roads that the city’s real-time slow plow map noted as being recently treated. And it worked! The sketchiest parts of the whole ride were the neighborhood streets near my house and the parking lot access roads at the rink.

But just be aware that the forecast says it will stay below freezing for the next couple days, so uncleared and untreated surfaces can easily turn to ice. Metal surfaces and bridges typically freeze first.

Bob Svercl shared this morning’s road conditions for folks biking from Beacon Hill to downtown. Remember that if a bike lane is not cleared, you can and should ride in the general traffic lanes. Take the space you need to be safe, and don’t feel the need to hug the side of the road. Your safety is paramount.

The status of trails across the region are mostly unknown. Many trails are likely untreated and might be icy. The Sumner Link Trail will be closed through the weekend due to flooding concerns: (more…)

tags: robert svercl, sdot, snow, sumner link trail

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