White Center Now: The blog about White Center

The e-scooter-sharing pilot project proposed for White Center, noted here last week, went before the King County Council’s Mobility and Environment Committee today. The minutes show it won unanimous approval from the six councilmembers present. Read the full proposal here. Next step: Full council vote.

It’s one of the things mentioned by County Councilmember Joe McDermott at last night’s Town Hall (full report to come) – his proposal for a pilot scooter-sharing program in White Center (and the rest of unincorporated North Highline). The council’s Mobility and Environment Committee may vot on the proposal next Tuesday; it meets downtown at 1:30 pm September 17th. You can read the proposed ordinance by going here. If approved, it would clear the way for up to two companies to provide e-scooter sharing in the area for a year-long pilot program starting this fall.

Though the county had announced that work on the 8th/102nd was starting next month, apparently it didn’t, because we received word from Local Services today “that roundabout construction work on 8th Avenue SW and SW 102nd Street in White Center will begin next Monday, Sept. 9 (see alert). The work will last through early November and will require flaggers, who will guide both vehicle and pedestrian access.”

King County will start work next week on the next planned roundabout, 8th/102nd, and issued an alert today:

Construction of a roundabout requiring weekday lane restrictions. Work will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Tuesday, August 27 through Monday, October 21. Work outside the traveled way may occur 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Flaggers will guide traffic through the work zone with priority given to buses. Pedestrian access will be maintained and facilitated by flaggers. Expect delays.

On partner site West Seattle Blog, we’ve been covering the homeward-bound bus crunch for weeks. But it affects people traveling south of WS, too, so heads up – another reroute test is planned for southbound routes this Thursday (August 15th). Details here.

The postponed 4th Avenue SW closure south of Roxbury, for work related to the King County Housing Authority, now has a new start date. From KCHA:

We have resolved the complex utility conflicts that delayed our road closure and are ready to proceed with the full road closure. We have received final road closure permission from King County Road Services Division, King County Department of Local Services. 4th Avenue SW will be totally closed from SW 100th Street to SW Roxbury Street starting Monday, April 29th. This closure will continue from April 29th to Monday June 3rd with the following work hours:

• Monday – Friday 7 AM to 5 PM

• Saturday – 9AM to 5PM

There will be additional brief road/lane closures following the initial closure to complete additional work.

We have coordinated with local residents, emergency services, schools, and area service providers.

Just last week, we brought you word of the plan to close 4th SW south of Roxbury for a month of work, starting today. But now …it’s been delayed:

We’re following up for details of the “utility conflict.”

(Also posted on partner site West Seattle Blog)

Thanks to the texter who alerted us to signage along 4th SW south of Roxbury [map] about an impending road closure. There we found the signs you see above and below.

The county has confirmed the closure of a quarter-mile of 4th SW south of Roxbury is scheduled to start next Monday (April 1st) and provided this flyer (PDF) with details:

Just announced by the county:

For the second year, King County Metro will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. Rides will be free from 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, to 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, including DART and Access service. In addition, Metro will add buses to its night routes. The Seattle Streetcar also will be free on New Year’s Eve, and Sound Transit will extend the operating hours of Link light rail service between Angle Lake and the University of Washington.

“As we ring in another new year together, we are glad to again offer free rides on Metro to help keep the celebration safe for everyone,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We appreciate all our customers, and hope folks who give transit a try during the holiday season will join the half-million daily Metro riders who depend on our safe, friendly, and reliable service all year ’round.”

“Access to safe and reliable transportation is a cornerstone of Metro’s mission and New Years Eve is no exception. We hope existing and future riders will utilize Metro to help them celebrate the New Year this year,” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, who proposed the idea in 2017.

King County Metro will operate reduced weekday schedules on New Year’s Eve on some routes, with extra buses on several routes serving destinations such as Seattle Center, Capitol Hill and downtown. New Year’s revelers can take advantage of Metro’s recently expanded Night Owl network, with added service on major routes between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Sound Transit will operate extended Link light rail service with trains running until 2 a.m. pm New Year’s Eve. The last trains to leave Westlake Station depart at 2 a.m.

The Seattle Streetcar will operate until 1 a.m.

Metro routes with added trips as needed will include 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 24, 32, 36, 40, 41, 62, 65, 70, 101, 106, 120, 124, 150, 255, RapidRide A, B, C, D and E lines, and ST 550 and ST 554. The fareboxes and ORCA card readers on Metro buses will be covered to remind customers not to pay. A regular valid fare will be required on Sound Transit Express buses.

An alert from King County Roads – work starts next Monday (October 22nd) on the “mini-roundabout” planned for 8th SW/SW 108th. They expect to be done by Friday, November 16th. From the project webpage:

Project description
Design and construct a mini-roundabout at 8th Avenue SW and SW 108th Street, including a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at the west crosswalk, improvements to the sidewalks, ramps to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other safety improvements.

Why is King County doing this project?
This project will improve the safety of pedestrians and other users in the White Center community. The intersection was identified as a High Collision Location in King County’s report in 2016. The project aligns with the County Executive’s priorities of Equity and Social Justice, and Regional Mobility. The intersection is part of a designated “safe route to school” for four Highline schools, and connects to proposed project 1129600 RSD Highline School District Improvements. On-site observations by Road Services Division staff indicate that some drivers fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians — many of which are students. In addition, pedestrian ramps on all quadrants of the intersection are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Metro Route 120 isn’t converting to the RapidRide H Line until 2021, but planning continues, and the next stop for your feedback is one week from today:

Metro and Seattle will share updates on the project, including the future route proposal and station locations, and seek feedback on RapidRide station amenities and improvements that make it easier for people to reach transit.

The City of Seattle will also share its early design for a reimagined Delridge Way Southwest with bus lanes, landscaped medians, crosswalk improvements, protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenway connections, signal upgrades, paving, water and sewer pipe upgrades, spot parking and bike lane removal, and public art.

In recent months, King County Metro partnered with the City of Burien to determine routing through their community, and also finalized the preferred route, planned stop locations, and pedestrian, lighting and RapidRide station improvements.

This open house is a chance to learn about routing adjustments, the locations of consolidated and added stops, and safety and roadway improvements to be included in the project. The public also can help prioritize which RapidRide station amenities they would most like to see at each station.

Meetings: In person and online

· Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Mount View Elementary in White Center (10811 12th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98146) from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Note: Child care is provided on site, and interpreter services in Spanish, Vietnamese, Khmer, Somali.

· Online open house: Starting Oct. 10, to be available at Metro’s RapidRide H Line page. This website will be equipped with translations by selecting a language from a drop-down box in the top left corner.

BACKGROUND

Upgrading route 120 achieves goals of the Metro Connects long-range plan and voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle. RapidRide H Line service is scheduled to launch service in fall 2021.

Today, Metro Route 120 is tied for ninth-busiest bus route in King County and carries approximately 8,700 customers each weekday along the 13-mile corridor between Burien, White Center, Westwood Village, Delridge, and Downtown Seattle. The City of Seattle funds additional bus service on the route 120 thanks to the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Benefit District.

To upgrade the route to RapidRide levels of speed, frequency and reliability, improvements are planned along the corridor that include transit priority treatments – such as bus lanes and more green lights for buses – and RapidRide amenities including unique stations, off-board ORCA fare payment kiosks, and real-time bus arrival information signs. Metro currently operates six RapidRide lines across King County with these amenities.

This project is funded by King County Metro, the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle and additional grant funding, which has in part been secured and is also being sought by both Seattle and King County.

SDOT and the City of Seattle play a key role in supporting this effort by funding major upgrades to Delridge Way Southwest within the city limits. SDOT is designing new bus lanes to make Metro’s RapidRide transit investment more reliable, and adding bike lanes and neighborhood greenway connections, arterial crosswalks and signals, and walkways to get people between their homes, workplaces and RapidRide.

In addition to proposing a new lane layout for public consideration, the City of Seattle’s investments plan includes basic infrastructure such as paving the northern part of the street, upgrading sections of old water and sewer pipes, and improving street lighting. The project will also invest in the Delridge neighborhood’s future and beautify the street by funding new public art and adding new landscaped median islands.

West Seattle residents and business owners will see these investments in their neighborhood thanks to Seattle voters, who partially funded this project with the nine-year Levy to Move Seattle.

For a little while on Saturday evening, bicycle traffic took over northbound traffic on 16th SW in downtown White Center. The occasion – the Dead Baby Bikes Downhill, maybe the wildest ride in the metro area every year. Riders gathered at Drunky’s Two Shoes BBQ before taking off. It’s a party on wheels as well as a spectacle.

Many bikes had personalities all their own:

Riders’ gear packed personality too:

That’s Mike Shaughnessy from West Seattle. The riders numbered in the hundreds – we lost count – and headed for Georgetown.

This was the 22nd DBB Downhill

(West Seattle Blog photo of 2011 DBB Downhill riders at that year’s Admiral District start)

The irreverent-to-say-the-least Dead Baby Bikes Downhill bike ride (or is it a race?) is starting from White Center this year – Drunky’s Two Shoes BBQ at 98th/16th, to be specific. So if you see an eclectic group of bicyclists gathering prior to the start time (6 pm) on Saturday, that’s what’s up. While it’s not on the official page, we’re told they’ll be heading for Georgetown. About the name … backstory here.

From King County today, a reminder that the new fare structure is now a month away:

Metro’s new fare of $2.75 aims to help customers by making riding transit more convenient and reducing confusion over fare payment that leads to delays in boarding. A single fare for adult riders also lowers the potential for fare disputes, which will help improve safety.

Starting June 1, customers can purchase ORCA passes for July under the new fare structure. Metro’s fares for youth, seniors and disabled riders, and those enrolled in ORCA LIFT will not change. More information can be found on Metro’s fares page.

“You said you wanted simpler fares, and we made it happen. No matter where or when you ride, simpler is better,” said Executive Dow Constantine. “Whether you’re traveling between Ballard and Bellevue, White Center and Westlake, or anywhere that crosses the Seattle city limits, this new fare means money in your pocket. For riders who may end up paying a little more, we’re making sure people with low incomes, seniors, and the disabled have more access to transit than ever.”

Metro adopted a simple fare after receiving more than 11,000 responses to two public surveys, including one in which 80 percent expressed support for a flat fare. Metro previously had one of the nation’s most complex fare structures, with one zone for the City of Seattle and another for all areas outside of the city, as well as extra charges during the morning and evening commute.

About 65 percent of Metro boardings will see no change or pay 50 cents less under the new structure. Fares for off-peak travel will increase by 25 cents – affecting about 35 percent of Metro boardings.

ORCA LIFT PARTNERSHIP

Customers who qualify for reduced transit fares now have new ways to apply for a discount ORCA LIFT card. Metro and Public Health – Seattle & King County launched a new partnership with the state Department of Social and Health Services to distribute ORCA LIFT cards to clients in need of transportation assistance.

“Clients applying for Community Services Division programs at any of the 10 King County Community Service Offices, may also be eligible for the ORCA LIFT Program and may receive ORCA cards at the same office visit as their food or cash program benefits,” said Truong Hoang, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 2. “CSD is committed to making transportation costs lower for those in need.”

The DSHS Community Service Offices with ORCA LIFT enrollment include five locations in Seattle, and others in Renton, Auburn, Federal Way and Kent. More than 4,200 have enrolled through DSHS since the partnership began.

ORCA LIFT allows riders with lower-incomes to pay a reduced $1.50 fare. More than 64,000 people have been enrolled in the program since it launched in 2015, with more than 14 million boardings on Metro.

ORCA LIFT is available at over 125 locations through Metro’s partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County and local community-based organizations.

Metro also is working with ORCA agency partners to reduce the replacement card fee for ORCA LIFT customers from $5 to $3 and eliminate the $3 initial card fee for seniors and people with disabilities.

At the beginning of 2018, Metro increased funding for Human Service tickets for riders with lower-income or no income.

Road alert from King County – drainage work will close 26th SW/SW 112th starting Monday morning and continuing until Friday afternoon. We will keep an eye on it in case it reopens early, of course.

Your next feedback opportunity for the planned conversion of Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line starts now. Metro’s “online open house” is live, through January 15th. It starts here. (And remember that next Thursday brings an in-person meeting in White Center – 5-8 pm, Mount View Elementary School, 10811 12th Avenue SW.)

Though it hasn’t been a blizzard, the snow has been steady since mid-afternoon. So a few notes: Metro is on snow routes for its south and southwest areas – that includes White Center, the rest of the unincorporated area, and points south. If you need to ride a bus, check for more details here. … The National Weather Service’s advisory for “winter weather” runs through 10 am Christmas Day, and after that, it’s supposed to warm up, with rain entering the mix.

Several people have asked us about those temporary cameras installed in downtown White Center – the photo above is from Jesse. We recognized them as the type used for traffic-data collection, but the question was – who is collecting the data? So we started with the King County Department of Transportation, and it turns out we guessed correctly. The studies are for the upcoming conversion of Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line:

It is vital to thoroughly assess any routes as Metro plans for service. Street cameras in the vicinity of 98th and 16th in White Center are there to assess traffic data for the upcoming expansion of the Rapid Ride H Line. King County Metro will alert the public to participate in surveys on the new line, most likely by mid-November.

We should get word of that survey sometime after Veterans Day. Meantime, KCDOT explains that the cameras are being used “for a variety of assessments: Speed and reliability, difficult turns, traffic flow, etc.” The H Line conversion is currently expected to happen in 2020.

(Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

If you use SW 106th/107th between White Center, North Shorewood, and West Seattle, you might have seen the signboard for road work coming up next week. We did, so we asked King County Roads for details; here’s what we just received from spokesperson Brent Champaco:

We are taking the road from two lanes to a three-lane configuration that will feature:

· Left –turn lanes at 26th Avenue SW
· Two-way, left-turn lanes around 25th Avenue SW
· Striped median in the S-curves between 22nd and 25th Avenues SW
· Two-way, left-turn lane between 17th and 22nd Avenues SW

The restriping work is scheduled to last 3-5 days, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. All lanes of traffic will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. At other times, at least one lane will remain open with flaggers directing traffic. No parking will be allowed along this part of the road during the project.

If you live/work near that stretch, you’ve probably already seen this flyer (or a similar door-hanger card) as part of the county’s outreach work.

King County Roads has issued an alert for four blocks of SW 107th next Saturday night, in the White Center/North Shorewood area – it’ll be closed between 22nd and 26th SW because “epoxy and anti-skid material (High Friction Surface Treatment) will be applied to increase traction for vehicles. Data shows that this treatment helps dramatically decrease the numbers of crashes.” It’s one of 23 areas around the county where this is being done this summer. It means the road will be fully closed for several hours at a time between 6 pm and 6 am Saturday, August 12th, and: “During this time, there will be no access to driveways and side streets within the project limits.” More here.