White Center Now: The blog about White Center

A project to make SW Roxbury safer is finally becoming reality, after White Center and West Seattle community leaders, including the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council and (just over the city-limit line, Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council), joined forces to campaign for it. Seattle Department of Transportation is coming to Greenbridge tonight for the first of two meetings, and you’re invited to come speak out – help shape the project! 6:30 pm at Jim Wiley Community Center, 9800 8th SW.

If you have something to say in person about the proposed ballot measure to raise money to hold off Metro cuts and help roads, with a car-tab fee and sales-tax increase, be at Union Station (401 S. Jackson) in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, February 4th, for the only night hearing – 5:30 pm sign-in, 6 pm testimony. The County Council expects to decide February 10th whether to send a proposal to voters in April.

A few months ago, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council joined community groups on the Seattle side of the line in pushing for a safety study of SW Roxbury. This week, the Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council provided an update. From WWRHAH secretary Joe Szilagyi‘s online summary of the group’s Tuesday meeting:

All the studies are done. SDOT has met with both King County Metro and their King County DOT peers several times now. They came up with an extensive list of minor to moderate modifications along the length of Roxbury from 35th all the way east to Olson & 4th that they believe can improve the flow of traffic, bring speeders in line with the posted legal speed limits, and significantly improve the safety of the arterial corridor. SDOT has not heavily detailed the solutions to us, but they emphasized that compared to other arterials, the work on Roxbury shouldn’t be particularly difficult or invasive, and would utilize simpler solutions.

SDOT will run outreach programs to White Center, Arbor Heights, Westwood, Roxhill, North Highline, Highland Park, including at least two public feedback meetings, one in the day and one in the evening, and will run outreach booths at the Roxbury Safeway. The public meetings will be coming in the February to March time frame, at locations and times to be determined.

Additional good news to come out of this: the missing link of the Roxbury sidewalk across the street from Roxhill Elementary School, on the south side of Roxbury between 30th and 27th, is in the process of being funded via a grant with the County. For the first time in as far as most people seem to be able to remember, Roxbury will have continuous sidewalks.

At this point, WWRHAH, HPAC, and NHUAC aside from providing additional feedback are done, and this is fully an SDOT operation now.

NHUAC meets tonight, if you missed our earlier reminder – North Highline Fire District HQ as always, with the agenda including Metro talking about the status of its potential cuts in the White Center/West Seattle area (and beyond) – that means the meeting starts early, with Metro having a mini-open house of sorts to answer questions and provide information.

(What the bus network in this area would look like AFTER the cuts, IF they have to be made – click for full-size view)
A big media briefing earlier today followed up on the one back in April warning that big chunks of Metro funding were expiring – remember the Congestion Reduction Charge, and Viaduct mitigation money? At that time, county leaders warned that without action by the Legislature, major Metro cuts could ensue. That action hasn’t been taken yet (though a special session starting today brings some new hope) so Metro has unveiled specifics. There are many details in our as-it-happened coverage on partner site West Seattle Blog; in addition, you can go to this special Metro website to find route-by-route information and a lot more. They’re about to start a round of community meetings, and the schedule includes one in the West Seattle/White Center area: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge, 6 pm December 3rd.

Thanks to Kathi for the nudge on this – while we have mentioned it several times already on partner site West Seattle Blog, it’s important for White Center and beyond as well: Sound Transit is asking for your thoughts on where it should go after its current plans expire in the 2020s. Sounds like a long way off, but the planning and search for financing take a long time, possibly with another ballot measure along the way, so speak up now. Here’s the survey.

The Seattle Transportation Department has just announced it has gone ahead with the one-day-delayed plan to switch the detour direction during repaving in South Delridge:

Delridge Way SW Phase 5 Detour Reversed: Northbound now detoured

Northbound traffic on Delridge Way SW is now detoured at SW Roxbury Street. The change reverses the direction of the previous detour in phase five, between SW Roxbury and SW Henderson streets. The detour went into effect this afternoon and will remain until project completion, expected the end of this year. Southbound traffic along this stretch of Delridge Way SW will be maintained.

Northbound Delridge Way SW traffic at SW Roxbury Street is directed along one of two paths:

· West on SW Roxbury Street
· North on 26th Avenue SW
· East on SW Barton Street/ SW Barton Place onto Delridge Way SW

Or

· North on 16th Avenue SW
· West on SW Henderson Street to Delridge Way SW

On Monday, we shared a Seattle Department of Transportation announcement that the detour direction on Delridge Way, for its repaving work just north of White Center, would change tomorrow. Late today, SDOT changed its mind – for now:

The plan to reverse the Delridge Paving Project phase five detour is delayed. The Seattle Department of Transportation is working with the contractor to ensure safe implementation of the change. Until further notice, Delridge Way SW southbound traffic between SW Henderson to SW Roxbury streets will continue to be detoured at SW Henderson Street. Northbound traffic will continue to be maintained.

We apologize for any inconvenience this alteration in plans causes! Safety is SDOT’s primary goal and the reason behind the detour reversal delay. More information will be released as it is confirmed.

Details of Metro‘s next “service change” are now available on its website, including changes to Route 22, which will no longer loop through Shorewood, and Route 120, which is adding service. The changes can be seen by clicking the route numbers on this page; below, the same text you’ll get by doing that:

For Route 22:

Route 22 will be extended further west and south in Arbor Heights. It will operate a counter-clockwise loop via SW 100th St, 44th Ave SW, Marine View Dr SW, SW 106th St, 39th Ave SW and 35th Ave SW to SW 106th SW and regular routing to the Alaska Junction. It will no longer operate a clockwise loop via 26th Ave SW, SW 106th St, 35th Ave SW and SW Roxbury St in Shorewood.

The schedule will be adjusted for the added running time of about 7 minutes.

For Route 120:

On weekdays, one northbound trip to downtown Seattle leaving the Burien Transit Center at 10:34 pm and two southbound trips to Burien leaving 3rd Ave & Virginia St at 10:33 and 11:39 pm will be added. On Saturday, four northbound trips at 7:27 am and 5:36, 6:07 and 6:37 pm, and four southbound trips at 9:08 am and 6:38, 7:08 and 10:54 pm will be added. The northbound trip leaving the Burien Transit Center at 7:20 am will be revised to leave 8 minutes earlier at 7:12 am.

On Sunday, a northbound trip at 6:32 am and a southbound trip at 10:54 pm will be added. The northbound trip leaving the Burien Transit Center at 6:11 am will be revised to leave 10 minutes earlier at 6:01 am.

Metro’s info page also includes sections with information on which days this fall will include holiday-related changes. Metro says printed timetables will be available this Friday, and that you should be able to preview changes right now using the online Trip Planner.

(UPDATED Tuesday evening with correct map, re-sent by SDOT)

Since January, the Seattle Department of Transportation has been repaving Delridge Way SW in West Seattle, south of SW Orchard, in segments. The final segment will be just north of the White Center business district, so we thought you’d want to know. It’s set to start September 23rd, and here’s the announcement, with a map:
p>

(Updated map sent by SDOT)

The Seattle Department of Transportation’s Delridge Way SW Paving Project enters its fifth and final phase on September 23, 2013. The project rebuilds much of the roadway from SW Henderson to SW Roxbury streets, installing new storm water detention pipes, upgrading curb ramps to ADA standards and adding bike facilities on the northern end. The project began January 10 and is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

To ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians and to allow enough space for the crews to complete the work on Phase 5, between SW Henderson and Roxbury streets, on-street parking will be inaccessible. Also, southbound traffic will be detoured at SW Henderson St to 16th Avenue SW (see map).

Currently crews are working to complete Phase 4, between SW Holden and Orchard streets. This includes rebuilding SW Orchard Street, between Sylvan Way SW and Delridge Way SW. Crews are constructing one side at a time, with SW Orchard Street closed to eastbound traffic through September 13 and to westbound traffic the following two weeks. Traffic is being detoured along Delridge Way SW and Sylvan Way SW.

In Phase 4 these next two weeks, weather permitting, crews will also stripe Delridge Way SW between SW Holden and Myrtle streets. The markings reconfigure Delridge, between SW Kenyon and SW Myrtle streets, to accommodate new 6’ wide bike lanes.

The southern portion of Delridge Way SW is an important West Seattle arterial that had deteriorated over time. Completion of this $6.7 million Bridging the Gap funded paving project provides a smoother roadway, greater pedestrian accessibility and a higher level of safety for all modes of travel while the new drainage detention pipes slow the rate of storm water flow into Longfellow Creek during periods of heavy rain.

The Bike To Work Day party is just wrapping up in downtown White Center – bet you recognize the renowned crew there to provide encouragement, incentives, and treats! Here’s a wider shot of the setup:

For downtown (and vicinity) events on the pm-commute side of Bike To Work Day, check this page on the Cascade Bike Club‘s website.

If you’re taking Metro today, remember that it’s on “reduced weekday schedule” – that’s today, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, while on Tuesday (Christmas Day) Metro will follow the Sunday schedule.

(Recent aerial view of bridge construction, by Long Bach Nguyen)
If you are among those waiting eagerly for the new South Park Bridge to reopen, you have probably heard that it’s months behind the original schedule, and now not expected to open before early 2014. (The news first came to light during this month’s meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, when president Barbara Dobkin asked a county roads rep about the bridge timeline during a briefing on other topics; we subsequently highlighted it on partner site The South Park News, and the county made a formal announcement the next day.) Tonight, you can find out more directly from King County reps during a community meeting at the South Park Neighborhood Center, 8201 10th Avenue South, 7 pm.

This Thursday (October 25th), Sound Transit plans a public meeting/open house inside a bus parked by Westwood Village, to answer questions and provide information about a change that would affect White Center, proposed for Route 560 next year:

Proposed changes to Route 560
• The weekday, peak-only segment of Route 560 between the Alaska Junction and White Center would be eliminated to avoid duplication with King County Metro’s RapidRide C Line.
• The terminus of Route 560 would be moved to Metro’s new transit hub at Westwood Village on SW Barton Street, where the C Line and Metro routes 21, 22, 60 and 120 converge.
• Route 560 service would operate from Westwood Village to Sea-Tac Airport and Bellevue all day, seven days a week.

Tradeoffs: In addition to simplifying Route 560, this change would make connections available to Sea-Tac Airport, Renton, and Bellevue/Overlake from West Seattle all day, seven days a week. However, existing peak period Route 560 passengers with origins and destinations north of Westwood Village would need to connect with Route 560 using frequent RapidRide C Line service or other Metro routes. Current service provides a “one-seat ride” from the West Seattle Junction to the airport and other Route 560 destinations during weekday peak periods, but multiple connections are required at other times of day and on weekends.

You can see a map here – in the online version of an ST newsletter explaining the proposal, which is part of its 2013 Service Implementation Plan. If you’d like to find out more, look for an ST bus parked at 29th and Barton, SW side of Westwood Village, 5-7 pm this Thursday, and that’ll be the site of the open house.

On partner site West Seattle Blog, we just published a story that includes information of interest for the Delridge Triangle just across the line from White Center: The Seattle Department of Transportation is planning to “rechannelize” Delridge from SW Orchard southward, when it’s repaved/resurfaced next year. That would include a parking change in the last block – SDOT proposes changing the head-in angle parking to back-in angle parking. (Asked if that would include a road divider like the controversial one a block south in WC, SDOT reps only said they didn’t have anything like that anywhere in the city right now.) You can read the full story here.

If you haven’t left yet – we have a report from the road that while it’s cloudy, it’s dry! There are two “commute stations” in White Center for Bike to Work Day 2012 – Caffé Delia on 16th and Dubsea Coffee on 8th. Full Tilt Ice Cream’s ice-cream bike is part of the festivities at nearby CD. We’ve got a crew out for photos and will add them later. Bicyclists are welcome to stop by till 9 am.

ADDED 8:19 AM: Adding photos – top, if you don’t recognize him out of uniform, it’s Storefront Deputy BJ Myers, with Full Tilt’s Justin and Caffé Delia’s Matt and Delia. Next, a bicycling family that stopped at Caffé D – Alicia, Tom, and daughter Trixie:

More Bike to Work Day info can be found on the Cascade Bicycle Club‘s website.

As noted here and on partner site West Seattle Blog, this past Sunday was the latest edition of free minor bike repairs via DubSea Bikes at the White Center Food Bank – and tonight, Helen Weiss shared an update that it was the “biggest yet.” From that update:

… Seven kids got their bikes worked on. At least one had *major* issues, and we failed on parts ($3 brake pad, anyone?), but the bikes were all running when our mechanics were done. When clients could pump tires themselves, it expedited the work mechanics could do. Paul, a regular food bank volunteer, worked steadily on many bikes that day, even sustaining an injury in the line of duty. One of the DubSea clients, an acupuncturist, quickly stepped in to provide healing. Brian, aka DJ GoBriGo, brought smooth tunes and a can-do attitude. Aaron, a late arrival, was not fazed by the fact that we had 3 mechanics and only 2 stands – he produced a device designed to suspend a bike from a door frame and quickly got up to speed. Sixteen people total signed up but two got turned away due to time. One guy, a former auto mechanic, raided the West Seattle Tool Library’s Bike Tool Kit for allen wrenches and did the work himself.

Thanks to our awesome mechanics who worked wonders and to all who just came by to give moral support. And thanks to the White Center Food Bank for supporting our mission to promote safe cycling in White Center! We collected 6 cans for the food bank. One client brought a case of water bottles and offered them to all. That parking lot takes up half of a dead-end street and backs up against the trails of Lakewood Park. When the weather is good, it is a lot of space to spread out in. Executive Director Rick Jump confided that it would be a great location for a Food Truck Roundup, with proceeds going to the Food Bank, of course. It made us wonder what else could happen in that open White Center space while bikes are getting some love?

Look for DubSea Bikes at Cambodian New Year, Saturday, April 28th, 10:30 am – 5pm, on SW 98th Street at a table sponsored by Noise w/o Sound. In 1 month we’ll be greeting AM cycle commuters at Dubsea Coffee *and * Caffè Delia on Bike To Work Day, Friday, May 18th and celebrating their return to the neighborhood with a massive Afterparty at Proletariat Pizza.

You know them for bike repair … now join them for a ride! Today’s ride starts at 3 pm from Caffé Delia in downtown White Center. Check out the WCN White Center Events Calendar listing for more details.

Got a bike that needs a boost to get going – or keep going? DubSea Bikes is back in session Sunday (March 11th), with another free bike-repair event at White Center Food Bank. 2-4 pm, 8th and 108th, and as organizers remind you, “This free event will focus on minor repairs only to get more bikes on the street in White Center and beyond. More complex jobs may be referred out to a full bike shop.” Next two editions are on April 15th and May 20th.

5:50 AM: The now-famous White Center bike racks are spotlighted in that King County TV video (along with storefront Sheriff’s Deputy BJ Myers) published online a few days ago. But they aren’t the only evidence of the push toward a biking boom in WC and vicinity. DubSea Bikes is in action again today – this time at White Center Food Bank HQ, 10829 8th SW, 2-4 pm. As per the announcement on DubSea Bikes’ new Facebook page – which you can “like” by going here – it’s all about “providing free minor bike repair to White Center families. Fixing flats, chain lube and brake repair are some of the services offered by our volunteer mechanics. More extensive repairs may be referred to some of the fine bike shops in West Seattle or Burien.”

ADDED 3:30 PM: We dropped by in the first hour of DubSea Bikes – photo added above.

You don’t even have to set out (on foot) to find one – it might turn up on your doorstep! The announcement:

Look out, White Center! On February 11th, 2012, Feet First will be distributing 1000 free Neighborhoods on Foot White Center walking maps door-to-door throughout the community. The maps have been known to increase foot traffic in business districts, build understanding of walking and transit routes, bolster neighborhood identity, and raise awareness of vital community resources.

White Center Free Map Distribution
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

If you do not receive a map and would like one, please contact Feet First by calling 206-652-2310 ext. 5 to have one mailed directly to you. This distribution is made possible by community partners Seattle Works, King County Parks and Recreation, and the White Center Community Development Association.