West Seattle, Washington
30 Wednesday
Official morning numbers just in, courtesy of West Seattle’s own King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, below this lovely view of the added 6:10 am run:
First water-taxi run (6:10 am), 68 passengers; second, 135; third, 191; fourth, 128; fifth, 65. As we noted in our updates below, the increased volume caused the WT to fall behind schedule; Dow C says Metro told him, “We will be working with Argosy to determine any ways we can speed up this process without jeopardizing safety.”
Scroll below these six live cams (refresh this page any time for the latest images and info) for our updates from the morning commute on what did, and didn’t, happen out there:
(l to r below: latest from cams over WS Bridge midspan looking east, WS Br. I-5 ramps, I-5 @ Spokane Street in whichever direction WSDOT chooses to point it)
(l to r below: latest from cams looking east @ Low Bridge approach, south on Alaskan Way @ Washington, 99 @ 1st Avenue S bridge)
Before the commute updates, remember: The low bridge won’t open for boats; the Water Taxi has changes; you can turn left to 4th Ave S from surface Spokane St.
5:40 AM: State update page confirms bridge ramp to NB 5 is open again. WSB-mobile heading out. One of us is checking out the main routes and alternatives and will phone/text/send pix back to HQ for the other to add here.
6:10 AM: First Water Taxi run has 50 passengers. Announcement heard – no chairs upstairs because of some sort of problem. One television camera crew and KIRO radio at dock.
6:30: Admiral to I-90 took nine minutes. Sky more crowded than road – two choppers, two planes over I-5. (Below is the view right after turning onto NB 5 from WS Bridge.)
7 AM: We’re changing places. Team member just back from the road reports First Avenue South looking good past the stadiums, the bridge looked great heading east as we headed back west. Beware — some of the “I-5 ramp closed” detour signs are still up in places on the WS side — that is NOT true; the ramp to NB I-5 is open and we saw it with our own eyes. If you drive that stretch, be careful not to get distracted by what’s happening with the construction on the right side of the road — interesting welding, etc., but keep your eyes on the car in front of you!
7:07 AM: As our road crew heads toward the bridge for the next firsthand report, radio traffic reporter says the Viaduct is starting to bunch up. Meantime, another note for people taking I-5 to 90 — the right lanes of 5 are blocked till right before the ramp — no time to see it and merge over, so make sure you stay on the right side from the moment you get onto 5, if that’s where you’re headed.
7:19 AM: First report from road crew since switchover: Everything still looking good. Taco Time on 35th to 1st Avenue South off The Bridge — four minutes. Delridge onramp starting to get busy but not bad. 35th moving well. Large contingent of traffic officers spotted at the bottom of the 1st Avenue South offramp.
7:27 AM: Coming back the other way, eastbound bridge still looking good, 35th “almost deserted.” Radio traffic reports say the Eastside are where things are fairly ugly — a lot of people taking 405 to avoid 5, apparently. If you commute that way, beware.
7:33 AM: Radio traffic reporter says she’s going 45 mph — posted limit — past the construction zone on NB 5 between WS Bridge and I-90, all’s well. She also echoes what we noticed last hour, the work itself is a sight to see. WSDOT update page says things are starting to slow at 509/99.
7:41 AM: This WS-based LJer who left for work “at the crack of dawn” writes what many are thinking … OK, today’s OK so far because we all had the living daylights scared out of us; tomorrow (and beyond) could be a different story.
7:54 AM: Just drove The Bridge from 35th to 1st S again. Still just four minutes, moving at the speed limit. Now our road crew is back on the WS side and reporting that parking is a challenge in the water-taxi vicinity — even up to the diagonal spots at the viewpoint several blocks west. So if you want to take the WT, don’t bring your car — catch a shuttle.
8:06 AM: The Water Taxi is definitely the story of the morning. Radio reporter says the last run set a record — 191 passengers (you’ll recall WT was recently recertified to carry up to 250). Just got a photo of the line, which is now stretching toward the street …
8:25 AM: Checked out The (high) Bridge yet again. Our road crew reports “still NOBODY out here.” Times blog has a dispatch from someone who bicycled in from WS. WSB-mobile now on the way to check out the low bridge.
8:31 AM: Radio says the Water Taxi’s sudden success has pushed it a bit behind schedule; the WT run that was supposed to leave at 8:10 am “didn’t even get to the dock till 8:25.” We’ll check later with King County folks to see if any changes are planned for tomorrow.
8:38 AM: Low bridge and WT dock both quiet — looks like the morning rush is over. WSDOT folks are frantically warning, don’t let this fool you into going back to your regular habits tomorrow, this only worked BECAUSE so many people changed their ways.
8:45 AM: WSDOT also reminds us, there’s a Mariners’ game tonight at Safeco. Even without the benefit of I-5 construction, that usually means trouble driving home to WS in the early evening, so everyone beware. We’re wrapping up this round of posting but keep adding your observations; we’ll be up early to track things tomorrow too, and of course we’ll get back to the rest of the WS news for today …
We didn’t go to Westwood Village tonight in search of our semi-traditional Sunday sunset photo, much less infobits, but we found both …
The WV infobits: #1, West Seattle bestselling author Terry Brooks is coming back to the WV Barnes & Noble, August 28th @ 6:30 pm, almost a year after his last stop there; #2, the Pet Pros store in the old laundromat spot next to QFC is now open.
Went to Belvedere Viewpoint to see how the Admiral paving turned out, among other things. The whole stretch that was closed for nighttime work toward the end of last week (Admiral between Olga and 41st) looks good; here’s a small section shining during a sunbreak:
Looking out toward downtown from the same viewpoint, we enjoyed a great view of everybody out fishing on Elliott Bay:
(l to r: latest from cams over WS Bridge midspan looking east, WS Bridge I-5 ramps, I-5 @ Spokane Street in whichever direction WSDOT chooses to point it)
The WSDOT update page says some of the work is going faster than expected, but they’re still keeping a watchful eye out for showers this afternoon. Not surprisingly, traffic volumes are down; the advance alerts to HIDE UNDER YOUR BED TILL IT’S OVER!!!! worked this weekend — but what about tomorrow, when many of us don’t have the luxury of staying home or even telecommuting? Starting just after 6 am tomorrow, we will have one team member out in the WSB-mobile, checking out the commute (and alternatives), while another one mans the keyboard here at WSB World HQ, so that we can post “real-time updates” (including pix) in addition to showing an expanded selection of live cams. Yes, we know, counting us, there will be so many “news” vehicles out “checking the commute” it’ll be worse than it would have been otherwise. Forgive us. Speaking of media, we got this photo of channel 7 interviewing someone at the WS Kiwanis booth at the Farmers’ Market today. P’raps another “how is West Seattle surviving in this time of transportation crisis” story? (7 PM PS: Our guess was close … it was one quick comment at the end of the “everything’s OK today but ARE WE PREPARED FOR TOMORROW?” story at the start of the 5 pm news.)
The sealady.org site is up. Nothing there about the 9/11/07 Bathhouse arrival, though.
Lots of notes about the fire this morning at Longfellow Creek Apartments (5915 Delridge, same area as one of the recent shootings). 11:30 AM UPDATE: This photo just in from WSB reader Joel (thank you!); more info beneath it. 2:56 PM UPDATE: Some video here.
ORIGINAL 10:26 AM POST: Here’s WSB reader Sage K’s eyewitness account from the inbox (thank you to everyone who wrote!):
A fire started around 4 am in the Longfellow Creek Apartments @ 5915 Delridge Way SW. The fire was contained to D building where it started and no one was seriously hurt. Apparently the fire started when someone on the ground level was smoking in bed and set an oxygen tank on fire. The fire-starter got some minor burns to their feet from trying to stomp the fire out and was taken to the hospital for treatment. But no one else had injuries. The fire spread up the back side of the building through the balconies and to the roof. The roof was vented over the fire and damage was mostly contained to those 2 apartments right above the flash point. Several people will be displaced; the Red Cross was on hand to help them with accommodations. A Metro bus was brought in for the displaced people to wait in out of the cold until everything was sorted out and they were able to be escorted in to gather some belongings. I saw around 8 fire trucks, 2 command vehicles and a command post along with a few aid cars. By about 8am most of the scene was cleared and vehicle access was returned to Delridge. I live in (a different) building of that complex as was lucky enough to be as far as possible from the fire. People here were really good about helping out their neighbors in their time of need.
Before you go (10 am-2 pm today): the citywide Farmers’ Market organization has beefed up its website, including a weekly list of what’s new at WS and other sites.
We knew Garlic Jim’s Pizza (now in its 5th month in The Junction) was among the sponsors for tonight’s Sidewalk Cinema outdoor movie next to Hotwire — but we didn’t know they were bringing free pizza! 
GJ’s owner Ryan Reese and his minions just kept the slices coming; smelled heavenly. And that was only part of the fun. The movie was “Raiders of the Lost Ark”; looked and sounded great with the Sidewalk Cinema projection & speaker system. At least 150 bundled-up people of all ages were there and there was still room for more. Awesome raffle prizes (no entry fee, you got a raffle ticket just for being there) from GJ’s (free & discount pizza) and the other two sponsors, WS Farmers’ Market ($10 certificates) and Viking Bank (free safe-deposit box for a year). Next Saturday night, the movie is “Monty Python & the Holy Grail”; sponsors are 4 West Seattle dentists (wonder what their giveaways might be).
A few hours after Rhonda @ Beach Drive Blog posted an update/rant about the sharrows, we drove BD to check the progress ourselves.
The northbound lanes appear complete; the southbound lanes are done through the 5500 block of Beach Drive, some sharrows so fresh that orange cones framed them as of this afternoon (narrowing the lanes a bit precariously for a then-sunny weekend day). Lincoln Park Way does not appear to have been tackled yet. So how are they working (or not) for bicycle riders? Bike Hugger posted about his first try.
… don’t panic.
Those three images, by the way, are the latest images (as of when you arrived on this page) from the (left to right) city traffic cam for the WS Bridge, looking east from midspan; the city traffic cam pointing east at the I-5 ramps from high over 6th/Spokane; and the state traffic cam (direction varies) at I-5/Spokane. (Refresh this page for the newest images.) Meantime, we just took our first eastbound journey since this began 17 hours ago. No awfulness. We took the Costco loop – down Fauntleroy to The Bridge, off at 1st South & up to 4th, to Costco, then back up over the 1st Ave S Bridge to 509 to Myers and up through the north edge of White Center, to our south side of WS ‘hood. Of course we took pix.
Left to right below – looking east down the bridge after the post-Fauntleroy bend; looking east down the bridge after the high hump; top of the 1st Ave S ramp:
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Left to right below — sign on the south edge of the bottom of the 1st Ave S ramp; looking east down Spokane (surface) toward 4th; our only traffic hangup, a train (if you get off at 1st S hoping to use the new 4th S left-turn signal, remember you run the risk of train delay):
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WSDOT’s latest update on how the I-5 work is going (don’t forget the WS Bridge ramp to northbound 5 is completely closed all weekend) is here.
Dropped by the Bench Press and Dead Lift Championships happening right now at Alki (between the Bathhouse and the sand). We caught a couple of the more senior lifters in action (their ages were announced with their names), lifting somewhere around 200 pounds. First, Richard, 75 years old, before and during his lift:
This is Leroy, 67, before and during:
Goodnatured crowd on hand, some sponsor freebies, and demonstrations between lifters’ “flights” — as we left, a group of young martial artists was about to show their stuff. ALSO HAPPENING IN WS RIGHT NOW: The first annual C & P Coffee arts & crafts fair, till 3 pm. One WSB reader already has written in with a rave review – “some great stuff.”
A WS blogger woke up today to discover his old-ish truck gone. Got us wondering how much of this is going on. Seattle Police posts crime stats online by census tract; we for example are in #116, and the newest monthly report is for May, which shows 4 auto thefts in our census tract. (514 total for that month in the entire area served by the SW Precinct.) If you want to check your area — the citywide report is here; find your census tract number on this map.
The latest WSB reader request for your recommendations (thanks to those who answered the cat-care question a week ago):
I am looking for a quality, old-fashioned knife/blade sharpening service here in West Seattle, if such a skilled person exists (or the closest neighborhood). I know about Seattle Cutlery in the Market, but am hoping there is another in a less problematic location.
Anyone?
Per 1 of 2 dueling press releases, WS will be in a pilot plan for recycling bins at beaches & parks next spring. (2 councilmembers suggest it’s their idea; Hizzoner says it’s his.)
10 pm Friday night. The moment we’ve all been waiting for (or dreading). Here’s what you need to know right now:
-No access to I-5 Northbound from West Seattle Freeway or surface Spokane Street, all weekend.
-If you get to I-5 some other way, three NB lanes are closed in the construction zone (between West Seattle Freeway and I-90), including the ramp to I-90 and Dearborn.
-Some bus routes are affected (more here).
-Water Taxi capacity is increased (schedule here).
-The Washington State Department of Transportation’s complete project update page is here. (If you want to talk to a real live person, they’ve got a hotline 18 hours a day at 206-440-4704.)
-Our live cameras page is here (with additions to come over the weekend as we see where other cameras are pointing and what they are showing; also note the city has added a new Alaskan Way/Washington cam).
-Don’t forget, tonight is the second and (scheduled to be) final night of Admiral Way paving, with Admiral closed till 6 am tomorrow between Olga and 41st.
Let us know how all this winds up affecting you, once you’ve been out in it tonight, tomorrow, throughout the weekend — leave comments on our I-5 posts, or send us e-mail. Good luck to us all!
At the same Southwest Design Review Board meeting last night where the latest Charlestown/Cali Petco plan was panned, a condo/retail building in the Admiral District got thumbs up. It’s the project proposed for this space @ 2310 Cali, south of Admiral Pub:
Architect Terry Williams (of Thienes/Williams Architects) showed the board revised renderings for the 4-story building, which will maximize its 50-foot-wide lot with 12 condos, with a residential entrance on the left side of the first floor (see rendering below), retail to the right of that, with its entrance at the far right. Note the plantings and seating bench planned on the street in front:
The next rendering shows the rear view (thanks to Terry for sending us these images so we could share with you); 12 parking spaces are behind the first-floor doors.
Board members approved the design with just a few conditions: They want the flat roof over the parking area to become some sort of common space for residents; previously it was going to be simply a torch-down roof. They also asked for a few aesthetic changes around the front balconies, and tweaks to the rooftop deck, but overall had praise for the plan, which had undergone significant changes since its “Early Design Guidance” meeting exactly one year earlier. Next step, the developer applies for permits to get closer to construction.
-From the latest Land Use Information Bulletin: More townhouses coming to Cali, this time north of the Junction, on and behind the site of a little two-business storefront (alterations and salon), a five-unit development proposed for 4045 Cali.
-Seattle City Council members are coming to West Seattle next week. The Economic Development and Neighborhoods Committee plans to meet @ High Point Community Center next Thursday (August 16th), 6-8 pm (agenda here). Councilmembers on this committee are Sally Clark, Jan Drago, Richard McIver, and Peter Steinbrueck.
-Also on the road, West Seattle 13-year-old Jeremy Scharff-Kim, a student at Pathfinder K-8. This Times article tells the tale of his trip to Hawaii in a quest for Pokemon glory. You can follow his progress here. Good luck!
-Congrats to WS “caffeine jazz” group Vente Caffeinato on its first CD. Get it here.
The major festivals are over but the fun is far from done. And with Freeway Fright ’07 kicking off, this is the best weekend yet to JUST STAY ON OUR PENINSULA. Click ahead for dozens of Fri-Sat-Sun events and activities around WS:Read More
Morning commuters won’t be dealing with it till Monday, but the weekend effects will be major — starting at 10 pm, the West Seattle Bridge exit to NB I-5 will close completely for the whole weekend. If your destination off I-5 is the U-District or somewhere further north, try this alternate route: Take The Viaduct; just past the Battery Street Tunnel, follow the Mercer Street/I-5 exit, which is a relatively straight shot (less than a mile) over to the interstate onramps. Meantime, these links should be handy: WSDOT’s “everything you need to know NOW about the closures” page is here; our live WS cams page including The Bridge is here.
Alki Community Council president and city Parks Board vice chair Jackie Ramels tells WSB that acting Deputy Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams announced at tonight’s Parks Board meeting that the recast Statue of Liberty will be moved to the Alki Bathhouse next month, on an extremely meaningful date for the statue’s history … 9/11.
As mentioned below, tonight the Southwest Design Review Board took up – and spit out – the newest proposed design for a Petco store on the Charlestown Cafe site.
The meeting, in fact, started 15 minutes late, because of the architects’ tardiness. The project team “took a wrong turn,” we were told.
Eerily predictive, that turned out to be. Click ahead for a complete recap:Read More
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