welcome everybody to Seattle bike blogtv

I am your editor Tom fuqua Laura and I

am joined by Anthony Palmieri of West

Seattle bike connections and we are here

today to talk about some surprise news I

think caught almost everybody completely

by surprise that there is cracking on

the you know basically the basic

structure of the West Seattle bridge the

upper bridge and that has alarmed

engineers at the Seattle Department of

Transportation enough that they have

completely closed that bridge to all

traffic for an indefinite period of time

they don't know how long it's going to

be closed they don't know how much it's

gonna cost and the you know this is kind

of thrown the entire neighborhood into a

very tricky situation the low bridge

which if you're biking a lot is not

closed and so that suddenly makes riding

a bike one of the best ways to get

between basically you know if you're in

West Seattle to get across the Duwamish

River

I asked Anthony to come on and maybe

talk to me a little bit about you know

as someone who lives in West Seattle and

as an advocate for bicycling in West

Seattle like what does this closure mean

for the neighborhood and maybe how can

we you know work together with neighbors

to help people who are not used to

biking you know give it a shot because

it might be kind of their best option so

thanks for coming on I really appreciate

it

yeah thanks for having me appreciate the

opportunity yeah so I guess let's talk

big picture first this is kind of a big

deal right it's a major disruption

absolutely and this is coming from

somebody who you know bikes every single

day you know I also drive a car too and

it's gonna be a huge hassle for a lot of

people for a long time there is a low

bridge that opens for boats they call it

the swing bridge and because instead of

a drawbridge it swings kind of

side-to-side right has a tendency to

break which let's hope it doesn't break

anytime soon because we really need it

to be fully operational right now but

it'll get sometimes they'll get stuck

open and you just like can't if you're

biking you're just kind of like out of

luck for like until it takes until they

fix it

and we dealt with that last year yep and

it's it's a it's a huge hassle but so

that bridge is supposed to be designated

for transit Freight an emergency access

is that just be think that's because it

would just get swamped yeah I mean it's

a it's a two lane bridge one lane in

either direction so it's big but it

certainly doesn't have the you know

capacity the West Seattle bridge which

is what six lanes on both sides of it at

its widest point so so I guess that's

what I'm trying to focus on how can we

help you know it's this because we're in

this weird time yeah usually we would

say we'll take transit everyone should

take transit you can you know that's our

best way through situations where

suddenly you know driving you know

personal cars around isn't gonna work

cause it's not a road space for them all

right all of a sudden so but that's

suddenly not a very appealing option

because the outbreak is requiring people

to stay at least six feet apart

you know don't touch you know communal

surfaces and both of those things are

really hard to do on a bus or even the

water taxi so you know transits still

going to operate but it seems like

biking is now probably a really

important transportation mode I mean it

was already important but now it's

suddenly vital right so I guess how so

you're with West Seattle by connections

how what have you all been talking about

kind of what whose ear was your plan to

respond to this you know I think it kind

of falls along with our our messaging we

put out you know other times is if

people are wanting and willing to pick

up a bike for commuting any number of us

that ride every day are willing to make

times to meet

range folks to you know show them that

it's actually a pretty easy thing to do

once you plan and kind of get used to it

so you're still offering to to write

along with people or kind of how's that

absolutely you know the West Seattle

blog is our neighborhood blog that I

think a lot of people follow quite a bit

here and you know we'll post on there

okay if you're interested you know when

traffic things do come up you know reach

out to us and some folks have emailed

and I think some of those folks have

turned into regular bike commuters now

we do it every day it's like hey if

you're coming through at this time I'll

be here and you know I'll show you how

to ride downtown and so if someone is it

possible for someone email you questions

or you know like let's say someone's

just got I don't know how to how do i

navigate this area like is there someone

who will answer the question absolutely

so let's start big picture first about

biking to West Seattle and let's just

say you know we're going downtown for

the sake of you know ease that's where

most other my connections come together

anyway right so let's say we're going

downtown it seems like once you get to

the trail you can figure it out from

there would you say that that's yeah

it's a pretty straight shot once you get

there

it looks very confusing on a map it does

I mean I'm looking at Google Maps right

now and it's yeah there's a lot going on

there but it's like anything else you do

it once and it's you know just kind of

becomes automatic well yeah let's maybe

let's walk through it so we'll talk

about how to get here in a second but

let's say that let's assume you've

already made it to that that that trail

conjunction you know underneath the

bridge where the Alki trail and then the

trail up to dell ridge come together

let's let's start there and then let's

walk through that endpoint you down to

the sit down downtown yeah and then once

you you know go under the bridge and I

mean it's a pretty straight shot you get

right to this both can't Street Bridge

crossover yeah I think one point of

maybe confusion for new riders is do you

then shoot across Spokane Street through

the crosswalk to get to the other side

of the trail which is on the north side

or do you do

around the jug handle you know depending

where in the country I go under the

bridge to come back out over that way

and is their damn preference I generally

take the jug handle and good loop around

just because it's one less major Road

Crossy and I have to you know

potentially deal with and you know

interact with cars so it only mates at

least one hazard there so it's kind of

confusing because it feels like you're

turning around and going the wrong way

but you just have to know that it loops

around and then once you do it once

you'll get it but got it down that's

right oh okay all right and then you got

across a couple driveways which is a

little confusing but you'll figure it

out it's pretty clear where the trail

goes it's just go across there's another

I think it is actually a bridge it goes

over the de la waterway there next to

the Spokane is it in Street in park I

think that's right there yeah the

fishing pier yeah the fishing pier right

yeah then that kicks you ultimately out

onto East marginal way where you just

hang a left at the at the white that's

what I do in the morning you know some

folks continue on the sidewalk and will

you know cut across east marginal when

when there's an opening it's you know

again it's kind of user preference

really so then there's a I don't know

what you'd call it

a sometimes buffered bike lane

MoneySmart channel right you know it is

a full bike lane the entire way but like

you said there's a varying degrees of

separation depending where you are

between there and when it links up with

the Elliott Bay Trail on the north end

and this this street is slated for a

major reconstruction project which will

include much better bike lanes that's

right but that's not gonna help you

right now not right now so you know

another option with these marginal two

and some folks do this as well as they

ride on the west side of the street on

the the sidewalk there that's you know

probably the mall feet wide it's I mean

it's a nice way to separate yourself

from traffic too if that's you know what

folks are interested in yeah

if this is the part that makes you most

nervous then you know maybe that's a

good option great and then when you get

up to South Massachusetts kinda right by

the Coast Guard right what do you do do

you stay on the road or do you try to

cross over and get onto the sidewalk

there so I actually I stay I take the

lane on Alaska once I get close to the

you know I think it's called a Gore

point right where vehicles have to cross

over the bike lane to make that right

was that is that South Massachusetts or

not let's see it's between Massachusetts

in Atlantic yeah I mean I can see it in

my head I just can't yeah all right now

be I generally stay on the on that east

side of the street and pop up on the

curb then get on the trail okay and then

then you get up to a light and you'll

see a trail entrance directly in front

of you yeah and then it is very hard to

miss it's nice newly repaved you know

super wide really nice established trail

great and then that trail takes you all

the way so if you're going to the ferry

terminal then you're pretty much there

just stay on the sidewalk that's right

another block and you're at the ferry

terminal yeah but if you're gonna go

downtown I would I would say most people

probably best off don't taking King down

to you know either

Occidental or what do you is that Street

even called there it's called second

yeah I take Occidental it's kind of nice

too Yeah right you're the cobblestone

and you know it does kind of catch a

break because it's mostly parking lot

you know and people walking around that

Sayle cars yeah and I guess yeah

normally I would avoid Occidental in

certain times a day because it can get

really busy and Patrick I'm guessing

that's not an issue right no you know

but based my experience the last couple

weeks it's been dead yeah great and then

Occidental you can take that all the way

- yes ler and then you'll see a bike

lane and then that bike lane connects to

the second Avenue bike lane and now

you're you're connected to the the

downtown bike Network

Marcus um so now let's let's talk about

how do you get to that that bike trail

Nexus I guess you call it underneath

West Seattle Bridge like there's a bunch

of different ways so sure yeah maybe

we'll start north and work our way south

sure yeah so coming from the north you

know whether you're on Alki and the

Admiral District you know a couple

different options there's a pretty nice

trail established along Harbor Avenue

around Alki you know it's super wide I

take that mornings when I don't the drop

my kid off at daycare it's you know nice

quiet

you know there's walkers and other

bikers out there everyone has plenty of

space

you know I basically drops you right up

to that that enters that Y intersection

you continue following the sidewalk down

to which what's that intersection by

this flank cafe the big five way weird

intersection yeah you basically just you

look for the the marked bike way to get

across that intersection that has a

light that actually is triggered by

bicycles and use that to get up on this

go can Street bridge once you get down

that you can see it as a straight shot

straight up right great and then so

where should we go next I think focusing

more on that north area you know Harbor

Avenue Southwest is the primary feeder

down there I mean if you want to get

into specifics of other ways you know I

see people come down Admiral way as well

if you like a 35 mile an hour

you know blast downhill to start your

day another option probably not for most

folks who are considering getting into

biking fairmount ave is another another

great way to kind of start the morning

nice downhill through a street that

makes you feel like you're not in the

city it's kind of it's really nice

actually

great nice way to get down from the a

pro area but again these all feed down

to Harbor Avenue okay the way we come I

you know kind of coming from the the

more central portion of West Seattle say

around the junction

the Avalon way Southwest through

Southwest that long way was recently

reach analyzed to include a full bike

lane on both sides it's been been pretty

nice riding down that recently you know

that feeds you right down to that same

intersection just coming from the self

what's different here some folks do

continue to take that all the way down

to that Y intersection to get on the

trail that way once they cross under the

West handle bridge a lot of folks also

make the right-hand turn on to Southwest

Yancy Street and kind of weave back

behind this West Seattle Health Club and

ultimately come out on Dell Ridge okay

you end up on hand over great you come

down and over and then once you get the

Dell Ridge hang a left there and cross

that intersection put you on the

sidewalk which will feed into that same

trail we were talking about earlier

so let's say you're all the way like

you're kind of in the Far West or you

know even as far as then can Park area

sure what do you recommend going all the

way around along the seaside or making

the climb well it depends I mean the

beach side nice and flat for the most

part but I mean it's gonna easily triple

your mileage you know follow Roy it's

nice I mean it you know it's a hill but

it's not you know relatively speaking

here in Seattle it's a it's pretty

benign there's a lot of bikes on it all

throughout the year so it you know I

think most drivers in that area you know

are familiar and look for cars all the

time and it's a pretty straightforward

heavily used bike corridor so that would

be my preference if I was gonna do it

what's talk about like weights in there

yeah I actually a gentleman in my my

building downtown

I seen the bike Locker commutes from

white center and I know he comes down

Dell Ridge I think that's kind of the

primary mode for those folks you know

basically taking 16,000

okay not in the Belridge and taking that

to kind of straight shot all the way

down there is an existing neighborhood

green way that has improvements coming

that is mostly usable you know I think

that for most people it you know it's a

little it's Hillier it's it's got some

weird zigs and zags but for most people

like it's gonna be a little better than

a little more comfortable endeavors way

which has bike lanes for some sections

and sometimes no bike lane or sometimes

a bike lane on one side but not the

other and you know it can its dull which

is the flattest way it's the most direct

way so a lot of people still bike it but

you can make your way through the

neighborhood just to the east of Dell

Ridgeway and there's a signed route the

cup that goes all the way from white

Center that you can follow just you know

be patient because sometimes you'll

cross the same street like twice within

a couple blocks and you're like pulling

your hair out like an egg is this a

trick uh-huh and then there's one point

where you can get around this but there

is one point where it turns into a

staircase but you know there might be

sections where you'll bike on 16th

Avenue Southwest instead of the bike of

the neighborhood route just because it's

so much faster and more direct but you

can you can do it it's mostly it's

mostly calm along the way has been my

experience okay yeah it's not super

stressful and then there is one tricky

spot along that route there southwest

Dawson Street merges into 21st Avenue

Southwest which is the Greenway route

for like the span of a block or two and

then it and then the main arterial route

diverges on the 22nd Avenue Southwest

and 21st Avenue Southwest becomes a slow

residential street again and that one

stretch is kind of stressful there is a

sidewalk on the west side of the street

that is not really wide enough for a lot

of for multiple people biking the past

each other comfortably but it might be

it's the

and so you know it's you'll find your

way across it's just it's not the most

comfortable stretch but then once you're

on 21st Avenue Southwest you can follow

the science is neighborhood greenways

science that will take you all the way

on neighborhood streets to Pigeon Point

they call it which is you feel like

you're just biking into this dead-end of

like a neighborhood street and then

there's this little trail that kind of

comes out of nowhere and go down a hill

in that trail and then suddenly boom

you're on the you connect with the trail

from Dell Ridge and now you're

underneath the bridge again which is

it's kind of magical because there's

several points along the way where

you're just convinced like there's no

way this is gonna get me going the wrong

way yeah

there's no way this is gonna work and

then it does work we should talk about

dwarvish trail you know generally good

easy passage pretty well-established

I think there there are a few driveways

they eat across that you know just need

to exercise a bit more caution it almost

connects to the Green River Trail and it

goes through several you know South King

County municipalities which is a lovely

trail there's there's this gap where you

have to kind of bike on the side of 99

for it's so short and then there's a

bike route through South Park that

connects to the Duwamish trail so if

you're coming from the South Park bridge

or neighborhoods softly there is a there

is a connection that you can find you

know follow the signage it'll lead you

there the trip there alms trail once

you're on it it's pretty straightforward

there's connection across the first

Avenue South Bridge a lot of people may

not be familiar with it's a little it's

especially confusing to find on the

Georgetown side if you've never done it

before so if you're following the map

like on your phone or something you know

you'll probably be looking at the line

your map and looking up into the real

world and saying there's no way this is

right it is right is right you will get

there but you basically like you'll be

biking through what feels like just like

a tractor-trailer graveyard like this

there's no way this is the way to the

bridge but it is and you'll and then

suddenly there's this like nice ramp

entrance you know it's in pretty good

condition and it's actually pretty nice

protected safe connection across the

bridge that will kind of fling you

around and dump you onto the sidewalk

and Highland Parkway southwest and then

you'll you'll wrap around and then

you'll follow the trail runs along the

east side of West marginal way almost

all the way to the bridge all right

almost almost so you go past the

Duwamish longhouse and cultural center

kind of right past the longhouse and

then you're you're on the other side of

the street from that point is that

correct that's not right yeah and

unfortunately it's just a sidewalk like

there's there's nothing more to it than

a sidewalk I think they do have signage

that guides you through so if you're

worried about getting lost you can still

follow the signs just unfortunately it's

just a sidewalk nothing is not it is not

a trail but we call the trail I guess

and again you might feel like okay I've

gotten this can't be the right way but

you'll end up feeling like you're going

just kind of into an alley behind some

industrial businesses at Southwest

Dakota Street it won't look like much of

a street to you it really just feels

like a driveway but follow the signs

there are signs and they'll lead you up

this alleyway behind a bunch of

businesses and then you'll end up on how

does it actually end up oh yeah you end

up in another alley but it feels like an

alley Southwest marginal place I guess

it's official

you'll wind up and then you'll go under

the bridge and

it'll turn into a trail underneath the

bridge and then all of a sudden there it

is you're connected to the same trail

that we're talking about before yeah I

guess it's uh you know that's almost one

of the challenges of biking the West

Seattle's that's so many of these routes

you kind of it helps to have already

known about them it's not so hard once

you know where they are and right

they're there and that and you can trust

that they will connect but when you're

first starting you just might not

believe it it is and that you know that

kind of adds to the intimidation and

reluctance that some people may have to

like you meeting but again you know find

a buddy there's someone that does it

every day even a complete stranger on

the side of the road that you see on a

bike you ask them and they're gonna be a

nice person to show you exactly where to

go oh I think another on to you know

depending on how so this and see

recommendations go the water taxi is

another option for bicyclists as well I

can't read what the capacity is for the

boat but I mean it can hold a dozen or

more bikes for each trip you know if you

find yourself you know just not wanting

to ride most of the way home one day Amy

completely booked like in the water taxi

and do it that way same thing with with

buses as well I mean carries in the

front can take hold at least three bikes

great well thank you so much for taking

all this time to talk to me about this

thank you for all the work that you're

doing West Seattle by connections does

suddenly very it's always important but

now it's suddenly very important again

unexpectedly I hope that you know this

helps people get where they need to go

in what and I hope that the bridge is

not closed for too long and is not too

expensive to fix

yeah but that's all