Posts in collection projects
Marine View Drive Safety Improvements
date posted: 09 Mar 2021Traffic, parking and pedestrian safety have been issues in Fauntleroy for more than a decade. After a south-bound car swerved off Marine View Drive (MVD) 100 yards south of SW Roxbury seven years ago, and tumbled down the embankment into the house area below, FCA held a Traffic Issues Forum in November 2014. There we agreed to invite our city council member and SDOT leaders to help us fix these long-standing issues. On January 23, 2015, Council Member Tom Rasmussen and SDOT Chief of Staff Bill LaBorde toured the Endolyne Triangle, Roxbury-Marine View Dr. intersection and Lincoln Park bus stop areas with Fauntleroy residents, including FCA President Mike Dey, Board members Martin Westerman and Deb Kerns, and several community members. On the walk-about, we explained our on-the-ground concerns in these three areas, including unsafe pedestrian crossings, vehicle near-misses and accidents, and blocked traffic sight lines. On the walk-about, both CM Rasmussen and Mr. LaBorde judged that all the community’s requests were legitimate and merited action. Mr. Laborde said SDOT could begin the work of making Fauntleroy’s desired changes when the weather got drier that spring. These changes included:
- S.W. Marine View Dr. intersection at S.W. Roxbury:
- SDOT agreed to repair and extend the guardrail on the west side of the roadway, completed a survey, and installation,
- Mirror across from intersection: east-bound drivers on Roxbury coming to the stop sign cannot see to the south because of the bank at the SW corner, and MVD roadway curve to the west. The only way to correct that would be to move a half mile of MVD to the east — no possible. SDOT’s Jim Curtin promised to advise on steps FCA and neighbors could take, but did not follow through. So FCA devised a simpler solution — mount a convex mirror across the street that drivers and pedestrians could use to spot vehicles coming from the south. FCA board members Gordon Wiehler installed this safety improvement
- Endolyne Triangle area:
- Triangle:
- for decades, cars heading downhill (west) on Wildwood-Barton had three options — turn up 42nd, turn down Brace Pt., or continue to the 45th SW intersection. Cars and pedestrians coming eastward up Brace Pt. and Wildwood had to guess which choice oncoming traffic would make. Many of those drivers did not signal their intentions, which led to many near misses and some accidents at the east (pointed) end of the Triangle,
- FCA requested that SDOT convert the two-way section of S.W. Brace Pt., between 45th Ave. S.W. and S.W. Wildwood, to one way headed east, and convert the west-bound lane to angle parking,
- in 2016, SDOT completed the changes: (1) extending the Triangle eastern point with red street paint, (2) creating parking and loading zone areas with red street paint, and (3) gifting our community with planter boxes to beautify the area
- north of Endolyne Joe’s parking lot:
- to improve sight line to the north for drivers at the S.W. Brace Pt. intersection with 45th Ave. SW, FCA asked SDOT to eliminate two or three parking spaces just north of the Endolyne Joe’s parking lot, on west side of 45th Ave. S.W.
- SDOT replaced two parking spaces with a “bicycle corral,” containing racks for three bikes, in 2016
- California Ave S.W. intersection with S.W. Brace Pt./S.W. Barton: to improve sight line to the west, and thereby driver safety, FCA asked SDOT to eliminate one or two parking spaces on the south side of the street. SDOT completed this change in 2016
- Triangle:
- Fauntleroy Way S.W. at mid-Lincoln Park:
- pedestrian signals:
- Since 2005, FCA has requested that SDOT install a Fauntleroy crosswalk and/or pedestrian light at either SW Austin – where most people cross Fauntleroy to reach the Lincoln Park wading pool, picnic shelters and north baseball diamond, or at S.W. Rose St. – where pedestrians cross to access C Line bus stops and Lincoln Park. Instead, in spring of 2007, SDOT’s chief traffic engineer, Dongho Chang approved SDOT installing a pedestrian-activated crossing light at SW Kenyon
- During the 2016 walk-about, FCA members again requested that SDOT (a) add the Austin signal, and (b) move the Kenyon signal to S.W. Rose for safe crossing between C Line bus stops. SDOT has not delivered on those FCA requests
- Placing the light at Kenyon did not “pulse” traffic, as Mr. Chang, claimed, nor change human crossing behavior into Lincoln Park at Austin, or at SW Rose.
- SDOT told FCA that its standard for placing a pedestrian crosswalk or traffic signal requires (a) 20 pedestrian crossings per hour and (b) a busy street. Fauntleroy qualifies as “busy,” and to test the standard, several FCA members counted crossing and traffic volumes in 2019. They found that crossings at Rose outnumbered crossings at Kenyon by 16-20 to 1. This has not moved SDOT.
- curb cuts at corners:
- The SW Monroe, Austin, Kenyon St., Kenyon Pl., and Webster corners feature standard-height curbs. The FCA asserted that ramps are needed to accommodate bicyclists, strollers, wheelchairs and pedestrians,
- FCA requested the SDOT install curb cuts in 2019, and we are now in SDOT queue for installing them. They will probably be installed in the next five years.
- pedestrian signals:
Community Dinners
date posted: 09 Mar 2021During the 1990s, FCA hosted several salmon dinners; August, 1990, 1991, 1992 and July, 1996. Although the earlier dinners were successful as fundraisers, the July dinner was organized as a social gathering with a beach walk along Fauntleroy Cove. Tickets were purchased by 150 members (a bargain at $15 a person) with appetizers, beer and wine at the Karlstrom house, and chowder for the walk to the Cook house where 150 pounds of salmon (a sign of the times, the salmon was purchased at $4.00 a pound!) were barbequed and served. Prizes were raffled off and a good time had by all. The last event was held August 1, 2000 on elevated Fauntleroy between Henderson and Director streets. FCA provided hamburgers with attendees bringing appetizers, salads and desserts. A $7 donation was suggested and this was billed as a community BBQ inviting all neighbors to join in.
Lincoln Park Curb Bulb
date posted: 26 Feb 2021The ferry queue, especially during summer times, weekends and holidays, can stretch past the north end of Lincoln Park. Cars would line up along Fauntleroy north of the park and would also line up along 47th Avenue SW with the two lines competing to form a single queue. FCA raised the alarm about the growing ferry queue which would clog 47th as well as Lincoln Park Way, blocking driveways and endangering residents along the narrow streets. In 2001, after FCA received support from the Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Department of Transportation agreed to apply funds from Washington State Ferries to construct the curb bulb. The curb was designed to discourage queuing along 47th Avenue and with more prompting from FCA, signs were installed instructing drivers to line up on Fauntleroy.
Triangle Business District Planters
date posted: 11 Feb 2021
The planter boxes ringing the Bracepoint Triangle were sited by the Seattle Department of Transportation in 2017. At that time, the City was investing in planters that would help control bike lanes, traffic and parking. Once the reconfiguration of Marine View Drive was complete allowing cars to drive only east up the hill, SDOT was concerned the new space needed clearer marking and decided planters would deter parking in the new open spaces. The City paid for the planters, the soil and the plants. The FCA selected the plants and did the planting.
In 2018, FCA thought that the area would look more cohesive if planters were placed on the four corners and in front of the businesses. The City declined to pay for this second group and FCA purchased the planters as well as the plantings. These planters were made by Sybertech out of recycled material and have a self-watering system that will work for plants with deep roots.
Each winter and spring neighbors pitch in to maintain these 27 street planters. Volunteers plant hundreds of tulips and daffodils in the fall. In late spring, volunteers dig out the old bulbs and plant summer geraniums. Stay tuned and enjoy the color show!
New Neighbor Welcome Bags
date posted: 11 Feb 2021
The Fauntleroy neighborhood – with its rich history, popular businesses and friendly residents – is a popular area, and has attracted a large number of new neighbors in the last couple of years. FCA has recently renewed our effort to expand our membership area to match the boundaries outlined by the City of Seattle (can someone make this correct?). Our current goal is to welcome each new neighbor with a welcome note, information about the FCA and an invitation to membership. We look forward to seeing new faces at our monthly business meetings (currently being conducted online).
In case we’ve missed a new neighbor in your area, please let us know, and we’ll welcome them as soon as we can. Contact membership@fauntleroy.net, or any FCA Board member.
Efforts to slow down speeding
date posted: 01 May 2017In 2016 the FCA was receiving many complaints about speeders along Fauntleroy heading to the West Seattle bridge. Reports cited motorcycles heading northbound passing cars on both the left and the right side of the cars. There were also complaints of the noise coming from the motorcycles as they came off the ferry early (before 6 AM) and heading north.
On Jan 4, 5, 6 of 2017 two members of the FCA signed out a radar gun from the Seattle Department of Transportation to try and better determine the extent of the morning speeding and traffic noise. While not the peak of motorcycle traffic season efforts were made to record traffic speeds (cars and motorcycles) going both north and southbound along Fauntleroy beginning at 4:20 AM.
The permissible speed limit along Fauntleroy at that time was 30 mph. On Jan 4 observation began at 5:40 AM and continued thru 6:00 AM. On Jan 5, the observation began at 4:20 AM and continued thru 6:00 AM while on Jan 6 observation began at 4:20 AM and continued thru 6:40 AM. All observations were done from the 8200 block of Fauntleroy across from Lincoln Park.
On Jan 4 at 5:40 AM motorcycles were traveling northbound from 47 to 58 mph. Cars at that same time were traveling in excess of 40 mph. Southbound traffic which was exclusively cars were traveling generally in excess of 40 mph.
On Jan 5 at 4:20 AM cars were traveling northbound between 38 and 40 mph. The only motorcycle at that time was traveling at 42 mph. At 5 AM cars were traveling northbound at 38 to 43 mph while motorcycles were going 40 to 47 mph. At 5:40 AM motorcycles were traveling northbound at speeds ranging from 41 to 64 mph and two motorcycles were observed passing cars. At 6 AM a police car was part of the line of traffic heading north and everyone was traveling under 40 mph.
On Jan 6 the automobile speeds heading northbound at 4:20 AM ranged from 33 to 39 mph. At 5 AM two motorcycles were traveling 47 and 53 mph while automobiles were traveling from 36 to 43 mph. At 5:40 AM motorcycles were traveling northbound from 49 to 63 mph passing all other traffic. Average speed for the remaining traffic was 35 mph. At 6:00 AM there were no motorcycles and all automobiles were traveling between 30 and 35 mph. At 6;27 4 motorcycles were heading northbound at speeds ranging from 34 to 43 mph. At 6:37 there was heavy traffic from the ferry. The first 4 vehicles were motorcycles traveling from 46 to 50 mph. Traffic after that was all slowed due to the presence of a bus. Southbound traffic was generally traveling from 36 to 46 mph.
These data were shared with City Council and SPD. SPD placed an empty police car along Fauntleroy and that slowed some of the traffic for a couple days until the car and motorcycle traffic figured out that the police car was empty. Because SPD’s Traffic Department, who is responsible for setting up radar speed traps around the City, does not start until 8 AM from the downtown office they did not provide any requested assistance to ticket the speeders. The SW Precinct did have a police car issue speeding tickets for one day but they didn’t start until about 8:00 AM with the day shift which had no impact of the early traffic.
In 2020 with the West Seattle bridge being closed, traffic coming off the ferry mainly heads south on Fauntleroy and then either east on Barton or south on Marine View Drive. In the survey conducted by FCA beginning in Nov 2020 the most frequent complaint was traffic speeding. It was both on the arterials as well as thru neighborhoods as cars tried to avoid the long back-up lines from the ferry by cutting thru the side streets to get around the off loading ferry traffic lineup.
Fauntleroy Schoolhouse Centennial
date posted: 01 May 2017In 2017 the Fauntleroy community celebrated the centennial of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. Members of the Fauntleroy Community Association worked closely with other organizations to help make this celebration special.
Information about the event is archived at http://www.fauntleroyschoolhouse.org/_centennial/centennial_index.php
Cove Park
date posted: 18 Jun 2016
artist Tom Jay (center) prepare and install a
concrete "tideline" at Cove Park.
Photo courtesy of Ware Lantz.
Enjoy a gentle stroll to a sandy beach on Puget Sound, launch a small hand carried boat, explore Fauntleroy Creek and appreciate the many art installations in this beautiful shoreline street end park just north of the Ferry Dock.
Take a moment to thank the dedicated group of FCA members that changed a neglected swath of asphalt into this treasure in the mid 1990s. It took years of planning and meetings to obtain permits and to secure individual and governmental funding sources. Hard work followed. Almost 2 tons of trash, creosote, asphalt and noxious weeds were removed. Curbs, rockeries, fencing, benches, irrigation and native plantings were installed. Artwork by NW sculptor Tom Jay included a replica of a Nootka sealing canoe, a piece named “Raven Stealing the Sun””, engraved stones, and “Stream Echo” in the pavement.
The FCA volunteers provided primary stewardship, maintaining all aspects of the park for over 20 years. Twice the entire park was destroyed and restored due to necessary repairs to the wastewater system underneath it. When the complete rebuild of the Barton Street Pump Station finished in 2015, Cove Park received new plantings, new art, and a new steward. King County is now the official entity maintaining the park. Neighbors continue to keep the paths clear, pick up trash, and post community information at the kiosk.
at Cove Park. Brig picture courtesy of
retired Coast Guard Captain.
Photo courtesy of Mike Ashby.
New additional art includes a gate honoring all the helping hands of the community, varieties of salmon, and a statue of natives rowing by this safe shore with fresh water. The Captain’s rock is engraved with an image of Captain Fauntleroy’s ship he used to explore this region.
Come, enjoy this beach access, swim in the water, dig your toes in the sand. Please respect this beautiful public beach and the private beaches and tide lands that are adjacent.
Emergency Preparedness
date posted: 01 Nov 2014“What can I do?”
Emergency preparedness is important but many people don’t give it a lot of attention. “Some water, some food … we’ll be fine, won’t we?” Not necessarily. Without a disaster to spur us on, sometimes there’s little motivation. But those who plan well have found that it’s easy and fun to learn and interact with others.
Fauntleroy has its own Community Emergency Hub. The Fauntleroy community has a practice drill at least once a year. It’s a chance to dust off equipment and skills, and bring new people into the fold.
A variety of exercises have been designed to familiarize Fauntleroy residents with what could occur in the event of a major disaster. It’s recommended that every resident take part in these exercises before we have a major event so that we are all better prepared to deal with those situations in a fun atmosphere with little or no stress.
There is a wealth of knowledge for you to tap into, all you have to do is show up. It’s a lot more fun than trying to figure it out after a disaster has taken place.
Stay tuned to this website and to the Fauntleroy Community Association (FCA) Facebook page and e-mail blasts for announcements. If you have questions in the meantime, contact the FCA Emergency Management representative, Gordon Wiehler, at gmwinv@comcast.net.
Resources:
| Name | URL |
|---|---|
| Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) | http://www.seattle.gov/emergency/programs/snap/ |
| Seattle Office of Emergency Management | http://www.seattle.gov/emergency/ |
| West Seattle Be Prepared | http://westseattlebeprepared.org/ |
| West Seattle Be Prepared Blog | http://westseattlebeprepared.wordpress.com/tag/west-seattle-emergency-preparedness/ |
For additional local preparedness tips, read the West Seattle Blog’s “Pack Your Bag” series.
Pedestrian Crossing Flags
date posted: 11 Feb 2013In 2012 the FCA began to see the need for pedestrian crossing flags at the pedestrian crosswalk between the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse and the YMCA. The children at the schoolhouse were the principle concern as they frequently used the cross walk during the day. It was also believed that the same would be true for the crossing at the ferry terminal where bus and ferry riders frequently cross Fauntleroy. Those bright orange pedestrian crossing flags at both those locations are heavily used. Based on the flag usage and requests from residents the program was expanded to 6 additional locations from as far north as The Kenney to as far east as 39th and Barton.
Based on the most recent 2020 FCA survey, crossing flags will be added to the corners on SW 45th and Wildwood Ave SW. The FCA is open to requests from residents to place flags at other pedestrian crossing areas.
Contact
Fauntleroy Community AssociationPO Box 46343
Seattle WA 98146-6343
email: contact@fauntleroy.net