The City of Seattle has a survey featuring three different options for the section of Beach Drive at Alki point that is currently closed for the Alki Keep Moving” design. The three current plans include the current set up, adding decorative planters; adding additional area designated for pedestrians or re-opening to vehicles as a “one-way” street.
It appears that the City is not considering restoring this stretch of Beach Drive to Alki as it was prior to the pandemic, a two-way street…or at least this option is not on the current survey.
If you would like to chime in to the City, you can click here to take the survey.
The city options include losing up to 100 parking spaces from this area. There is no option to return the street to vehicles as it was. They are pretty convinced we all want it to stay closed to cars and parking. Another option is to write in to leave it how it is.
I’m surprised that wasn’t even an option. There are places in the survey where you can write that in if it’s an option you want, Lori.
I’m not adverse to a more ‘pedestrian-friendly’ area, but I have a couple of problems:
1) As Lori points out, losing all that parking is a real impediment to those who don’t live there. As a young man, I came there to scuba dive a lot. You can’t expect divers to trundle their heavy gear in from blocks away.
2) While reducing car access is a clear boon to residents along that stretch, it only serves to push the problem of loiterers, loud cars, people who illegally smoke weed/drink down the street closer to us (see: Mee-Kwa-Mooks). I like walking in the new ‘Safe Streets’ zone, but I can’t support any of these initiatives until the City agrees to aggressively enforce prohibitions on illegal camping, parking, and other antisocial behavior down here on our stretch of BD.
I had a guest from San Francisco yesterday and was driving north on Beach Drive to where the turnoff to the light house is, but was unable to show her and just told her about it, as we continued on to Alki for lunch. Seems pretty anti tourist and anti resident- water view drivers to have this road blocked off. Allow parking on one side of street only so that two way driving can be reinstated please.
Hi Linda,
Please respond to the survey and let Lisa Herbald know.