West Seattle Bridge Update, June 26 At Wednesday’s West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, SDOT proposed to allow general use of the lower bridge at Spokane Street from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., when traffic levels are lower. School buses will also be allowed anytime. Other types of uses, such as employer shuttles, healthcare workers […]

Today is Juneteenth On Wednesday, I joined my City Council colleagues in unanimously approving a proclamation recognizing today, June 19th, as Juneteenth.  Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African-Americans in Texas first learned that slavery had been abolished two and a half years earlier by the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.   The first Juneteenth celebration […]

Demonstrations in Seattle in Response to Police Brutality and Policing In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, and the deaths of countless other black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement before Mr. Floyd, demonstrations continue in Seattle and all over the nation.  The demands for change have spurred a conversation […]

Murder of George Floyd and Demonstrations in Seattle This nation has a long and proud history of protest for change; and an even longer history of racial injustice and institutionalized, racialized violence, especially towards Black men and women.  The protests we are experiencing in Seattle, and seeing around the country, are the result of those […]

West Seattle Bridge Update: May 29 Lower Bridge Maintenance Closure SDOT has announced that the lower bridge will be closed for maintenance during the evening and early morning over the next few days, in order to work on the bridge’s controls and communications systems used to operate the bridge. Here’s the schedule for closure: Friday […]

West Seattle Bridge Update, May 22 SDOT released a “Conceptual Modes of Failure” memo earlier this week, developed by SDOT’s structural engineering consultant, WSP. The memo models how the bridge could deteriorate and potentially fail, and thus helps to identify warning signs. While this study was being developed, it informed the development of the multi-agency […]

West Seattle Bridge: May 15 Update SDOT announced they have completed installing intelligent monitoring systems to assess the condition of the West Seattle Bridge. This equipment includes movement sensors, crack monitors and cameras from Pier 15 to Pier 18. SDOT notes this will: “Keep us informed on how the bridge reacts to environmental changes, bridge […]

West Seattle Bridge: May 8 update Emergency Response Plan On Monday, May 4th SDOT announced an emergency response plan developed with a multi-agency task force in the event that the West Seattle Bridge becomes unstable. The plan would entail evacuation of areas near the bridge in the event it becomes necessary. SDOT says “there are […]

West Seattle Bridge: May 1 Update Contractor Hired for Bridge Stabilization SDOT announced they have hired a contractor, Kraemer North America, to carry out stabilization work needed for the West Seattle Bridge. Cracks have continued to grow on the bridge, albeit at a slower rate than when traffic was on the bridge. For this reason, […]

West Seattle Bridge: Digital Town Hall, Update On Wednesday Councilmember Pedersen and I co-hosted a digital Town Hall on the West Seattle Bridge with SDOT. If you missed it, you can watch the forum on YouTube. The Q&A starts about 35 minutes in.  There were over 3,300 RSVPs, 1,000 questions submitted, and 4,600 views. […]