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 […]

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: 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: 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. […]

West Seattle Bridge to be Closed through 2021, at Least On Wednesday we received the news none of us wanted to hear: the West Seattle Bridge will be closed through at least 2021, if it ever re-opens. It’s impossible to overstate the impact this will have on West Seattle. The bridge opened in 1984, and […]

COVID-19 Update Governor Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order Extended The Governor has extended his Stay Home, Stay Healthy order until May 4. The order still allows you to get outside and take walks or enjoy your local neighborhood park, as long as you’re practicing proper social distancing.  That means staying at least 6 feet […]

West Seattle Bridge Closure SDOT announced the abrupt closure of the West Seattle Bridge on Monday, March 23rd at 7 p.m., after a bridge inspection showed expanding cracks. SDOT’s notice says “complete closure is required to maintain safety as our top priority.” I received notice of this when the Mayor called me to let me […]