(WSB photos, this afternoon)
After reading our coverage of last week’s SDOT announcement about adding 150 parking spaces along Alki Avenue after the conversion of angled parking to parallel parking is done, a nearby resident asked us whether this was a “done deal.” The language on the “fact sheet” provided by SDOT last week includes this paragraph:
…Re-establishing daytime on-street parking is proposed for the west/ water side of Alki Avenue SW, between the 1200 and 1700 blocks, where the street is wide enough. This would help offset the reduced parking at Duwamish Head and meet increased parking demand during summers. Changes could be installed in the summer of 2025. …
But also this:
Additional Alki Avenue SW outreach is planned for later this summer. We’ll engage the community to address questions and take feedback before finalizing and implementing a design.
So we asked SDOT two things today: #1, is the added street parking in the 1200 to 1700 blocks a “done deal,” and #2, what kind of “additional … outreach” is planned – for example, will there be a community meeting?
Regarding “is it a done deal?” the answer wasn’t clear:
Before installing the second phase of this project, we would like to hear how people feel about the change and any specific benefits or challenges that re-establishing parking on the water side of Alki Avenue SW might bring.
Regarding “additional outreach,” SDOT says “no meetings are planned”:
We appreciate the community’s interest and input regarding Councilmember Rob Saka‘s request to re-establish on-street parking on the waterside of Alki Avenue SW to offset some loss of parking at the Duwamish Head. We believe the current survey provides one effective way of gathering feedback from a diverse range of voices.
To ensure adjacent stakeholders are aware, we are also putting up A-frame signs within the area and sending emails to community leaders. Wider promotion through outlets like your media site and Councilmember Rob Saka helps capture a wide array of Alki visitors, businesses, and residents. The survey itself ensures participants can share their thoughts conveniently and at a time that works best for them, allowing for a comprehensive collection of opinions over the next few weeks. While no meetings are planned at this time, we’ll see if the current outreach generates significant interest or if there are populations that appear not to have been reached and determine if supplemental efforts should be considered.
So if you have an opinion of the added spaces, whatever it is, the survey is apparently your main opportunity for input. Since SDOT’s replies made it clear that the added spaces, like the diagonal removal, is by request of Councilmember Saka, here’s his contact info too.
