Diet Advocate

I live right by Fauntleroy and walk, bike, motorcycle, drive that street all the time, it’s my main route in/out/around West Seattle. I’ve lived in that area for 8+ years now and used it before the reconfiguration via the same methods (walked, biked, motorcycled, driven).

Hands down it’s better now. Vastly better. I can actually cross the street as a pedestrian at any intersection at any time of the day. I don’t have to wait until after “rush hour” to cross it, or walk down Morgan Street to get to the California intersection to use a signalized crossing. It’s fabulous. Cars will actually stop for pedestrians and I can use the turn lane as a safety pause now.

I can cross the street any time of day now via bicycle – I don’t have to plan out my crossing 4 lanes of fast moving (40-45 mph traffic I regularly saw on the speed board they put out) traffic. I don’t ride on the sidewalk northbound at all any longer since there is a bike lane now. I do ride it sometimes in the afternoons to avoid particularly aggressive traffic southbound but I rarely have problems (but when I do they are not fun) in the Sharrow lane. Traffic is traveling about the speed limit now, sometimes even a little below it – the speed board is still out there.

Via motorcycle and car – I am now able to travel the speed limit without being tail gated. It’s easy to see pedestrians and other road users, there is a new, much needed pedestrian crossing at Juneau and the bus stops there were upgraded. The street surface itself was upgraded. I can make left turns from the turn lane without worrying that someone will rear end me as I wait to make a turn. I am not in fear that someone will sideswipe me in the “s” curve (which SDOT reported was a problem on this street).

Sure, traffic backs up on it sometimes, but it did before the change too. I have never seen (and I ride it every day) traffic backed up daily in any way along Fauntleroy. If traffic is backing up it’s usually due to an unusual factor; traffic accident, late ferry, bad weather, etc.

It’s better for all users and the neighborhood as a whole. My neighbors seem to agree. My husband who is not a walker has even started walking more. I would say it’s delivering very, very well.