Around the Lake: Restaurants, Elections & Books

Updates from the great nearby. From the West:

Capitol Hill Seattle provides a great summary of the rumors surrounding Elliott Bay Book’s possible move to Capitol Hill from Pioneer square.

The Rainier Valley Post has a heads-up on the Seattle Bookfest is this weekend in Columbia City. There will be author readings, a Childrens’  Stage, and panels and workshops. Looks like literary hilarity. Saturday & Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Publicola’s election picks are out. Here’s the cheat sheet. They’ve got good analysis, so click in to read more if you’re interested. Headlines: they like Dow Constantine for King County Exec, Rosenberger for Assessor, and McGinn for (Seattle) mayor.

From the East:

Kirkland Weblog reports on the “bin on the lake,” which took over space from the now-defunct Yarrow Bay Grill.

Downtown Bellevue Network, who is hipper than we are, reports on three trendy new restaurants opening in Bellevue: Purple Cafe, Trophy Cupcakes, and earl’s.

And in all-over news, the Seattle Times writes that King Co. Exec Candidate Susan Hutchinson now supports Light Rail over 520, not I-90, proving yet again that the Puget Sound region is not one short on proposals for transportation. Short on actual transportation we may be, but we’re not short on proposals. East Link Light Rail over I-90 is baked though it will still take years to implement. So let’s stop reworking proposals in the middle of construction, and get us some transportation.

Let’s just build it, already.

The 2009 City Council Election– aka 3 or 4 Lanes on Island Crest Way

Here on Mercer Island, the November election has two City Council Seats and two School Board seats in play. The City Council race is effectively a vote about Island Crest Way. Let’s take a look at that one.

Ira’s extremely targeted campaign platform and the object of said platform.

Why does Election 2009 = Island Crest Way Vote? 2 Reasons.

1. Of the three seats at stake, only one (Council Position #2) is contested.
2. Of the two candidates for Council Position #2, one (Ira Appleman) has staked his campaign on fighting the decision to take ICW to 3 lanes.

Ira’s positioning is strong because it’s simple and memorable, but it’s a bit of a shame as well because Ira has done a lot in service to the Island that gets lost in his focus on this issue. A lot of his record I support, including preserving open space and cutting wasteful spending.

Road Diet: Pro & Con

But as I’ve written before, I can’t support Ira on this. I support taking ICW to 3 lanes. It’s too hard to turn now, too busy, and too hard to cross. Some citizens have put together a website outlining the reasons for 3 lanes instead of 4.  They’ve included a handy map showing neighboring communities that have successfully implemented  road diets.

Ira’s main arguments, as I read his letter, seem to me beside the point:

• Overwhelming opposition from Islanders to a 3-lane solution: I haven’t seen this in my friends but also don’t know if a survey has been done.
• A bad process with the result baked in from the beginning: Can’t comment on whether this is true, but having known nothing of the process or the people involved it still seems like a better solution to me.
• Plan favors bikes over cars: Doesn’t seem so. In fact, the case for 3 lanes doesn’t even mention bikes as one of the main rationales:

I both bike and drive to work, but mostly drive. And it’s hard to turn on ICW. I also walk and run around the neighborhood and it’s hard to cross ICW. Look, it’s Seattle– almost no one bikes in the winter rain and cold. So it’s hard to believe that bunch of rabid bike-freaks have taken over the process.

Funny thing is, I would vote for Ira Appleman based on his record. But I can’t vote for the guy who wants to keep Island Crest Way at 4 lanes.

Transportation Issues Wrap-Up

Trains (aka Light Rail)

The Bellevue Reporter has a good article on the options for the light rail routes on the East Side. Mostly the article concerns where the train will go in Bellevue and Redmond,  since the decision on Mercer Island is trivial. If you plan to be traveling to Bellevue in 2023 when the East Link is complete, read this.

Sound Transit’s simulation of Light Rail over I-90.

Buses

In more near-term news, Mercer Island’s own Fred Jarrett argues in Crosscut for a more metric-driven approach to planning transit: basically, cut service where it’s not working and don’t cut where it is. (The fiscal reality is that Metro has to cut somewhere.) The current system promises quantity of service by region: 20% Seattle, 40% East Side, and 40% South King County.

In Fred’s own words, why to shift Metro away from regional allocation:

“Measuring effort by neighborhood benefits no one moving between neighborhoods. Further, it has created a system that measures effort rather than performance and results in unacceptability high costs by almost every measure. The Municipal League has documented the agency’s high cost per mile. While that figure is troubling, the high cost per rider is cause for even greater alarm as it clearly indicates that the system’s routes aren’t as productive as they should be.”

Nicely said, Fred.

Cars

So different, yet so much the same.

A bubbling issue relevant only on our own Island is whether Island Crest Way should go to 3 lanes south of 40th or stay at 4 lanes. We’ve been debating this so long it’s becoming our very own Alaskan Way Viaduct. For those who don’t follow city politics or drive, the Alaskan Way situation has been debated since it was damaged in the 2001Nisqually Earthqauke until finally a resolution was reached in 2009– a resolution since reopened in the Seattle mayoral race.

What’s driving the Island Crest Way issue is the intersection at Merrimount, which had been the Island’s most dangerous intersection and now has temporary traffic control. This issue deserves its space– watch for a post soon.

I-90 Closures Start Today

Today starts three weeks of Express Lane closures, with another closure to come in July. Here’s a look at repairs to the highway that connects us Islanders to the rest of civilization.

“We Put this Off As Long as We Can”

First, click to go to the Bellevue Reporter to see a video about the repairs:

Useful Info from the DoT

Next, the FAQs from the Department of Transportation.

Finally, a Plan

jputnam’s back at it again, he and his helmet cam taking on the bike commute over I-90. If the weather’s good, this may be your best bet to get out of traffic during the closures.

Or, you could just take the month off. Happy bridge closures!

Light Rail AND Carpool Lanes?

The Seattle Times reports that the state budget restored money for carpool lanes over I-90. This should quiet a lot of the opposition to light rail over I-90. It may also keep traffic moving, since the lanes must be in place before tracks can go over the Express Lanes. If you haven’t been following, there’s been a debate over how to compensate for the loss of the Express Lanes to Light Rail.

In other transportation news, the City’s seeking comment on the 2010-2015 transportation plan– find details and send comments here. And for inspiration, here’s the current plan of street improvements (click for pdf):

There’s a lot of work in Mid-Island, especially around the troublesome intersection at Merrimount Way.

Now let’s look at the history of street resurfacing- fun!

If you got a kick out of this post, you should definitely comment on the plan.

Bridge Closures and Phantom Trains

Ouch– I-90’s going to be restricted or closed quite a bit over the coming months:

• May 4 to May 23: Express Lanes closed (otherwise known as the Light Rail Construction Preview Period)
• July 5- July 28: All 3  Westbound lanes closed

In other transportation news, the Seattle Times speculates that Seattle will get some of the $8bn that Obama set aside in the Stimulus Plan for high-speed rail. There’s no indication that this area will be a big focus of that spending (or that it won’t), but everyone likes to hear about spending these days. This could create another phantom train– much talked about, much planned and a little less-than-fully-budgeted-for train system engenders so much debate that it almost seems real before its even built. Light rail over Mercer Island by 2023!

Where’s the train?

Photo: David Sherret on Flickr.

HOV Lanes or Light Rail? Your Thoughts Please

There’s a fiery new debate about light rail over Mercer Island. Judy Clibborn is standing right next to it with a can of kerosine. If you haven’t heard, Judy is proposing that we not begin light rail until we have HOV lanes across I-90 (the express lanes are to be used for the light rail). Of course, if you’ve seen the system map, you know that I-90 is the critical link in the regional light rail plan, connecting Seattle and the East side.
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It may seem that since voters approved Light Rail in Prop 1 last November, and since it’s mostly funded, it’s a done deal. That does not seem to be the case.

The main issue seems to be timing: does light rail happen before or after there’s an alternate HOV solution for Mercer Island? But in politics, a delay can often lead to major changes or death for a plan. The Seattle Times suggests that’s the motivation of many in the state legislature.

I wish I could add a cool survey plugin, but we’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way. Add a comment if you’re in favor of HOV lanes first, or just getting on with light rail over I-90.

Photo credit: To potunasalad for I-90 and Bejan for light rail.

No Parking Left Behind

Parking at the P&R is still tight. These signs are up at the Walgreens and other locations in North Island:

No news here- there’s no plan to fix the situation soon. But  my sympathies go out to the folks who are getting up earlier and earlier to get a spot so they can get to work.

How to Get a Scooter to Mercer Island

Does anyone know? So asks a poster in Seattle LiveJournal. My husband has a scooter and got it here on a moving truck. He hasn’t been able to figure out how to get it off-Island (legally) since.

Helpful LiveJournal commenters suggested:

• Is this a one time thing? You could just walk it across.
• Does your scooter double as a jet ski?
• Walking the bike paths seems acceptable, but really annoying.
• Carry it?
• Yes, there’s the ferry from Leschi. Bring two coins. (Another commenter notes said ferry has been closed for years)

The debate made me wonder how our real estate scooter visitor of last month got here.

Anyway, if anyone knows how to get a scooter on or off the Island without a truck or a ferry, leave a comment.

Sweet scooter photo credit: Mr. Arf!Arf! on Flickr.

Public Announcements

Just doing my civic duty:

Openings for Pages with State Senator Fred Jarrett

Tour the state capitol. Watch a bill become a law. Hobnob with State Senators and other pages. It’s a great job if you can get it- but you’ve got to be 14 to 16 years old and have a C+ or better GPA. Tell that smart kid on your street to sign up, because government matters. See the State Democrats blog for more.

Pages, get yourselves down here. Photo credit: scarfacectm.

Light Rail Open House re: Environmental Impact on Jan 27

You know you’ve been waiting for it: the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the East Link Light Rail Project by Sound Transit. You can download the draft EIS from the city website and read it cover to cover. Then prepare your comments for the January 27th open house. Who needs movies?