May 2020

Demonstrations force curfew in Seattle; 5pm; Stores being looted, police cars on fire; National Guard being called in

Massive demonstrations in downtown Seattle with the Old Navy store, Eileen Fisher on fire and Nordstrom's flagship store, The Cheesecake Factory and Helly Hansen among those being looted. Four or five police cruisers set on fire. Westlake and areas nearby were in chaos. The i-5 freeway was blocked by protestors for a time.

200 members of the National Guard were called in by Governor Jay Inslee to restore order in Seattle. 75 were set to arrive this evening. These troops are unarmed.

Demonstrations around the nation have been taking place in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. But peaceful demonstrations have been quickly devolving into violence.

Alert Seattle notified people that "Demonstrators have made their way onto I-5 and throughout the downtown core. Proceed with caution and avoid the area if possible."

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Why not a Duwamish tunnel? 20 questions answered

Editor's Note: When Westside Seattle published Bob Ortblad's Op-Ed regarding the construction of an Immersed Tube Tunnel (ITT) to replace the now damaged and closed West Seattle Bridge, it got the attention of people around the entire region including Mayor Durkan, the Seattle City Council and others. Questions about how it could work, where and how it could connect, what it would cost and how long it would take emerged.

Neighborhood
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West Seattle Transportation Coalition May Meeting

Ferries, traffic mitigation efforts by Metro and the new West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force

The May virtual/zoom meeting of the West Seattle Transportation Coalition welcomed Washington State Ferries John Vezina, Director of Government Relations, Hadley Rodero, Strategic Communications Manager and Bill Wellington of the Fauntleroy Community Association.

Also on the agenda was the mitigation of traffic issues caused by the closure of the West Seattle Bridge with Metro’s Chris Arkills and the new West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force with member Deb Barker.

reroute?

 

reroute 2

 

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Constantine announces plan to re-open limited business activity in COVID-19 recovery

Working with community, business, and government partners – including the County Council and Board of Health leadership – King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that the county is prepared to move forward to allow limited or modified openings for several business sectors and personal activities.

King County has not yet met key criteria to enter Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan and case counts are still unstable, so it will move forward with a modified approach, including partial re-opening of the following businesses and activities:

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Herbold: Low Bridge closures for maintenance and traffic updates

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 night: 8PM to 5AM
  • Saturday night: 6PM to 3AM
  • Sunday night: 6PM to 3AM (if needed)

 

Bridge closures

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King County Sheriff responds to events in Minneapolis

By King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht

The video of a Minneapolis Police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, and his subsequent death, is heartbreaking and disturbing. I see an officer willfully kneeling on the neck of a man who can’t breathe, and three of his fellow officers failing to intervene. Simply put, I am outraged.

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