West Seattle Bridge Update
SDOT announced that camera enforcement will begin on the lower (Spokane Street) bridge beginning on Monday, January 11. Here’s a reminder of permitted uses; all personal vehicles can use the bridge from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.:
SDOT will be collecting data on bridge usage and traffic patterns after camera enforcement begins, and can update uses on a monthly basis if traffic allows. SDOT has convened a lower bridge stakeholder advisory committee to advise SDOT about allowed uses. Healthcare workers have long expressed interest in accessing the lower bridge during the COVID pandemic, and I have requested SDOT consider this. Access for health care workers was the focus of the Low Bridge Access Subcommittee meeting early this week. Factors under consideration include:
- Is capacity available?
- What types of health care workers need access. How many trips, and when?
SDOT will continue its work with healthcare representatives and the committee on potential criteria for allowing usage, as they start to monitor volumes during automated enforcement to determine whether traffic data confirms that there is room for additional users. SDOT expects to know more by the end of the month.
Here’s an update SDOT from December regarding the completion of stabilization work on the West Seattle Bridge.
The most recent traffic data shows high volumes on West Marginal and Highland Park Way, in line with previous trends:
Here is the most recent travel time data:
Find Emergency Food Resources
The City of Seattle keeps an updated, online map of emergency food resources here. A number of District 1 locations are included. You can also type in your address and find food resources located near you here. Please share this important resource far and wide.
New COVID Testing Location in West Seattle
The UW Mobile Medical Van is now providing COVID tests at the Holy Family Church in White Center/West Seattle on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm at 9641 20th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106.
UW Mobile Medical Van at Holy Family Church, 9641 20th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Phone: (206) 520-2285
Available: Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 3pm
Languages: Phone interpretation available
The City of Seattle has added several new, free testing sites, including new self-testing kiosks; in addition to a number of existing test sites. Local sites to District 1 are listed below. If you feel sick or believe you were in proximity to someone with coronavirus, please get tested. Make an appointment and find additional sites here.
West Seattle Walk-up, 2801 SW Thistle St., Seattle, WA 98126
Make reservations online
Available: Mon-Sat, 8:45am-5:30pm
Languages: Interpretation available including ASL and tactile interpretation
Sea Mar Community Health Centers at White Center, 9650 15th Ave SW #100, Seattle, WA 98106
Phone: (206) 965-1000
Languages: Spanish, Interpretation available
Neighborcare Health at High Point, 6020 35th Ave SE, Seattle, WA 98126
Available: Monday-Friday, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Call for appointment: (206) 461-6950
Languages: Amharic, Amharic, Arabic, Cambodian, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian available onsite; interpretation available
Sea Mar Community Health Centers at South Park, 8720 14th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
Phone: (206) 762-3730
Languages: Spanish, Interpretation available
Consider using WA Notify, an app that notifies you if you come in contact with someone with coronavirus, using randomized codes to protect privacy. More than 1.6 million Washingtonians are using it. Learn more at WAnotify.org.
Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery
On January 5th, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee announced a new regional approach to re-opening the state called Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery. The regions are mostly based on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) regions used for evaluating healthcare services, using metrics such as hospitalizations, case data and disease mobility. Seattle and King County are in the Puget Sound Region, along with Pierce and Snohomish counties. Beginning on January 11, every region – including Seattle’s – will begin in Phase 1.
Basic information about allowable activities in Phases 1 and 2 is contained in the graphic below. More detailed information can be found here. Again, beginning on January 11th, Seattle will be in Phase 1.
Moving Between Phases: A region’s phase will be determined by the Department of Health (DOH) in response to four metric requirements. The final metrics for regions will be calculated on Friday, January 8 and will be effective January 11.
To move forward from Phase 1 to Phase 2, regions must meet all four metrics:
- Decreasing trend in two-week rate of COVID-19 cases per 100K population (decrease >10%)
- Decreasing trend in two-week rate new COVID-19 hospital admission rates per 100K population (decrease >10%)
- ICU occupancy (total — COVID-19 and non-COVID-19) of less than 90%
- COVID-19 test positivity rate of <10%
To remain in Phase 2, regions must meet at least 3 metrics:
- Decreasing or flat trend in two-week rate of COVID-19 cases per 100K population
- Decreasing or flat trend in two-week rate new COVID-19 hospital admission rates per 100K population
- ICU occupancy (total — COVID-19 and non-COVID-19) of less than 90%
- COVID-19 test positivity rate of <10%.
Regions that fail to meet two or more of the above metrics will be moved back to Phase 1.
The metrics for each region will be updated on the Risk Assessment Dashboard every Friday. Dependent on a region’s metrics, DOH will move into a new phase — forward or backward — the following Monday. DOH and local health departments reserve the right to move a region outside of this timing, and additional phases may be added as the state’s COVID-19 situation changes with continued vaccine distribution and other changes in public health response.
Of course, information changes rapidly. The best resource for up-to-date information in Seattle is Public Health – King County & Seattle’s website on Covid-19 and reopening.
Subpoena Legislation Adopted by City Council
The City Council adopted legislation this week that I sponsored to strengthen the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) and Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) power to subpoena those who have been involved in or witnessed incidents of potential officer misconduct.
For our civilian-led police accountability system to work, investigators must have access to key information in pursuing misconduct complaints.
This ordinance codifies and affirms the City’s stance that the OPA and OIG can seek subpoenas of those who may have witnessed or been involved in potential misconduct incidents. In addition, it creates a process for OPA and OIG to directly issue the subpoena and enforce them by seeking a Court order should the subject of the subpoena fail to comply. The ordinance also requires that individuals and third party-record holders served with a subpoena are provided a written notice of their right to due process. This protection was not codified previously, and this addition is intended to increase civilian participation in OPA investigations and OIG audits and reviews.
The City will negotiate aspects of this legislation in the next police union contract to keep us on the path toward realizing true accountability and transparency.
Statement on Coup Attempt and National Capitol’s Violent Occupation
On Wednesday, when our democracy was assaulted in Washington, D.C., as supporters of Donald Trump staged an insurrection in the Capitol, I released the following statement:
Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1 – West Seattle), Chair of the Public Safety and Human Rights committee, issued the following statement in reaction to the pro-Trump mob storming the nation’s capitol:
“This is an attempted coup. This cannot stand in the United States of America we love. Occupying the Capitol or threatening the lives of policy makers or people who do not support Donald Trump will not change the outcome of the presidential election. Neither Donald Trump’s veiled threats nor his supporters’ force will be tolerated – especially when Democracy and the future of our great nation hangs in the balance.
“This is not patriotism, this is tyranny. Neither violence nor the threat to personal safety will be accepted as the norm. The work of those involved in a hostile takeover doesn’t represent the majority of American people. And this terrorist coup attempt will not stand.
“I appeal to Seattleites to stay calm and vigilant. I anxiously wait for news of the safety of all of those involved. I hope that all who serve our nation in Washington D.C. are safe and secure.
“I call on decision-makers at the highest levels of our country’s leadership to bring the certification of state presidential electoral votes to a swift and safe resolution. Those who can must bring the illegal and terrifying occupation of our nation’s Capitol by these angry mobs to an immediate end and I hope that all are safe and protected in doing so.
“A peaceful transition is a core element of our democracy, and what’s best for our country, even if Donald Trump does not support it. The situation before us is horrible and dangerous, volatile and completely unnecessary. Trump must stop lying about the outcome of this election; there was no fraud. To tell people to go home while doubling down on these lies is a disingenuous effort to bring this breach to a close.
“Multiple people have been harmed inside the Capitol building today. Blood spilled today is blood on Donald Trump’s hands. This violent occupation of our Capitol – and attack on our American Democracy and values – must be ended immediately.”
I echo President-elect Joe Biden’s comments made yesterday. “You can’t tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesters yesterday they wouldn’t have been treated very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol. We all know that is true. And it is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. The American people saw it in plain view.”
2021 Office Hours
On Friday January 29, I will be hosting virtual office hours between 2pm and 6pm, with the last meeting of the day beginning at 5:30pm.
Due to the nature of virtual office hours, you will need to contact my scheduler Alex Clardy (alex.clardy@seattle.gov) in order to receive the call-in information and schedule a time.
Additionally, here is a list of my tentatively scheduled office hours which will continue as virtual office hours until indicated otherwise. These are subject to change.
- Friday, January 29, 2021
- Friday, February 26, 2021
- Friday, March 26, 2021
- Friday, April 30, 2021
- Friday, May 28, 2021
- Friday, June 25, 2021
- Friday, July 30, 2021
- Friday, August 20, 2021
- Friday, September 24, 2021
- Friday, October 29, 2021
- Friday, December 17, 2021