This post goes along with my comments from yesterday about going carless in downtown Seattle. We’re officially on our fourth day and it’s (mostly) been great. In case you’re already a transit lover, or planning to go without a car in the near future, check out the info from Commute Seattle below:
Share the Ride. Track Your Savings.
WIN an iPAD or a TRIP!
Carpool or vanpool at least 2 days/week by September 19th and you could win a luxury getaway or an Apple iPad from RideshareOnline.com!
Log your trips to the tracking calendar in RideshareOnline.com for a minimum of one week during the promotion period (08/09/10 – 09/19/10) and you’ll be eligible to win some fantastic prizes.
Five people will win an Apple iPad or three days, two nights, dining credits for two and a $50 gas card for travel expenses at one of the following luxury hotels.
- Grand Pacific Hotel, Victoria, BC. Includes high tea, and round trip transportation from Seattle
- Coeur d’Alene Resort, Idaho. Includes a lake view room and $150 dining credit
- Hotel Pan Pacific, Seattle. Includes $75 dining credit at the SeaStar restaurant
- Hotel Davenport, Spokane. Includes $50 dining credit and $100 spa credit
- Hotel Murano, Tacoma. Includes tickets to the Museum of Glass and breakfast for two
PLUS - Each week, one lucky person will WIN $50 just for registering at RideshareOnline.com or running a ridematch during the promotion
Register today and WIN! at www.RideshareOnline.com, or call 888-814-1300 to get started in a carpool or vanpool.
Commute by Water Taxi to and from West Seattle
Want to get around the traffic delays and detours that will be part of the Spokane Street Viaduct construction? There’s smooth sailing with no traffic jams on the West Seattle Water Taxi!
Seasonal service began Monday, April 5 between Seacrest Park in West Seattle and Pier 50 on the downtown Seattle waterfront. The 2010 season ushered in a new vessel and improvements at Seacrest Dock including a wider, longer gangway to meet accessibility guidelines, new concrete floats, a change in docking orientation, and a new fare structure and policy.
Bus and Shuttle Connections
Two free Metro DART shuttles operate between local neighborhoods and the Water Taxi. Route 773 serves West Seattle Junction. Route 775 serves the Admiral District and Alki Avenue SW. When the Water Taxi is running, you can find schedules for both of these routes on Metro Online.
Join Zipcar’s Low-Car Diet
Zipcar is currently seeking participants for this year’s Low-Car Diet, a challenge in which Seattleites turn over their keys, and Zipcar gives them taste of what low-car living is all about. The Low-Car Diet kicks off on September 24 and ends on October 12.
Interested participants should apply at http://bit.ly/lowcardiet. Be sure to mention Commute Seattle on the application!
It looks like Tat’s Deli may be getting some competition from a business moving into its recently vacated location. About a month ago, Tat’s moved around the corner to a larger shop and extended its hours. A sign has popped up outside of their old location announcing their new tenant: Calazzi’s Famous Cheesesteaks.
According to a recent post in The Slog, Calozzi’s used to be a food cart in Belltown before opening up “Calozzi’s Italian Kitchen,” in the Belltown Billiards. I haven’t talked to the owner yet, but will update you with details when I know more.
As both claim Eastcoast Philly Cheesesteak fame, it sounds like we may need to do a taste-off between Tats and Calozzi’s!
(Thanks @secretsouth!)
PubliCola has a post calling for volunteers to help count downtown bicyclists:
The Seattle Department of Transportation needs volunteers for their 2010 citywide and downtown bicycle counts on Sept 15 from 6:30-9:00 am.
SDOT is ramping up its data collection efforts for 2010. Previously, the agency alternated between doing a citywide count and a downtown-only count every other year. They now plan to do a downtown count every year, with citywide counts every other year.
Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board Chair Blake Trask says the downtown count is what the city uses to measure progress on its Bicycle Master Plan. “Annual counts will help SDOT better chart the growth of bicycle use and whether or not the city is moving toward its stated goal of tripling the rate of bicycling by 2016,” Trask says.
The increased bike counts will also help SDOT do outreach to the public. Because the agency doesn’t always have hard bike count numbers for roads they plan to redesign (most recently with the 125th St. road diet), it’s hard to quell suspicions that the city is catering to a few cyclists at the expense of everyone else.
Interested volunteers can contact SDOT Bicycle Program Planner Gina Coffman at 206/684-3902 or virginia.coffman@seattle.gov.
I’m going to be posting more about biking in the city because the husband and I just decided to go carless! It’s only been three days, but with all of the transit options and close proximity to stores, Pioneer Square is pretty much the easiest place to be without a car.
I’m in the process of looking for a good woman’s road bike (or cruiser), but I’m cheap, so I’m not sure where to get that in the city (you know.. now that I don’t have a car to drive somewhere to buy one). Anyone know of local bike shops that have inexpensive or used bikes?
You can also join in the current “road diet” debate happening over at PubliCola, or at the Seattle Times, or on the Seattle Transit Blog.
If you are looking for non-traditional weddings, mock weddings, commitment ceremonies, or even ceremonies “just because you’re hot” (yes, their ad really says that), look no further.
Pioneer Square is getting its very own “Shotgun Ceremonies” in the former retail location occupied by Synapse206.
Following the motto, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” I’m going to leave you with their website and images from the outside of their new shop (opened on August 16th), and will let you draw your own conclusions.
Website: Shotgun Ceremonies
The Downtown Seattle Association, Seattle Police Department and the American Institute of Architects, will join Mayor Mike McGinn to host a free two-hour seminar on Crime Prevention through Environmental Design at 6:30pm tomorrow (Wednesday, August 25) in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall (600 Fourth Avenue). No advance registration is required.
The seminar will be presented by Art Hushen, of the National Institute of Crime Prevention, who will be in Seattle to teach a class to members of the Seattle Police Department and other city agencies.
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) encourages change in the physical design of buildings, streets and parks to enhance safety in communities and to minimize the opportunities for crime to be committed.
CPTED practices have been used for more than 20 years in cities around the world. Cities that have implemented CPTED practices have seen a dramatic reduction in crime. Those cities have also seen significant improvement in their business climate as CPTED principles foster increased pedestrian activity and awareness.
BIKE PORT is a model facility designed to be used by communities throughout Washington State to increase bicycling as transportation, and is managed by the non-profit Bicycle Alliance of Washington: Advocates for bicyclists and a bicycle-friendly Washington.
At Seattle BIKE PORT, the Bicycle Alliance is committed to excellent customer service and providing amenities that truly support bicyclists:
- 24/7 access to bicycle parking, restroom and lockers with card key access
- Protection from vandalism and theft using security cameras and card key entry tracking
- Full service bicycle mechanic and retail shop on site (JRA Bikes)
- 24/7 access to a shop-stand, basic bike tools and a vending machine stocked with emergency bicycle supplies
- Convenient nearby access to Metro Transit tunnel, Sounder and Amtrak train depots, Waterfront Shuttle, Washington State Ferries, Link Light Rail and sport stadiums
- Local management provides prompt attention to any service needs
What is the history of Seattle BIKE PORT Pioneer Square?
The original 24/7 bike parking facility was opened as Bikestation Seattle in 2003 and was managed by the facility bike repair vendor until 2005. The Bicycle Alliance of Washington moved their office into the Bikestation facility in 2005, and Bikestation Long Beach took over management. In February 2009, Bicycle Alliance began operating the facility, and the name was changed to Seattle BIKE PORT Pioneer Square in March 2010.
Are there BIKE PORTS anywhere else besides downtown Seattle?
Not at this time, but the there are several future sites being researched and developed for City of Seattle and Sound Transit’ new Link Light Rail Stations. Bicycle Alliance has developed and manages BIKE PORT as a model for bicycle parking facilities, and works with our community partners to increase this important infrastructure throughout Washington State.
If you have not been down to Seattle BIKE PORT, please drop in for a tour during our regular business hours M-F 9am-5pm.
Also remember, the fees have been reduced for 2010, AND Bicycle Alliance members still get an additional $20 discount when purchasing an Annual Plan
.
NEWS
Website rates your neighborhood’s walkability and your commute costs (Seattle Times)
Seattle’s most walkable neighborhood is Pioneer Square, with a score of 99! (followed by downtown, 97; First Hill, 96; Belltown, 95; and Roosevelt, 96)
Lots of Obama articles:
Obama: “I’ll have a turkey sandwich and a Jammer to-go” (Seattle Times)
President Obama’s visit to Seattle invites criticism (Seattle Times)
Two Seattle Entrepreneurs Dish on Their Chat With Barack Obama (Entrepreneur)
There’s a president in my bakery! (Crosscut)
President to visit Seattle Bakery (King5)
And so many more…
BLOGS
The Merchants Cafe Restores Power to Pioneer Square (Voracious – Seattle Weekly)
Apparently Merchants has been serving weekday breakfast beginning at 6 a.m. since May (I had no idea…)
Pioneer Square Pit Bull Protests Obama Visit By Attacking Puppy (Seattle Crime)
This is my neighbor — he’s been in the hospital for a few days 
EVENTS
Family Fun Day is this Wednesday in Occidental Square Park (4pm – 7pm).
Seattle Square Outdoor Market is this Saturday again (just over halfway through!) — if you haven’t stopped by yet, make sure to come down between 11am – 5pm.
Also, don’t forget about BLITZ Chess coming to Pioneer Square this Sunday!
Check out the events calendar for up-to-date event information in the neighborhood.
The Pioneer Square Blitz Chess 2010 Championship will be held from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm August 29 at Occidental Square Park in downtown Seattle.
In blitz, or speed chess, each player is allowed only five minutes to make all the moves in a game. Chess pieces fly across the board faster than a ping-pong ball.
This open event is for all chess buffs and curious onlookers. Anyone can play for USCF points or for fun. The tournament is open to 60 players and registration is available online or will be allowed on the day of the event until all spaces are filled. All participants will receive a t-shirt and winners will receive cash prizes based on the number of entries. (+ isn’t that why we do events — for the t-shirt?)
The idea for the tournament came from a “Great City” brainstorming session following the conclusion of the Pioneer Square Revitalization process. Residents of Pioneer Square wanted to activate the space in a new way.
The Pioneer Square Blitz Chess 2010 Championship is sponsored by The Alliance for Pioneer Square, The Metropolitan Improvement District, Seattle Parks & Recreation and the Seattle Chess Club.
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/psblitz2010
Please contact Lisa Dixon, Program Director at 206.384.5715 or lisa@pioneersquare.org with questions or if you’re willing to volunteer (freeeee t-shirts!)
Did you know that Seattle has its very own National Park? The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Museum, located at 2nd Ave S & S Jackson Street, is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. The Seattle unit, located in the Pioneer Square Historic District, commemorates the origin for many of the stampeders who headed off to the Klondike region.
Coca-Cola will grant $100,000 to the most popular park state or national park in the United States! Vote for the park (every day through August 31) at http://www.livepositively.com/#/americasparks – just type the name into the search key and keep voting! In addition to choosing an overall winner, Coca-Cola will donate $1 to National Parks Foundation for every vote that is cast.
To be quite honest — this park needs a lot of love (love=votes). This is mostly because the park in the #1 slot is Bear Head Lake Park with 972,051 votes.
And I almost don’t want to tell you how many votes the Klondike National Park has. But I will — only because I would be annoyed if I were reading this and someone did that to me. So to be upfront, the total votes for the Klondike Historical Park are somewhere near or around, but definitely not more than … 38. And that includes the vote that I just cast.
So, maybe there’s a slight chance that we won’t win. But at least there’s that $1 donation to NPF for every vote cast, so you should definitely go vote, if only for that reason.
Happy Voting!
Gillian Allen-White is a co-owner of the Grand Central Bakery, and one of the few individuals who participated in a “small business” round table discussion with President Obama yesterday. “It was a fabulous experience and we are so very grateful to have such a wonderful staff that they were able to take it in stride,” she said just a few hours after the meeting. “Not to mention our poor neighbors in the building who had to shut down operations while the secret service prepared the area. The president spoke glowingly about the beautiful arcade and asked when Pioneer Square had undergone the early restorations. Happily between Senator Murray and Secretary Locke, they were all over the dates.”
As mentioned previously, GCB was likely chosen because they are a good model of a small, independent business. Even in this tough economy, they continue to thrive and are undergoing plans to open a new location in Burien. Although they have locations throughout Portland and Seattle, Allen-White said that they consider Pioneer Square to be a vital community that is filled with positive energy.
In an email to all of the Grand Central Bakery staff after the meeting, Allen-White was finally able to lift their “cone of silence” and give a summary of the visit with the President:
It was an amazing experience that we would have loved to have shared with every single one of you – but those darned secret service agents were kind of particular. We were only allowed the staff members on the published schedule for that day. In fact, we failed to let our poor baker know and he was surprised when the “mayor” that he had been told would be coming by turned out to be a much more awe-inspiring gentleman. He would have changed his tee-shirt!
Gabby and I met the president after he entered through our stinky garage door entrance. Next Gabby introduced him to Gwen and the rest of the kitchen staff. He later entered our café and ordered a turkey chutney sandwich, a side salad (the yummy Skagit Valley) and a jammer for the road. (We have the receipt, which he signed!)
Afterward, I sat at the table with the president, Senator Patty Murray, Secretary Gary Locke and the other two small business owners chosen for the round table – Tiffany Turner of Inn at Discovery Coast and Joe Fugere of Tutta Bella. We discussed the challenges for small business and believe it or not, we business folk did the majority of the talking. (Perhaps because President Obama was finishing his delicious lunch.) He asked good questions and the conversation was remarkably easy – which was lucky because I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night! Afterward he held a press conference and talked up Grand Central Bakery in the most lovely way. We can all feel much pride in our great little company.
Here are some shots from the local paper. It starts at the tarmac and then goes on to some lovely shots inside with the president shaking Sarah Lucey’s hand and the round table. For you Portland folks, I’m the short one in the red sweater. The other more professionally dressed short woman is Senator Murray! http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2012644224/12.html
(Photo Credit: Ken Lambert, Seattle Times)
Although I wasn’t able to get off of work to get my own photos, here are some that a friend shot of the event:
Bomb sniffing dog checking out the storage bin
A blurry Secret Service agent arriving at Grand Central Bakery
Yes, that’s Obama in the photo. I promise (my friend couldn’t figure out my camera)
To read more about the “Sonic Boom” heard throughout the city, click here. And for (much) better photos, check out the Seattle times link here.