An open letter to the Seattle Design Commission after the 8th Avenue sky bridge was voted down 5-0

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Jim deMaine
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3 Responses to An open letter to the Seattle Design Commission after the 8th Avenue sky bridge was voted down 5-0

  1. Michael Caplow says:
    June 11, 2019 at 8:43 AM

    Sorry I was not at the meeting, although I suspect it would have been very exasperating. I truly wonder whether the commission visited the site and had an appreciation of the impact of their decision. But the 5:0 vote seems to end the matter.

  2. Lorraine Woods says:
    June 11, 2019 at 12:50 PM

    Thank you, Jim, for your letter talking about the realities for people with disabilities and the importance of the sky bridge concept. Can they look at the sky bridge through the eyes of their elder family members, for instance, and realize the importance that safety plays in their survival? Crossing 8th Avenue during rush hour is like taking your life in your hands. We should demand that the ‘the powers that be’ visit 8th Avenue during rush hour with someone on a walker or wheelchair! Chances are their opinions would change.

  3. Lidia Filonowich says:
    June 11, 2019 at 3:42 PM

    This may seem like a silly solution, but the only way to connect our campus buildings is to design a waterproof gondola to transfer residents between the two buildings across 8th Ave safely and in restricted groups with their walkers and/or wheel chairs. (This suggestion was made by one of the residents who was present at the Design Commission meeting while we were on our return trip by bus to Skyline.
    There is another local authority which does not care much about the safety of elder, pedestrian disabled persons, especially with walking aids, in the First Hill Neighborhood. This is the Seattle Department of Transportation which should be responsive to street crossing, curb cuts, and road upkeep and maintenance.
    Columbia and 9th Avenue in front of Skyline was promised a safer crossing, but ended up less than the promise. Now try to cross as a pedestrian on 8th Avenue and Columbia!

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