Area once filled with RVs, homeless encampment to become bike lane in West Seattle, SDOT says

An area once filled with RVs and a homeless encampment in West Seattle is set to become a bike lane, the Seattle Department of Transportation says.

SDOT has already started paving the path on Southwest Andover Street between 26th Avenue Southwest and 28th Avenue Southwest. The path will fill a gap in the West Seattle bike network, connecting the neighborhood greenway on 26th Avenue Southwest to bike lanes on Southwest Avalon Way.

“I come through here all the time — it’s a great thing,” said resident Kevin Finney.

For Finney, retirement means commuter cycling is a thing of the past, but he says a future bike path on Southwest Andover Street would help bike commuters and many more people.

Scott Britt walks to a gym located on Southwest Andover and while he, too, has given up biking, he can see a benefit for a path that SDOT says will connect key bike lanes.

“Of all the bike paths in the city, there’s a lot of bike paths that aren’t used because they’re uphill or they’re in a strange location, but this is definitely one people use, as you can see right there,” Britt said.

SDOT has signs and markers down for the bike path, which could help keep all traffic moving. It also could be a permanent solution to a situation that has lingered in this area — the parking of homeless RVs.

At one point the street was filled with them, so much so that a company put out eco-blocks to prevent RV parking.

In June, the RVs along Southwest Andover were cleared from the area. SDOT said the blocks that came soon after were also removed by the business that put them up since they were placed there without a permit.

SDOT did let that business know that paving and a new bike path would be coming soon.

The area where the work is being done has seen some criminal activity.

In March, Seattle police said a man was shot in the leg at Southwest Andover Street and 26th Avenue Southwest. The victim was a 39-year-old man who had several gunshot wounds.

In April 2021, KIRO 7 covered a shooting incident that ended away from this area but started near the RV encampment on Southwest Andover Street.

In that shooting, an 18-year-old was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting.

SDOT’s bike lanes will ensure that traffic keeps flowing, which is welcome news from people who use this road.

“It’s a way to be safer,” said Finney.

SDOT said it expects to have the work done by this fall.

There will be no parking in the area for certain periods of time while the work is done, and there’s also the chance that some work will be done on weekends, so people will have to be mindful and keep tabs on notices from SDOT.

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