Madison Park
Sometimes the work of the Madison Park Community Council (MPCC) is long, hard and totally unproductive. Such has been the case throughout 2015 regarding Metro Transit’s proposal to change the routing of the No. 11 bus. After public and private meetings, lots of letters and many telephone calls, we are back to square one. At this point, we expect no change whatsoever in the No. 11 bus routing.
Metro’s original goal — maybe prodded by Sound Transit — was to make a change to the routing, starting in March 2016, to coincide with the commencement of Sound Transit’s expanded light rail service to the new Capitol Hill and Husky Stadium stations.
After the unveiling of many proposals and discussing many counter-proposals and learning that the majority of folks in the Madison Park service area preferred no change to the bus routing, MPCC went along with what Metro considered its bottom line — namely a direct connection to the Capitol Hill station at John Street and Denny Way. To satisfy as many people as possible, we wanted minimal other changes to the routing, so we finally agreed to a compromise proposal that would have kept the bus on Madison Street up as far as 19th Avenue, where it would have turned north to John Street, west past the front of the light rail station and onward into town.
There, the matter seemed to have been settled. However, the Seattle Department of Transportation had been vetted the proposal. It decided that the sharp-right turn from Madison Street on to 19th Avenue could not be accommodated in any reasonable fashion, so the compromise Metro/MPCC proposal was vetoed and Metro, at this point, has given up.
The cost of all this — especially in agency staff time, if one could get a true accounting — must have been enormous.
Back in the Park, on Dec. 20, the annual MPCC Christmas Ship holiday bash went ahead. We had a record turnout, probably because of the dry weather, plus more advertising of the event than in previous years. The average head count yielded an amazing 1,250 people on the beach — some 300 more than last year.
There seemed to be fewer boats in the flotilla — about 35, versus last year’s 42.
The band in the Madison Park Bathhouse was great, as usual. The baked goods generously provided by Park Shore Retirement Community were very tasty and quickly gobbled up, and we eventually ran out of a large supply of hot chocolate and cider.
As usual, Seattle Parks and Recreation ably supervised the bonfire on the beach, and we received no complaints of holes being burned in parkas by flying embers.
All in all, it was a very successful holiday event, and we thank all the volunteers for their yeoman effort.
Our next event, on Monday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m., is a conversation on immigrant rights, as part of our ongoing series of such talks that usually takes place in the meeting room/chapel at Park Shore (1630 43rd Ave. E.). Jorge Baron, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, will lead the discussion. Everyone is, of course, very welcome.
MPCC currently has a couple of vacancies on its board. Going into 2016, we have 16 board members — between the 15 and 21 called for in our bylaws. So if you or anyone you know is interested in serving on the MPCC board, do not hesitate to let us know. Our monthly board meetings take place, as always, on the first Monday of the month, at the Madison Park Bathhouse (1900 43rd Ave. E.) at 7 p.m., and are open to everyone.
Here’s wishing you a very happy and successful new year!
— Maurice Cooper, president