Stay safe, trick or treaters. Tonight is the night more kids die than any other—children are three times more likely than usual to be killed by a driver on Halloween. For very young kids, the risk increases by a factor of 10. Some cities are pioneering “Trick or Streets” plans to reduce the carnage: New York will establish 100 car-free zones this evening. Seattle has a process for residents to do the same. But no amount of signs or paint or plastic car-ticklers seems to be enough; time and time again, drivers have proven that the only way to make a street truly safe is to make it impossible for a car to enter.
Someone’s not a plant lover. The weird saga of the healthy-street sign at 46th Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street continues. For weeks now, the city and local residents have been trying to keep the street, which leads into Dunlap Elementary School, closed to through traffic, but somebody keeps smashing the sign. Last week someone put a nice heavy metal planter in the street, but now someone’s gone through and ripped out all the plants.
I am having trouble understanding the anger needed to tear up the plants in the planter from in front of a street closed barricade. The barricade was moved off the road. My son and I replanted the poor plants. Bonus, the planter is too heavy for this angry person to move. pic.twitter.com/NTf0XHN0HH
— Nathanael Ness (@spiphy) October 31, 2022
Coming soon to a street near you: The Urbanist has a detailed deep-dive into all the tweaks that City Council wants to make to SDOT’s budget next year. Increasing car tabs, more speed-cameras near schools, and taxes on scooters are all on the table. (But Andrew Lewis’s proposed scooter tax sounds like a particularly bad idea; not only would it discourage more sustainable modes of transportation, but staff estimate that it would cost $540,000 to implement and would only generate $716,000 per year.)
Four airport workers nearly died at LAX. A fire suppression system leaked carbon dioxide vapor into a utility room where several employees were working. Three were able to get out, but a fourth person was found unconscious. He’s currently in critical condition.
Here’s what the kids are up to. Because I am too old to be on TikTok, I rely on reports from geriatric millennials who are just barely the right age to use the app. That means I see TikTok trends on Twitter, about a week after they’re already expired but a month before anyone sees them on Facebook. Anyway, I like what these folks are up to:
The trend of high school girls dressing as Steve Harvey and doing that "SIT ON IT" clip is SENDING MEEE pic.twitter.com/oVHBAQNLHA
— Tia (@TiawiaGames) October 28, 2022
Green Lake bike lanes are nearly complete. They’re looking pretty good! There’s concrete barriers, fresh paint, and a pleasant view (one one side, at least). Definitely needs a visit from OK Broomer, though. Meanwhile, on Aurora between 80th and 84th Street, sidewalk repairs are in progress.
Cryin’ those cocksucking tears in Heaven. Patrick Haggerty has passed away at the age of 78. Haggerty and friends created what’s believed to be the first explicitly queer country album back in 1973, entitled Lavender Country. Here’s a 2014 retrospective on his work, the time he opened for Orville Peck in 2019, and my interview with him from 2016. You may also be familiar with his StoryCorps tale:
The Pelosi attacker has been charged. Prosecutors have charged David Wayne DePape with assault and attempted kidnapping. He told investigators that he planned to break Nancy Pelosi’s kneecaps.
Good clean fun. The Seattle Street Fixers will be out again this weekend, clearing the overgrown sidewalks and ramps that the city can’t be bothered to maintain.
Saturday Nov 5th at 9am the Street Fixers will be joining @mtbakerhub's cleanup. We will focus on fixing the areas around the pedestrian ramps and clearing leaves from sidewalks along Rainier north of Mt Baker as well as bagging any litter we find! Please join us! pic.twitter.com/W2lnCRsDgY
— Seattle Street Fixers (@SEAStreetFixers) October 30, 2022
Any of you guys know how to Madison? Three cheers for the public libraries, which in the city of Madison have made e-bikes available for free to patrons. Over 30 library systems around the country offer bike loans, including bikes for kids and recumbent bikes. None of those libraries is in Washington.
Who burned down the Seattle library? In 1901, the wooden mansion in Pioneer Square that was Seattle’s Public Library burned to the ground, destroying nearly the entire collection. To this day, nobody knows what started it. Got any tips?
👻🔥🔎🫢
— Seattle Library (@SPLBuzz) October 31, 2022
Move over, Unsolved Mysteries. We're offering a Library card reward to anyone who comes forward with information about the Library Fire of 1901. Our tip line is open. pic.twitter.com/3xwjOEztOv