Fourth of July: Law suits and traffic

By now we imagine you’ve made your BBQ or bail, party or panic decision for Fourth of July. Recap for latecomers: with Elliott Bay fireworks canceled, our dear little Wallingford is expecting an extra 10,000 – 15,000 people to come through (on top of the 40,000 or so we usually get). To accommodate the crowds, the Wallingford Chamber tells us they’ve arranged for local businesses to sponsor extra porta-potties to distribute along Wallingford Ave (although the exact names of said businesses remain a state secret) and the city says they will close Gas Works when it’s at capacity and direct latecomers to sit along Wallingford Ave itself.

More recently, local activist and killjoy Benjamin Schroeter has filed suit against the city, claiming that they need to perform an environmental review of the impact of the crowds on Gas Works (or perhaps the impact of Gas Work, built atop hazardous waste, on the crowds, we’re not quite sure). As of this writing, the suit’s metaphorical chances of success are melting into a slushy pool of water somewhere south of Hades.

Last night, we got the final word on traffic rules from the Seattle Police Department, which we share with you here:

Beginning at 12:00 Noon on July 4th, access to the area north of Gas Works Park will be restricted to residents and others with legitimate business in the community. The purpose of this is to ensure that emergency vehicles and home/business owners will be able to access this community while the 4th of July celebrations are occurring. The area will not be open to people seeking parking for the fireworks display.

Between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 6:00 p.m. home and business owners will be able to enter and leave the area through designated access points, including:

• Stone Way Avenue North & North Northlake Way
• North 34th Street & Stone Way Avenue North
• North 35th Street & Interlake Avenue North
• North 35th Street & Pacific Avenue North
• North 36th Street & North Northlake Way
• North 38th Street & Sunnyside Avenue North
• North 38th Street & Interlake Avenue North
• North 39th Street & Ashworth Avenue North
• North 39th Street & Woodlawn Avenue North
• North 39th Street & Wallingford Avenue North
• North 39th Street & Meridian Avenue North
• North 39th Street & Corliss Avenue North

Each of these locations will have a police officer assigned to it, screening entry into the area, ensuring that only residents and businesses are given access.

Residents that are expecting guests should provide their guests with an invitation showing the address they are going to or have their guests arrive prior to 12:00 Noon.

Additionally, residents may tell their expected guests to access their community via one of the listed access points. Residents may then provide the guest list to the officer at the access point, assisting them in easily identifying authorized visitors. It is recommended that all of your guests should arrive prior to 6:00 p.m.

At 6:00 p.m. the access points will be moved one block out and access will be controlled at Stone Way Avenue North on the west and North 40th Street on the north.

So, south of 39th shut at noon to non-residents, south of 40th shut at 6 pm. Guests should bring a printed invitation with the address they are visiting (and not expect to find parking when they get there). Residents are highly encouraged to maintain a sense of humor.