{"id":4280,"date":"2022-03-20T03:59:19","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T03:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seattlemetropickleball.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/20\/wait-less-play-more\/"},"modified":"2023-07-15T11:29:58","modified_gmt":"2023-07-15T11:29:58","slug":"wait-less-play-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seattlemetropickleball.com\/wait-less-play-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Wait Less. Play More."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever had to wait a long time to get on a pickleball court during open play?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Seattle outdoor pickleball courts could accommodate 50% or more courts than they already do. On two side-by-side tennis courts, Edmonds paints lines for eight pickleball courts, Shoreline paints six pickleball courts, and Seattle only paints four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Seattle followed Edmonds’ or Shoreline’s lead we could have many more pickleball courts on the outdoor tennis courts that already have pickleball lines. For instance, Green Lake could have 8 to 10 courts instead of 6; High Point, Brighton Park, and Mount Baker could have 6 courts instead of 4; Magnolia could have 12 courts instead of 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you do about it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Attend Seattle Parks’ March 30 public meeting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Attend Seattle Parks’ first of two public meetings<\/a> on the future of outdoor pickleball online on Wednesday, March 30, at 4:30pm. Make sure you tell them to paint more than two pickleball courts per tennis court.<\/strong> Register now to attend this meeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Get the mayor and city council involved<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The mayor and the city council have the power of the purse. Tell them that it is time for Seattle Parks to follow Edmonds and Shoreline\u2019s lead, and make better use of Seattle’s existing tennis courts real estate by painting more than two pickleball courts per tennis court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here<\/a> to get started sending them an email. Here is what you could say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dear Mayor Harrell,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Public Assets Committee Chair Lewis,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Public Assets Committee Members Herbold, Juarez, Morales and Mosqueda,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a pickleball player, I am dismayed to see that Seattle Parks still chooses to make very poor use of the available court real estate when adding pickleball court lines to existing tennis courts.  For instance, in a location with two tennis courts side by side, Edmonds Parks fits lines for 8 pickleball courts at Yost Park, Shoreline fits lines for 6 pickleball courts at Shoreline Parks, but Seattle persist on only wanting to paint lines for four pickleball courts in the same space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why doesn\u2019t Seattle Parks want to have more than two pickleball courts per tennis court?  Because Seattle Parks doesn\u2019t want to inconvenience tennis players with too many pickleball lines and it says that having a higher pickleball court density would make it difficult to manage court reservations. The Edmonds and Shoreline Parks departments have been able to surmount these obstacles. Certainly Seattle Parks can follow suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long lines of pickleball players waiting to participate in open play sessions are often seen in places such as the Green Lake, Walt Hundley, and Miller courts on clement weather days. Maximizing the number of pickleball courts at these (and all other) locations would increase the number of courts by 50% or more for the price of a few painted lines. Given that the number of pickleball players is growing exponentially and is projected to surpass the number of tennis players in the next ten years, this simple space usage optimization needs to be implemented sooner than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please encourage Seattle Parks to make the best usage of available court space by painting lines for more than two pickleball courts per tennis court when designating courts for dual tennis and pickleball use.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you prefer to do it on your own here is all the information you need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n