SR-520 Design Resolution Improved!
- gordon
- Oct. 9, 2015
Exciting news! The new SR-520 interchanges will be easier to walk and bike across.
In January of this year we sent a consensus letter detailing what needed to change with the SR-520 interchange design to make it safer to walk and bike across.
Then in September we issued a call to action to testify at a City Council hearing to improve a resolution on the proposed design. And you rose to the occasion! You packed the public hearing and we got the message across that we needed a stronger resolution to specifically address:
- Safer ways to walk across the Montalke Interchange
- Protected bike lanes on Montlake Blvd
- A neighborhood greenway on the Lake Washington Loop
With this momentum we worked with Councilmember Mike O'Brien to propose amendments to the the resolution addressing these concerns. Thanks to his leadership and support from other councilmembers amendments to address walking across the Montlake Interchange and biking on Montlake Blvd were approved unanimously! While an amendment to include a neighborhood greenway on the Lake Washington Loop was not put forward, it did raise the profile of project significantly and funds from the Neighborhood Park and Street Fund were allocated to help study the project.
These amendments helped strengthen an already excellent resolution, so now we can truly look forward to a project that reconnects instead of further dividing our neighborhoods.
Thank you to all to the many people made this victory possible!
Specifically we would like to thank Councilmembers Mike O'Brien, Tom Rasmussen, and Kshama Sawant; our local greenway organizers Mike Archambault, Lionel Job, Bob Edmiston, Jerry Fulks, Drew Dresman, Forrest Baum, Brie Gyncild, and Merlin Rainwater; our healthy transportation allies Brock Howell, Kelli Refer, Andrew Austin, Kristi Rennebohm Franz, and the Connect Seattle members who turned out at the hearing. We would also like to thank Andrew Glass-Hasting and Lyle Bicknell for their work making this project work for all people. Thank you.