Building the Downtown #BasicBikeNetwork
- gordon
- Nov. 27, 2017
In Belltown, the extension of the 2nd Avenue protected bike lane has continued at a rapid pace this year, with the high-quality facility heading toward completion early next year. Once finished, this will create an all-ages-and-abilities route between downtown and Seattle Center. In addition, the project has also added signalized crosswalks for people crossing 2nd Avenue through Belltown when previously the design of the fast-moving corridor encouraged people in vehicles to not stop for pedestrians.
2nd Ave Protected Bike Lanes are Almost Open!
South Lake Union, on the heels of benefiting from the opening of the Westlake Cycletrack between Lake Union Park and Fremont last year, named bike facility of 2016 by People for Bikes, is continuing to see its bike network extended, most notably on 9th Avenue North, which will see a full bicycle connection realized between Valley Street and Denny Way by next year, and is part of the center city #BasicBikeNetwork:
People on foot crossing between Denny Triangle and South Lake Union also noticed a big change at Terry Avenue where a previously unthinkable place to cross given the busy traffic on Denny Way was made safe with the benefit of a pedestrian crossing. The facility got a lot of attention from the nearby Seattle Times offices, where reporters had remarked on the intersection's hazards for years.
Terry before improvements
In Magnolia, a project that was delayed from 2016 is finally nearing completion: the installation of protected bike lanes along 20th Ave W and Gilman Dr W will finally allow a safe connection between the world-class Elliott Bay Trail and the Ballard Locks.
Looking ahead, the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the reconnection of the street grid on Aurora Avenue between Mercer and Denny, the reinvestment in Key Arena, and the work happening on the waterfront are all projects that have a great potential to transform District 7 into a place where people come first. For instance, we’ve already successfully advocated to get a traffic diverter on Thomas St at Aurora to prioritize the street for people walking and biking, once it is reconnected. The advocates in District 7, on the part of neighborhood groups like Queen Anne Greenways, and South Lake Union Greenways, are an invaluable part of moving forward toward this better future.
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