This just in from Wallyhood‘s Margaret Steck:
A runnel is basically a groove on the side of a stairway that allows you to push your bike up and down instead carrying it. Here’s an example of one built as part of the Lake Forest Park Burke-Gilman Trail detour:
The N 41st St runnel is exciting because I was under the impression that it had been cut from the city’s plans for 2011. The runnel was originally part of the Wallingford Neighborhood Greenway plans, but the scope of the greenway has since been cut back to end at Stone Way instead of continuing all the way to Aurora.
The runnel will be very useful for people trying to get between Fremont and Wallingford, since the two nearest Aurora crossings — Bridge Way and N 46th St — are not very welcoming to people biking. The first block to the east of Aurora is rather steep, but many people will likely prefer that to busy traffic, at least until the other crossings are improved.
Comments
6 responses to “City installing runnel for bikes on N 41st St walking bridge”
Now to get one at Galer for the Aurora and Westlake crossings!
Great news! This is an example of something that can be included whenever stairways are upgraded, at very little additional cost but providing both the direct benefit for people with bikes, and the message to the world that bikes are expected and welcome.
RIDE IT!
Are you referring to the runnel, or the stairs?
Either way, yes. Especially if you’re riding road tires. 18mm road tires at 120 PSI. On a fixie. In the rain… no, when it’s sleeting. >:-D
(FTR, I am not hard enough to ride fixie in Seattle and have no intention of riding over this overpass.)
Excellent! I live two blocks to the east of this bridge and can’t wait to try it out.
[…] Playfield for the monthly Spokespeople ride. I’d been warned we’d check out the 41st Street runnel on the way to the rose garden and considered taking a detour to avoid the hassle, but in the end […]