The city is removing 14 metal bollards along the Burke-Gilman Trail Wednesday and Thursday this week. Expect delays or detours, especially during off-peak daytime hours (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). These bollards are often used to keep motor vehicles out of car-free areas, but they can sometimes be hazardous to trail users and cause accessibility issues (both for people with disabilities and people with wide cargo bikes).
Crews from the Seattle Department of Transportation will remove 14 bollards this week along the Burke Gilman Trail between Northwest 43rd Street and Northwest 36th Street. They plan to perform this work on Wednesday and Thursday, March 28 and 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
— Advertisement —
Small sections of the trail will be closed at intersections while the crews remove the bollards and replace them with asphalt. The trail will remain open with only small detours around the work area to minimize impacts on trail users. There will be signed detours in place and flaggers on the trail if they are needed.
The bollards are being removed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians along the trail. This work is funded by the Bridging the Gap transportation initiative approved by Seattle voters.
Location of the work:
Help paint trees blue
Using eco-friendly paints, of course. The painting is part of an art project and includes trees in Magnuson and Westlake Parks as well as along the Burke-Gilman Trail in Kenmore. Best part: You can help!
4Culture, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and Seattle Parks and Recreation proudly present The Blue Trees, a socially-driven art action. Created and conceived by Australian artist Konstantin Dimopoulos, the project will temporarily and dramatically transform trees in Seattle’s Westlake Park and along the Burke-Gillman Trail in Kenmore beginning April 2. Using water-based, environmentally safe pigment, Dimopoulos will color the trees a striking ultramarine blue, inspiring awareness and discussion about global deforestation. An ephemeral work, the trees gradually revert back to their natural state.
Participate
Volunteers are needed to help make the project a success. Over the course of eight days, with your help, the artist will transform 16 existing Honey Locust trees at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and 40 newly planted Jacquemontii Birch trees along the Burke-Gilman Trail near NE Bothell Way and 80th Ave NE in Kenmore, which will enhance the trail and remain as a legacy for the community. Volunteers must register in order to participate.
Tree coloring at Westlake Park, Details will be provided upon registration:
Coloring trees with guidance from the artist, moving drop-cloths, filling buckets with water, washing brushes, etc.
- Monday, April 2, 2012: 10:30am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
- Tuesday, April 3, 2012: 10:00am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
- Wednesday, April 4, 2012: 10:00am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
Tree coloring at Magnuson Park, Directions will be provided upon registration:
Coloring trees with guidance from the artist, moving drop-cloths and trees, filling buckets with water, washing brushes, etc.
- Thursday, April 5, 2012: 11:30am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
- Friday, April 6, 2012: 10:30am-3:30pm, shifts to be assigned
- Saturday, April 7, 2012: 10:30am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
Tree planting at Burke Gilman Trail, Kenmore, Directions will be provided upon registration: Planting trees with guidance from King County Parks staff and touching up color on the trees with the artist.
- Monday, April 9, 2012: 9am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
- Tuesday, April 10, 2012: 9am-4pm, shifts to be assigned
*Tools and gloves will be provided. Snacks and refreshments will be served.
Interested in volunteering? Have Questions?
Volunteers interested in participating at Westlake Park can contact Adele Dimopoulos by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (206) 890-4315.
Volunteers interested in participating in the installation along the Burke-Gilman Trail should contact Laurie Clinton by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (206) 296-4452.
Duwamish Trail paving completed
The city recently completed some repaving on the Duwamish Trail. They followed up the work with something of a love letter to the industrial trail on their blog. *swoon*
Comments
3 responses to “Trail Updates: Frelard bollard removal + Help paint trees blue + Duwamish Trail work complete”
It *is* an improvement to have the bollards gone, that’s for sure. Just gotta hope a drunk driver doesn’t get confused on his way home from Hale’s and make a bad decision. I did actually see a driver on the Burke-Gilman trail in front of the Fred Meyer about a week or two ago. He obviously was extremely confused — and not to make excuses, but I suppose that’s understandable, because the trail and street routing around the Hale’s/Fred Meyer area is… well, I’ll be polite and call it complicated.
I’ve also seen a car, driven by a very confused elderly man with his elderly wife yelling at him from the passenger’s seat, on the lake front path in Chicago. That’s why I’m a little unsure whether we can confidently say that removing the bollards “improves safety” for cyclists and pedestrians.
I know this is probably too much to ask, but it would have been extra nice if the crews could have removed the rumble strip crosswalks at the same time and replaced them with regular street paint. Not sure I understand the logic in the bumpy crosswalks.
Well Matthew, you answered my question, which was, has there ever been a driver so confused or a teenager so stupid as to try and drive up a bicycle path. ‘Cause, ya, those bollards seem super dumb and in the way.
My biggest problem with the bollards is that they are in an awkward spot in relation to the curb cut. Also. really only one is needed to stop cars (if that is deemed a big enough problem to necessitate them). They also were not very reflective, which made them seem more dangerous than having no bollards and dealing with the random confused driver…