Today is just all cycle tracks, all day on Seattle Bike Blog (Mayor McGinn will announce his transportation budget today Monday at 2, so check back to SBB for more then).
A deal between the city and Amazon includes a cycle track on 7th Ave, where the company plans a big expansion with three new towers. We’ve reported about this cycle track plan previously. The deal is that Amazon will fund design for the entire cycle track from Denny Way/Dexter to Pine and will fund construction of the segment through their campus. The city would fund the north and south segments.
Mayor McGinn and City Council Transportation Committee Chair Tom Rasmussen praised the public benefits deal included with Amazon’s Denny Triangle expansion plans. In addition to the cycle track, benefits also include an extra SLU Streetcar and safety improvements for people on foot.
The overall proposal includes $5.5 million of support for the Seattle Streetcar. This funding will allow the City to purchase an additional streetcar vehicle and increase operational support for 10 years as a part of the Planned Community Development benefit package. In total, these benefits will increase street car service to every ten minutes during the workday. Alley vacation public benefits proposed by Amazon include:
- Supporting a higher level of service for the Seattle Streetcar, including the purchase of a fourth vehicle;
- Designing a new cycle track on 7th Avenue;
- Enhancing pedestrian crossings at 8th and Lenora and 7th and Virginia intersections, consistent with the Westlake Avenue Concept Design;
- Creating a shared use street along Lenora to enhance the pedestrian experience and calm traffic;
- Providing green street enhancements, wider-than-required building setbacks, and enhanced landscaping and sidewalk improvements around all properties;
- Providing additional overhead canopy between buildings;
- Integrating art throughout the development;
- Contributing to the future park at 8th Avenue, Westlake and Lenora. The Department of Parks and Recreation recently purchased property at this location.
The Transportation Committee, chaired by Councilmember Rasmussen, will be reviewing this proposal following a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, September 25 at 9:30 a.m. in Council Chambers. A Council vote is expected in early November.
More cycle track details (includes a bike counter) from an upcoming presentation about the Amazon plans:
The full presentation:
Comments
12 responses to “Amazon will fund 7th Ave cycle track”
I’m impressed that it goes all the way to Pine.
The thing that will really make it a success is Dutch-quality intersections. How can we make that happen?
The whole facility is being designed by Amazon but only the campus part will be constructed on Amazon’s dime. The rest will be left unfunded.
Awesome. Sure, construction isn’t totally funded, but put it in context: this proposal is arising out of a request to vacate a few ridiculous alleys. It’s mitigation directed toward enhanced public access around the development. Try to find someone who is lamenting the loss of those alleys. So, I’m all for it, regardless of whether construction of the rest of it is currently unfunded. Cycle tracks (where you already have the right-of-way space) are cheap. If the design is already paid for, the construction will happen in time.
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