I sure hope you want to go to an important bike meeting tonight, because there are three of them at the same time. And they’re all about completely game-changing projects. So if you have the time, go to one of them and let us know how it went. Please. There’s only one of me, and I can only bike so fast…
Missing Link Open House
As we reported previously, there is finally movement on the big environmental study that should put the Ballard Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail on the path to construction.
The firm putting together the study is hosting an open house from 6–8 p.m. at Ballard High School. It’s not exactly a feedback session, but it’s never a bad idea to show up to voice the actual 98.6 percent support for creating a safe trail connection (OMG HOW CAN WE STILL BE STUDYING THIS???).
You can also watch yours truly talking about the Missing Link on King 5:
E Marginal Way Open House
Very late notice on this open house happening in Georgetown (we just found out about it late yesterday). The city will present about plans to make E Marginal Way into a complete street as part of their multimodal corridors efforts. E Marginal Way is slated for protected bike lanes or a fully separated trail in the Bike Master Plan, so anyone who travels along the east bank of the Duwamish River may want to go to this meeting. Details from SDOT:
SDOT is co-hosting an open house with the SODO Business Improvement Association (BIA), the Duwamish Transportation Management Association (TMA) and the Manufacturing and Industrial Council (MIC):
- When: Thursday, June 18. 3 PM – 7:30 PM
- Where: South Seattle College GEORGETOWN Campus, Main Building C (Corson Avenue S & E Marginal Way S)
- Agenda:
- 3:00 PM — Doors open
- 3:15 PM — Welcome and Introductions
- 4-5 PM — Transportation discussion with City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and SDOT Director Scott Kubly
- 6:15 PM — East Marginal Way S presentation
The open house will feature an East Marginal Way S presentation (made twice), a transportation discussion, and time to review display boards, provide input, and talk with project staff. Refreshments will be served.
Eastside Trail Meeting
That’s right, there are competing regional trail environmental impact statement meetings tonight. In a way, that’s cool. But it also sucks for people who care about both the Burke-Gilman Trail and the future Eastside Trail.
The Eastside Trail is a huge deal, as this video explains using helicopter and train track footage:
The first of three meetings is tonight, 6–8 p.m. at the Carol Edwards Center in Woodinville. Stay tuned for more on this trail soon.
Details from King County Parks:
Planning for a regional trail in the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC) is underway! A trail in the Eastside Rail Corridor, extending from Renton to Woodinville and from Woodinville into Redmond, will serve the region’s non-motorized transportation needs, provide expanded recreational opportunities and connect communities like never before!
The opportunities are many, whether it is expanding our transportation options, creating economic and cultural opportunities, protecting natural resources, maintaining access to scenic vistas, or providing recreation around the beautiful Northwest. We hope you’ll share our excitement about these opportunities. We invite you to participate in June to help shape the vision for an extraordinary new regional trail.
We need you!
All King County residents, potential trail users, and other interested individuals are encouraged to participate in the following community meetings to help us plan the county’s newest addition to the regional trail network in the Eastside Rail Corridor:
Woodinville Thursday, June 18 6 – 8 p.m.
Carol Edwards Center 17401 133rd Ave NE Woodinville, WARenton Tuesday, June 23 6 – 8 p.m.
Talbot Hill Elementary 2300 Talbot Rd South Renton, WA 98055Bellevue Thursday, June 25 6 – 8 p.m.
Bellevue City Hall 450 110th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98004King County Parks invites your comments on the Eastside Rail Corridor Trail Master Plan and EIS Scoping. The public comment period for the project is from June 8, 2015 to July 17, 2015. All comments received or postmarked by July 17, 2015 will be addressed in the scoping of the Draft Regional Trail Master Plan and EIS. Comments may be submitted here, at the public meetings, by email to: [email protected], or by mail to ERC Trail Master Plan Project; King County Parks; 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 700; Seattle, WA 98104.
Visit the Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Trail Master Plan website to learn more.
Please come help us shape the vision for a great regional trail.
Sincerely,
Erica JacobsProject Manager, Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Trail Project
Comments
3 responses to “Three important bike meetings tonight: Missing Link, E Marginal Way + Eastside Trail”
Thats good news. I think instead of focusing on widening highways, we should fix the ones we have and focus on non motorized transportation like bicycle riding.
Well, the idea of removing general purpose lanes or parking on the missing link alternatives should create the typical outcry. But in this case it might actually work in our favor. The collective anger of drivers and businesses on those alternative routes might be enough get the missing link finished where it should be: along Shilshole.
SDOT will tell you that they don’t have a favoured route and they are evaluating all three, but I’m pretty sure once they are done, the favoured route will be along Shilshole. It seems that SDOT has FINALLY figured out what it will take to get the Missing Link finished. With the passing of Move Seattle this fall, it will also be fully funded for the entire project. Can’t wait, it’s been beyond too long.