This is great.
Closing part of the second avenue protected bike lane doesn’t seem consistent with a safe connected all ages and abilities bike network in the city center, Vision Zero, or our climate goals. @MayorJenny @LewisforSeattle @CascadeBicycle @seattledot pic.twitter.com/1uO9dPksud
— Lee Pyne-Mercier (@leepyne) February 9, 2020
A group that wishes to remain anonymous posted an official-looking “Notice of Proposed Street Use Action” sign at the north end of the 2nd Ave bike lane near Denny Way, informing the public that “the City of Seattle has decided to remove this portion of the Second Avenue protected bike lane to make room for more cars.” It continues:
This will allow more people to drive to events at the new Seattle Center Arena at the cost of safety for pedestrians and people on bicycles.
If you have comments about this change please contact the following parties:
Mayor Jenny Durkan – Twitter: @mayorjenny
or email: [email protected]Rob Johnson, Oak View Group – Twitter: @heyrobbyj
Email: [email protected]Councilmember Andrew Lewis – Twitter: @lewisforseattle
Email: [email protected]Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez – Twitter: @cmlgonzalez
Email: [email protected]Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda – Twitter: @teresacmosqueda
Email: [email protected]
And, unfortunately, the sign is true. As reported previously, current transportation plans that are part of the arena remake would close this section of the bike lane, routing people biking onto the sidewalk just south of Denny Way.
The sign is amazing because it makes a couple important points at the same time. For one, of course, it alerts people that the city wants to remove a section of one of our city’s best protected bike lanes. But it also highlights the double standard regarding how much public notice and public debate is needed to add a bike lane versus how little public debate there has been about removing one. (more…)
