Seattle Bike Blog

Regional leaders ask for more time to find Northgate bike/walk bridge funding

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 22, 2014

A possible bridge design. Image from SDOT.

Signatures on the letter. See the full text below.

A group of regional elected leaders, including two members of the Sound Transit Board — Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien and King County Councilmember Larry Phillips — have asked the agency to disregard the July 2015 funding deadline for the Northgate bike/walk bridge, Publicola reports. After the project failed to win a competitive TIGER grant from the Federal government, it appeared doubtful that full funding for the project would be secured before the deadline.

With more time, the group of leaders says they are “confident” the city and region will find the funding to complete it. From their letter:

Because the bridge would shorten the distance from the future light rail station to North Seattle College by almost a mile, Sound Transit staff estimated that this bridge would increase its light rail ridership by 5 percent.1 Ridership would likely increase for King County Metro as well and increase the transit-oriented development potential in the area. The bridge will cost about 1 percent of the construction cost for the Northgate Link Extension.

…

With additional time and greater focus from city and regional leaders, we are confident we can find the remaining funding necessary to construct the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. Potential funding sources include new and greater commitments from Northgate stakeholders; cost-savings from a smaller parking garage; regional, state, and federal grant opportunities; and the cost-savings from the University Link Extension.

(more…)

tags: david frockt, gerry pollet, jessyn farrell, larry phillips, mike o’brien, northgate, northgate station, northgate station bridge, sally bagshaw, sound transit, tom rasmussen

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Landslide closes Burke-Gilman near 125th, Seattle Parks hopes to reopen by PM commute

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 22, 2014

This just in from Seattle Parks:

Parks cleaning up landslide on Burke just south of NE 125 St by early afternoon for your pm commute. @seabikeblog pic.twitter.com/80TciVJ7gE

— Seattle Parks (@SeattleParks) December 22, 2014

Rainy weather means the Burke-Gilman is prone to get covered by slides. It happens every year in North Seattle due to eroding hillsides along the old railroad right-of-way. So be prepared for detours.

tags: burke-gilman trail, mudslides, parks and recreation

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Do conventional road designs put Americans who walk or bike at risk? Rep. Larsen requests Federal study

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 19, 2014

Rep. Rick Larsen. Image from WA Bikes

US Representative Rick Larsen has teamed up with two other members of the US House to look into whether American conventional road engineering standards are putting people who bike and walk at disproportionate risk (spoiler: Yes).

Specifically, Larsen (WA-2, much of western Snohomish and Skagit Counties as well as Island and San Juan County), Peter DeFazio (OR-4) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting a report on how many engineering encourage speeding:

Furthermore, we are concerned that conventional engineering practices have encouraged engineers to design roads at 5-15 miles per hour faster than the posted speed for the street. This typically means roads are designed and built with wider, straighter lanes and have fewer objects near the edges, more turn lanes, and wider turning radii at intersections. While these practices improve driving safety, a suspected unintended consequence is that drivers travel faster when they feel safer. Greater speeds can increase the frequency and severity of crashes with pedestrians and cyclists who are moving at much slower speeds and have much less protection than a motorized vehicle affords.

The requested study should “investigate the trends and causes of these roadway fatalities and the challenges associated with improving pedestrian and cyclist safety. In particular, we are interested in information about the relationship between vehicle speed and roadway fatalities, and how roadway design speeds and other common practices may exacerbate this problem,” according to the letter. (more…)

tags: blake trask, eleanor holmes, government accountability office, peter defazio, rick larsen, usdot, washington bikes

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If Holman Road is a ‘complete street,’ then that term has lost all meaning

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 18, 2014

SDOT today hailed Holman Road as a “complete street.” Image from SDOT.

I received a troubling press release today from SDOT. In announcing the completion of the 1.4-mile, $3.8 million Holman Road repaving project, the department and Director Scott Kubly repeatedly refer to the street as a “complete street.”

If Holman Road is a complete street, then that term means nothing.

Holman Road is a busy, mean, wide, fast and uncomfortable street the slices off Crown Hill from the rest of the city. It may be the worst street in Northwest Seattle, a four-to-five-lane car sewer cutting a diagonal across the neighborhood street grid and demolishing all walkability and bikeability in the area.

When the city decided against utilizing this repaving project as a chance to complete a safe streets redesign or a chance to revolutionize biking in Crown Hill and Northwest Seattle by installing bike lanes, they lost the right to call this a “complete street.”

Holman was and still is all about moving cars quickly at any expense, including safety of people walking and biking. Building two new pedestrian refuge islands in the middle of a terrifying highway-style road in no way makes this a complete street. That’s like rebuilding a trench full of crocodiles in the middle of a neighborhood, but hanging a few rickety rope-and-plank bridges across it and calling it a success for walking safety. (more…)

tags: complete streets, holman rd, scott kubly, sdot

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Seattle makes list of top ten best new bikes lanes. Twice. Again.

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 17, 2014

Screenshot from the Green Lane Project. Click to read the whole list.

Seattle’s batting average for national bike lane lists leads the league.

Last year, Seattle made the Green Lane Project’s list of the top ten protected bike lanes for 2013 two times: Linden Ave was 5th and Cherry Street was 9th (more for its awesome origin story rather than actual quality).

Well, the city did even better in 2014. Once again, Seattle made the PeopleForBikes Green Lane Project’s top ten list two times, and this time the city placed a bit higher. The 2nd Ave bike lane clocked in at number 2 and the Broadway Bikeway came in at number 6.

Of course, before we go all out on the self congratulations, the 2nd Ave bike lane has not been perfect. Aside from the fact that there are essentially no connections to this new bike lane from any neighborhood outside downtown, there were also issues with confusing signage and the design near parking garage entrances. One person was struck and injured near an entrance between Pike and Union.

To the city’s credit, they responded quickly to both issues. When the first week of use showed high rates of people driving turning across the bike lane at intersections, SDOT changed the signals and signage to make it more clear when people need to wait before turning. Within hours of the collision at the Union Street garage entrance, SDOT pushed parked cars back from the garage entrance to improve sight lines and make it easier for people turning into the garage to see people on bikes.

If I were to congratulate the city on any aspect of these bike lanes (other than the political will to make them happen), it would definitely be the city’s efforts to observe people’s behavior and make changes to get better and safer outcomes. If the city continues to learn, listen to feedback and improve their bike lane designs, Seattle will certainly continue to make these lists for years to come. But more importantly, our city will be a safer and more comfortable place to get around.

tags: 2nd ave, broadway bikeway, green lane project, peopleforbikes, protected bike lanes

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Bike Jobs: Development Director at Bike Works + 2 at Cascade

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

December 16, 2014

Did you know that the bicycle industry in Europe has created 650,000 jobs? That’s more than the continent’s mining and quarrying industry, and more than the number of people employed by the Big 3 US auto makers combined.

Well, join in the jobs bonanza that is bicycling! Below are a few bike job listings floating around Seattle recently (if you know of any others, please let us know in the comments).

Development Director at Bike Works

Liz Nixon looking totally cool before delivering veggies.

Want to be the force behind funding Seattle’s biggest little bike non-profit? Well, Liz Nixon is stepping down after doing an excellent job helping Bike Works grow in recent years — far beyond the little yellow house on S Ferdinand Street in Columbia City.

So Bike Works needs a superstar fundraiser to join the team. Apply by January 16. Details:

Position Summary: The Development Director, in partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors, is responsible for meeting or exceeding the organization’s annual fundraising goals. This position provides direction and establishes priorities for a variety of areas within development including the annual campaign, major gifts, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, special events, and agency marketing and communications. The Development Director is also key member of Bike Works Leadership Team providing direction around strategic development and organizational culture.

Classification: Full Time Exempt, plus benefits

(more…)

tags: bikenomics, jobs

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