You have already told SDOT to build a continuous waterfront trail between Myrtle Edwards Park and the new downtown waterfront, but city plans still show the trail crossing Alaskan Way twice in a matter of a couple blocks near the cruise ship terminal at Pier 66. Now Seattle Neighborhood Greenways has another action alert you can use to ask the Port of Seattle Commissioners to work with the city to create a seamless waterside trail that also works for the cruise terminal.
There is so much space on Alaskan Way to work with in this spot. While the cruise terminal can get busy and hectic when a ship is loading and unloading, we’re talking about a few hours on a set schedule throughout about half the year. That’s not a good reason to create what is essentially a year-round trail detour. The risk is that people will not bother following such a short detour, instead opting to ride in the street or on the sidewalk and defeating the entire purpose of this project. It will also add time to bike trips and make the experience less pleasant, a major concern since the public has invested a lot of money to remake this waterfront. If we can build a trail that passes in front of the ferry terminal, then we can do it for the cruise terminal, too. We’ve done all the spins and flips to build a waterfront trail, now we just need to stick the landing.
We can find a solution, whether than means setting up a temporary detour during busy hours or simply designing a trail that can exist safely during busy hours.
Here’s the sample text of the letter from the SNG action alert:
(more…)
