SDOT released the results of autumn community outreach about Eastlake Avenue bike lane design options, and the results were once again very clear: People strongly favor safe bike lanes on this vital connection between the University Bridge and South Lake Union where there were 39 collisions involving people bikes between 2012 and 2017. According to the report summary, “Survey responses indicated strong support for protected bike lanes even if it meant removing parking and vehicle travel lanes.”
We reported about the survey and the various design options back in September, and the results are not very surprising. The most galvanizing question was whether the project should build skinny bike lanes or wider buffered bike lanes between Harvard and Fuhrman Avenues near the south end of the University Bridge. Here were the options presented:
The responses from 1,162 people were decisive with 91% preferring the wider bike lanes with buffer space:
210 people wrote an additional comment requesting the addition of a bike lane barrier.
Speaking of bike lane barriers, there was overwhelming 90% support for some form of permanent concrete bike lane protection. Only 8% of respondents preferred paint and post style barriers. I suspect the “concrete guard” option got some extra votes in part because the photo they included in the survey showed an example that had been part of an art project. So hey, let’s not forget about art! (more…)