For 2013, we have an ambitious list of priority projects that will help create safe and healthy streets for our children and our grandparents. We can’t do this alone. We hope YOU will join us in this community effort!

This blog post is organized for easy scanning by:

1. 2012 list of accomplishments
2. 2013 priorities
3. How you can get involved
4. More information on our projects

2012 List of Accomplishments

• Melrose: We began to improve Melrose Avenue by obtaining a grant from the Department of Neighborhoods, hosting 5 community clean ups, 4 outreach events, numerous advisory committee meetings, a BBQ, a poetry reading, and selecting a firm to host three large community planning meetings (scroll down to learn about how you can get involved with this ongoing project)
  • Special thanks to: Mike Kent, the Melrose Promenade Advisory Committee, Sustainable Capitol Hill, the Seattle Parks Foundation, Stewardship Partners, and others.
• SR 520: CSG volunteers worked with many partners to identify and advocate for connections that are all-ages-and-abilities in the SR 520 reconstruction design.  We were able to fundamentally change the debate around the SR 520 reconstruction by focusing public attention on the failure of the design to serve people of all-ages-and-abilities, and its potential to better connect our neighborhoods if done right. The Seattle City Council, WSDOT, and the community now are all in agreement that more work must be done to provide quality connections before the design is finalized.
  • Special thanks to: City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw, Richard Conlin, and Tom Rasmussen, the Mayor’s Office, Cascade Bicycle Club, the rest of the City Council, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, the Capitol Hill Community Council, the Montlake Community Club, Montlake Greenways, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, and many others. Thank you!
• Neighborhood Greenways: We researched, discussed, and proposed an all-ages-and-abilities network for the Capitol Hill, Central District, Leschi, and Madrona neighborhoods which has been incorporated in Seattle’s new Bicycle Master Plan.
  • We orchestrated two large public meetings to discuss potential Greenway projects in our neighborhoods.
  • Organized three route planning rides.
• Safe Routes to Healthcare: CSG and Ballard Greenway volunteers engaged Swedish Hospital to survey how patients are arriving at healthcare and to identify safe ways the public can access the facilities as well as how patients can enjoy the surrounding neighborhood.
• BMP: We analyzed and responded to the proposed Bicycle Master Plan Network Map.
• Safe Routes to Transit: CSG volunteers shone a spotlight on the street car expansion needs for bikes and the Capitol Hill light rail station.
• Changing the Conversation: Our virtual activism engaged and informed neighbors about local pedestrian and bicycle issues through our Twitter, Facebook, and Google Group (follow, like, and join us!).
• Collaboration Is Paramount: As much as possible we tried to constructively collaborate with SDOT staff, WSDOT staff, City Councilmembers, executive staff, Capitol Hill Community Council officers, and Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce board members, and the Cascade Bicycle Club amongst other groups.

2013 Priorities

2012 was just the start of great things to come. We hope you will join us as we work on:

• Melrose: CSG and the Melrose Promenade Advisory Committee will work to finalize and begin to implement a community plan for Melrose Avenue and Bellevue Place Park.
• SR 520: CSG will work with our allies to continue to advocate for family-friendly connections before the design is finalized.
• BMP: We will continue to analyze and try and shape the direction of the BMP so that it sets us on a path where all-ages-and-abilities connections are recognized as the key to creating better biking infrastructure in Seattle.
• Greenways – Central Ridge Route: CSG volunteers will team up with SDOT in the Fall of 2013 to begin to plan Capitol Hill and the Central District’s first greenway, what we are calling the Central Ridge Route (better name TBD). More information to follow.
• Safe Routes to Health: Volunteers will continue to work with area hospitals to address access opportunities and potential partnerships.
• Safe Routes to Transit: We will work with other Seattle Neighborhood Greenway groups and other organizations to continue to ensure that transit and walking/biking work together.
• 23rd Ave Redesign: CSG plans to advocate for all-ages-and-abilities friendly facilities as part of the redesign of 23rd Avenue.
• Events and Outreach: We are hoping to host more events in 2013. Get in touch if you have ideas you would like to share!

Get Involved!

If you simply want to stay informed we suggest liking us on Facebook and/or following us on Twitter (our Twitter and Facebook posts usually overlap). Additionally please feel welcome to subscribe to this blog (see the link on the sidebar), although we do not always post the most up to date news on this site.

If you want to get more involved we suggest joining our Google Group and introducing yourself and what projects you are most interested in helping with. We don’t bite – promise!

Learn More About Our Projects

The Melrose Promenade

In 2012, Central Seattle Greenways (CSG) obtained a grant through the Department of Neighborhoods to initiate a community vision planning process around the Melrose corridor. Throughout the second half of 2012, members of CSG and the Melrose Promenade Advisory Committee (MPAC) coordinated a number of neighborhood outreach and improvement events – including regular Muffins on Melrose and community cleanups – to begin a conversation about what Melrose could be like in the future. The project has generated significant community interest, and in 2013 CSG and MPAC will be working to channel that energy into a community-driven and -supported plan for the corridor. The MPAC recently selected Berger Partnership to lead the project’s design and community involvement processes, which began in earnest with our first public meeting on January 24th. The Advisory Committee is also working to capitalize on the Promenade’s early success and community interest by applying for additional grant funding when available. Folks interested in contributing to the Melrose Promenade efforts can visit the project’s website (www.melrosepromenade.com), Like the Promenade on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MelrosePromenade), or contact us directly atmelrosepromenade@gmail.com.

Safe 520 Campaign

For more about the 520 Campaign see our list of posts on the topic.

Safe Routes to Health

The Safe Routes to Health project “envisions a city where every health clinic and hospital can be comfortably reached by walking, biking , wheelchair and transit.”  We aim to partner with healthcare institutions to develop safe neighborhoods for active living and incorporate active transportation in healthy lifestyle choices.

We are just now meeting with potential supporters from major healthcare institutions.  Today we met representatives from Swedish Medical Center.  They have designated a physician champion for Safe Routes to Health, and have committed to including information about active transportation choices on their website and to developing a transportation survey for clinic patients and visitors.  Meetings with representatives from other healthcare institutions are in the works.

23rd Avenue Redesign 

See the Seattle Bike Blog post for more information and stay tuned.

Didn’t find what you are looking for?

Message us on Facebook, Tweet us, post a message in our google group, or send us an email centralseattlegreenways at gmail.com. Thank you for your interest!

A big shout out is in order to our partners at Cascade Bicycle Club as well as our supporters that saw both the threat and opportunity that 520 poses, notably the Capitol Hill Community Council, Montlake Community Club, Madison Park Community Council, and Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce (click for a complete list). Perhaps most importantly, this is a quintessential Seattle story about the potency of neighborhoods organizing themselves to fight for a better future.

Eight months ago this victory was a mere flickering hope. Last July, spurred by excellent reporting from Seattle Bike Blog, neighbors flying the flags of Central Seattle Greenways, Montlake Greenways, and Madison Park Greenways mobilized in a last ditch effort to fix the deep flaws in WSDOT’s SR-520 design and seize the opportunity that such a mega project presents.

This coalition of Seattle Neighborhood Greenway groups quickly collected 350 community member signatures for a petition to WSDOT asking them to reexamine the lack of family-friendly connections through the 520 project area. This petition lent our coalition enough community support and credibility to open doors at WSDOT and City Hall.

We quickly learned that WSDOT, despite the many opportunities for input in the Seattle Community Design Process, was more interested in what the City Council wanted than what the 350 of us had to say. Redirecting our efforts, our coalition of Neighborhood Greenway groups rapidly met with numerous community organizations and institutions in order to educate them on the problems and opportunities that the new highway presents. We received support from every group that we met with, which greatly strengthened our neighborhood based message we planned to take to the City Council.

In addition, our coalition of Neighborhood Greenway groups successfully refocused the discussion surrounding SR-520 to a narrative about safely moving all people, regardless of their means of transportation. This was accomplished by timely reporting from neighborhood media sources (CHS Blog, the Montlaker, Seattle Bike Blog), our blogging, compelling graphics, a focus on connecting people to destinations, and an easy to understand urban design review.

We had authentic community support and a resonating message, but we lacked political expertise to navigate the halls of City Government. Luckily, the hardworking people at Cascade Bicycle Club were more than happy to work with us to get the job done (they had also been working on the issue). Together we created a compelling campaign: combining Cascade’s political savvy and active membership with our grassroots organizing and in-depth knowledge of the project. The campaign was able to effectively demonstrate overwhelming community demand for corrective City Council action, resulting in the Mayor and City Council crafting and passing a forward-thinking resolution.

Discussion at the City Council 520 Committee Meeting on 2/4/13 demonstrated that the City and the State finally “got it.” In response to a question about the need to address the scary and unsafe under-bridge areas, WSDOT project manager Daniel Babuca said

We recognize that that is a key area of interest and concern from the communities and we heard that loud and clear through the comments expressed during the Community Design Process, as it relates to the ultimate vision I think that is where we have more work to do frankly, in terms of what the ultimate connections are across the lid underneath Montlake Blvd – are there surface options that are more preferred or safer as opposed to taking them underneath. So that is still something that we will continue to work on, we will continue to consult on with the communities and the stakeholders as the lid conversations progress and the interchange conversations progress. (Seattle Channel Video, 49:55)

City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw succinctly explained that success for the design will now be judged against whether or not the connections are safe enough that “you would let your 8 year old walk or ride her bike unescorted.”

While the resolution does not legally bind WSDOT to do the right thing, it clearly lays out a new course that the SR 520 design should follow. We sincerely hope the good working relationships between the City, WSDOT, and State Legislature will ensure that the spirit of the resolution is carried out before the design is finalized. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a major highway project (of all things!) to better connect our neighborhoods to each other and our kids to their schools, and to create a Seattle that we can all enjoy getting around regardless of our means of transportation.

Earlier on our facebook page we shared a link to a new survey about attitudes towards bike infrastructure among Seattle voters. A few hours later, The Stranger did us all a favor and put up an infographic summarizing the key points. The results are pretty plain: Most people in Seattle like bikes and feeling unsafe on our streets is one of the main reasons people do not bike more in Seattle.

When it comes to transportation in Seattle, there is much more consensus about what needs to be done than some voices would have us think. 78% of the people surveyed stated that they were pro-bike. 60% of the people surveyed would like to ride more than they do today. 86% of the people surveyed support neighborhood greenways and 58% support building infrastructure that boosts safety for cyclists in Seattle, even if it calls for reconfiguring the roadway. That’s huge. Safe streets for everyone is a goal that almost everyone can agree on.

What’s more is that one of the biggest factors keeping people from getting on their bike is something that we have control over: Safety. 72% of those surveyed named feeling unsafe on the road as a barrier to getting on their bike, but we don’t have to settle for a bicycle network that only serves the most fearless cyclists. Neighborhood greenways help create an all ages and abilities alternative to biking on streets where less frequent riders routinely feel unsafe. Creating safe neighborhood connections with neighborhood greenways directly addresses a major barrier to biking and it turns out people think that is a good move for Seattle’s transportation mix.

Want to read the whole report? Check it out on Scribd!

[Source: The Stranger]

This Tuesday (January 22nd) at 2:30 PM in the Council Chamber, the 520 Committee of the Seattle City Council will hopefully pass a resolution that finally gives WSDOT and city staff the authority to begin to fix the pedestrian and bicycle design flaws in the current plans. Most importantly, the resolution calls for

1. Fixing the Montlake mess and creating a hub of family friendly connections. It is necessary to completely rethink the design of the Montlake area to make it safe for people of all ages and abilities. The standard for success must be that Montlake children are able to walk and bike around their neighborhood to school, to friends’ houses, to the library, and for the sheer joy of being able to explore your neighborhood as a kid. It is likely that a new design would also make the project cheaper while providing more value for nearby residents and the city.
2. Continuing the SR 520 Trail to Capitol Hill. The design moving forward must examine how a trail can be incorporated into the Portage Bay Bridge design. The utilitarian needs for quality bicycle and pedestrian access to Capitol Hill and beyond should be paramount. There are still a few residents in the immediate proximity of the bridge who desire it to be as narrow as possible even at the expense of the trail, but the vast majority of Seattle residents would like to see the bridge have as little a visual impact as possible, while still providing connections for everyone whether they drive, take transit, walk, or bike.
3. Designating a 520 champion. This is a common sense idea that originates from the Seattle Design Commission which allows one person at the city to keep track of the complicated design process. Currently such a unified response is lacking.

This resolution, if passed, would be a huge step forward. Please don’t leave this to chance! Please show up at 2:20 to give a short (2 minutes or less) public comment in support of the resolution, or jot your city councilmembers a quick email letting them know they have your support:

sally.clark@seattle.gov
sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov
tim.burgess@seattle.gov
richard.conlin@seattle.gov
jean.godden@seattle.gov
bruce.harrell@seattle.gov
nick.licata@seattle.gov
mike.obrien@seattle.gov
tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov

By supporting these common sense improvements to the current design, you join the ranks of many other Seattlites seeking a fair deal out of the new SR 520. Let’s recap who supports making the design better for people who walk and bike:

• Over 97% of the residents who responded to WSDOT’s public comment survey.
• Montlake Community Club
• Capitol Hill Community Council
• Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce
• Montlake Small Business
• Madison Park Community Council
• Laurelhusrt Community Club
• Sustainable Capitol Hill
• Seattle Design Commission
• Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board
• Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board
• The outgoing Montlake PTA president
• Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Madison Park Greenways, Montlake Greenways, Central Seattle Greenways, Eastlake Greenways, and University Greenways
• Residents of Montlake, Portage Bay, Roanoke, University, First Hill, Eastlake, Madison Park, Laurelhurst, Capitol Hill, the Central District, and many other neighborhoods
• Seattle Bike Blog
• Cascade Bicycle Club

Thank you for your help in making sure that the new SR 520 reconnects our neighborhoods to each other, our kids to their schools, and creates a Seattle that we can all enjoy getting around regardless of our means of transportation!

The glaciers did not have walking and biking in mind when they sculpted Seattle, and north Capitol Hill in particular. This geological heritage is part of what gives Seattle its character. North-South elongated hills, hidden valleys, and numerous glacially carved bodies of water. As beautiful as it is, this natural character poses serious challenges to creating an interconnected system of family-friendly walking and biking infrastructure.

It would not be hyperbole to think of north Capitol Hill as a topographic fortress. It is surrounded to the east, north, and west by very steep slopes. To the best of our knowledge, there is no ADA accessible route for walking or biking off of north Capitol Hill (check out the map below – compiled from city data and our measurements). Complicating the situation, the streets that were slightly less steep were cherry picked to be arterials for car traffic. As a result, creating an all-ages-and-abilities friendly route between the “urban centers” of Capitol Hill and the University District, and further to neighborhoods in N.E. Seattle and to the Central District, is quite a challenge.

A Portage Bay Bridge Trail would bridge this topographic fortress. According to WSDOT, the Portage Bay Bridge Trail (PBBT) would have less than a 5% grade, be well lit, and be considerably more direct in getting to the “Montlake Hub” of regional trails and to Husky Stadium side of the UW campus. It would be the most direct and family-friendly route from the Montlake Hub to Capitol Hill by far.

Even in terms of getting between Capitol Hill and the East UW Campus, taking the PBBT would only be slightly longer than a Harvard Ave E route (1.89 versus 1.63 miles), but would be significantly less steep (4.5% versus 8.7% grade), and much better protected from traffic. Even amongst experienced cyclists, research has found that “cyclists are willing to go considerably out of their way to use a bike boulevard or bike path rather than an arterial bike lane,” and that people will go over three times more out of their way to avoid routes with slopes of over 6% grade compared to those with 4-6% grade (click here find the full article). This effect would likely be more pronounced in people who are willing-but-wary. In other words, since the PBBT will be better separated and less steep than other options, people will choose to use it over routes that currently exist even if they are shorter. Let’s look at a few of the existing alternatives.

Currently many people cross the notoriously dangerous Eastlake Ave E at/to Harvard Ave E, crossing 4 very busy arterial lanes. Harvard Ave E has a 8.7% grade and also serves bus routes and is used by I-5 and 520 traffic. Creating a family-friendly connection across the extremely busy Eastlake Ave E and up the very steep Harvard Ave E to E Shelby St is no small task. Eastlake Greenways and Central Seattle Greenways are working together to determine whether this connection could ever be made accessible for people of all-ages-and-abilities. Don’t hold your breath.

Another route that people sometimes use if they are coming from NE Seattle is Delmar Drive East. Delmar has a number of problems:

1. Its arterial designation combined with the lack of separation for the bike lanes mean that according to Seattle Neighborhood Greenway guidelines (drawn from the Mineta report) it is not suitable for people of all-ages-and-abilities.
2. It’s 8.5% grade means that it is very steep.
3. The bike lanes are narrow and act as gutters due to the large amount of debris that collects in the roadway.
4. A curvy road and numerous driveways create the very real possibility for conflicts.
5. In order to access Delmar, it is necessarily to wind your way through the non-intuitive and disjointed Montlake street grid.

What about bridge width?

Even though the vast majority of community members and groups (including the Montlake Community Club and the Capitol Hill Community Council) support a Portage Bay Bridge Trail regardless of how the bridge is built, there is still interest in making the bridge as narrow as it can be without sacrificing its utility. Here are a few ideas that have been floating around:

• Use steel rather than concrete for the bridge – this allows the bridge to have less visual bulk
• Remove the planted median from the middle of the bridge
• Reduce any unnecessary gusset space (the concrete webbing between lanes)
• Decrease the lane width – the bridge is slated to be restricted to 45 mph, meaning that lanes can be an urban width rather than suburban freeway sized.
• Finally it may be worth considering how hanging the Portage Bay Bridge Trail in different manners (underneath, partially offset, raised, etc) affects the light situation.

How will the PBBT connect through the Montlake 520 interchange?

In short, the Montlake interchange needs to be redesigned to make it functional for people of all-ages-and-abilities. Click the PDF below for a quick visual rundown of the top issues:

Toward a Connected Montlake Lid

The new SR-520 will serve as a barrier to people trying to walk and bike from the Montlake area and neighborhoods further south to the University of Washington and the new University Link station. As currently designed, the project will essentially destroy the walkshed and bikeshed south of the Montlake Bridge.

Over the summer, WSDOT has (in good faith) attempted to make tweaks to the plans to better incorporate walking and biking, but the plans still fall short of acceptable levels of service. Simply put, the new SR-520 will make things worse.

The solution: WSDOT and SDOT must work together to refine the plans (which are still actually in a fairly conceptual stage) before the legislature funds a multi-billion dollar budget that fails to connect people who walk and bike to places they need to be such as the UW, transit stations, schools, parks, workplaces, and other parts of the City.

The map below illustrates where Neighborhood Greenway groups forsee family-friendly biking and walking corridors in the near future. It is worth noting that, with the exception of the trans Lake Washington trail, the WSDOT project area currently acts as a barrier to interconnecting this system, and thereby preventing folks from getting to the UW and the University Link. If done properly, the project could operate as a world class hub interconnecting all users to where they need to go! Let’s look as these failings in further detail.

 

Montlake Bridge Gap

 
Starting directly south of the new Link Station and UW campus, the Montlake Bridge and car dominated streets create unacceptable levels of service for people who want to walk and bike through the corridor. Furthermore, this is the one of the most heavily used corridors in the City for walking and biking. Unfortunately, the current WSDOT plans do nothing to solve this problem. 

East Montlake Gap

West Montlake Gap

 

Figure 3. An image of the west Montlake Gap – an intimidating gauntlet for pedestrians and bicyclists  (image source).

 

Figure 4. A better view of the pedestrian and bicycle underpass (image source page 26).

Portage Bay Gap

 

Despite an outpouring of public support, the Portage Bay Bridge Trail (a multiuse trail that would run along the length of SR-520 from Montlake to North Capitol Hill) is still not officially included in the design plans. Alternative surface street options are 159% to 259% longer and 3 times steeper (16% grade compared to 5%) in sections. In addition they are often poorly lit, poorly marked, indirect, not intuitive, involve arterial crossings, have driveway conflicts, and littered with debris. A longer blog post about this connection is in the works. 

 

Final Thoughts

It’s not as if these problems are simply insurmountable technical challenges. WSDOT has the tools and knowledge to complete these missing gaps in a family-friendly way. It simply has not been a priority in designing this massive new project.

It is imperative we get this right. This project area could act as a hub for all forms of transportation, but currently it fails to connect pedestrians and bicyclists to their destinations and to transit. Rather than allowing the new SR-520 to be a barrier to people trying to get to the University of Washington and University Link, we should seize this once is a lifetime opportunity to better connect our neighborhoods, our city, and our region.

FAQ: Many astute readers have asked great questions. Here is a collection of some quick responses:

Why Not 24th Ave E?

24th ave e, while a pretty good bicycle and pedestrian route now, will be considerably worse after WSDOT is done building the new interchange. 24th will serve as both a car off ramp and as a turning and cross street for two lanes of HOV and bus traffic. 24th is going to see considerably more traffic, and perhaps more importantly will be a major on/offramp area for the new interchange (see for yourself: page 31 of this pdf). Unfortunately, none but the fast and fearless bikers, and the brave pedestrians will want to use the new 24th ave.

What about the paths on the lids? 

 

As you can see in this diagram (page 25: pdf) the main trails on the lid are currently pedestrian only (yellow). Furthermore they primarily run east-west and do little to connect pedestrians and bicyclists north-south across the 520 project area. The only fully separated north-south connection is the one that is explained in the east Montlake gap above.

Why no specific engineering solutions? 

Although a number of engineers are part of Central Seattle Greenways, WSDOT and SDOT have their own team of engineers willing and eager to solve these problems if asked to do so. We have been told that the best way to be effective is to articulate the problems for walking and biking and to work with the City and WSDOT to give them the ability to work on potential solutions.

Are you attempting to be adversarial?

No. The coalition of Neighborhood Greenways groups that are working on this project are attempting to work with all parties involved. Our main goal has been to provide the 520 discussion with information about how people who walk and bike would like to use the project area. This is a voice that has been underrepresented during the design process.

Also, WSDOT deserves some serious credit for their design of the Roanoke Lid area. They have done a excellent job incorporating walking and biking facilities into the design!

 

Why is Central Seattle Greenways advocating for family-friendly infrastructure in Montlake?

Central Seattle Greenways has in effect become the spokes-group for the three Seattle Neighborhood Greenway groups that are most involved in this project: Montlake Greenways, Madison Park Greenways, and Central Seattle Greenways. Furthermore, people living on east Capitol Hill heading north, or people heading north via the Portage Bay Bridge Trail, need to be able to move through this area easily and comfortably. No neighborhood exists in isolation – we need a system of low-stress family-friendly bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that knits our neighborhoods, our City, and our region together.

This is the difference between the width of a bridge with and without the bike and pedestrian trail that we support. This is to scale.

Yesterday, we posted a monster post that went over the WSDOT’s 520 Online Survey with a fine-tooth comb. We know that that is a lot to go through, so we are offering today the “too long, didn’t read (tl;dr)” version of what we posted yesterday.

What we are asking is the same:

If you have 5 minutes WSDOT has a survey www.surveymonkey.com/s/FC577SY that you can fill out, which will take you point by point through all of the design preferences for the Portage Bay Bridge, the Delmar Lid, and the changes in Montlake. As you may recall, we have been advocating for a bike and pedestrian link on the Portage Bay Bridge from the Delmar Lid to Montlake. It’s a connection that will open up new ways to move through the city and make the most of our investment in the new bridge. We need to ask for it and ask for it directly, both to WSDOT and the City Council. Please find a cheat sheet below if you would like some ideas as what to say for each section: 

Preference 1:
 I strongly support this for connecting neighborhoods and schools

Preference 2: 
I support this preference with safe pedestrian and bicycle connections.

Preference 3:
 I strongly support bicycle and pedestrian shared-use paths on the Roanoke lid.

Preference 5:
 I strongly support this pedestrian access to multiple local and regional parks.

Preference 8: 
I strongly support WSDOT not just studying but actually implementing a pedestrian and bicycle trail on the Portage Bay Bridge.

Preference 9: 
I strongly support further planning for safe, direct, and comfortable walking and biking in this area.

Preference 10:
 I support this preference in order for the multi-use trail to better connect east-west.

Preference 11:
 While I support the goals of this preference to create a multimodal hub somewhere in the project area that is safe and pleasant for all users, there needs to be a new approach to the design that better supports active users.

Preference 13:
 I only support this preference for pedestrians and only as a partial solution: 
pedestrian and bicycle access should be entirely separated from car and HOV traffic.

Preference 15: 
I support continuing to work with the city of Seattle to enhance the connectivity for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users.  The current proposals are not satisfactory.

Preference 16:
 I strongly support a shared use path along the SR-520 bridge.

Goals. What is your feedback on these goals? The goals are good.  But, the design for the Montlake Lid and the entire Montlake Blvd E. Corridor does not reflect adherence to these goals. 
It seems that the design for the lid was created without understanding of automobile, transit and most especially pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the adjoining neighborhoods and this sector of the city. Instead of creating a space designed for safe, direct and efficient pedestrian and bicycle crossings, reuniting neighborhoods and creating vibrant connections that benefit the entire region, the lid appears to be conceived simply as a way to hide the SR 520.  

Generally, the design team has been given a very difficult task: fitting a bigger 520 and a massive interchange in Montlake is an enormous challenge. I want to give the team the credit it deserves for working under some enormous constraints. However, the current plan needs to be given the time to re-assess the needs of Seattle and to understand multi-modal traffic patterns and how to best create the kind of city and region we all want. Thank you

/// For a significant amount of background material supporting these preferences as well as a detailed map, please see: http://centralseattlegreenways.com/2012/10/we-need-your-help-sr520-portage-bay-bridge-trail/

If you only have 30 seconds to spare please ask WSDOT to do two things (feel free to copy and past, but the strongest comments are those that reflect your own personal views, experience, and values):

1. Please study, design, and build a Portage Bay Bridge multi-use trail. This trail would be an enormous asset to people who walk, bike, and simply enjoy recreating on trails. It would interconnect our neighborhoods, better connect the UW area to Capitol Hill, and serve as a critical regional link.
2. Redesign the Montlake lid area to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian needs from the ground up. This area serves as a hub for multimodal and regional connections and must be designed to seamlessly, safely, efficiently, and comfortably create paths for people of all ages and abilities to travel to and form home, work, school, and businesses.

You can even send them this message with two clicks and signing your name at the bottom by clicking here. Your e-mail program will load up with the e-mail already ready to go! (It is very helpful to include your name, what neighborhood you live and/or work in, and whether you are part of any neighborhood groups, are a home owner, have a family, etc).

(Or, if you prefer to do it manually, please email WSDOT at: SeattleCommunityDesign@wsdot.wa.gov with your own personal message!)

WSDOT needs to hear from us by this Friday – October 5th - about their proposed design preferences for the new SR-520 bridge design (click here for more information on these design preferences). Currently the design does not include a multi-use trail on the Portage Bay Bridge. The trail comes all the way from Redmond and then dead ends in Montlake rather than continuing to Capitol Hill and beyond.

If you only have 30 seconds to spare please ask WSDOT to  do two things (feel free to copy and past, but the strongest comments are those that reflect your own personal views, experience, and values):

1. Please study, design, and build a Portage Bay Bridge multi-use trail. This trail would be an enormous asset to people who walk, bike, and simply enjoy recreating on trails. It would interconnect our neighborhoods, better connect the UW area to Capitol Hill, and serve as a critical regional link.
2. Redesign the Montlake lid area to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian needs from the ground up. This area serves as a hub for multimodal connections and must be designed to seamlessly, safely, efficiently, and comfortably create paths for people of all ages and abilities to travel to and form home, work, school, and businesses. The Montlake multimodal hub must connect the 520 bus station, UW light rail station,  UW campus, Burke Gilman Trail, SR520 trail to the Eastside, new Arboretum Trail, and the Portage Bay Bridge Trail. Currently the level of service through this area has been given a failing grade by the independent analysts at Nelson Nygaard. Our neighborhoods, Seattle, and the region deserve, and should expect, world class facilities for people who take transit, walk, and bike.

Email WSDOT at: SeattleCommunityDesign@wsdot.wa.gov (it is very helpful to include your name, what neighborhood you live and/or work in, and whether you are part of any neighborhood groups, are a home owner, have a family, etc).

This image above helps illustrate the potential neighborhood, city-wide, and regional connections, and what is at stake is WSDOT does not get it right.

If you have 5 minutes WSDOT has a survey www.surveymonkey.com/s/FC577SY that you can fill out, which will take you point by point through all of the design preferences. Please find a cheat sheet below if you would like some ideas as what to say for each section:

“Preference 1:
I strongly support this:  This will help children access the TOPS Public Elementary school as well as reconnect the Eastlake neighborhood to N Capitol Hill and Roanoke.  It also provides access from the west to a Portage Bay Bridge Multi-use Trail, and the path from the Delmar Lid to Boyer and the Montlake Playfield.  It serves essential neighborhood needs. It must ensure adequate connections across Boylston Ave E, and for bikers entering this path from Boylston Ave in either direction. Having this I-5 crossing buffered by plantings on either side will make the crossing a safer and more pleasant experience.  

Preference 2:
I support this preference. This intersection needs to accommodate safe pedestrian and bicycle connections. The goal should be to design an intersection that allows children to cross E Roanoke St and 10th ave safely and comfortably.  Roanoke Park is commonly used by children and they need to have a safe access.  The I-5 crossing needs to be seamlessly connected to this area. This intersection should incorporate a refuge island if the crossing is widened from today.

Preference 3:
I strongly support bicycle and pedestrian shared-use paths on the Roanoke lid. A lid should not just be a space that keeps people on city roads from seeing SR 520.  It has to allow pedestrians from the neighborhood, and cyclists to access Roanoke Park, a direct, safe connection to the UW and Montlake via the Portage Bay Bridge, the entrance of Interlaken Park, and the path over I-5 safely and comfortably. Additionally the paths should be laid out in such a way that they are direct, easy to follow, and with clear and easy to follow sightlines.  This path must connect to the E Roanoke St overpass connector, Federal Ave E, Harvard Ave E, and a Portage Bay Bridge Trail in order to fully connect to the neighborhood, city, and region. Isolated green space that is not well connected to the community has been shown again and again to end up underutilized and a cause of public safety concerns.

Preference 5:
I strongly support.  This will greatly enhance pedestrian access to the Portage Bay Multiuse-Trail and  Waterfront, the Montlake Community Center and playfield, as well as Interlaken Park and Roanoke Park.  It helps create a greenbelt loop around Montlake, just as was intended in the original Olmstead plan for the neighborhood.  Stair climbs can not only provide pedestrians connections, they can also become recreational stairs for people wishing to exercise. Hopefully this connection will reactivate an entire area close to SR520 that currently sees some gang and drug activity.

Preference 8:
I strongly support WSDOT not just studying but actually implementing a pedestrian and bicycle trail on the Portage Bay Bridge. This trail linkage would fill a key gap that has been identified at the neighborhood, city wide, and regional level. It can be built at a tiny marginal cost addition relative to the rest of the SR520 project.  It would allow people to travel easily and safely between the eastside, the UW, Northeast Seattle, Capitol Hill, Montlake, and downtown Seattle. Building this trail connection is a once in a lifetime opportunity to better connect our neighborhoods, city, and region with safe and family-friendly pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. It would have positive implications for the safety, health, economy, and environment of our communities and the city as a whole.

Preference 9:
I strongly support further planning as to how people who walk and bike can safely and comfortably use this area. Montlake Blvd’s pedestrian and bicycle volumes are increasing quickly, especially on the west side.  
- The crossing of SR 520 and its ramps on the west side must be safe, direct, and comfortable. Using these criteria there is no choice except to re-imagine the pedestrian and bicycle connections through this area. These connections must be suitable for children, older person, handicapped person and the visually impaired. Crossing 7 lanes of traffic will never be safe or comfortable to these groups. This corridor is also a critical north-south corridor for pedestrian and bicycle commuters on their way to the Hospital, UW, the Burke Gilman trail, and future light rail station. Any solution that allows these people to bypass the on-ramps easily and comfortably will result in a better functioning interchange for motorized traffic at peak commuting time as well.  
- The West side sidewalk and the East side sidewalk as well as their continuation on the Montlake Bridge must give pedestrians a certain measure of safety from cyclists.  
- The bicycle and pedestrian connections from Montlake, east of Montlake Blvd and 24th Ave E. to the east side of Montlake Blvd must be away from HOV traffic and car traffic. There needs to be a way to connect from 25th Ave E. and Miller E. to the Arboretum trail and then on the East Lid followed by some kind of bridge over the ramps to connect to Hamlin without having to be in conflict with motorized traffic.  Again, this will improve the efficiency of the Interchange at peak commuting hours and will make the experience safer for everybody.
- Bill Dawson trail is unfotunately not a a good route for pedestrians or cyclists.  The enclosed, poorly watched, and dark area underneath a huge span of highway will be gloomy and uncomfortable in the best of times and downright frightening at night.  We must build a route that parents feel safe letting their kids travel to school on, the elderly feel comfortable walking to the bus station, and people on bikes feel excited to get out of their car and onto the saddle. Possible solutions: Route people at ground level or build them a mini west lid if needed. Allow the landscape architects and engineers to rethink the entire connectivity of this area.
- A Safe Route To School must be provided along this corridor.

Preference 10:
I support this preference in order for the multi-use trail to better connect east-west.

Preference 11:
While I support the goals of this preference to create a multimodal hub somewhere in the project area that is safe and pleasant for all users, there needs to be a new approach to the design.

- The bulk of the pedestrian and bicycle movements will occur -much as they do today – on the West side of Montlake Blvd. That is where a “lid” is most needed. It would be prudent to use the limited lid dollars to fix the highest need multimodal problems rather than creating poorly used greenspace.
- As long as access to the lid between 24th Ave E. and Montlake Blvd E. is through crosswalks across on and off-ramps, it is not suitable for much beyond catching buses. It is an island, cut off from Montlake on all sides and it is very small and likely not suitable for most active uses. 

Preference 13:
I only support this preference for pedestrians and only as a partial solution:
pedestrian and bicycle access should be entirely separated from car and HOV traffic.  The lid should allow them to cross SR 520 without having to wait at a crosswalks.  The goal has been to reconnect the neighborhood, city, and region. It will not be met as long as pedestrians and cyclists have to cross ramps at crosswalks. This creates the perception that bikes are not equal to other modes of transportation and not convenient for everyday travel. The risk of crashes with cars and potential pedestrian conflicts is also increased by routing cyclists through crosswalks. This area is in the heart of a busy regional junction that connects to downtown, the University of Washington, hospitals, businesses, schools, the eastside, the Burke Gilman Trail,  and many other important destinations. Perhaps, 25th Ave E. bike traffic could be routed at Miller E. over Lake Washington Blvd so that it merges with Arboretum trail, crosses the lid, and crosses the ramps using separated facilities.

Preference 15:
I support continuing to work with the city of Seattle to enhance the connectivity for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users.  The current proposals are not satisfactory. One potential improvement would be to continue the a trail over all lanes of traffic. While it is generally advisable not to unnecessarily gain elevation, the trail underpass will likely not be a facility that many feel comfortable. Giving people the option to continue over the ramps on a well lit, direct, comfortable, and paved trail will help to encourage vulnerable users to choose multi-modal forms of transportation.

Preference 16:
I strongly support a shared use path along the SR-520 bridge.

Goals
The goals for making good nonmotorized connections include: access and mobility, health and safety, character and clarity. These are built upon public feedback, existing bicycle and pedestrian master planning and best urban design practices. What is your feedback on these goals? 

The goals are good.  But, your design for the Montlake Lid and the entire Montlake Blvd E. Corridor does not reflect adherence to these goals.
It seems that the design for the lid was created without understanding of automobile, transit and most especially pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the adjoining neighborhoods and this sector of the city. Instead of creating a space designed for safe, direct and efficient pedestrian and bicycle crossings, thereby reuniting the neighborhood and creating a vibrant connection that benefits the entire city, the lid appears to be conceived simply as a way to hide the SR 520 scar, pollution, noise pollution.  

As an motorized vehicle interchange, the design replicates on a grander scale the existing outdated system which is the main source of backups (and pollution) extending from University Village to Boyer Ave E.  Given that additional traffic (owing the removal of the Arboretum ramps and the re-routing of this traffic to this location) is being forced on this interchange, one cannot hope that it will function well for the city of Seattle.

Worse, it is clear that the pedestrian and bicycle connections are an after-thought, stuck in corners of the area sometimes clearly unsafe (under SR520), condemned to use cramped spaces (the access to Bill Dawson), never designed to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe from cars and buses, created without a clear understanding of how people use the Montlake neighborhood and crossing of SR520 and the ship canal.
The design needs to be entirely revised from the ground up, so that it meets the goals of Safe Routes To School, meets visually impaired commuters needs, takes into account the fact that foot (especially) and also bike traffic increases steadily on the west side of Montlake Blvd E (failed Level Of Service), demonstrates a genuine concern for safety for all expressed by a separation of bicycle and pedestrian traffic from motorized traffic, and offers direct routes on both sides of Montlake Blvd E., and on the eastern part of the project.

Finally, the addition of a multi-use trail on the Portage Bay Bridge is an obvious choice: it will complete the trail that will cross Lake Washington on SR520 and will offer a connection to downtown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, and South Lake Union that does not exist.  Your willingness to study this preference is greatly appreciated.  This bicycle and pedestrian trail has the potential to offer a very viable alternative to other mode of transportations and to truly help Seattle increase significantly the number of people using non-motorized modes of transportation.

Regional shared-use path
The I-5 to Medina project provides a major new east/west nonmotorized connection with the dedicated regional shared-use path. How should the regional shared-use path connect or transition into Seattle?

It should connect from Montlake to the Delmar Lid and tie in the developing network of bike routes and greenways leading to Capitol Hill, downtown and S. Lake Union.

Diverse users
The I-5 to Medina project nonmotorized planning seeks to provide users of all ages and abilities opportunities for commuting, exercise and recreation by providing safe, comfortable and clear paths that connect important activity centers and destinations. Are there other refinements to the design preferences that can help better address user needs?

The staircase from Montlake Blvd E. to the Bill Dawson tunnel should not connect at the tunnel entrance in order to reduce the risk of collisions.

The Bill Dawson trail connection from the Montlake Blvd tunnel should not include 90 and 180 degree blind turns.

The Portage Bay shared-use path must be added to the project.

The crossing of SR520 for pedestrians and cyclists on the West side of Montlake Blvd must be safe, direct and separated from automobile traffic.

The connections to the Montlake Bridge must be widened and made safer to meet the increasing levels of service.

The sidewalks of the Montlake Bridge must be widened to meet the level of service.

The connections from the SR520 shared-use path to the 25th Ave E and Arboretum routes as well as to the Portage Bay shared-use paths must at no point cause pedestrians and cyclists to cross highway ramps on foot.

The 25th Ave E. bike route can be merged with the Arboretum bicycle trail and connected at E. Miller. A modern anticipatory sensor activated crossing light should be provided.

The Delmar Lid to Boyer path is a good response to a a real neighborhood need for a safer pedestrian connection.  It is not a viable bicycle commuting route due to the steepness of the slope, but can be used by people willing to push their bicycles.  It is not an alternative to the Portage Bay bridge Shared-use path.

Pedestrians and bicyclists should not be routed to dark areas under SR520.
Finally, children must be offered Safe Routes To School, and safe routes to public libraries and playfields, and the needs of handicapped commuters need to be met.

Effective planning and broad participation
The I-5 to Medina project nonmotorized planning process has included diverse stakeholders and agencies as part of the design conversation. Which stakeholders, best practices, examples or other planning documents should we add to the process?

In Seattle, the Montlake area acts as a multimodal hub. This could be a world class hub that better connects transit, pedestrian, and bicycle amenities and puts us on the path to a healthy, sustainable, and affordable future. To do this, the needs of pedestrians and cyclists must be a foundation for the entire project.

Generally, my reaction to the current design preferences for each area is:
Roanoke area: positive
Portage Bay Bridge Area: positive
Montlake Area: very negative
West Approach Bridge Area: positive

Do you have other thoughts you would like to share with the project team?
It is worth noting that the design process only started collecting input from the pedestrians and the bicycle community at a late stage. Other stakeholders obtained concessions early on that emphasized using the lid as a screen rather than as a green and multi-modal hub.

Generally, the design team has been given a very difficult task: fitting a bigger 520 and a massive interchange in Montlake is an enormous challenge. I respect that challenge and want to give the team the credit it deserves for working under some enormous constraints. However, the current plan is not adaquate and the team needs to be given the time to re-assess the needs of Seattle and to understand multi-modal traffic patterns and how to best create the kind of city and region we all want. Thank you”

Thank you for all that you do!

-Gordon Padelford
Central Seattle Greenways

Transportation Research in Rio!

South America has seen a number of innovative, and at times daring, active transportation initiatives that reflect a new vision about what they want their cities to be like. Gone are the days where cars were seen as the sole future of transportation, an ideal best embodied by  the completely master planned Brasilia. What we see today are cities all over the continent working to create places where people have more transportation choices and where cycling and walking can take root again. There seems to be a change in attitude towards cars and their role in society, including the quote from an ex-Mayor of Bogotá: “An advanced city is not a place where the poor move about in cars, rather it’s where even the rich use public transportation.“*

Based on what has been happening on the ground, it’s clear that this new vision of what an advanced city looks like also includes biking and walking as a sign of prosperity. The City of Bogotá has not only been aggressively building cycletracks but was among the first to introduce a regular car-free day for the city streets. Ciclovía happens every Sunday and on Holidays between 8am and 2pm and sees much of the city streets open to pedestrians and cyclists. The idea has been adopted in a number of different places including Los Angeles (CycLAvia) and Rio de Janeiro as I found out while I was there. I visited Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro to see first hand what they have been doing on this front and both cities have been investing in car-free transportation options.

This could be an advertisement, but it is actually just two people enjoying Ipanema.

In Rio de Janeiro, I found a well established and inexpensive bike share system set up in the central part of the city as well as car-free Sundays by the beaches in the most popular destinations. The beaches have right beside them freeways -in effect- that are six lanes wide and create a barrier between the city itself and the beach. On Sundays, three of these lanes closest to the beach are closed to traffic and open to beachgoers of all types. People on skateboards, bikes, and families with jump ropes take over the space during this time and the extra space helps people (and the beach based merchants) move up and down the long beach freely. Outside of the area, traffic is effectively unchanged.

Car free Sundays along Ipanema beach. All day, no cars, just people.

Rio de Janeiro also has a well established bike share system that opened up in 2010. The system has a variety of stations throughout town and the cost is about $5 a month to ride as much as you want. The system allows for one-way rentals, meaning that you can rent a bike on Ipanema and return it at a different station in Leblon or Copcabana without any extra charges. Renters use their cellphones to call a number (no smart phone required) and unlock the bike by punching in the station number and bike number on their keypad. It’s a simple system and everywhere you look, you see the bright orange bikes with their Itau sponsorship stickers. Biking in Rio still isn’t a utopia, but there are more bike paths and cycletracks popping up throughout the city, especially in the nicer tourist areas.

Bike Sharing Station in Rio de Janeiro

Buenos Aires has also been amazingly proactive in reintroducing Porteños to cycling in their city. In 2009, the city had virtually nothing for bikes: Sidewalks are not wide enough to mix pedestrians and cyclists, and traffic has… its own rules. Since then, 49 miles of protected cycletracks have been built and the city is currently offering residents free bikes to use an hour at a time in the central city. You simply walk up to one of the stations, talk with the attendant, and away you go. In addition, the city is currently in the middle of a major campaign to promote cycling and a greener Buenos Aires.

Bike Sharing Station in Buenos Aires: One hour free for residents.

Cycletrack and bike sharing in action. These streets form a grid in the central city.

The other thing that is happening in Buenos Aires is that they are actively expanding their subway (known as the “Subte”). The subway system currently has about 30 miles of rail serving the city, but future plans call for double that: 62 miles in total will serve the city. The new tracks will be a combination of completely new tunnels and subway lines and extensions to the current system. The new lines will add much-needed north/south connections and allow people to travel to more places without having to come downtown.** Ground was broken on the new H line earlier this year.

The “Subte” complete with football fans. These are the older cars, but new cars are being put in service and arrived earlier this year.

As exciting as things are in South America, here in Seattle we have our own challenges and our own questions to ask about what we want our cities to be like. When we look at our city now, do we see the “advanced city” that we want or something different? Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires have been working to see their vision of a city where biking and walking is possible again. What do we want our Seattle to be like?

*This quote went viral a week ago when it was attributed to the current Mayor of Bogotá with a slight variation, “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transportation.“

**Much like other places where downtown was seen as the only destination to matter, travel between the branches of the metro can be troublesome. Stockholm is another example of a city where the subway lines radiate out from the center and were getting between the branches without going to the center can be troublesome.