There were some good ideas here, it’s too bad only some paint lines were added, I figured that was the near-near term solution.

I would also suggest a sign for bikers telling them to stop and check for traffic, I have seen people in front of me just ride out there without even looking back. Maybe they just assume drivers will follow that “yield to bicyclists” sign that maybe 5% actually see.

I am very glad to see someone doing something about this, I have always thought it’s just a matter of time before someone is hit here. (maybe you could push the date up..does it really take 10 months to plan and fund a $20k road improvement that could help prevent serious injury? I’ll leave my opinions on government run projects for a different blog.)

A location more in alignment with the southbound sidewalk would be safer because it would get bikes out of the lane of bridge traffic and maintain sight distance to and from the curb cut for both approaching cars and merging cyclists.

Over the longer term, it really makes sense to provide a separated connection of some sort between the bridge and Dravus. This short stretch of high speed car traffic is a real deterrent for all but very experienced cyclists and unfortunately isolates otherwise very good biking areas in Interbay-Downtown and North End-Ballard.

What does the green bike lane mean exactly? Will drivers know? Will cyclists know? Will the yield sign that is currently way to close to the intersection, and hidden in trees, be moved and possibly lighted? Will there be a sign on the path for cyclists to stop and check traffic before just blazing through the green lane?

While I curse the current South exit to the bridge almost daily, it does at least force a fairly safe crossing for cyclists and drivers that are willing to work together. I would rather the city not make the proposed improvements now, and instead push for funding to drop the bike exit down to the existing path as per any one of the other 3 proposals.

If the city is going to implement these changes please:

1. keep traffic speed on bridge at 30mph (and enforce it).
2. Move the yield to cyclists sign to a place where it can be seen and gives drivers more warning.
3. Consider illuminating the yield sign or putting a flashing light on it.
4. Place instructions for both cyclists and drives as to how to handle the intersection.

Everyone here is so polite about “cost being a limiting factor” but you know, I see so much money being spent all over this city on road improvements for cars that I have NO problem asking SDOT to spend a bit more money on this intersection.

What you are planning seems like it will be an improvement on the exisiting situation. What it needs to be a much better improvement is:
A) the speed limit bumps up to 40 just before this intersection. It should not move up until after it and the speed limit on the entire bridge should be enforced. No one drives 30 across it.
B) The Yield to bike sign is in a ridiculous place right now, just a few feet before the spot where riders should come out. A bigger sign needs to be placed further north to give drivers more warning that they need to be prepared to slow down.
C) install a push-button activated light so when a bike rider is at the intersection about to head South on 15th, he or she pushes the button and a flashing light on the yield sign and at the intersection warns drivers that a bike rider is present and that the driver MUST yield.
D)The white stripe lines are not adequate to slow drivers making the turn onto the flyover. That should be concrete. Otherwise, people will cut the radius of the turn and take it way too fast.

Thank you SDOT for the attempt at improvements, but please don’t do them half heartedly.

Later, somewhere past Dravis I think, the speed limit drops down to 35.

Can we improve the safety here by keeping the speed limit at 30 mph until somewhere south of the conflict point?