A biker enjoys the new bike lanes on 20th. The new crosswalk installed at NW 64th St can be seen in the distance. Click pic for larger image.
In our ongoing effort to implement the Bicycle Master Plan, SDOT recently completed installing new bike lanes on 20th Avenue NW in Ballard. Seattle’s freshest bike facilities run for one half mile in both directions on 20th from Market Street to NW 65th Street.
Cyclists that aren’t comfortable riding on busy 24th Avenue NW will find that 20th provides a lower volume alternative route. While 24th Avenue carries more than 10,000 vehicles on an average weekday, 20th Avenue carries less than 7,500 vehicles. A slight be noticeable difference in the cycling experience – especially during peak hour traffic.
The fresh new look of 20th Ave NW
The new route connects the historic Ballard commercial area with the residential neighborhood to the north. The Boys & Girls Club is located along the route at NW 64th St and the Seattle Public Library is just one block west. In addition, a new marked crosswalk was installed along with the bike facilities at NW 64th St for better access to and from the aforementioned Boys & Girls Club.
SDOT designers reconfigured the lane lines – known in the biz as channelization – on 20th NW to make room for the bike facilities. The two-way center left turn lane was removed and the dual five foot wide bike lanes were installed adjacent to the vehicular travel lane. Removing the center turn lane provided ample space to accommodate the two new bike lanes without affecting on street parking.
With this new segment of bike lanes complete, we have installed about 25 percent of the new bike lanes and sharrows planned for 2011. A total of 15 miles of new bicycle facilities will be installed by the end of the year. Stay tuned to the SDOT Blog for updates!