The month of May brings us warmer weather and that means more cyclists on our roads. It is also National Bike Month! Thousands of cyclists will take to the roads across the county and in Seattle challenging each other to ride for exercise, to get to work and just for the joy of riding! They will team up and challenge each other while competing for prizes and bragging rights with their co-workers and about who can ride the most days and the most miles!
Thanks to passage of Bridging the Gap (BTG) by Seattle voters in 2006 and the development of the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP), Seattle has taken big steps to improve its bicycle infrastructure over the past five year. BTG provides about four million dollars annually for implementation of the BMP.
During this five year period that BTG has been in existence, the city has installed 128 miles and restriped 109 miles of bike lanes and sharrows; added signage to 98 miles of bike routes; and completed more than four miles of new bike trails. New improvements also include the installation of buffered bike lanes along 130th NE and Dexter Avenue and bicycle greenways are being constructed this year. Innovative projects are being explored that will help Seattle become more bicycle-friendly and make it more accessible to families and casual riders.
The Bicycle Master Plan focuses on two major goals: to triple the amount of bicycling in Seattle between 2007 and 2017, and to reduce the rate of bicycle collisions by one third during the same timeframe. The city is making progress toward these goals and is currently undergoing a process to review and update the plan. SDOT needs your help and input to make this a success. For information on the BMP Update visit their webpage and for information on BTG visit its webpage.
It is a give we will see more cyclists on the streets this month – some new and some long-time riders – it is imperative we all remember and respect the rules of the road and to be courteous to one another! We are all just trying to get there safely!