Seattle’s first urban cycle track, brought to you by the Linden Avenue North Complete Street Project, is now among America’s Top 10 Protected Bike Lanes for 2013! The national Green Lane Project, launched by PeopleForBikes two years ago, issued the ranking which places the new Linden bike facility at #5 in the nation. PeopleForBikes even used a Linden photo to lead its ranking announcement article, which multiple media picked up.
The Linden facility runs along the east side of the roadway, between n 128th and N 145th streets – connecting the Interurban Trail from North Seattle to Shoreline. The much celebrated track was complete d this past summer, including separate red/yellow/green bicycle signals at N 130th Street and at the crosswalk just south of N 135th Street, as well as green-colored thermal plastic markings and key safety signage to raise awareness of cyclists crossing at driveways and intersections. The design was modeled after protected bike lanes in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Top 10 ranking looks at both how a protected bike lane is designed and why. In the PeopleForBikes write up, it states there is no better example of an “…artful combination of posts, low concrete curbs, drainage ditches, dedicated traffic signals and plentiful painted markings…” than Linden Avenue
Little Linden is no stranger to such ackowledgements. The project also won a Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2040 Award earlier this year, showing multiple travel modes can successfully share a space and do it in a way that builds and supports community.