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Record rains give way to record number of cyclists on the roads and trails!

Bike improvement on Othello Street.

Bike improvement on Othello Street.

National Bike Month comes to a close this week and what a month it has been! Aided by stretches of nice (mostly dry!) weather we have seen record numbers of cyclists taking to the roads and trails around Seattle. The increase can be attributed to many things, however the Bridging the Gap (BTG) transportation program had helped the Seattle Department of Transportation make solid progress in making it easier to bike to work or for play.

In the seven years BTG has been in place, 156 miles of bike route signage has been installed, over four miles of new trail constructed and more than 173 improvements made at key locations along Seattle’s urban trails and bikeways. SDOT has also made progress in increasing the number of on-street bike facilities. Before BTG, the city had fewer than 20 miles of bike lanes and sharrows and today we have more than 150 miles and have continued to maintain them by restriping more than 220 miles. In addition to bike lanes and sharrows, more than 7.5 miles of new greenways have been installed.

Greenway in Wallingford.

Greenway in Wallingford.

While sunshine and warmer temperatures draw us all outside to play, it is important to remember that this is also the prime time for SDOT crews to be working making it easier for you to get to work or play. Remember when you see crews working to please slow down and give them extra space. They are working hard to make Seattle easier to navigate and a little safer for all of us.

If you would like more information on the future plans for bicycling in the City of Seattle please take a few minutes to review the recently adopted Bicycle Master Plan. For more information on SDOT’soverall bicycle program please visit their web page and for more information on BTG please see its web page.