Normally this time of year we would all be breaking out our rain gear for any outdoor activity. It has been an amazing summer and early fall, but we knew it couldn’t last and the rains have returned. This may relegate many folks across the county indoors; in Seattle, rain doesn’t keep us from riding to work or for play. Thanks to the Bridging the Gap (BTG) transportation initiative passed by voters in 2006, biking is becoming easier and more accessible in the City.
2014 has been a solid year for BTG cycling projects across the city and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews are working to wrap up their work, making it easier to ride a bike in a rainy Seattle. So far, SDOT is working hard to meet its promise of installing four miles of neighborhood greenways and restriping 60 miles of bike lanes and sharrows.
the wide shape of the arrow, combined with the bike symbol, gave rise to unofficial names such as “bike in a house” or “sharrow
In addition, SDOT crews inspected 40 miles of trail across the city, made improvements to 10 key locations, are working to install 25 miles of bicycle route signage and complete the installation of 500 bicycle parking spaces at key locations across the city. All this work will be completed by the end of the year.
Over the first seven years of the BTG program, SDOT has worked hard to implement the Bicycle Master Plan which calls for key improvements across Seattle to make bicycling easier and more accessible to everyone. SDOT is working hard to keep the promises made as part of the BTG program and is working to keep Seattle moving.
For more information on BTG and work it is doing please visit the web site.