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Making the most of the Move Seattle Levy resources to implement the Bicycle Master Plan.

 

Over the past 3 years, the City of Seattle has built 27 miles of new bike facilities.

 

Mayor Durkan and SDOT Director, Sam Zimbabwe are committed to continuing to build a connected bike network as Seattle grows. We know many people are talking about how we’re implementing Seattle’s 2014 Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) recommendations. We recently submitted to City Council a draft BMP Implementation Plan – a list of projects we’ve currently secured funding for to complete in the next six years. 

 

Let’s talk about what this means.  

 

Last fall, we completed a comprehensive reassessment of the Levy to Move Seattle under the leadership of Mayor Durkan based on more realistic assumptions than we used in 2015. The Bike Master Plan is funded in large part by the Levy so we’ve been working with the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board to prioritize the projects in the Bike Master Plan to make the best investments and maximize safety, connectivity, equity, ridership, and livability.

 

Enter the draft BMP Implementation Plan.

 

This plan reprioritizes projects based on available funding – keeping in mind that we’re also working to secure additional funds that would allow us to construct more projects.

 

  

 

We’re taking public comments on the draft Implementation Plan plan until April 30. We’ll then submit a revised version to City Council. Once the plan is complete, there are still many steps that need to be taken before a project is built because things can change over time. For example, we may need to revise the plan if something unforeseen comes up during engineering, if there are coordination challenges with other public and private projects, or as we learn about other issues through community engagement.  

 

One way we can advance transparency is to identify potential risks or issues that may change over time, and by engaging in an open public process.

 

Our goal is to be upfront about what we’ll need to consider before each project is built.  

 

The draft BMP Implementation Plan anticipates constructing 49 miles of bicycle facilities and designing an additional 13 miles using a combination of Levy to Move Seattle and other project funding. The plan identifies projects and programs which, combined with existing facilities, will make significant progress towards implementing the BMP recommendations over the next six years. It works to achieve an all ages and abilities bike network through a combination of protected bike lanes, trails, neighborhood greenways, and funding for bike parking, encouragement programs, and safety education. Here’s what we’re proposing.

 

. P R O P O S E D .

Bike Master Plan projects/recommendations over the next six years.

 

The following maps show numbered projects in geographic sections: North, Central, and South Seattle. Reference the project number with the Project Funded List below.

NORTH SEATTLE: Proposed Bicycle Master Plan Projects

 

CENTRAL SEATTLE: Proposed Bicycle Master Plan Projects

 

SOUTH SEATTLE: Proposed Bicycle Master Plan Projects

 

. P R O J E C T S  F U N D E D  L I S T .

Projects funded through construction by risk.

 

 

In 2018, bike ridership increased by 12% compared to last year.

 

This data is based on permanent bike counters. In fact, with the extension of the 2nd Ave protected bike lane (aka PBL), ridership on that facility increased by 32%. The connections recommended in the draft BMP Implementation Plan will encourage even more people to bike. Here’s where the proposed bike lanes and trails will take you: 

 

  • 22 connections to existing or proposed transit hubs 
  • 4 connections to existing or soon to be open LINK light rail stations  
  • 16 bicycle connections near schools 

 

And here are connections made with the recommended neighborhood greenways: 

 

  • 10 new Safe Routes to School connections  
  • 27 projects connect to frequent transit network routes  
  • 11 projects connect to existing or soon to be open LINK light rail stations 

 

This week we’ll discuss the proposed draft BMP Implementation Plan with City Council, the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee, & the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board. 

 

 

Stay tuned, we’re working with the Department of Neighborhoods & planning three four open houses in April. 

 

At the open houses, you’ll learn about the value of a bicycle network, get your questions answered about how the project list was developed, and hear your thoughts on the projects. We’ll also share a summary of what we heard from the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board and other stakeholders and then finalize the plan and update City Council.  

 

As individual projects move forward, we’ll continue to engage with the community as we move through design and construction.  

 

Resources:

2014 Bicycle Master Plan (BMP)

Draft BMP Implementation Plan

The comprehensive reassessment of the Levy to Move Seattle 

 

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