Bike parking on Alki, West Seattle
How people get around our city has changed. While Seattle continues to grow, so do all the options for getting around – including riding a bike. With more bike lanes being built and more people using bike share, Seattle needs additional spaces for people to park their bikes.
We began the year with about 10,000 bike parking spaces citywide, & a plan to build 1,500 more in 2019.
#SeattleDidYouKnow
Most of the bike parking spaces being built this year are
funded by our bike share program!
This plan is inspired by you.
People are our top priority. When it comes to your mobility, we’re focused on safety and accessibility. Because of this, we’re creating bike parking spaces in the street, next to crosswalks in the areas with “No Parking Within 30 feet” signs.
We’re taking advantage of space that isn’t currently used.
Cars are not allowed to park within 30 feet of many crosswalks because it forces other drivers to inch forward and block the crosswalk in order to see oncoming traffic and people crossing the street. This is a safety concern because drivers may start driving through the crosswalk while people are traveling through it.
But putting bike parking spaces here doesn’t block anyone’s view and actually improves safety for everyone. It lets us fit a lot more vehicles on the street (yes – bikes can be a type of vehicle) and helps keep the sidewalk clear.
Building bike parking on the street frees up sidewalk space for people of all ages & abilities to get around.
Installing bike parking in the curb space adjacent to crosswalks has a practical use and a public safety benefit. It ensures people driving, walking, and biking are visible to everyone.
And we’ve already gotten started!
If you haven’t noticed already, you’ll likely see more bike parking spaces popping up around town. We’ve added about 500 new bike parking spaces so far this year with a thousand more on their way.
Here’re the areas we’ve been focusing on so far:
- The Central District
- University District
- Alki
- West Woodland (AKA Frelard)
In June, we’ll be adding bike parking in:
- South Lake Union
- Rainier Beach
- South Park
We want everyone who uses our transportation system, including people walking, biking, and driving, to have a safe trip!
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