Today, the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) 2019 to 2024 Implementation Plan was delivered to City Council.
It identifies projects and programs which, combined with existing facilities, will deliver a robust connected citywide bike network. Using a combination of protected bike lanes, trails, neighborhood greenways, and funding for bike parking, encouragement programs, and safety education, biking will be a healthy, affordable travel option for people of all ages and abilities.
“The number of people biking across Seattle is growing. That’s because the city continues to invest to connect Seattle by bike. This plan has a laser-sharp focus on fixing gaps that have long hampered the bike network – like closing the Burke Gilman Missing Link and completing much of the downtown Basic Bike Network,” said Vicky Clarke, Cascade Bicycle Club’s Policy Director.
“Building from the Levy Reset we appreciate the administration’s assurance to the community that the projects contained in this plan will advance. We’re glad to see the city has responded to community feedback to add bike connections to, and within, South East Seattle. Now we must act with urgency to find the funding for those overdue connections so that these neighborhoods can finally have equitable access to safe and affordable transportation options. We look forward to working together to do just that.”
Over the last 18 months, we’ve invested over $21M in bike infrastructure, including planning, design, & construction & installed 13 miles of new facilities & over 800 new bike parking spaces.
Read the BMP
We took a major step last year to create the nation’s largest permanent free-floating bike share program, which supported two million rides in 2018. In the last year, we saw bike ridership increase by 12 percent over 2017, and we were named the “Best Bike City” by Bicycling magazine. This year, we’ll deliver an additional 11 miles of bike safety projects.
Building on this effort, Mayor Jenny Durkan’s 2019 to 2024 Implementation Plan invests $76 million over six years making significant progress toward connecting our bike network, including 50 miles of new bike facilities and 29 miles and planning. The plan will transform how people move around Seattle, by completing the Center City Bike Network, delivering protected bike lanes with RapidRide H (Delridge) and RapidRide Roosevelt/Eastlake, increasing connections to future light rail stations, and completing the Missing Link of the Burke Gilman Trail.
“We are thrilled that this plan includes critical routes like Eastlake Ave, Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Beacon Ave S, the Georgetown to South Park Trail, Thomas St, and the downtown Basic Bike Network. We look forward to working with the mayor and city council to secure any additional funding that is needed to build these and other critical trails, neighborhood greenways, and protected bike lanes” said Gordon Padelford, Executive Director of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.
“We can, and must, be a city where people, of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds have the choice get to where they need to go by bike.”
Center City Bike Network map
In April, we presented a draft Implementation Plan to City Council.
While the plan’s budget hadn’t changed, the plan was developed in line with the comprehensive reassessment of the Levy to Move Seattle SDOT completed under the leadership of Mayor Durkan based on more realistic assumptions than we used in 2015. The Implementation Plan is intended to provide accountability for our continued investment in bicycle infrastructure and programs within existing committed resources while also identifying additional projects to be developed to a “shovel-ready” state. The Bike Master Plan is funded in large part by the Levy so we also worked with the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board and used the 2014 Bike Master Plan prioritization criteria, grant and partnership opportunities to reprioritize projects over the second half of the Levy.
New this year, we launched an online survey and hosted four café-style conversations in the north, central southeast, and southwest Seattle to gather input and confirm the plan meets people’s needs and values. We heard from over 350 people at our public meetings and through the survey and over 550 via emails. People shared the importance of safety, protecting the environment, and transparency in decision-making.
They’d like increased maintenance of facilities and increased wayfinding. They also highlighted expanding engagement to include the voices of all people impacted, communities of color, and people who might be new to biking. Now that the implementation plan is complete, we’ll incorporate these values and continue to engage community members in the planning, design, and construction of projects. We also worked to clean our protected bike lane network during Bike Everywhere Month in May.
One of four café-style conversations with Seattleites
This Implementation Plan reflects the communities desire and our commitment to fight climate change, support a multimodal transportation system that encourages the reduction of single occupancy vehicles, and supports Seattle’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate fatal and serious traffic collisions by 2030.
This plan includes projects that build crucial connections & were identified by the community as priorities.
The plan also addresses geographic inequities and prioritizes connections that serve communities located in Southeast Seattle.
New projects
Prior to finalizing the Implementation Plan, hundreds of people provided input and called for a southeast Seattle connection to downtown. As a result, we are advancing to construction a project on Martin Luther King, Jr Way S from I-90 to at least Rainier Ave S and to advance planning for a route along Beacon Ave from the Jose Rizal Bridge to S 39th We’re also prioritizing planning efforts to consider a Georgetown to Downtown route and completing a connection along 12th Ave from King St to Yesler Way.
Share benefits
The plan now shows when projects connect to transit, schools, community centers, and urban villages occur, as well as to existing bike facilities, or those planned for construction by 2024. We also acknowledge when a project routes through portions of the city that score in the upper regions of quartile of Seattle’s Race and Social Equity Composite Index.
Improve accountability
Expected costs and challenges such as agency coordination and parking impacts are listed, highlighting where additional effort may be required, or a project modified.
Seek new funding
While the plan builds out 50 miles of bicycle infrastructure over the next six years, additional projects are funded only into design or planning. We are recommitting to seeking additional revenue sources and grants to advance key connections to accelerate progress during the timeframe of the implementation plan.
Celebrating $16M to fund Pike-Pine Renaissance and bike improvements with SDOT, WA State Convention Center, Cascade Bicycle Club and Seattle Neighborhoods Greenways
Thank you! Join us for our presentation at City Council on June 18 at 2 PM or watch it online.
Keep a look out for our upcoming blog posts and as well as other communications to stay current with project updates. We truly appreciate your interest and participation in the 2019 – 2024 Implementation Plan.
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