I’ve biked in cities all over the country and world and I can tell you from first first-hand experience – when it comes to bicycle infrastructure, Seattle has been left behind.
Last summer, I went to Portland with my bike for a week and rode their neighborhood greenways1 every day, to anywhere I wanted to go. Not since I was a kid have I felt so comfortable and free on a bike. And Portland continues to build out this network of streets that prioritize biking and walking safety at a remarkable pace.
In other parts of North America, cities like Washington DC, New York, and Vancouver BC are all building networks of cycle tracks2, which physically separate bike riders from fast-moving motorized traffic.
But in Seattle, we are still putting sharrows3 on high-speed arterials. We need a change in how we take care of bicycle riders in our public right of way. What Seattle needs is a bold and visionary plan for bicycling – and this year is our chance to get it.
Click here to show you support for a bold and visionary plan for bicycling in Seattle >>
The Seattle Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) is up for an overhaul4 and this is our opportunity to plan for a community that bicycles – where bicycling is normal, convenient, and safe for everyone. The original BMP, adopted in 2007, was a good plan at the time. However, advancements have been made in cities across the country in the last five years and Seattle hasn’t been able to keep up. But we can now.
It’s time to adopt a new plan for bicycling in Seattle that incorporates innovative new tools and best practices from around the country and world – things like cycle tracks, neighborhood greenways, buffered bike lanes5, and intersections that give bicycle riders priority and safe ways to get across6.
Not only do we need new and innovative infrastructure that is appealing for riders of all ages and abilities, but we need it to connect to places where we want to go. Places like transit stops and stations, schools, parks, grocery stores, downtown, and neighborhood centers.
We all need to get to these destinations on a regular basis and we should be able to do so by bike safely and easily with our kids, parents, and grandparents along for the ride. We want a plan that serves not just the “strong and fearless” cyclists out there, but everyone who wants to ride a bike.
Click here to show you support for a bold and visionary plan for bicycling in Seattle >>
Thanks for your help in making Seattle the best for bicycling.
Sincerely,
Max Hepp-Buchanan
Advocacy Campaigns Manager
Cascade Bicycle Club
P.S. Want to get more involved in making Seattle the best city in the county for bicycling? Join us for the Advocacy Leadership Institute at Cascade Bicycle Club and learn how you can help change the future of bicycling infrastructure in your community. This three month program kicks off in July and applications are due June 1. Apply today!
1http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50518&a=348902
2http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/cycle-tracks
3http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/sharrows.htm
4http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster.htm
5http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/bike-lanes/buffered-bike-lanes
6http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/intersection-treatments
