The Seattle City Council had an outsized agenda on Monday passing wide-ranging transportation and housing legislation. Banner legislation to set out a timeline for building the Basic Bike Network in the Center City and a permanent private bikeshare permit program made it out of the chamber, though with some last-minute tweaks. These policies will ensure that more bike lanes come to Center City streets sooner than the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) had in mind and ensure that up to 20,000 bikes operated by private bikeshare companies will be rolling around city streets soon. In Columbia City, the city council rezoned a property allowing more housing, including set-asides for affordable housing. Seattle City Light will also now be responsible for helping to provide affordable housing through revised surplusing practices. Lastly, the city council accepted the 10% design from SDOT for the RapidRide H Line corridor along Delridge and authorized additional funding to get the project to 30%.
Timelines Set for Seattle Center City Bike Network
The city council set a 2020 drop-dead date for implementation of Seattle’s Center City Bike Network. SDOT will be expected to roll out the network in phases and provide quarterly check-ins to demonstrate that progress is being made–although the timelines are not binding. SDOT has until December 31, 2019 to construct the following bike facilities, according to the resolution:
- 9th Ave N: Protected bike lanes in both directions from Harrison Street to Denny Way;
- Bell Street: Protected bike lanes in both directions from Denny Way to Seventh Avenue;
- Seventh Avenue: A one-way protected bike lane (southbound) from Bell Street to Blanchard Street;
- Eighth Avenue: A one-way protected bike lane (northbound) from Bell Street to Pine Street with a portion being completed by December 31, 2018 from Pine Street and Pike Street;
- Pike Street: A one-way protected bike lane (eastbound) from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue
- Pine Street: A one-way protected bike lane (westbound) from Eighth Avenue to Seventh Avenue;
- Second Avenue: An extension of the two-way protected bike lane from S Washington St to S Main St;
- 12th Ave S: An all ages and abilities connection will need to be constructed from Yesler Way to S King St; and
- Chinatown-International District: An all ages and abilities connection will need to be constructed from the intersection at S Main St and 2nd Ave Ext to S Dearborn St and Neighborhood Greenway on S King St from 5th Ave S to 12th Ave S;
- Capitol Hill: An all ages and abilities connection will need to be constructed from the protected bike lanes on Second Avenue to the Broadway cycletrack.
Councilmembers collaborated on the resolution, which was greatly expanded to include several other special circumstances:
- At the intersection of Pine Street and Fourth Avenue, SDOT will need to install signage by December 31, 2018 to help people know how to safely bike through the intersection;
- A one-way protected bike lane will need to be constructed on Pine Street from Fifth Avenue to Fourth Avenue by 2021;
- SDOT will need to complete design of a two-way protected bike line from S Main St to Vine Street on Fourth Avenue by May 31, 2019; and
- Another SDOT-designed plan for an all ages and abilities connection from Second Avenue to Denny Way on Bell Street will need to be completed by December 31, 2019 with a mix of two-way protected bike facilities and traffic calming.
The resolution not only comes with a map of projects to implement, but guidance on best practices for constructing bike lanes for all ages and abilities and requirement that the Traffic Control Manual for In-Street Work be updated to include guidance on safely rerouting bike traffic during temporary construction impacts to bike facilities.
