Children’s Hospital to invest $2 million in biking and walking projects

Seattle Children’s Hospital is going to invest $2 million in infrastructure that would make it safer for children to walk and bike. The projects will help the Sand Point and Ravenna neighborhoods near their campus, which the hospital is working to expand. The Laurelhurst Community Club spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to stop the hospital’s expansion, citing increased traffic as a concern.

But Children’s Transportation Director Paulo Nunes-Ueno told Josh at PubliCola that the funds were for health and as a way of being good to their neighbors:

“Part of this comes from us simply wanting to be good neighbors,” said Nunes-Ueno. “But we see this as furthering our health care mission as well. Providing young people with safe places to walk and bike allows them be active and helps combat obesity. Alternative transportation reduces congestion and pollution which is linked to health problems. It goes on and on.”

The projects under consideration include bicycle boulevards, improved access to the Burke-Gilman Trail and improving pedestrian crossings at roads and intersections.