Beacon BIKES has been hard at work since the release of their Family Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Plan this summer. SDOT has installed signage for one of the plan’s proposed neighborhood greenways on 17th and 18th Avenues S, according to Beacon Hill Blog.

A neighborhood and family focus

As we noted in our previous story about the organization’s place in jump-starting the Seattle neighborhood greenways movement, Beacon BIKES (“Building Infrastructure Keeping Everyone Safe”) has a strong focus on neighborhood and families. The idea behind their neighborhood circular plan (designed by Alta Planning + Design using a Department of Neighborhoods grant), is to connect the neighborhood in a way that makes it safe and easy for Beacon Hill residents of all ages to get from their homes to shops, schools, transit stations and parks on the Hill by walking or biking. The result is a plan that looks very different from what was originally proposed by the city’s Bicycle Master Plan, which focuses more on making connections to other neighborhoods and downtown than on getting around within Beacon Hill. Here’s the Beacon BIKES plan (download PDF): There is currently no designated funding source for neighborhood greenways in the SDOT budget, and that has made implementation of them difficult and slow-going. The Wallingford greenway on 44th/43rd Streets is being implemented this fall after a several-year effort to get a Neighborhood Streets Fund grant. The signage for the Beacon BIKES greenway is being funded under SDOT’s existing signed bike route budget, but there are not currently funds to construct the arterial crossings and other traffic calming measures needed to complete the project.

If Proposition 1 does not pass this fall, the opportunities to find a budget for neighborhood greenways could be few (though Councilmember Sally Bagshaw has indicated her intent to make some funding happen).

Need more evidence that neighborhood greenways are great for your community? Check out this video we shot from a May people-powered parade held by Beacon BIKES along the upcoming 17th/18th Ave S greenway route (bonus points if you can count all the smiles?):

Here’s the Beacon Hill Family Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Plan:
Beacon Bikes Family Circulation Plan June 23-1