Snohomish County has bits and pieces of bike infrastructure. The problem is that very few of them are connected, and using a bike to get around often requires biking in the general traffic lanes on very busy streets for at least part of your trip.
But the Verdant Health Commission is pitching in funds to connect existing bike routes in Lynnwood, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace, to the tune of nearly $2 million.
Details from the Cascade Bicycle Club blog:
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As part of their “Building Healthy Communities” initiative, the Verdant Heath Commission approved funding Wednesday for a 1.9 million dollar, three year project to complete 11 critical missing links in the Snohomish County bike network. In addition to funding 5.9 miles of route improvements, the grant will also support education, end of trip bike parking facilities and wayfinding signage.
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4 responses to “Verdant Health Commission to fund Snohomish bike route connections”
My pet SnoHoCo missing link is sadly not covered, though it’s probably both too long and too far east for a project like this: Lynnwood TC/Interurban Route to Canyon Park. Filbert Road has the grade characteristics to be a great bike route (it’s unique in this regard among roads in the area) but has too much traffic going too fast to be a pleasant ride without a bike lane.
(One particular area for focus is about halfway between the two endpoints: Lynnwood HS, which has obscenely poor bike and transit access.)
Bike lanes on highway 524 was on the ballot some number of years ago as part of a transportation package, but the vote failed. I agree, though. I really wish there were more east/west routes in Snohomish County. The current options are pretty awful. The only really safe routes that I like are near 128th in Everett or the Burke Gilman. Both take you pretty far out of your way. 164th works, too, but I really dislike riding on that road.
I’ll look forward for better signage.