Seattle bike blog intro whoo. Fancy. That
welcome to the first of what I hope is a
am your editor Tom Fucoloro. I've
since 2010 and I'm hoping to start a
casually talk through some of the
lately maybe provide a little extra
a little more of a casual in a
talk through some of the issues with you for people who you know would rather
listen to the news or other people I
watch I guess. I hope you get something
it's all going to turn into. If you have
ideas or whether or not I should do
video. I'm using streaming software so I
don't know if anyone would is interested
well maybe we'll try I'm gonna try a
learn how to do this and improve my
is a useful addition to the site's
should get started with our first story
Eastlake. Eastlake Avenue. So the
multimodal
major bus improvements that are
65th and Roosevelt and downtown Seattle
the map it starts up here at 65th here's
and this project this whole bus project
bunch of federal funding so as a result
has worked with the Federal Transit
Federal Transit Administration. So they
which is something that you have to do
includes significant federal funding and
about this whole project looking at
trade-offs and talking about kind of
design choices that they've chosen so
creating that document was the federal
the text of it it is actually authored
the Federal Transit Administration in
and it is signed by representatives of
that it's important to understand here
along and both the local and
about this which is
especially cool to see because one of
lanes. I mean this is a major bike route
the seattle bicycle master plan there's
Roosevelt station the future Roosevelt
Roosevelt southbound all the way across
bike lane across the university bridge
a paint only skinny door zone bike lane
Avenue at Ravenna Boulevard and you know
lane in the city for sure I mean there's but if we're gonna do this big
Street upgrade we should upgrade that
unbalanced right now you have this
in one direction and then sort of a you
goes as it pleases in the other
complete protected bike lane all the way
gonna be wonderful but the crux of the
most disputed portion of it is
between the south end of the University
Fairview Avenue North sort of in the the
so right now if you are familiar with
actually closed right now because they're
right just south of that intersection so
it that bridge is gonna have a two-way
on the lake side of the road and the
bike lane
exists all the way to Lake Union Park so
lot like Westlake which is of course on
like that all the way up to until you
very nice huge improvement over today in
bunch of really bad choices if you're on
sidewalk but the sidewalk's busy and it's
parking lot but it doesn't go all the
and of course it's a parking lot so
spaces and you have to kind of go the
it it's not it's not a great
and just you know pray that people
in that street see you I mean it's uh
are great so having an actual dedicated
you get to Eastlake the two-way bike
on either side of Eastlake Avenue and
space with some kind of barrier and
they'll go around the outside of the bus
rapidride stops will have platforms
I'm gonna cut in here because I thought
you some images with a little more
Lake Union Park up here Center for
gonna build it's gonna have this two-way
will connect into the city's bike network like basically this project saying
hey city if you want to do something on
so we might need to pressure the city to
street is designed today with this little
maybe we need to put a little pressure
Valley to put a 2-way bike lane here or
complete another path that is separated
the park along with the rail over here
this is not a good right now people kind
good option there's too many people
bike lanes need to go somewhere else but
project so the the bike lanes will kind
area is down here but then before you
into this sidewalk which is you know it
continued but this is the plan right now
transition on street it'll be a two-way
which makes a lot of sense because this
extra lanes the way it was designed
this has been the design for the bridge
bridge as it was right before they tore
except previously you had to like
people walking will have their own
lane entirely separate which is great
there's no reason why if you have one
that here so it makes sense to just
like like no additional cars are
so there's no reason to have more lanes
them to not have to touch this parking
expensive and honestly you know water
parking though this is a pretty big
you know if if you can just do it on
do that that's fine
pretty interesting for transitioning
this I can kind of see how they might
little more protection here for people
you're trying to get onto Eastlake into
transition here wait in this box bike
you'll have to come over here to get
little more protection I think so I hope
some point this isn't like a deal
is really strong but if we're talking
here there you know if there's a way to
people biking we should do that because
I mean how many people can are gonna be
know you might if you go over look at
pile up at a stoplight you know to get
box there's basically too many people so
right so this can use a little more
route but the point is they have the
important part
a station will look like so you have no
protection and then when you to a
behind the station here's a little it's
someone biking will have to go up an
yield to you know people walking and if
getting on and off like they have this
crossing the bike lane but you are... if
cross between the sidewalk and the bus
yield that's their right away and
know right now there is as you can see
street you know it's been it's bike lane
all of these crosswalks today are really
this change is that you know effectively
this distance now instead of previously
have to cross and now you just have to
so so so so much safer and he it's a
likelihood of what they call the double
that's where if you're crossing you know
same direction and you're trying to
you like they're legally required to and
the next Lane doesn't stop and they hit
happens in cities where person crossing
know seriously injured or killed because
obey the law and if one person doesn't then
you're talking about so what this design
for that scenario to ever come up if
behind them will stop also because
that's exactly the way it's supposed to
bike lanes in a project like this it has
it's not just about biking it's about
mistake the cost someone's life
health is harder to do like it's just
don't like it makes driving easier by
that are unnecessary so that's what this
work it will work alright so more
simple straightforward design bike leads
around the bus stops here is the south
another area where I wish that there was
it's it looks like it's just gonna be
barrier between the bike lane and you
here in part because they're trying to
have to have space for cars to queue and
try to get through as many cars as
movement around a bridge a drawbridge
makes it so that traffic engineers
of lanes which I kind of disagree. so for example like do we need this
turn lane here I don't think something
that can't just wait in the second lane
extra queuing space for the bridge like
you know or if nothing else can we just
you know people driving can be lined up
buses can get to the front of the line
maybe they could have a queue jump they
that'd be cool I'm kind of surprised
that would be really useful maybe that's
but I I wish there was more protection
uncomfortable
here so that right now people can turn
trying to cross that same time people
really dangerous situation and you know
and you could only turn with a left
helpful for safety all right University
even touch it
each direction we know it we love it
previous project this was terrible a
be this island that jutted out here further that made it like it
jutted all the way into where the bike
bike lane you'd had to like merge into
then get back in the bike lane it was
small cost shaved back the the concrete
which has made it leaps and bounds
transit stop bypasses here before we
Roosevelt up here so let's zoom in here
all right so the bike lanes coming along
to the left side of the street
where at Brooklyn and 43rd is where the
is the Brooklyn light rail station as it
and so this street is gonna become a
plan is to have transit on it right now
of a movement afoot to make it a
buses on to Brooklyn instead but it's not clear that that's the way
things are gonna go but the idea is that
car light street that has biking and
the way it should be
rail station it should not be centered
you were to do a transition like this
do that I think the exact details of how
have to wait to signal cycles to do
allow people biking to
would be great like it would suck if you
then go here so that's kind of one of
the kind of thing where the
can see a way to make this work and I
and if it doesn't work people are going
over and get in it here which is not
that's not particularly comfortable but
going to do it of course they are they
the route the bike lane ones on the left
parking here
have their own stations on the curb just
conflict with them and then we get to
shown in this image but there are
we are so you'll be able to connect into
station here if that's where you're
into South Lake Union into downtown
let's fast forward and then when you get
and there's me a bike lane one direction
guess they're gonna try to not great not
people will actually come through the
through the parking lots as they do
right here that's like this wide it's
connections in the whole city which is
here so this is Daniel's broiler and
you cut through here you can get onto
you want in the park you know past the
nicer than trying to do this valley
the streetcar tracks and all that like
through here but it's fairly unofficial
someone tries to like block it off with
and I don't know it always gets reopened
now and you're the person who moves the
you're doing a great service so that's the
people probably will oppose it because
yet to hear a lot of organized
you can go over and look at Westlake
I'd say I mean it's absolutely packed
good the you know it's hard to look at
happening on the east side of the lake
University Bridge to Fairview to those
Avenue is all about okay the other thing
project is its regional significance so
trail comes through here and so it's
Trail which is our region's most
walking trail that goes you know into
know Far East King County
Snohomish I mean it's uh we all it's the
important and this is a you know may
way between downtown Seattle and the Burke-Gilman Trail so you know right now
a lot of people avoid it as much as they
not you know miles out of
so once this is complete that's
get much more popular the Eastlake route will get much more popular the other
thing to think about is that right now
they're putting together the final
the west of the 4.6 billion
which is you know there's already a
Kirkland and Bellevue into Montlake and
rebuild the Portage Bay Bridge here and
what they're going to do
to some hard work from advocates so
those designs here so you know here's
and then the next section will go
current there currently is this
better yeah whoo separated biking
520 bridge kind of by the NOAA parking
Trail is the official name of this trail
right when you get at this point kind of
the south side of the 520 you will have
and going to Montlake playfield and
or you can veer off here and take a ramp
Portage Bay Bridge you go across Portage
drive East and just right near Roanoke East Roanoke Street Roanoke Park is an
existing park you may be familiar with
here
street level so in order to make an
is not a terribly steep grade because
have it be considered accessible so you
count to do a couple loop-de-loops
from there you'll be able to go through
into East Lake so that's the plan so I
consider that the 520 bridge is gonna
decade so long term planning sure but
rebuilding the street we need to be
is the the bike route to the east side
context to remember this is very
important into the future so let's focus
of pushback on this project because it
on the street so what they did is they
page assessment of all of the bicycle
you can see them here there's nine
options that include a bike route one of them
and you know they looked at do we want
have one in each side the street do you
side of the street is there a way to
of different combinations for like how
combination of neighborhood greenways or
greenways on side streets and absolutely
already knew the conclusion that they
study which is that no there's just
gonna work like there's no every single
extensively and they are not functional
they kind of cannot be like there's no
to improve access and safety on East
to get people to the businesses
the only Street that works
works and no
just not set up that way so probably the
what they called a multi-use
doesn't make any sense um but if you try
this is a kind of a popular concept and
an alternative to Eastlake right now because
scary so there's a couple problems with
pretty busy you know there's a lot of
a lot of industrial businesses that you
street with them there's no sidewalk so
I mean it's it's mostly calm and slow
in sections to really be considered a
you'd have to do to make it safe for
make sense there and I'm not sure that
traffic any further because just a
it's not a great Greenway option anyway
section right here so you're coming down
just ends it disappears you can see the
City right-of-way just kind of through
community and there's there's fences you
through here along the land so you can't
to get across or the only other option
then go through this alleyway which is
ridiculously steep you can see someone
up that this is it's absurdly steep I
and then you have to turn and come in to
bit more and then there's this this
the Google Street View as it is in real
halfpipe and you have to get a bunch of
here so you have enough speed you just
it's it's kind of fun in like
bike route like it's not the kind of
is the official city route through East
like to do that you know this isn't the
eight-year-old down this path like you
someone's gonna pull out of one of these driveways or come out of this street here and
if you have to stop anywhere along this
it's you probably get off and walk up
problem is you get kind of a lot of
that people are trying to cross and you
speed so these you see if someone's even
it just doesn't it doesn't work and it
this a functional bike route it it can't
right now which is you know some people
that's it
can't it can't be the way that we're
connection like we can't send everyone
doesn't make any sense but then even as
back down here you have a choice
get down to Fairview
but then once you get to towards the
industrial area I want you know once
Avenue or Fairview here and this is a
this is not a Greenway a candidate
in order to make this safe you'd have to
building bike lanes through here somehow
here you know or maybe even a trail
necessary and even then again all
gotten someone on a bike down to
you haven't at any point gotten them to
Avenue you haven't gotten them to Tops
here are so steep that you know making
might still make sense but that doesn't
Avenue because it doesn't they don't do
people talk about that as an alternative
can't happen
one fun idea we can talk about is it
here and this is a city street end park
access for the lake we could put a
into Lake Union kind of like Portland's
pretty fun pretty neat little park
you had a trail that came out here and
pretty neat experience but there's no
plans for that I didn't know if it's
that's a pie in the sky dream thing it's
bike lanes on East Lake Avenue even if
which again probably won't it would be
really so people might try to say
and I hope that this helps explain
why the safety element of this is so
collisions involving about someone on a
2017 and the report further noted notes
resulted in serious injuries so there's
weren't reported so if when they get to
they're pretty bad and so people got
to bike I mean they're just trying to
shouldn't be this way we know how to
safe and this project will do so and
government and SDOT agree that this
that's a really important part you know
what it looks like you don't you don't
you're biking the sidewalks you know
screenshot but are not a good option for
they're too busy they're too small to
biking on a sidewalk unless you have
probably do because they probably look
other option for me and it's hard to
so you can it's tempting to try to
bike lane this is not wide enough to be
the lane line and the park cars because
should always give enough space between
opens the door without looking that you
that door so you got to give yourself a
cars that you're biking by is just one
will always follow like it's not
basically riding kind of like on the
is now really awkward because you're
which is you're kind of putting people
have to use the turn lane to pass you
to do it you know that's obviously not
in the turn lane but the alternative is
this Lane they're way too close to you
and they're staying in this Lane at the
best-case scenario is everyone kind of
you but then if someone's using the turn
like you just kind of get squeezed and
uncomfortable it's not fun you could in
right down the middle lane and really
to pass you to avoid being
into a parked car but that's obviously
either I mean it's just terrible the
as a street design if you're trying
it is completely backwards so what the
outside lanes which are used for on
there's no parking on them so
which is terrible for pedestrian safety
terrible terrible for biking safety so
anymore this is thinking from another
past we you know this is doesn't this
achieve
our climate goals does achieve our
our our bike access goals so it's
business district to have a five lane
front of your door like that's not what
want to feel safe they want to feel like
to cross the street they need to feel
has one of the highest bike commute rates
kind of obvious when you look at it from
up here University of Washington
busy business district here ton of jobs
downtown I mean is our the state's
East Lake a really awkward distance for
sure lots of people walk you can walk or
you know places any of these
biking just you know it makes so much
we're really high bike commute rate I
guess in the last census probably
biked is the primary primary mode of
you know biking has grown a lot since
share which is really popular in Eastlake so you know this project is also
about helping people who live in East
businesses or get to and from their
important context here you know people
car-dependent neighborhood it's a
biking once walking and that's it's
that makes sense to cram a bunch more
thing that's really important about this
that like people who bike love
we can't like you know if you're
driving out into the suburbs to go to
getting them at your neighborhood stores
so heavily on people walking and biking
car now you have to compete with like
on price if you're gonna be a business
that you can ever do but what you can
is more desirable to be to go to
businesses are a huge employer in our
city desirable what makes our
you know this idea that biking is
bad for local businesses just so
they're in conflict and nothing can be
you if you bike everywhere you
and you go there a lot because you were
them they're
necessity to you so this idea that if
about local businesses or something is
and a lot of that might stem from this
world which is that
how many of their customers get there by
so to kind of question whether or not
conducted this what they call a
where they went to a bunch of different
on the sidewalk outside of businesses
you get here and the results were
ones to East Lake are Fremont and
example what like 22% of people got
uber really blew up so this is 2012 but
of these numbers are a little fuzzy but
like driving yourself alone and parking
fact all transportation trends in the
share of the whole I don't know where
sure it would be a significant percent
that you don't need parking for that you
takeaway here is that first walking
priority if your business owner because
just walking there like they just live
more housing you know more housing
residents who just live near your
one way to grow your customer base is just
transit is a you know at least on par
with these driving alone in Fremont and
people biked there this is in 2012 that number is almost certainly higher
now especially with bike share in Fremont
especially on Capitol Hill more people
themselves alone and parked which is I
of people especially a lot of business
reality like when people walk in your
unless you ask them and if you're
drove you know there's no you don't see
people who took the bus
in like wearing like an I took the
you know some people who buy I guess
leave their helmet on their bike
just a person and so you know it doesn't
just you're there like that's what's
need a couple parking spots in front of my store or my store won't work
out I think that it would be
assumptions on whether or not they're
as a result missing out an opportunity
number of customers who can get to a
a hard ceiling at the amount of parking
like cannot have any more customers if
there but with something you know with a
that there's only potential for growth
a bike lane as more people start biking
you have expanded transit service like
amount that the potential for more
is is enormous and you know those are
have you know spending money just like
what the study includes. part
looks at ways that okay so if we're
East Lake Avenue itself you know what
to you know sort of help mitigate that
sure that the parking space that is
supporting the local businesses and
found was that utilization is
percent with obviously the
districts but they also found that a lot
so for more than four hours at a time so
are parking all day to go to work
those employees are gonna work on East Lake but a lot of them
is you know are probably parking on East
downtown that they can get to to avoid
Lake Union and downtown which is a
not what Eastlake Avenue needs to be
district like it doesn't help a local
the shop and catches a bus to their job at Amazon or something
like that's not what that space is for
not good for the business so one thing
parking spaces on side streets near the
they're limited either paid
or at least time-limited maybe two-hour
parking that way that you know the space
block walk from the businesses is there
it's not there to be a place where
that that's a kind of a win-win
this process you know they can expand
neighborhood to make sure that you know
place to park their car which so they
parking but um but still the parking
business districts really needs to be
for the the trips that do need to
zones for deliveries and for you
such and then the other thing is they
neighborhood where parking is
as it is right now and they could
side of the street like you know we're
streets where parking both sides and this
could be a good option here to you know
away on East Lake Avenue itself but you
you know really close by so the parking
or nothing like there's there's a lot of
of things the city can do to make that
efficient usage of the parking that is
know I think that's something where you
effort because that's a could be part of
you know so I think that I just ask
like I understand the worry because it
that someone who's nervous about losing
don't think that they're wrong to be
business you know its livelihood they've got employees that depend on them like
they don't you know they got it figured
unknowns and I completely understand
general and this there's uncertainty
know this is a change that is gonna
will improve access to the street for
would never never ever ever bike on this
with protected bike lanes there suddenly
want to go to like it's the potential to
biking rather than a place to be avoided
right now like like if I see something's
that far from me
with this street and I'm not gonna have
able-bodied white dude who will bike on pretty much any Street if I have to like
you know I'm very I'm gonna bike
I'm feeling this way people who are less
less able or younger you know biking
never ever ever gonna bike with an
never gonna do it but if you had a
for your family to get around by bike you
know that the potential for good is
business owners to believe and take
of evidence of places all across the
were worried about the bike lanes
went in business districts
place so you know so also you know if
and you're very frustrated with
I guess I just ask for you know be understanding they
don't hate you
they're worried but that's not a reason
not a reason to not do it you know
when the research is fully in favor of
city on the same page about it when
planning documents have been passed by
kind of change that we need to make to
the city you know that's more walking
climate emergency and this world and the
change is carbon emissions from cars so
you know if we are gonna
as a city you know we are somewhat
regulate the oil industry for example
if you provide people with options that
or completely non carbon-intensive like
I mean it is we have a moral imperative
part of combating climate change is
that are uncomfortable and
and this is part of it this one
climate change but it it is part of it
lots and lots of uncomfortable changes
my daughter with a planet that's
becomes an adult um so we don't
it out so anyway I hope that the
o'clock tonight so it's
you've seen this before six o'clock
then I there's a town hall at tops
Peterson who's also the transportation
productive I hope that people talk and
become doesn't devolve into yelling or
I hate bikes well I love bikes I hate
happens with controversial issues like
very good at finding the nuance in
know pick a team and fight I hope that's
isn't
the neighborhood of East Lake that's
happening because the neighborhood of
complete nonsense
businesses because people who bike love
there they're not nice-to-haves for us
that that nuance can get through but
else to add on this so how about we'll
a comment either on youtube or seattle
text there and if you have any thoughts
future be sure to let me know here we
all this works I hope that this format
it was definitely let me know that if you
know that give me ideas for improvement
me know if you liked it hit that thumbs
more and you know maybe in the future we
people here instead of just me talking
and maybe we'll do a stream maybe
I'm a you know a fortnight star or
games we'll just see how the bike blog
you know we'll do some play some rocket
that would be really on brand for me
it's one of my my secret indulgences for
no I like cars that are playing soccer
slow-moving beach ball if
highly suggest it it is it's one of
absurd that it's unbelievably fun
first like the worst game you've ever
yourself too seriously when you're
gravity car with rockets on the back of
goal I don't know it's beautiful it's
I'm joking we probably won't play any
know if you want to you want to watch me
are into biking maybe that's what we'll
something serious to say about bike
we'll have a hard serious
maybe that's what we'll do anyway thanks
oh wait let's play this again