(Image: @streetcrafting)
CHS has been working on a larger story we hope to publish soon about the problems and what the city is going to do about them — but here’s a quick Bike Everywhere Day boost to the calls for city leaders and the Seattle Department of Transportation to act immediately to address the half-baked safety measures around the partially completed changes making Pike and Pine into one-way streets between Capitol Hill and downtown and the new bike lanes installed as part of the project.
CHS reported here on the construction challenges for the area from the project underway between I-5 and Bellevue Ave wrapping up 18 months of scheduled work changing the streets to one-way vehicular traffic and installing new bike lane protections.
Those challenges have now transitioned into day to day use challenges as the new traffic flow has opened and bicyclists are funneled into the designs despite missing signs and construction equipment blocking lanes.
Riders and drivers are finding many of the new design elements and signage confusing. Some needed safety elements are not fully in place. But others might need to be addressed with advocates calling for changes to SDOT’s plans needed to make riding in the area safer.
The intersection of Melrose at Pike in front of the busy Starbucks Roastery is of special concern:
Still no response from @seattledot @Spottnik @CMJoyHollings @CMRobSaka to our request to address these problems ASAP. Bike Everywhere Day is tomorrow and this could be many people’s introduction to the way Seattle treats people on bikes.@SNGreenways https://t.co/2fWKK7oRKg
— Central Seattle Greenways (@CSGreenways) May 17, 2024
At the center are core questions around how SDOT handles transition into daily use for its new major projects and how it treats bicycle facilities in that process.
We’ll have more on the situation soon and hopefully a few more answers from SDOT and Seattle City Council transportation committee head Rob Saka. In the meantime, have a safe Bike Everywhere Day.
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Bike lanes should not be a priority on Capitol Hill because it is a giant hill. Cycling is only a practical form of transportation where it’s flat like Davis. Statistically it’s far more dangerous than driving or walking and that’s not going to change when it’s so hilly. So we should just expand side walks and public transportation instead.
This whole city is hills, and cyclists climb them regularly- myself included. I’d way rather pedal up one than walk. It would be nice if my climbs and descents came with more safety/right-of-way protections. Saying people shouldn’t ride bikes because hills exist is dumb. Yes, we’ll never be Copenhagen or Amsterdam, but we can still support transportation that is green and good for public health.
Um you’ve heard of e-bikes?
Ebikes should be banned, along with scooters! Horrible dangerous things!
And bikers need to learn to be responsible for their own safety! They regularly blast thru the stop signs by my apt bldg. It’s a wonder more of them aren’t hit and killed.
Cyclists can treat stop signs as yields per state law. It’s actually safer for cyclists to not stop.
https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2020/09/30/washington-states-new-bicycle-safety-stop-law-allows-people-biking-to-treat-stops-signs-as-yield-signs-with-some-exceptions/
I live on Capitol Hill and like many folks have an ebike. I bike up and down pike/pine on my to work nearly everyday. E-bikes are becoming more and more popular. Before you jump at me and say they are expensive A) they’re getting cheaper and will keep getting cheaper b) its a hell of a lot cheaper than a car. I could not afford to live on Capitol Hill and own a car. For me and a lot of folks an e-bike is a great solution.
Steph, sidewalks shouldn’t be a priority because some people can’t walk, and public transit isn’t convenient for everyone’s needs. And statistically, most people would rather get places faster by car. So we should just expand access to driving.
P.S. If you haven’t noticed, e-bikes and scooters are pretty popular these days — and do just fine with hills.
Pitting transit/pedestrian/cycling infrastructure proponents against each other is a nonsense false dichotomy (or trichotomy, whatever :P ). All three are scrabbling for the leftovers from the US decades-long over-prioritization of single occupancy motor vehicle infrastructure, and all three can be served equitably without sacrificing any of the other two.
The whole area near Bellevue, and Pike-Pike is a disaster for buses, cars and yes even bikes. Another solid doing by SDOT. More like S-Don’t.
Massive backups, really bad signal timing, no turn lanes and confusing pathways for cyclists. Hot. Mess. Backups back up the buses too.
ZOMG THAT CAR IS ONE FOOT INTO THE CROSSWALK WHILE THAT SCOOTER IS THERE
Per the description, that’s the point where the car came to a stop, nearly colliding with the scooter, so yes.
YEAH ZOMG
Oh do please continue to demonstrate just how little you value human lives.
I just visited Seattle & Capitol Hill after 5 years living away and had my bike with me so was excited to ride around town. I will say, the layout of the new bike lanes around the city is completely absurd is some places – especially the ‘diagonal’ intersection crossings (down along 9th is particularly ridiculous) and the new weird halfway-between-a-block crossover on Pike (heading east) is also completely strange and alarming when you’ve just been at a stop sign and regained whatever momentum you can muster.
Run away. It gets weirder the longer you stare at this idiotic city.