Wallingford had its greenway grand opening in mid-June, and now Beacon Hill and Ballard get to learn what all the traffic-calming excitement is about. Beacon Hill’s open house is tonight, July 19, at Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Avenue S) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Ballard’s greenway-curious population will gather next Thursday, July 26, at Adams Elementary School (6110 28th Avenue NW), in the cafeteria.
Six bike-friendly greenways are planned for Seattle neighborhoods this year, and more neighborhoods are piling on. Even the folks way out there in West Seattle are getting in on it. Essentially, a greenway provides a side-street route through a neighborhood, with an emphasis on safer intersections and slower vehicle speeds.
Seattle’s nascent greenway movement is not challenging car access–they’re still drivable the length, and if you’re not actually behind a cyclist, the drive might not seem different at all. In Wallingford, for instance, the greenway follows a stretch of road that already had traffic-calming islands, so aside from some signs and fresh paint, all is as it was.
The Beacon Hill Neighborhood Greenway will be just short of three miles long, linking the I-90 Trail, Beacon Hill light rail station, Beacon Hill library, Jefferson Park, Maplewood Playfield, Mercer Middle School, Maple Elementary School, and Cleveland High School.
The greenway will start at the I-90 Trail & 18th Avenue S, finishing up at S Lucile Street. As you can see from the improvements planned, the strategy is much the same as in Wallingford:
Proposed project elements along the greenway route include:
- Signs and pavement legends along the greenway
- Stop signs to control traffic crossing the greenway
- Median island with new marked crosswalks at LaFayette Avenue S & S Spokane Street
- Median island with new marked crosswalks at Beacon Avenue S & S Hanford Street
- Rechannelization and signal improvements at Beacon Avenue S & S Spokane Street
- Widened sidewalk on S Dakota Street between 16th Avenue S & 14th Avenue S
- Paved trail adjacent to Jefferson Park
The Ballard Neighborhood Greenway is just over two miles long. Cyclists will be on NW 58th Street for most of the route. Handily, it will start at the western part Burke-Gilman Trail (at Seaview Avenue NW), connect to NW 58th Street at 32nd Avenue NW and finish up at 4th Avenue NW. This gives you opportunity to stop at parks, schools, shops, and restaurants. A very Ballard-y excursion.
Proposed project elements along the greenway route include:
- Signs and pavement legends along the greenway
- Stop signs to control traffic crossing the greenway at certain intersections
- Widen sidewalk on Seaview Avenue NW to access the Burke-Gilman Trail
- Median island at 24th Avenue NW and NW 58th Street
- Diverter for eastbound traffic at 15th Avenue NW and NW 58th Street (at St. Alphonsus School)
- Additional bicycle parking at destinations along the route
