Seattle Bikes: Bumps in the plan

Monday, September 4, 2006

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Seattle may be pedaling toward becoming a better bicycling city. But it will take patience to fulfill the hopes around an important effort to consciously plan for more, better and safer bicycling.

It's encouraging that Mayor Greg Nickels' administration last week launched an effort to write the city's first Bicycle Master Plan. A comprehensive approach can make a big difference, letting the city make the leap from an often excellent but spotty system to one that is genuinely outstanding.

The timing is excellent, with high fuel prices having spurred an obvious uptick in bicycle commuting this summer. And the plan fits nicely with Nickels' efforts to promote pedestrian safety.

The city needs to figure out how it will encourage biking during inevitable ups and downs in gasoline prices, rainy seasons and construction booms. With the city saying it's ready for much more population, the plan should address ways to avoid the often-lengthy sidewalk closures that inconvenience and put at risk bicyclists as well as pedestrians.

More generally, the plan has to address the wider reduction of the numerous injuries and fatalities involving bicyclists struck by vehicles. The solutions require everyone's cooperation and courtesy from all sides, including the cycling community.

Seattle often places high in rankings of the best cities for bicycling. But that has a lot to do with the reputation created by the early start of the still-unfinished Burke-Gilman Trail. Especially for those getting around city neighborhoods, Seattle has fallen far behind neighbors Portland and Vancouver, B.C. By pushing the bike plan, the city is creating a chance to avoid resting on its Burke-Gilman laurels, consolidate its cycling strengths and move ahead in years to come.

Soundoff (Read 39 comments)
Tell us what's on your mind.


What would you most like Seattle do to improve bicycling?
28.6% Expand existing trails and build new ones	48.3% Create more bike lanes on city streets
1.0% Widen trails	22.2% Separate bikes and pedestrians on trails
Total Votes: 203