Resolution 31515, which officially approved the Bicycle Master Plan, is called a “transformational new way of thinking about bicycle projects within Seattle.” Time, and funding, will tell if the plan lives up to its promise.
“The Seattle City Council has unanimously agreed to overhaul its Bicycle Master Plan, to provide separated bike lanes as well as a network of calm back-street routes known as greenways,” reports Mike Linblom. Seattle adopted its previous Bicycle Master Plan in 2007.
“The plan, approved Monday, calls for 474 miles of new or improved bike routes, at a cost of about $20 million a year for 20 years. Half would be greenways, plus 102 miles of bike lanes separated from traffic, and 32 miles of off-street trails.”
A separate article by Tom Fucoloro provides additional details about the two-year process of drafting the plan and what it will take to build out the planned network.
“The resolution approving the bike plan does not include funding. Cost estimates put the plan somewhere between $391 – $524 million over 20 years, though not all of that money will come directly from Seattle. Regional, state and federal grants will certainly be used to offset much of the cost, and the city can save money by including bike upgrades with other city work (utilities work, major repaving projects, private development, etc),” according to Fucoloro.
Read the full story: Revamped bike plan to have separated lanes, back-street routes
The Uncertain Future of Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan
By prioritizing a multi-modal approach and preserving existing vehicle space, the Seattle Department of Transportation risks abandoning the goals of its bicycle master plan.
Seattle May Revise Bike Plan, Already
Mike Linbom cites the popularity of greenways for why the city is considering spending $100,000 more than the original plan's cost to update it, after just four years.
Bike Plan Foresees Vastly Different Los Angeles
The recent adoption of a citywide bicycle plan in Los Angeles could bring about broad changes to the city's physical environment.
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