Seattle Redesigns Long-Delayed Ballard Bike Trail

As Mike Lindblom reports, the city of Seattle has revised the design for a planned 1.4-mile bike trail along the Ballard waterfront, a project that has faced delays since the 1990s.

The trail, which would complete the Burke-Gilman Trail, has faced opposition from critics including the Ballard Terminal Railroad Co., the owner of tracks that the original trail design planned to relocate. According to Lindblom, "[f]ederal commerce law gives railroads the power to resist land takings, and a 2020 court ruling blocked the city’s goal to break ground last winter." Now, the new design keeps the bike trail in the same location but accommodates the adjacent tracks. 

"The shared walk-bike trail will be 10 feet wide, rather than the previous 12-foot design. The city will rely on cheaper paint and plastic posts for two intersections, instead of concrete curbs and sidewalks," reports Lindblom. The new design does not address the safety concerns of opponents who insist that having to cross active truck driveways on Shilhole Avenue puts cyclists at risk. They suggest moving the trail inland to Leary Way.

Lindblom provides additional details on the trail's design and funding in the source article.