So many highly anticipated bike facilities finally deliver only to fall short of real game changing status. Seattle provides the latest example of the phenomenon in the wild.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) recently started construction on a protected bike lane "across the Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge on 12th Avenue South between Little Saigon and north Beacon Hill," reports Ryan Packer.
The new protected bike lane is both a significant improvement and a missed opportunity, according to Packer's assessment: "This will be the first segment of a safe bicycle connection running throughout Beacon Hill expected to be completed by 2023, but the 12th Avenue South segment going in this year will stop short of making some tantalizingly close connections to existing facilities."
The street configuration on the ridge was improved during consultation with the public, reports Packer, resulting in a reduced number of automobile lanes and bike lanes on both sides of the street. But the lack of a connection to the rest of the city's protected bike lane network irks Packer, and there are no plans to bridge the gap.
The article includes a lot more detail about the new bike lane, including both additional positive assessments and a level of analysis rarely seen in discussions of planning and infrastructure on the Internet.
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Harvard University Graduate School of Design
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The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
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The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association