Learn about Bike Greenways

Courtesy of Kate Martin from Greenwood here is some information about development of greenways in a nearby neighborhood.

Greenways Planning / Participation

There  is planning underway city-wide to map Greenways.  Greenways are a new  (new to Seattle) kind of bike route that is more kid-friendly / family friendly and suitable for older folks as well and less able bodied.  They will be another option to the bike lanes and sharrows that we have on busier streets.  Greenways are generally for low traffic streets (less than 500 cars / day).  While Portland has stop signs to stop traffic at intersections along their Greenways, it’s unlikely that Seattle will go that route and will instead stick with the existing system of traffic circles at intersections.  Connecting across barriers of arterials will require safety improvements that could be on-demand signals, median refuge islands in the middle, etc.  A pilot is underway in Wallingford where Cathy Tuttle, from Spokespeople, is the chief organizer.

If you’d like to get involved in the Greenways movement here in our neighborhood or on a citywide basis, there are a couple of ways  to do that:

Join the google group.   phinneywood-greenways@googlegroups.com

  1. Join the facebook group.  Phinney / Greenwood Greenways
  2. Visit the interactive map and take a look at our neighborhood routes already suggested / add your .02 to the route ideas.
  3. Go to the next meeting at Greenwood Library on Thursday March 8th at 6pm.
  4. Read more about Greenways at Councilmember Bagshaw’s blog.

The process is definitely in motion, but it’s not too late to join in and contribute your ideas and energy.   Robin Randels who lives in Phinney Ridge is the organizer and she could use help.  About a dozen people attended the first meeting.  About 25 people attended the second meeting  this past week.