This morning, representatives of Seattle Children’s, SDOT, Seattle City Council, Cascade Bicycle Club, and the Wedgwood community—some in costume –gathered to celebrate the opening of Seattle’s newest greenway along 39th Ave. NE.
Funded by Seattle Children’s as part of their $4 million Liveable Streets Initiative, the greenway is part of Children’s big-picture goal of improving mobility, safety, and livability in Northeast Seattle.
“The idea is that we build healthier streets and that leads to healthier communities,” said Paulo Nunes-Ueno of Seattle Children’s. “Already, every Friday, 30 to 40 kids bike to Thornton Creek School.”
While much of the painting and striping has yet to be completed, the greenway is accessible from the Burke-Gilman Trail via ramps and sharrows, and leads along 39th Ave. NE to desirable locations such as schools, PCC, Top Pot Doughnuts, summer markets and more.
Improvements along 39th Ave. NE include:
- Better access to the Burke Gilman Trail
- Intelligent Transportation Systems that use technology to give drivers more information
- Corridor improvements that increase safety for all users
- Traffic islands at crossing to slow speed and increase awareness of other users
- Striping and wayfinding
Thank you to all involved in the event and this project. We love our bikeable, walkable neighborhood! The ride was a hoot. I can already see us doing more each day by bike.
Representatives from Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and NE Seattle Greenways were there too. It was fun to be there and celebrate what we had collectively accomplished!