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Bellevue is asking for it (in a good way)

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

Do you ever bike through Bellevue? Or perhaps throw your bike on the bus for part of your journey? Either way, there’s a ton of transportation and bike-related action going down in Bellevue this month that you should definitely know about. Read on!

This 145th Place SE project includes bike lanes, sidewalks, medians, landscape planters, and street lighting improvements between SE 16th and SE 24th Streets. Photo by City of Bellevue.

First, the City of Bellevue is starting to prioritize road projects that are to be funded in the next 12 years—and new road projects open up the possibility for bike lanes and other treatments that make biking safer in Bellevue. But the City’s planners need to hear from you about where bike lanes are most needed, what intersections need to be made safer, and what new projects will make getting to your destination by bike all the more convenient.

So please attend one of the next Transportation Facilities Plan open houses this month and provide your input on what projects need to get built now and where you want to see bike lanes.

Thursday, Feb. 23 (this week!)
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Bellevue City Hall (450 110th Ave NE), Room 1E-108

Tuesday, Feb. 28
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Highland Park & Community Center (14224 Bel-Red Road)

If you can’t make either of these open houses, you can also provide feedback through the City’s Transportation Facilities Plan survey, available here.

But wait—there’s more!

Also going on in Bellevue, the City is getting ready to launch its Transit Master Plan effort to examine the current state of transit in Bellevue and how it could be improved.

Though the City doesn’t own its own transit system, it can (and should) invest in roadway improvements that make transit more efficient, faster, and even make biking to the bus better than ever before.

Creating this seamless integration of bicycle and bus travel is what it’s really going to take to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas emissions in our region—not to mention make us all healthy, bus savvy two-wheeled road warriors.

So if you have feedback about how to make connections to transit by bicycle safer and more convenient, including bike parking at transit stops, please take this short survey and let the City know what you think. After all, they’re asking for it!

And just for fun, here’s a short Streetfilm that illustrates the importance of bus/bike integration (featuring appearances by John Mauro of Cascade and Eileen Kadesh of King County Metro).

Thanks you help in making Bellevue better for bicycling (and transit)!

Posted in Commuting, Complete streets, Meetings & turnout, Transit | No Comments »

Seattle Greenway Organizers – grassroots at its finest

Friday, January 27th, 2012 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

Less than a year after they officially started working together, the Seattle Greenway Organizers have their first big win! At the January 10 Seattle Greenways Coalition meeting on Beacon Hill, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw announced that the City will build seven miles of neighborhood greenways in 2012 (watch a video of her big announcement here).

Neighborhood Greenways are slow-speed, low-traffic residential streets installed with park-like amenities and ways to limit cut-through vehicle traffic. This is a new type of infrastructure to Seattle and one that is perfect for bicycle riders, pedestrians, and families that prefer a low-stress environment to get around their neighborhood.

Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Tom Rasmussen enjoying a ride with fellow greenway advocates on 18th Ave S on Beacon Hill. Photo by Dylan Ahearn.

Councilmember Bagshaw summed greenways up nicely: “Greenways connect parks and schools, community centers and neighborhood business districts. Neighborhood Greenways help with transportation, and they help with getting people where they want to go within their own communities.”

The neighborhoods that will almost definitely see greenways this year include Ballard, Beacon Hill, Greenwood, North Delridge, Wallingford, and the University District. There’s an additional four miles to be built in Laurelhurst, funded by Seattle Children’s Hospital.

And this is only the beginning. According to Councilmember Bagshaw, starting in 2013 the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will build 11 miles of greenways each year. Thanks to the Seattle Greenway Organizers, Seattle is on its way to having a network of greenways that rivals our romanticized bike city to the south, Portland.

[It’s worth noting that by 2015, 85 percent of all Portland residents will live within a half-mile of a greenway and that Portland’s traffic fatality rate is falling six times faster than the rest of the United States. Obviously, they are on to something.]

The type of grassroots organizing employed by the Seattle Greenway Organizers has clearly been very effective. They have done a great job of engaging people from different neighborhoods with unique skills and abilities to add even more power to their campaign. They have volunteers producing neighborhood maps highlighting potential future greenways, writing high-profile OpEds, and writing grant applications to secure funding. Beacon BIKES even went so far as to receive grant funding from the City of Seattle and hired Alta Planning + Design to produce Beacon Hill’s own neighborhood greenway plan, separate of what’s in the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.

Truly, grassroots at its finest.

Speaking of the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan, it’s slated for a facelift this year and we have a unique opportunity to work together to massively improve upon what we did in 2007. Imagine an updated plan that has a greenways network in your neighborhood. Or cycle tracks to and through the downtown core a la New York City. This is our chance to envision and plan a Seattle that is safe, fun, and efficient for bicycle riders of all ages and abilities – one that encourages more people to get on their bikes for any trip.

If you are interested in helping make Seattle a world-class city for bicycling, stay tuned for ways to get involved. We’re gearing up now and will be rolling soon.

Posted in Advocacy, Seattle Bicycle Master Plan Update | 3 Comments »

Environmental priorities are also our priorities – come to Environmental Lobby Day

Thursday, January 19th, 2012 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

Several months ago, Cascade Bicycle Club rejoined the Environmental Priorities Coalition after a year’s sabbatical. Since then, we have been working in Olympia with our allies at the Priorities Coalition and the Transportation for Washington campaign to ensure our state policy-makers pass legislation and a budget that builds a sustainable transportation future for Washington state.

A big environmental priority for us this year is Pollution-Free Prosperity. Our pro-bike agenda contributes to a clean and healthy environment, as the policies, projects and funding we work so hard to support at the state-level (and at all levels) help us reduce our dependence on oil and our global warming pollution.

Did you know that almost half of Washington state’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector? Read more here.

That’s why in 2008, the State’s Transportation Implementation Working Group concluded that, “Washington State should make funding decisions and pursue revenue generating strategies that stimulate behaviors that support climate change solutions and that discourage behaviors that contribute to the problem.”

Enter the pro-bike agenda and our 2012 legislative priorities.

You have a unique opportunity next week to further enforce the connection between a clean and healthy environment and the pro-bike agenda in Olympia at Environmental Lobby Day.

What: Environmental Lobby Day
Where: Olympia, WA
When: Wednesday, Jan. 25

Much like Transportation Advocacy Day the following week, you will have the opportunity to meet legislators in person and advocate for policies that build a clean and efficient transportation system – a system that reduces our dependence on oil and contributes to a clean environment for all of us in Washington state.

RSVP for Environmental Lobby Day, and we’ll see you there!

Posted in Meetings & turnout, Olympia | No Comments »

Let’s finish what we started

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

As Craig mentioned earlier this week, the gun has fired on the 2012 legislative session, and we are out of the saddle, cranking away at our priorities for the year. It’s a short session, which means we only have 60 days to accomplish what we want to get done – it also means we need your help more than ever to get us across the finish line victorious.

The first bill to break away from the pack is likely to be the Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill (SHB 1217). SHB 1217 makes streets and neighborhoods safer by giving cities and towns the freedom to set speed limits to 20 miles per hour on non-arterial streets without a costly engineering and traffic study. It doesn’t mandate this change, but it does provide cities and towns the authority to do so without requiring a costly engineering or traffic study. If you would like more details – and reasons to support the bill – check out the one-pager published by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington (BAW).

This is a great bill and darn near everyone knows it – including our elected officials. Last year, thanks to the hard work of the BAW, the Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill passed 92-0 out of the House. Nobody voted against it and only six representatives were absent – it was unanimous!

But it’s a new year and a new session and much has happened in Olympia since last February.

That is exactly why we need to remind our elected official now – in the first week of session – that SHB 1217 is a no-brainer. There’s a lot going on down there in the next 60 days and if we want to win we need to make our voices heard loud, early, and often.

Please take a minute to write your legislators and remind them of their good work last year on SHB 1217 – and that it’s time to finish the job.

And thank you for your good work.

Posted in Advocacy, Olympia | No Comments »

What can we say about the Northgate light rail station?

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

Making our region better for bicycling means ensuring that transit and bikes work well together. We’ve already made the case for paying attention to Northgate and we saw great bicycle representation at the recent open house. But now we have a rare opportunity to talk specifically about how people can safely and conveniently access the station by bike.

On Thursday, December 8, the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is hosting a community design open house for the Northgate light rail station area. This meeting follows a DPD public meeting in late July, the results of an online survey, and comes on the heels of the Sound Transit 30 percent design open house for the Northgate station itself earlier this month.

Date/time: Thursday, Dec. 8/6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Alijoya Senior Apartments at Thornton Place (450 NE 100th St)

With the station at 30 percent design and the station area plans still in early conceptual phases, it is essential that we submit our comments now on how the planned station and the surrounding station area serves bicycle riders. This is our chance to help get this project right.

Below we’ve identified our specific concerns with the current station area plans and key opportunities for improving bicycle access to and from the station. We encourage you to use these as “talking points” at the December 8 meeting to ensure that the final plans for Northgate improve bicycle connectivity, accessibility, and livability for everybody.

***

We need to prioritize and invest in Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) projects that serve the station. The BMP calls for sharrows on NE 100th St and NE 103rd St, a full bike lane on 1st Ave NE, and a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over I-5 at NE 103rd St that connects with the bike lanes on College Way NE (just west of I-5). These facilities are critical in realizing more than the 15,200 estimated boardings per day at Northgate by 2030 by providing safe, attractive and efficient opportunities for people to access the station by modes other than a single occupant vehicle. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) recommends a three-mile radius for investing in projects that link bicycle travel with transit hubs like Northgate.

We need a viable and funded bicycle/pedestrian bridge over I-5. A bike/ped bridge over I-5 at 103rd St substantially increases the “catchment area” of the Northgate station, meaning that more people can access the station within a given walking or biking radius. It also would greatly increase the safety of getting to the station from the west side of I-5 by providing a car-free alternative to Northgate Way, which currently has over 30,000 vehicles per day.

To get this bridge funded and built, we need the City to push for a deal with Sound Transit, King County Metro, North Seattle Community College, and other public/private entities. Currently, there is no dedicated funding to advance design or construction. Not moving forward with this project will mean a lost opportunity for the station and community. 

We need more convenient and ample bike parking. Approaching the station from the east requires bicycle riders to dismount and walk about half a block to access the station bicycle parking. This design is inconvenient for those riding bikes to the station and will create a potential conflict between bicycle riders and pedestrians in “mixing area” adjacent to the station.

We need better and safer connections to the station. Accessing the future station via the bicycle infrastructure that exists now would be inconvenient and potentially dangerous. 1st Ave NE (the road running alongside the future station) is a high speed route and current traffic volumes are high enough that new infrastructure like buffered bike lanes would greatly improve safety for those accessing the station from the north or south by bike. NE 92nd St, Northgate Way, and N 117th St (further north) are currently the only means of crossing or going under I-5. Both NE 92nd St and Northgate Way are in need of actual bicycle infrastructure to dramatically increase safety and access.

We need Northgate to become a transit, pedestrian, and bicycle-oriented community. Increasing housing and workplace density in the Northgate station area along I-5 will place people closer to services, entertainment, and transit, creating a vibrancy and livability that encourages bicycle travel.

***

Your feedback on the ideas presented at the December 8 meeting will help shape the design of the Northgate station area and ensure that bicycle riders of all ages and abilities can safely and conveniently access the station by bike and take light rail to their destination.

For more information, visit the Seattle DPD website.  You can also email Gordon Clowers or call him at 206-684-8375. Hope to see you on the 8th!

Posted in Advocacy, Meetings & turnout | No Comments »

Road safety summit

Friday, October 21st, 2011 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

This coming Monday, Oct. 24, the City of Seattle Mayor’s Office is holding its first of three Road Safety Summit public forums from 6 to 8 p.m. in City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes room.  Seattle residents, local agencies, and community transportation leaders have been asked to attend so we can all talk openly about how to make our roads safer for everybody.

The Road Safety Summit was formed after three cyclists were killed this last summer in Seattle.  Michael Wang and Robert Townsend were both hit by cars while riding safely and legally.  A third cyclist, Brian Fairbrother, died after crashing on a poorly designed bike path.

These losses are unacceptable and it’s time to do something serious about it.  The Mayor’s Office has stepped up and called for this summit, and it’s up to us to contribute ideas, speak honestly, and listen to each other about what we need from our fellow travelers to be safe on the road.  The summit centers around three main questions.  A summit working group will make recommendations at the end of the three public forums.

As we said at our September press conference, we can – and must – do better.  That means everybody.  Though cyclists and pedestrians are the most vulnerable, more people die in car on car collisions than any other type of roadway fatality.  As many of us know, making the streets safer for bikes makes them safer for all road users—so bicycle infrastructure is of paramount importance in the bigger picture.

Let’s work together to keep our community safer on the road and get to the goal of zero traffic fatalities.  Join us at the Road Safety Summit next Monday and let the Mayor’s Office and your neighbors know where you stand.

Can’t make the first public forum?  There are two more identical meetings: one Nov. 15 at the Northgate Community Center, and one Nov. 21 at the Southwest Community Center. RSVP for one of these public forums.

More information about the Road Safety Summit can be found here.

Posted in Advocacy | 1 Comment »

A Tale of Mid-Year Budget Cuts

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

The saga begins in spring of 2011, a time when the budgets of businesses and organizations were being cut. In the Emerald City of Seattle, the story was no different…

Last May, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) toiled over a series of mid-year budget cuts throughout the department, including programs that have an impact on cyclists and pedestrians. Though it was a tough decision to make, these cuts were officially proposed and then sent to the seventh floor of City Hall, home of the Mayor’s Office, for review and approval in mid-June.

The proposed cuts sent from SDOT were hard to swallow. They would have wiped out almost all the money used to install on-street bike racks this year and shelved a neighborhood greenway parallel to Rainier Ave South – an area in desperate need of safer connections on quieter streets. Also concerning was a large cut to fixing the dangerous spots on bike lanes and trails – including the popular Burke-Gilman Trail – that are used by thousands of cyclists per day.

When the dust settled, all SDOT programs were to be cut by $3 million, with ten percent coming from the bicycle programs – less than what was proposed by SDOT. Some essential safety improvements were funded, money for planning (but not actually building) the neighborhood greenway in southeast Seattle was restored, and there will still be a few more bike racks installed this year. The funding cuts were not as bad as before, but the cyclists of Seattle still hoped for more (as did all users of the city’s aging and needy transportation system).

And then on July 11 the City of Seattle sold the “Rubble Yard” – a desolate land of debris storage – to the Washington State Department of Transportation for almost $20 million. The City rejoiced! Mayor McGinn and several City Councilmembers publicly stated that $3 million of this new revenue would be put towards street repair, a 33 percent increase in the 2011 maintenance budget. But that’s not all: the funding also prevented the elimination of 21 positions within SDOT, and some was slated to provide a “small increase” for bike improvements.

The proposed increase for bike improvements was small, but not insignificant. Estimated at $150,000, this increase could have restored funding for actually building the greenway in southeast Seattle, or re-fund (and then some) the cuts made to the bikeway safety improvement program or the bike rack installation program.

In the end, the Seattle City Council decided not to put bicycle funding into their proposal for what to do with the revenue from the Rubble Yard sale. On July 25, Council Bill 117207 was passed, which did indeed authorize SDOT to spend the money on road repairs and protect SDOT jobs. But it did not authorize any spending on bicycle improvements, safety or otherwise.

That’s the short version of the story. But let’s step back a minute.

Road improvements are crucial for the safety of everyone using our streets. And preserving jobs is important to the vitality of our region.

Are bicycle improvements sometimes overlooked for things that are deemed by many as more important? Yes. Should they be? This is debatable, but for many – including our elected officials – it is clear that this decision depends on the amount of funding available.

What this story tells us is that every dollar the city acquires that can legally be spent on transportation improvements will be. And it will be fought over. There’s a reason that the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee’s (CTAC III) outreach literature stated, “It’s no secret that there are more transportation needs than funding [available].” Because it’s true.

With an aging, deteriorating transportation system, Seattle needs roadway repairs, new sidewalks, safe bicycle connections and all kinds of transit improvements now more than ever. Luckily, there’s a way we can fund many of our transportation needs not too far off in the horizon. Transit riders, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers would ALL benefit from the vehicle license fee recently proposed by CTAC III – if it makes it to the ballot this November.

For that to happen, we need to tell Seattle City Council that we want the option to vote on it, while making sure cyclists and pedestrians get a fair slice of the pie this time around. Let’s learn from this tale of mid-year budget cuts in Seattle and help provide our city with a transportation system that works for everyone.

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Posted in Advocacy, Elections | No Comments »

Cascade board approves early endorsements for local races

Thursday, June 16th, 2011 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

Last night, the Cascade Board of Directors voted to approve ten candidates for early endorsement in the 2011 local elections.  The list of candidates includes:

Sally Clark, Seattle City Council Position 9: Sally has been supportive of the Cascade agenda of creating a better community through bicycling and has a good vision for the future of transportation in Seattle.

Tim Burgess, Seattle City Council Position 7: Tim has often taken a balanced and data-driven approach to transportation issues in Seattle and is generally progressive on bicycle-related issues.

Claudia Balducci, Bellevue City Council Position 5: Claudia is a Sound Transit Board member who is progressive on transportation issues and is interested in safer bicycle connections in Bellevue.

John Chelminiak, Bellevue City Council Position 3: John supports transit-oriented development, Complete Streets, and Safe Routes to School. He has worked hard to make Bellevue more bike-friendly.

Jessica Greenway, Kirkland City Council Position 4: Jessica is a big proponent of Complete Streets and ensuring that Kirkland’s roadways safely and fairly accommodate all users and all modes.

Dave Asher, Kirkland City Council Position 6: Dave voted for passage of the Complete Streets ordinance in Kirkland and is working to ensure that bicycle facilities are included in plans for the new 520 bridge.

Joshua Schaer, Issaquah City Council Position 4: Joshua is chair of the Council Transportation Committee and has fought to preserve Complete Streets funding for safe crosswalks in downtown Issaquah.

Catherine Stanford, Lake Forest Park City Council Position 2: Catherine is Board Chair of Great City and has fought hard for Burke Gilman Trail improvements.  This is her third endorsement by Cascade.

Richard Hildreth, City of Pacific Mayor: Richard supports smart growth policies in the small city of Pacific and is working to secure grant money for recreational trails and bike lanes in and around Pacific.

Joshua Putnam, Pacific City Council Position 6: Joshua is an active Cascade member and bicycle commuter who – like Mayor Hildreth – is an advocate for trail and bike lanes in Pacific.

If you are a candidate who would like to seek an endorsement by Cascade Bicycle Club for the primary or the general election, please visit this blog post for more information on how to apply.  You can also contact Chris Rule, Political Programs Manager, or Max Hepp-Buchanan, Advocacy Campaigns Manager.

Posted in Elections | 1 Comment »

A double dose of Complete Streets medicine in Olympia

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

There are now two Complete Streets bills proposed in Olympia this legislative session, with many thanks to Cascade-endorsed freshman House Representative, Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34, West Seattle, Burien, Vashon Island). On Friday, Feb. 28, Fitzgibbon introduced House Bill 1700, arguably the most comprehensive state-wide Complete Streets policy the Washington state legislature has seen thus far.

Though the term “Complete Streets” is never used in the language of the bill, HB 1700 acknowledges that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) should provide not just for the needs of drivers, but also public transportation vehicles and patrons, bicyclists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities when planning and implementing state transportation projects and programs. Because of the numerous documented benefits of using “active” modes of transportation (biking and walking) the proposed bill does three main things:

First, HB 1700 amends the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) to allow cities, towns, and counties to use the most current version of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines when designing bicycle and pedestrian ways. This is an important step forward for Washington state communities because AASHTO’s design guidelines are currently being updated and are generally more flexible and comprehensive than those in WSDOT’s Highway Design Manual.

Likewise, local jurisdictions are also allowed to meet the standards of an “equivalent design guide”, which may pave the way for local adoption of an even more progressive manual, like that produced by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). In short, communities will have a larger toolbox of bicycle and pedestrian design treatments at their fingertips, resulting in more innovative ways to get pedestrians and cyclists along and across local roadways.

Second, HB 1700 requires that WSDOT consult with local jurisdictions in the scoping, design, and planning phases of all state transportation projects. This includes clarifying community goals and priorities before the project even begins the design phases.

Lastly, when constructing, retrofitting, or maintaining streets, bridges, or other parts of the state transportation network, WSDOT must “consider the needs of all users” by applying design solutions consistent with the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE’s) guide on urban walkable communities. This is the essence of Complete Streets: that in all transportation projects and on all roads[1], the DOT must plan for and accommodate the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists of all ages and abilities, including children, youth, families, older adults, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and movers of commercial goods.

HB1700 already has 13 co-sponsors, including Cascade favorites Marko Liias (D-21, Edmonds, Mukilteo) and Andy Billig (D-3, Spokane). Even further increasing the bill’s chances in the legislature, the ranking Republican member of the Transportation Committee, Rep. Mike Armstrong (R-12, Wenatchee) is also a co-sponsor.

HB 1700 is not to be confused with House Bill 1071, which is also co-sponsored by Fitzgibbon and is supported by organizations such as Transportation Choices Coalition and Cascade, among many others. HB 1071 creates a Complete Streets grant program (pending future funding) that provides cities with incentives to adopt Complete Streets ordinances. The proposed bill also directs WSDOT to work with local communities to create safe roadway environments for bicyclists, pedestrians, and people of all ages and abilities on state highways that reside within incorporated cities. On Friday, Jan. 28, HB 1071 passed out of the House Transportation Committee.

With two Cascade-supported Complete Streets bills now in the works this legislative session, our commitment to Complete Streets in 2011 goes beyond the work we have recently done in our region. No town is too small and no jurisdiction is too large for what is the simple accommodation of all people who want to use the roadway, regardless of how they get around.

[1] With limited exceptions.

Posted in Advocacy, Complete streets, Olympia | 1 Comment »

Smile for the camera! Seattle finds a new way to make it count

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 by Max Hepp-Buchanan

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin 2011 with a new bicycle and pedestrian count methodology developed through the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project.

The city has contracted a company to conduct bicycle and pedestrian counts once per quarter this year, with the first count periods occurring Jan. 11 to 13. The contractor will use cameras at the count locations, which is great news since filling all the spots with volunteers is a huge challenge.

Following a consistent, nationally recognized methodology will improve the quality and reliability of SDOT’s data.  The information collected will help measure the city’s progress toward increasing the number of people who walk and bike, and help make the case for improvements and investments.

Posted in Advocacy | 1 Comment »

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