For all Seattle’s groundbreaking initiatives for bicyclists and pedestrians over the years, cyclists traveling between the Fremont Bridge/Burke-Gilman Trail and South Lake Union/downtown didn’t have a flat, grade-separated option. The Westlake Cycle Track is changing that as we speak. After nearly three years of community discussions, planning meetings, design concepts, drawings, and detailed plans – all painstakingly made available on the project website – construction of this critical network link is nearing completion.
The project builds a protected, two-way bicycle lane in previously undefined space shared by parking, people walking and in wheelchairs, people on bikes, delivery vehicles and pretty much anything else you can think of. The project also provides more separated space for the ever-growing numbers of recreational walkers and runners. The result is a safer, better organized and more predictable corridor serving all users while preserving the majority of existing parking and access, which are necessary for businesses to thrive.
Staff in Toole Design Group’s Seattle office led the alternatives analysis, participated in every step of the public outreach process, and developed the initial engineering design sets that the City then used as a basis for their final design. You can follow the final phases of implementation and get all the background documentation on this project by visiting the City’s webpage here.
TDG Contact: Peter Lagerwey plagerwey@tooledesign.com
