The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) installed a new bike lane in Wallingford a week ago. The one-block bike lane should provide a welcome measure of safety to people biking in front of Dick’s Drive-In, a bustling burger joint. The bike lane, located on the south side of NE 45th St, heads in the eastbound, downhill direction.
The short bike lane segment was a high priority for SDOT due to the unique conditions of the street.
“This location was identified as a high collision location for bicyclists,” said Karen Westing, an SDOT communications specialist. “There was a pattern of vehicles turning into bicyclists coming down the hill on 45th at the driveway of Dick’s Drive-in, which has a high volume of visitors. We installed a buffer to formalize the lane where vehicles should be, create a space for bikes, and added green paint at the driveway entrances to identify the conflict zone and alert drivers more clearly of the presence of bicyclists.”
The spot improvement had been marked on the street for well over a year, but full thermoplastic markings were not installed until Saturday October 14th. SDOT said the delay was related to poor weather conditions after the initial sketch markings.
“SDOT crews did layout in 2016, however, due to the extended period of wet weather, the installation was delayed until we could ensure the treatment could be appropriately installed,” Karen Westing said.
The project cost was fairly minimal at just under $4,200 for the full-block installation. While the spot bike facility should improve safety on this portion of the NE 45th St corridor, the remainder of the corridor lacks any similar treatments. Plans to further improve the corridor are a few years off yet, SDOT said.
The Bicycle Master Plan identifies bike improvements across I-5 on NE 45th St in and around 2021. The implementation timing mirrors the planned construction timing for the Market RapidRide bus corridor. That line would run between Ballard and the University District largely via N/NE 45th St. Planning for the corridor is slated to begin next year, which will undoubtedly involve discussions for how bike facilities should be accommodated.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.