Breaking: Good News & Bad News

[Gordon Padelford]

Hey folks,

It's been a busy week and it's only Monday.

First the good news:

We're excited that the much needed parking reforms have passed! 

This will mean:
1) More secure bike parking in new buildings (similar levels to Portland, Oregon)!
2) People can't be forced to pay for car parking they don't want ("unbundling"), helping to keep rents down. 

3) Car parking garages can be shared more easily, reducing the number of garages that are needed (for instance: Seattle Central College needs its garage during the day, but can now rent it out at night to people driving to Capitol Hill for its nightlife).

​Unfortunately, the bad news on a different topic is that the city is proposing to delay the much needed downtown Basic Bike Network, again, right when it could be most useful to give people another alternative getting around. Join us at Seattle City Hall, April 3rd at 2 PM to say ENOUGH DELAYS! 

If you can't make it tomorrow please, send the city a message.


More info:

In the bicycle implementation plan from 2015, 2nd to Dearborn and Pike/Pine were planned for 2016, and 4th Ave for 2017.

Now it's 2018, and the city is proposing delaying these critical safety and mobility projects: 2nd-Dearborn to 2019, Pike/Pine to 2020/21 and 4th to 2021.

Thanks for all that you do,

-Gordon

Executive Director

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

Website - Twitter - Facebook

Previous message about the Basic Bike Network:
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Hey folks,

I know that you're focused on making your neighborhood a great place to walk, bike, and live but most of us need to go downtown at some point - in a way downtown is everybody's neighborhood. And we all have a right to get there safely.

That's why we're so concerned safer bike lanes downtown are in jeopardy. Click here to send a message to government leaders who are on the fence about whether to go forward with protected bike lanes on 4th Ave downtown.

When protected bike lanes were added to 2nd Ave not only did the street become much safer for people biking (and walking) but the number of people biking jumped dramatically and just increased by 30% again this year.

We have the same opportunity to create protected bike lanes on 4th ave to make it safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to access downtown jobs, and destinations like the flagship library, the downtown YMCA, City Hall, and the Cinerama just to name a few. If built along with other parts of the #BasicBikeNetwork, the city expects to more than double the number of people who bike downtown by 2023. And we also know that protected bike lanes make it safer to walk too by separating car turning and walking signal phases.

The city and region spent years of planning and millions of dollars to come up with a comprehensive plan that will improve transit travel times by 40%, move more people overall, and make it safer to walk and bike downtown.

Send a message to government leaders: we want action now, not more delays. #WeCantWait

Thanks for caring and making a difference,