By reporter Steven Smalley
Here?s a little note to all the bicycle pilots in these parts from Magnolia Voice reader and neighbor, Leslie. A tip of the hat to her for the contribution. Keep on pedaling.
?The Seattle Department of Transportation is currently looking at the city?s Bike Plan to determine what routes should be given high priority. The Bike Plan, adopted a month ago, shows a neighborhood greenway and multi-use trail connecting 32nd Ave. W. with W. Marina Pl. Such a trail would be wonderful for both resident bicyclists commuting to downtown and also for those who like taking walks.?Wouldn?t it be wonderful if we could walk from Magnolia village to the marina? The trail would also make it vastly quicker to bicycle from the village to downtown. You wouldn?t have to go over the hill and then down Thorndyke.?The trails suggested in the Bike Plan are to be implemented over a 3-5 year period. But if Magnolians would support this idea by sending messages to Sara Zora in SDOT (sara.zora@seattle.gov), the project is likely to get higher priority. I think this (bike) link would vastly improve the lives of Magnolia residents by encouraging more biking and walking in the neighborhood.?
Thanks for this story. Sounds like a neat idea. Is there any map available that illustrates this route?
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/bmp/apr14/W_Sector.pdf
It would be great if they would add this trail in. It would make the commute into work so much nicer and I think it would take a lot of bike traffic. Not only that, but I think I would be more adapt to take my family on a stroll or cycle to the marina as well.
I’m wondering why 32nd, and not 34th, for the stretch connecting the village with Discovery Park. The latter could use some beautification and greenway to slow traffic down. I assume if 32nd is going to become a greenway, they’ll remove the traffic circles and come up with something that doesn’t too heavily impact the residents who rely on on-street parking. (There are a lot of houses along here that only have alley access.)
Let’s not forget the purpose of 34th Ave W (I live along it), 34th is an ARTERIAL, used for moving traffic, whether buses, trucks/commerce or residents. There are only two major North/South routes in Magnolia, the other being 28th. Slowing it down (lower than the 30/35mph limit) should NOT be a goal. While I would love to see traffic crawling along and beautification done, the reality is that is not going to happen.
I can imagine the reason for using 32nd for the route is both because there is less vehicle traffic, but also because the city cannot afford to do the engineering studies and make bike lanes. Just wait, the city council will announce a ballot for a “bicycle lane LEVY” is coming….
I agree that slowing it down shouldn’t be a goal, but beautification wouldn’t be a bad thing. More importantly, though, 34th is a wider right-of-way than 32nd, at least north of Barrett.
After Barrett, 32nd Avenue narrows considerably. While not preferred, the fact is that most homeowners park their cars on the street becuase many do not have alley access. Particularly at the corner of Barrett and 32nd where (not to mention names) folks appear to be operating a car repair shop. It is barely passable with a car, let alone if there was a bike lane. 34th would be a much better route. It has a wide boulevard, allowing for dedicated bike lanes. 34th could definitely use some beautification. 34th extends the entire length of Magnolia in one parallel band and dovetails nicely to Government Way. The route is much more conductive to bike riding than 32nd, becuase it is flat (except for the hill before Government Way), and has the right-of-way all the way until Bill the Butcher’s. Whereas on 32nd, it would be unrestricted intersection one after the other.
My guess is that 32nd works because it leads down to the water and has the most direct access to the marina
That makes sense on the south end (and on the north end, too, where the route is to connect to the bridge over the railroad, go through Commodore Park, and cross the locks), but why not route it down 34th in between? Not sure unless it’s simply that they want to avoid having to put turns in on Government Way and on Lynn Street/Clise Place…
It would be great if it was made VERY clear at Discovery Park which trails are for bikes or NOT. I’ve seen multiple people ride on unpaved trails with their bikes and almost gotten hit on several occasions. The signs are old and not placed in very visible spots.
Yes, people obey signs, just like the “pets must be on a leash” signs.
At least they can’t plead ignorance if there are signs.
Give me a break. I’m at Discovery Park almost everyday and I have never run into any issues with cyclists on the trails. They are not at all accommodating towards riding in the first place and this story has NOTHING to do with Discovery Park.