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Ballard Station, May 18, 2012
It's Bike To Work month. Friday, May 18, 2012 is Bike to Work Day! Once again this year,
Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail and Bikesport bicycle shop in Ballard,
http://ilovemybike.com, are teaming up to operate
a bike commuter station along the Burke-Gilman Trail at 8th NW (behind Hale's Ales).
We are hoping you have some time between 6am and 9am to volunteer for an hour, or two or three.
What's the deal? Well, you greet the swarms of fellow bicyclists, offering them food
bars, maps, or water bottles, invite them to the after party in Ballard,
http://www.cbcef.org/btw/btw_afterparty.html,
cheer them on their way, and generally get to share in the feel good vibe that this day
bestows on all BTWD bicyclists. It's fun, rewarding, very informative and chances are
good you'll see someone you know. Last year, nearly 900 cyclists past by
our station between 6 and 9. Truly inspiring......
If you are interested, please email Dave Janis,
singlespeeddave@gmail.com Thank you and hope to see you out on the road and trail.
P.S. Even if you are unable to help in the morning, please stop by the Bike To Work Day
after party in Ballard - see link above. Lots of great vendors, services,
chances to win stuff, and lots of Ballard bikers....
Requires Environmental Review
King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers ruled April 16 that the city must complete an
environmental review of a five-block section between
17th Ave NW and NW Vernon Place along Shilshole Avenue before construction can
begin on the Burke Gilman Trail's "missing link."
Judge Rogers ruled against the Ballard Industrial plaintiffs on eight of the nine issues
raised by them in their effort to reroute the trail away from Shilshole Avenue. Nevertheless his decision,
and a possible further appeal by the seven plaintiffs, effectively stalls completion of the final
section of the Burke Gilman Trail. Completion of the "missing link" is fully funded and ready for bid if and
when the legal obstacles can be overcome.
The Director of the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse is putting together
a library of images of projects completed with enhancements funding at
www.enhancements.org and would like to feature the Burke-Gilman trail.
If you are willing to contribute some photos of the trail to the project, please contact:
David Levinger
He is seeking 12-20 good photos with a short description of where on the trail
each photo was taken and what year that section was completed.
Possible April 12
The Superior Court is expected to rule as soon as April 12 on whether the City can move ahead with completion
of the "missing link" or whether the City will have to halt the project for a full environmental review.
The law suit brought by Ballard Industrialists and supported by the Ballard Chamber of Commerce
was heard by King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers on March 19 with plaintiffs arguing that
safety considerations and impact on marine-industrial businesses must be more fully addressed as required
by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). In 2009, the Hearing Examiner ruled against the plaintiffs
in favor of the City. To read arguments made before Judge Roberts visit
Seattle Times Article.
To read the plaintiffs petition to the Superior Court visit
Petition.
Speaks at Annual Meeting
SDOT’s new Acting Director, Peter Hahn, described planned improvements for 2010 under the Bicycle
Master Plan including installing 20 miles of bike lanes and sharrows, signing 30 miles of bicycle routes and
remarking 35 miles of bike facilities.
Ship Canal Trail (Phase 2): Construction is underway for the segment between 6th and 11th Avenues
West. SDOT continues to work with the railroad to complete a continuous trail from the
Fremont Bridge to Fisherman's Terminal along the south side of the Ship Canal.
Burke-Gilman Trail: Construction is delayed due to ongoing litigation. Hahn reassured Friends of the Burke Gilman Trail
that the city is ready to complete "the missing link" if and when the litigation is resolved in the City's favor.
Given the importance of defending the City's right to complete the trail, Friends of the Burke Gilman Trail
urges trail supporters to contribute to Cascades Burke-Gilman Legal Fund. To donate:
Click here. Then follow the links to the Burke-Gilman Legal Defense Fund
along Montlake Boulevard
Construction at the University of Washington light rail station is underway and during the
month of March 2010 there will be several construction activities along Montlake Blvd,
adjacent to the Husky Stadium (see attached map).
1) Sound Transit's contractor will be drilling to install geotechnical monitoring devices in
the sidewalk on the east side of Montlake Blvd. between NE Pacific Street and NE Pacific Place.
The contractor will reduce the width of the sidewalk to 5 feet for pedestrians/bicyclists and
will also set up construction signs warning of the work. This work is scheduled to take
place between from March 1 to March 17, 2010.
2) The contractor will demolish the pedestrian island at the NE Pacific Street crosswalk,
install a left-hand turn traffic signal southbound on Montlake Blvd, and re-stripe the
crosswalk. The signal work will involve closing multiple lanes of traffic on Montlake
Blvd near the intersection of NE Pacific Street. To minimize traffic disruption, some
of this work will take place at night (between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.). This work is scheduled
to begin on March 10, 2010.
3) The final surfacing (asphalt paving, concrete and asphalt sidewalk) for the driveway
entrance/exit at NE Pacific Street to Husky Stadium will also take place in March.
In order to complete this work, the contractor will close a lane of northbound traffic
to create a temporary sidewalk using concrete barriers to separate pedestrians and
bicyclists from automobile traffic. This work is scheduled to begin on March 8, 2010.
All of the above work is happening simultaneously with other work to widen the sidewalk and
create a safer environment for bicyclists and pedestrians. Bicyclist can avoid the
congested construction area by using the sidewalk on the west side of Montlake Blvd.
WHAT IS UNIVERSITY LINK?
U-Link is projected to add 70,000 daily riders to the Link system, bringing total daily
ridership to 114,000 in 2030. Construction of U-Link began in early 2009 and will continue
over the next six years. Passenger service is scheduled to begin in 2016.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the University Link light rail project, please contact Wilbert Santos
at (206) 370 -5516 or wilbert.santos@soundtransit.org. You can also visit our website at
www.soundtransit.org/UWstation.
 Estimated 250 Citizens Urge Trail Completion
Trail users young and old gathered just West of the Ballard
Bridge to send a message to the 2010 Mayor and Seattle City Council: please complete the "missing link" now that it is funded, designed
and ready to go to bid.
Completion of a safe trail along Shilshole Avenue has been a high priority for pedestrians,
recreational and commuter bicyclists for over a dozen years. It is currently delayed by litigation brought by Ballard
Industrialists and the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. Once the litigration is resolved, it will be up to the
next mayor and city council to fix an unsafe corridor without further delay.
MyBallard.com estimated that 250 people showed up for the Oct. 27 vigil between 5:30-6:30 pm with blinking red lights
and orange T shirts "WE ARE THE MISSING LINK"
Read story. Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn, an unequivocal trail supporter, attended the event.
The evening vigil was supported by Sustainable Ballard, Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail, Totcycle/Kidical Mass, Feet
First, Groundswell NW, Seattle Likes Bikes, Cascade Bicycle Club, Undriving.org, CoolMom,
Spokespeople, SCALLOPS, Urban Sparks, Sunset Hill Community Association, and Washington Liveaboard Association.
For more news on the event
see King5 News
Near UW Dec 14- Jan 3
University Link is a 3.15-mile extension of light rail from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington.
Between December 14, 2009 and January 3, 2010, Sound Transit's contractor will install the infrastructure for
an electrical ductbank that will provide power to the UW Station construction site and ultimately additional
high voltage service to the University of Washington campus. The work is scheduled during UW's winter break
to minimize impacts on trail users. While the work is underway, pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the
Burke Gilman Trail (BGT) will be re-routed for a short distance at the south end of the UW campus
(see attached alert).
Also during that same timeframe, contractors will install the electrical ductbank under Montlake Boulevard and it
will be necessary to restrict traffic to one lane in either direction. This work will be done at night to minimize
the impact to traffic on Montlake Boulevard.
If you would like more information concerning the University Link project please contact me at 206-370-5516
or wilbert.santos@soundtransit.org. You can also visit
http://www.soundtransit.org/UWstation
“Missing Link”of Burke-Gilman Trail
Creates unobstructed trail from
Sept. 9, 2008: Mayor Greg Nickels proposed to fund the last remaining segment of the
Burke-Gilman Trail in a speech to the international Pro Walk/ Pro Bike Conference
held in Seattle. His 2009-2010 proposed budget allocates
$8.6 million to complete the “Missing Link” segment over the next two years.
The funding will allow the city to construct a trail segment, commonly known as the “Missing Link,”
from 11th Avenue Northwest to the Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks. Under the mayor’s proposal,
the city would begin construction on the trail section in 2009 and complete its work by 2010.
Once completed, the trail will create a regional trail system running unobstructed
through Seattle, to Issaquah via the Sammamish River Trail and the East Lake Sammamish Trail.
It is the city’s top-rated trail priority as identified by the Bicycle Master Plan. This effort
supports the plan’s two primary goals of tripling the amount of cycling and reducing the
rate of bicycle collisions by a third.
Funding for the project will come from Bridging the Gap levy funds dedicated to bike and
trail improvements, the 2007 King County Proposition 2 Trail and Open Space levy, and from grants.
Bridging the Gap is the $365 million levy passed by Seattle voters in 2006. It enables
much-needed work by the Seattle Department of Transportation, such as roadway paving,
sidewalk development and repair, bridge maintenance, and tree planting. The levy also
supports the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans, enhanced transit connections and l
arge Neighborhood Street Fund projects.
details at: at Seattle.gov
Organize to Support Section of BG Trail
Friends of the Burke Gilman Trail at Lake Forest Park is a group of Lake Forest Park residents
and business owners who believe that the Burke-Gilman Trail
is a local treasure in need of active support from the community.
For more information
Described in Nov. 11, 2007 Article
Seattle PI reporter Angela Galloway discusses some of the remaining hurdles
to completing the Burke Gilman Trail "missing link." Read her article
posted on the web Nov. 11, 2007
on SDOT Web Site
To see design proposals and Frequently Asked Questions visit SDOT's site at:
To Benefit Burke-Gilman Trail
Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) contributed $3,507 in April, 2005 to Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail as part of their nation-wide support of "Service Projects" that encourage volunteerism, trail maintenance and public outdoor projects. FOBGT Chairman Dave Janis(left) receives the contribution from REI's Josh Mitchell (right). To view upcomming clinics and store events for the Seattle area see StoreEvents
to Clean Up Shilshole Ave.
Could Open in January Celebrate 30th Anniversary
Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail handed out a route map showing the sections that are funded for completion and the "missing link" which will require continuing efforts from Trail supporters to reach the funding and planning stages. A highlight of the flyer were 45 businesses in Ballard who support the trail. Read more in the Seattle Time's article Burke-Gilman Trail's history celebrated on 30th anniversary.
"The Missing Link": No schedule has been announced for securing funds, design and construction of this last section of the Burke-Gilman Trail which goes from 11th Street to the Locks. Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail continue to push for progress on this critical section of the trail.
The Vote is 7 to 2
The final vote came after several amendments to the "Green Route" resolution were narrowly defeated. These amendments included a proposal to extend the trail further along Ballard Avenue to Market Street and a proposal to postpone any decision until another alternative route could be considered. Helping to convince the council were letters written by owners of businesses along the "Green Route" who believe a safe trail can be built and can coexist with industry.. It helped that there was an out pouring of letters and emails from all of you trail supporters. The next step is to design a safe trail that meets the concerns of both bicyclists and industry, apply for funding and move ahead with optimism and a progressive spirit. Contact us with your ideas and suggestions for supporting the trail through the next phase.
To read Mayor Nickels' press release, go to http://www.cityofseattle.gov/mayor/. Once there, you can see the final Ballard Corridor Design Study report, which gives the details of the proposed route. Though the Mayor is not proposing seeking funding for the entire length of trail at present, the compromise he reached on trail routing and phasing strikes a balance between completing key segments of the trail, and acknowledging the vitality and vigor of Ballard's industrial businesses and their operational needs. This is a win-win for everyone involved! To see the SDOT recommendation, go to http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/Burke_Gilman.htm
Click on maps to see full size
Makes Case for "Green Route" The Last Half Mile
The “Missing Link” is the subject of a Dec 11, 2000 article in the Seattle Times.
Spokesmen on both side of the trail issue are interviewed by the Times staff.
Years to Go Before Gap in Burke-Gilman Closes
Burke-Gilman Trail Study Wins Design Award
Nov 14, 2001: A design study commissioned by the Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail has won the
"Merit Award for Landscape Planning and Analysis" from the Washington Society of Landscape Architects.
Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail, a neighborhood group advocating the completion of the
popular Burke-Gilman Trail through Ballard, worked with the local firms Susan Black - Landscape
Architects and A Northwest Collaborative on the study. Its goal are design solutions for
a multi-use trail within the city-owned railroad right-of-way connecting the Ballard Locks
and the Ballard Bridge, while maintaining rail service.
Davidya Kaserzyk, AIA, principal of one of the design firms, expressed his satisfaction upon
winning the award "The award was given for quality planning and analysis of a very difficult
urban design issue. Our design clearly shows that a trail can coexist with the railroad."
Jack Brautigam, Chair of the Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail, weighs in
"The study shows how a trail could benefit the Ballard Industrial Area and the
National Historic District by considering the needs of businesses and industry as well
as those of cyclists and pedestrians."
"Missing Link" Trail Sketches
We present our design for the ‘missing link’ section of Burke-Gilman Trail through Ballard.
The design shows how a multi-use trail can fit within the rail and street right-of-way. The Trail will create new
non-motorized transportation options while optimizing the use of this valuable corridor for freight, rail, and automobiles.
Visit our “Trail Design” page to view design drawings showing segments of the route.
We invite your questions, comments and your participation. Email us at Friends@BurkeGilmanTrail.Org.
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Undeterred by intermittent showers, about 150 people showed up to celebrate the 30 year
struggle to complete the Burke-Gilman Trail and to break ground for the section
of trail between the Ballard (Chittenden) Locks and NW 60th Street.
City Councilors Richard Conlin and Jim Compton, both long-time trail supporters, praised the
Burke-Gilman as good for people, good for business and good for the national goal
of providing alternatives to fossil fuel dependency.