The Seattle Weekly newspaper takes a look at bicycle commuting this week in an article aptly entitled “Vicious Cycle.”
Reporter David Neiwert is right on target as he writes that even though Seattle has a reputation across the country for being bicycle friendly, that doesn't mean there's plenty of room for improvements.
It's obvious that Neiwert has spent his time in the saddle. He reports about bicycle lanes that vanish at the edge of the downtown district, the auto-centric Eastside suburbs, and the limited bike racks on buses.
He cites the Cascade Bicycle Club's “Left by the Side of the Road” report in 2005. While the Puget Sound area has a 1,500-mile bicycle network, 27% of the network fails “to satisfy basic criteria for safe and efficient bicycle transportation.”
Among the shortcomings are incomplete “major” routes (such as Burke-Gilman trail), lack of system connectivity, substandard roadways, and numerous safety concerns.
I'm sure people reading this in cities across the country are wondering what all the fuss is about. I've lived in areas where a 15-mile bicycle network would have been a luxury.
But it seems that when a metro area starts building a bicycle network and touts itself as a mecca for bicyclists, it should take care to do the job right. Afterall, it's lured all these cyclists out onto the road.
In the Seattle area, a Cascade Bicycle Club commute director estimates 12,000 people hit the streets, according to the Seattle Weekly.
To address some of these issues, Seattle's bicycle program coordinator Peter Lagerway will begin hosting meetings to draw up a Bicycle Master Plan. The first is 7 p.m. Aug. 29 at University of Washington's Gould Hall.
Information about Seattle's urban trail system.
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