Cycling rising in Seattle

Bicycling in Seattle appears to be on the ascendent, judging by a pair of recent articles in the local media. From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 04.05.07:

Seattle: Real smart lanes

Seattle's bicyclists could multiply, to the benefit of the environment, the city, drivers and the cyclists themselves. Smarter and safer riding is the clear promise of the city's new master plan for bicycling.

Mayor Greg Nickels' plan calls for more than 130 miles of new bike lanes and signed bus routes, as part of an effort to triple cycling in a city where roughly 2 percent of commuting is by bike. That is hardly overambitious. Advocates say some Portland neighborhoods already have one-fifth of trips made by bike, largely because of recent investments in new bike lanes and signs.

More cycling is the path we hope the city is truly moving along, quickly. (Read more.)

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 04.04.07:

Mayor wants to develop citywide bicycle network
More bike lanes and street enhancements

Seattle would more than double the number of its bicycle lanes and add other bike-friendly street enhancements to nearly 400 miles of roadways under a plan released Wednesday by Mayor Greg Nickels.

"It sets a new benchmark in the country," said David Hiller, advocacy director for the Cascade Bicycle Club, which helped develop the project. "We took every plan that was done (in other cities) and we said, 'We want to do better,' and I think we have."

The goal is to develop a 452-mile citywide network of bike lanes and routes over 10 years. Seattle currently has about 67 miles of bike routes and lanes. "The goal of this effort is simple: We want to make Seattle the best and the safest city in the nation for bicycling," Nickels said in a statement. (Read more.)

I've commented before that a supportive posture by a city's political leadership can greatly assist advocacy efforts for bicycling improvements. In San Francisco, we've generally made progress in spite of, not because of, our political leaders.

Image: Web capture. Bicyclists boarding ferry in Seattle.
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips