From The Stranger (Seattle), 06.18.07:
Changing Lanes: Business Leader Kills Stone Way Bike LaneApparently squeezing bicyclists is not a concern of Ms. Burke. This article relates a typical Big Business vs. Popular Interests tale. Wealthy interests derail the desires of the larger community as the politician takes a dive. Typical, ain't it? It shouldn't require a massive mobilization to make modest improvements in a bike network. Sadly, it may in this case. Advocacy works.
Under pressure from the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the unofficial "Mayor of Fremont," Fremont property owner Suzie Burke, Mayor Greg Nickels eliminated an important link in the Bicycle Master Plan adopted by the city earlier this year.
Burke says she only opposes the bike lane because she wants to keep Stone Way safe for industrial traffic. "Stone Way is a pretty heavy truck corridor," Burke says. "Personally, I'm concerned about squeezing those trucks. It's pretty important to keep the industrial folks moving." Read more.)
Image: Web capture. Image of Burke-Gilman Trail near Seattle.
Visit: Seattle: Cyclists soon to get safer routes
Visit: Cycling rising in Seattle
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site
3 comments:
As someone in the process of planning a move to the Fremont/Wallingford area, I'm appalled at this! The Burke/Gilman trail is frequently touted as one of the great amenities of living in that area, and to shy away from continued development, and even extend the closure of a section of it longer than necessary, really undermines the progress which people in Fremont love to brag about so much.
see all that and raise you one. i worked and lived for a year in ballard/fremont almost 20 years back. as it existed then, with less trafficked roads in industrial corridors, one could bike the streets with little interference and conflict. but since then, whole sections have since been invaded by big box retail. the city shouldn't have allowed that to happen, lacking concurrent development of bike routes.
Sadly enough, even with these developments, I still expect bike commuting in Seattle to be far superior to what I've experience in Los Angeles.
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