Protected bike lanes on Second Avenue boost ridership in Seattle
Sep 17, 2014, 6:04 AM | Updated: 7:29 am
Despite the confusing traffic lights and reduced traffic lanes, bicyclists seem to love the new protected bike lanes on Second Avenue in downtown Seattle.
According to the city, nearly 1,100 bicyclists used the new two-way bike lanes each day during the first week. That’s three times the riders that were using the one-way, unprotected bike lane prior to the conversion.
The city used electronic counters to get the tallies Sept. 9-11. The data also shows car traffic was slowed by an average of a minute a trip.
As the City of Seattle press release said, “With numerous events occurring that first week, to include opening day of the National Football League season at CenturyLink Field, engineers expect travel times to decrease further as drivers become accustomed to the new roadway configuration.”
Except that the the Seahawks home-opener was Thursday Sept. 4, four days before the protected bike lane opened.
The delay is more likely attributed to the fact that there is one less traffic lane for cars under the new configuration.
