Bike activists block lane of traffic in Downtown Seattle
May 18, 2018, 8:24 AM | Updated: 9:55 am
A group of cyclists temporarily shut down a lane of traffic in Downtown Seattle on Fourth Avenue between James and Cherry streets as they pushed for a network of protected bike lanes.
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KIRO 7’s John Knicely reports the protest was not sanctioned by the city.
The protesters moved off the street before 8:30 a.m. It’s unclear how long they blocked traffic.
Cyclists held the protest on Bike Everywhere Day (or Bike to Work Day).
Expanding the city’s protected bike lane network is one of several projects hindered by a funding shortfall. An assessment of the $930 million “Levy to Move Seattle” found that cost estimates included in the original budget were insufficient to meet the commitment. The city originally planned to build about 50 miles of protected bike lanes.
Shortly thereafter, there were reports that bike lanes were costing the city millions per mile, instead of hundreds of thousands. The Second Avenue bike lane through Belltown, for example, cost the city $12 million.
