Seattle opens first downtown separated bike lanes on Second Avenue
Sep 8, 2014, 9:07 AM | Updated: 1:11 pm
A bike rider heads southbound on Second Avenue in the newly opened separated bike lane that began operating Monday morning. (Josh Kerns/MyNorthwest.com)
(Josh Kerns/MyNorthwest.com)
A new protected bike lane on Second Avenue in downtown Seattle opened Monday morning, making for a big change in the effort to balance cars and bikes in the city.
The two-way lane is separated from cars on the road by a series of reflective posts. It runs from Pike Street to Yesler Way. Previously, there was merely a single lane designated by a few stripes.
Crews installed the new bike lane over the weekend. The bike lane is on the left side of the street. Street parking is now outside the protected lane in what used to be a traffic lane.
Along with the new lanes, new traffic lights have been installed on the left side of the road. Bikes get their own green light at the intersections. Drivers turning left will have a separate green light.
The city is hoping the new lane will improve safety and comfort for bike riders, and cut down on accidents, like the one two weeks ago that killed a cyclist on Second Avenue.
The Seattle Department of Transportation says 61 bike related collisions have been reported on Second Avenue between Pine and Jackson on Second Avenue over the past four and a half years. Fifty percent involved left hand turns, including the recent fatal collision.
“This project will help Seattle better understand how to build protected and grade-separated bike lanes,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “Second Avenue’s improved design will work better for pedestrians, bikes, automobiles and transit.”
Seattle has built several other separated bike lanes in the past year on Broadway on Capitol Hill, and in the Bitter Lake area of Northwest Seattle.
