Mayor McGinn addressing the kids as they get ready for the inaugural ride on the Ballard Greenway.
Bicyclists and pedestrians in Ballard are celebrating the installation of Seattle’s third neighborhood greenway – officially opened on Saturday, September 7. Over 2.1 miles long, the neighborhood greenway follows NW 58th Street for the majority of the route, improving access to a park, schools, shops, restaurants and services. The greenway starts at the Burke-Gilman Trail at Seaview Avenue NW, and connects to NW 58th Street at 32ndAvenue NW via Seaview Place NW and NW 57th Street.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) worked closely with the community and the two volunteer groups—Ballard Greenways and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways—to find solutions for making the corridor friendlier for all travelers. Traffic calming improvements include lowering the speed limit to 20 miles per hour; adding wheelchair curb ramps at busy intersections; putting in speed humps; making sidewalk and pavement repairs; widening the sidewalk on Seaview Avenue NW; installing Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons at 24th Avenue NW and a partial diverter at 15th Avenue NW.
“I’m delighted for Ballard’s first greenway to be opening,” said Jennifer Litowski, Ballard resident. “I say this as a resident; as a parent; as someone who walks to the store and bikes to work; and as someone who wants to encourage affordable, safe, healthy, low impact solutions for Seattleites.”
“Safety is my number one priority,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “We want to make our streets safer and more comfortable for everyone from children to grandparents to walk and bike. Creating a citywide network of neighborhood greenways is one step to achieving this goal.”
“Congratulations, Ballard!” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. “Our goal is to make it possible for people who choose to walk and ride bikes to safely connect to the places they want to go in their neighborhoods. I can’t wait for the day when we have an entire network of neighborhood greenways.”
SDOT is currently installing neighborhood greenways in the Beacon Hill neighborhood connecting the I-90 trail to S Lucile Street and I-5 overpass, in the Delridge neighborhood connecting the West Seattle Bridge Trail to High Point and on Fremont Avenue N connecting to the Interurban Trail. Also being studied are additional routes in Ballard, the Delridge/Highland Park neighborhood, University District, Central Area, Madison Park and Olympic Hills in Lake City.
Neighborhood greenways are a part of Road Safety Action Plan and the Be Super Safe campaign launched in 2012. For more information, see http://www.seattle.gov/besupersafe