The mayor is taking a lead in supporting healthy lifestyles and outlines a few things the city is doing to address public health concerns, several of which support walking:
Walk, Bike, Ride: We launched an update to the Transit Master Plan that will take a 20-year look ahead to the type of transit system required to meet Seattle’s needs through 2030. In 2011, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will do projects in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plans including 15 miles of bike lanes and sharrows, 20 miles of bicycle routes, re-marking 300 crosswalks, and 10 blocks of new sidewalks. focuses on creating great places in neighborhoods. Additional placemaking efforts will be integrated into urban design frameworks and include finding a solution to the Martin Luther King and Rainier intersection that enables buses, cars and pedestrians to move efficiently through the area, neighborhood plan updates as the Linden Avenue North Complete Streets project continues to take shape, and identifying the improvement necessary to make Metro’s new Rapid Ride corridors to Ballard and West Seattle walkable and comfortable for transit riders.
Encouraging Safe Routes to School: In 2011, SDOT will make the following improvements at 14 schools: four school-zone beacons, six signage improvements, new curb bulbs to improve pedestrian crossings at three locations, and sidewalk repair or maintenance at Concord Elementary and Van Asselt Elementary.
Creating great places: In 2011, we will work on land use and transportation changes near King Street station by developing a hub design strategy, pedestrian and bicycle wayfinding, streetscape improvements and bike parking. These projects will occur around light rail stations and King Street station in order to better make our transit hubs a part of our neighborhoods. And that helps make our communities more walkable.
