Two-way bike lane on NW 45th St a welcoming improvement for road users in Ballard

SEATTLE, December 17, 2013 - The Seattle Department of Transportation today announced that part of the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link, on NW 45th Street, will have a two-way protected bike lane starting next week.

"We are pleased that SDOT is finally making long overdue improvements to make NW 45th Street safe for people riding bicycles," said Elizabeth Kiker, Executive Director of the Cascade Bicycle Club. “This is a huge step toward safer connections in and around Ballard.”

The identified segment of NW 45th Street is one of the highest bicycle collision locations in the city and also a heavy industrial area. A recent review of four years of crash data revealed that an emergency vehicle responds to a bicycle crash on NW 45th Street and Shilshole Avenue, on average, nearly every month.

For over a decade, Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail, Groundswell NW, Cascade Bicycle Club and thousands of Ballardites have been advocating for the completion of the Burke-Gilman trail. The one-way eastbound solution comes after collaboration between organizations, the city and area businesses.

“The safety improvements are a crucial interim step, and we look forward to the outcome of the current environmental impact study surrounding the completion of the Missing Link,” said Kiker. “We are confident that the survey results will pave the way for all people to safely making their way to or through Ballard.”