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Friday, January 18, 2013

Transportation Our Bike-Friendly City (Our Grinning, Cycling Mayor)

Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 8:15 AM

Al Jazeera reports:

This is a wonderful piece. And I think it's on track with the sentiment of most Seattle residents, who support cyclists, like riding, and would pay for more bike infrastructure. You'd think, though, that Seattle is stuffed with bike lanes and separated tracks, the result of a city council that actually funded its bike master plan and a mainstream media that didn't treat cyclists like a political target. But you'd be wrong about that part.

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To readers of #8: Don't take the Troll bait

Posted by Calling a Troll a Troll on January 18, 2013 at 3:26 PM

When that shithead's only friends are the Stranger and al Jazeera, do you think it might be a problem?

Posted by Mister G on January 18, 2013 at 11:57 AM

Dom - if the mayor actually rode his bike to work, as opposed to getting a ride for most of the way and then getting off of his bike to appear that he rode, your article or plea would have more weight...don't you ever check??

Posted by factcheck on January 18, 2013 at 11:21 AM

Are you refering to the City Council that added bike money during last fall's budget review? Money in addition to the base proposed by the "grinning, cycling mayor"? The City Council leading on greenways and a complete Downtown cycletrack?

Posted by sally on January 18, 2013 at 10:33 AM

Treacle nailed it. Seattle is pretty damn nice to ride in. I look forward to when it's even better. The countryside of King and Kitsap counties (as well as the two nearby mountain ranges) pretty much seal Seattle as a great city to be a cyclist.

@3
I wonder if they're talking about the Elliot Bay trail and the ped/bike bridge to LQE? I can't watch the video on my phone.

Posted by emor on January 18, 2013 at 10:27 AM

Ok sure, bike lanes/separated tracks/etc/etc. could be better here. That's always true. And I'm in favor of improving things --(hey, what about street signs on the Burke-Gilman trail so cyclists know what streets they're crossing?). But as a cyclist who got his start bicycle commuting in Michigan many years ago, I have to say, Seattle is a fucking bicyclist paradise (the hills notwithstanding, Amsterdam we ain't). Bicycling is great here. Cars are polite to fault, there are plenty of alternate routes to most places, lanes, sharrows, lots of other bicyclists, beautiful views. Sure, there are bad things, like the 15th Ave Bridge to/from Ballard that is a total death trap, and the Shilshole situation that is so messy...

But all told, it's pretty damn good here. IMHO.

Posted by treacle on January 18, 2013 at 9:56 AM

What is this "network of downtown bike trails" near the Via apartment development? Did the reporter actually visit Seattle?

Posted by ian on January 18, 2013 at 9:35 AM