Originally Posted by
daihard
As I understand it, Seattle intends to build a bike track that will be useful mainly for the bike commuters who pass through the area.
Correct, it's primarily a connector to office districts at the south end of Lake Union, in downtown Seattle, and along the southeast shore of the lake. That area has seen very rapid bicycle commuting growth in recent years, especially with Amazon moving its campus to South Lake Union and the many other high-tech offices with casual dress codes and support for bicycle commuting.
The current alternate route, Dexter Ave, runs parallel to Westlake (to a certain point) and has relatively good bike paths, but its hilly nature discourages many cyclists from using it.
Dexter is parallel for part of the route, other parts are several hilly blocks up from the lake front. Dexter also continues south when Westlake wraps around the south end of the lake, adding several more blocks of hills and intersection delays for commuters headed to the southeast shore of the lake. Many commuters prefer the current warren of parking lot hazards to the hills and intersection conflicts of Dexter.
The hope is that building a bike track on Westlake will encourage more people to take bikes to work instead of driving as well as providing a safer environment for those who currently ride on Westlake.
The path is also intended to reduce complaints from businesses and customers along Westlake who currently have to watch for 15-20 mph cyclists riding through the parking lot.