Originally Posted by
FBinNY
I wonder at the city's intent for this bicycle path. If intended as a thru route, it seems a poor choice. But it might be intended as a service route so give bicyclist better access to the stores and waterfront. Or it might be intended to bring some order to what is now a chaotic pattern with lot hoppers, drivers backing out of parking spaces, and pedestrians crossing back and froth to their cars.
Just as all streets aren't highways, I don't have a problem with bike paths that aren't optimized for thru traffic. **** As long as there's no must use mandate****
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. 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. 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.
Seattle currently has no law that mandates the use of bike lanes. I sure hope they don't change their mind anytime soon.