Originally Posted by
coolkat
Just wanted to quickly add--the Westlake Path is designed for granny and the kids. Dexter is the route for faster, more experienced cyclists.
Designing for granny and the kids shouldn't be a problem. The problem is that we expect too little of our kids and granny's. Kids and granny's all over The Netherlands ride their bicycles on The Netherlands segregated path network without problems. They stay to the right or move to the right if riding side by side. Faster bicyclists pass them. No problem. It's safe and works for everyone from 7-year-old kids riding on their own to school to folks riding 20+ mph to work. It also works for 5-year-olds riding with their mum and disabled doing 20 mph in their mobility scooter.
What doesn't work for everyone is sharing space with 3000 lb motor vehicles. This works for maybe 2% of the population. It's discriminatory against many disabled, most women (sorry Dufus, but most women dislike riding with traffic far more than most men), most kids under about 15 (and exceptionally dangerous for those over 15), and all elderly.
Seattle can and should build a facility along here that serves all of these users. If their engineers aren't capable I know some Dutch engineering students who'd be happy to come show them how.