Seattle adds new protected bike lanes downtown

SEATTLE -- Seattle is about to add two protected bike lanes on two of the busiest downtown streets. Starting in September, six blocks of Pike Street and Pine Street between 2nd Avenue and 8th Avenue will be changing.

The Department of Transportation said the streets will be reorganized to allow biking on the left hand side, separated by barriers from general car traffic and transit. Traffic signals will be upgraded with bike signals and some left-hand turns restricted to reduce conflicts at key intersections.

It's similar to what the city did in 2014 on 2nd Avenue, where it eliminated a traffic lane and replaced it with a protected bike lane.

On Pine Street , there will be two general purpose lanes with what the city calls “transit accommodations” and the protected bike lane.

But on Pike Street, which Seattle Department of Transportation communications manager Dan Anderson said carries more traffic, there will be just one general purpose lane, down from three in some sections, one transit lane and the protected bike lane.

John Miaetta, who lives downtown and walks to work, said he thinks it's a poor choice for a bike lane.

“Unless they are going to put bike lanes on every single road, they should put them on the ones that have the least amount of traffic, that's what makes sense," Miaetta said.

According to the Department of Transportation's website, one in four crashes on Pine Street involve people walking or biking and the city can reduce these numbers by better organizing the streets.

The new lanes are part of the city's commitment to build a downtown network of protected lanes by 2020.

“There's this huge need for an east-west route and Pike and Pine is just the place it’s got to be,” said Tom Fucoloro of the Seattle Bike Blog.

He said the plan is an improvement but doesn’t go far enough.

“My preferred method would be the city come out and do it all at once, so we can have a network that functions as soon as possible," Focoloro said.

Veteran bike courier Dan Lawson said the city needs to think twice about the design it’s drawing up.

“The designers have to understand that people don't see the bikes in the bike lanes," said Lawson, owner of Zen Couriers. He said he’s spent 33 years delivering goods on his bike in downtown and has seen more than most.

“When cars make left turns in front of the bike lanes, they aren’t looking for any bikes," Lawson said.

The city may find the advice Lawson gives his couriers unsettling.

“I tell my guys to ride out in the traffic and stay out of the bike lanes because of all the injuries we've had have been from people turning into the bike lanes," Lawson said.

The changes to Pike and Pine should be completed by November with construction taking place mostly on the weekends.