Bikeability Tour Report Edmonds, WA August 28, 2013
Purpose:
To understand the strengths and weaknesses of the bicycle network in Edmonds through a community bike ride. The route focused on safe, direct connections in and out of downtown Edmonds to access transit, schools, Highway 99 and the Interurban Trail by bike.
Route:
General Recommendations Wayfinding: Adopt wayfinding and signage standards that are uniform across jurisdictions in south Snohomish County. Use them to help connect existing infrastructure and highlight local attractions and important destinations. Add signage. Connectivity: Boost connectivity
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 28 2013, 5:15 p.m-7:30 p.m.
Start/End Location: Marina Beach Park
Attendees: • • • • • • • • • •
Adam Ali Akram Ali Veronica Calayan Jan Johnson Steve Kaiser Tom Kirkendall Vicky Spring Edgar Leonen Tracy Norlen Mark Peterson
• • • • • • • • •
Nathan Proudfoot Todd Rosenfelt Scot Simpson Reid Larson George Kosovich Ryann Child, Cascade Bicycle Club Jeff Aken, Cascade Bicycle Club Peter Hallson, Cascade Ride Leader Avilio Moreno, Cascade Ride Leader
City Representative: • Bertrand Hauss, City of Edmonds, Traffic Engineer
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by improving key cross-jurisdictional routes such as 212th S SW with buffered bike lanes. Extend the bike lanes on 220th St. SW east to connect to 76th Ave W and the Interurban Trail, improve safety on Olympic View Drive for bikes and add buffered lanes to 9th Ave. Develop a greenway on 6th Ave S that allows children and families to comfortably access downtown by bike
Infrastructure for all ages and abilities: Update plans and
implement projects that reflect new infrastructure designs that work for all people of ages and abilities, such as protected bike lanes that separate fast moving cars from bicycles and intersection designs that promote predictability and safety.
Recommendations: Area: Dayton Street to 8th Avenue S Observations • Dayton is a wide street with one travel lane in each direction and on-street parking along both sides of the street. It is currently a signed bicycle route. • It is one block south of Main Street, giving people on bikes easy access to restaurants and shops along Main Street. • Dayton is a direct connection to many key destinations such as Edmonds Station (Sounder Rail and Amtrak), Edmonds Library and the Frances Anderson Community Center. • Multiple 4-way stops make the route less convenient for bicycling. Specific Recommendations Example of a climbing bike lane and • Conduct a parking utilization study to see if existing downhill sharrow. The climbing lane separates people on bikes traveling parking is used on Dayton and whether parking can be removed to improve bicycle slowly up the hill from car traffic. The infrastructure. downhill sharrow alerts road users that bicyclists will be in the road • Add bicycle lanes in both directions, buffered lanes if there is sufficient Right of Way where there is limited space for a (ROW) space. If two bicycle lanes are not possible due to ROW, add a climbing lane bike lane on both sides. heading eastbound and sharrows heading westbound to increase safety for cyclists. • Improve wayfinding by adding destinations to bike route signs with the travel distance for key destinations such as the library, Edmonds Station, and Frances Anderson Center.
Area: 8th Ave S to Maple and 9th Ave S to Walnut Observations • The designated bike route shifts south one block at 8th onto Maple, which is a steeper climb to 9th Ave than Dayton and not as comfortable for all ages and abilities of riders. • 8th Ave S and Maple are wide streets that should have pavement markings (sharrows or lanes) to delineate cyclists’ and motorists’ respective places on the road. • The intersection of 9th Ave S and Bowdoin Street is not comfortable for people on bikes. High traffic speeds on 9th Ave S make turning onto Bowdoin Way difficult. • 9th Ave S could include better accommodations for people on bikes with dedicated bike lanes. During two different rides, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, car parking appears to be oversupplied along 9th Ave S. • 9th Ave S is a convenient, direct North/South connection from Olympic View Drive to Hwy 104. Specific Recommendations • Install a buffered bike lane on 9th Ave S from Olympic View Drive to Highway 104.
Area: Bowdoin to 212th Street SW Observations • Bowdoin was very comfortable for bicycling, as it is a wide-road with a comfortable climbing grade • East of Five Corners, sewer grates could catch a bicyclist’s wheel. • The bike lane on 212th disappears as you approach Edmonds-Woodway High School (traveling Eastbound on 212th St. SW) Bike route sign directing cyclists from Dayton onto Maple via 8th Ave S
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• 212th St SW was identified by participants as one of the best East/West connectors to go from Edmonds to Mountlake Terrace and eventually the Burke-Gilman Trail. It is one of the few streets passing under Interstate 5, avoiding a hazardous freeway interchange and making it a more comfortable cross-county route for bicycling. 212th St. SW could be the spine of a Sound-to-Lake Washington connection spanning multiple jurisdictions. Specific Recommendations • Install bike lanes from 96th Ave W. on Bowdoin Way to Five Corners. • Install bike lanes on both sides of 212th St. SW from 80th to 68th to connect with to existing bike lanes in the City of Lynnwood. • Add a combined bike lane/turn lane on 212th St. SW to increase the visibility of people riding bikes through the intersection with 76th Ave W and help cyclists and cars place themselves correctly on the roadway.
Popular cross-county bike routes are marked in red for south Snohomish.
Area: 76th Ave W Observations • 76th Ave W is a four-lane, direct north/south connection that would benefit from adding buffered bike lanes. It serves key destinations such as Swedish/Edmonds Hospital and Edmonds Woodway High School. • Currently, through bicyclists take 80th Ave W, a neighborhood side street, and avoid 76th Ave W. • Storm drains were hazardous to bicyclists. Specific Recommendations • Provide buffered bike lanes or protected, separated lanes on both sides of 76th Ave W from 208th St SW to 224th St SW. • Add a combined bike lane/turn lane at 224th St SW or a bike box heading eastbound to allow cyclists to be more visible as they proceed through the intersection toward the Interurban Trail. • Provide wayfinding from 76th to the Interurban Trail via 224th St. SW. • Explore the opportunity for a connection from the Interurban Trail along 216th and through the Swedish/ Edmonds hospital campus to provide a direct connection to the hospital facilities and Edmonds Woodway High School.
Area: 220th St. SW Observations • The existing bike lane extends west from 84th Ave W. to 9th Ave S/100th Ave W. • A very direct connection to Edmonds, with rolling hills and moderate grades, make 76th Ave W. a comfortable ride for most adults. • An overall lack of connectivity limits the effectiveness of the bike lane on 220th Street SW. It does not connect to 76th Ave W or to the Interurban Trail, a primary connection of many cyclists. Additionally, 9th Ave (the western connection of 220th Street SW) does not have bike facilities it. • Riders observed debris (gravel and tree branches) in the bike lane during the ride
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Example of a buffered bike lane: N 130th Street in Seattle.
Audit participants noticed storm grates on 76th Ave W and other strreets that could be hazardous to people on bikes. The grating parallel to the road could catch a bike tire. Photo Credit: SeattlePi
Specific Recommendations • Extend the 220th Street SW bike lane east to the Interurban Trail. • Ensure regular street-sweeping is part of maintenance for primary bike routes to remove debris from the bike lanes. • Add additional wayfinding signage to help riders navigate to the connection to the Interurban Trail.
Area: Pine Street and 6th Ave S Observations • Pine Street (both up and down) is too steep for many riders and many prefer to access this Pine Street park via Elm Way, Elm Street and 6th Ave S. • 6th Ave S is a low-traffic street that feels comfortable for families and people who want to ride their bicycles on quieter side streets. Specific Recommendations • Consider making 6th Ave S into a neighborhood greenway from Elm Street north to Caspers Street. Greenways are streets with low traffic volume and speed where bicycles, pedestrians and neighbors are given priority. pedestrians and cyclists.
Bike audit participants pause to discuss neighborhood greenways at Pine Street Park
Area: Main Street, Sunset Avenue North and 3rd Avenue S. Observations • Main Street improvements are very nice. Main is an active, people-oriented street, which participants in the bike audit liked. • Sunset Avenue North is a good connection to Olympic View Drive. • The City of Edmonds has amazing views. If it builds safe and attractive bicycle infrastructure, it could be a draw for bicyclists. Specific Recommendations • Explore opportunities for two-way bike travel on Sunset Avenue N. as part of the sidewalk project on the west side of the street. • Improve wayfinding on 3rd Avenue S. to highlight access to downtown, Edmonds Station, Marina Beach Park and other destinations.
Conclusion With beautiful views, wide lanes and connections to the ferry, Sounder and Amtrak as well as the Interurban Trail, Edmonds could (and should) be a bicycling destination, despite its few hills. Improvements are needed to direct bicyclists to the destinations they want to visit, and to have comfortable infrastructure to get them there safely.
Next Steps: • Cascade Bicycle Club will hold a training for citizens about advocacy for change in mid-November • Cascade will hold a training for planners and elected officials in late fall of 2013 and early winter of 2014. For more information about any of these events please contact Jeff Aken at jeff.aken@cascadebicycleclub.org or 206.300.5932 Bertrand Hauss, City of Edmonds Traffic Engineer, presnets upcoming transportation projects in Edmonds at the end of another successful bike audit.
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