Sunday, October 18, 2009

Bellevue, WA Bustin' Out with Bicycle Plan



As for funding, that remains to be seen. The Seattle Times reported recently that Bellevue is planning 80 miles of bikelanes, though funding is sketchy.

Bellevue was designed for cars, and it shows if you're cycling: little shoulder room. City Councilmember John Chelminiak wants to make changes. Compared to its neighboring communities, Redmond and Kirkland, Bellevue has a long way to go. And, of course, the Cascade Bicycle Club is pushing Bellevue to go farther and faster.

Here is a map of proposed new bicycle routes. And here is a map of proposed bicycle projects.


According to the Seattle Times, here's a comparison of local cities:

Bellevue: 33 miles of bike lanes and 11.5 miles of off-street paths. About 300 commuters (0.5 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.


Redmond: 73 miles of bike trails and lanes, including regional trails such as the Sammamish River Trail. About 400 commuters (1.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2007, Redmond was recognized as a bronze-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.


Kirkland: 40 miles of bike lanes. About 100 commuters (0.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.


Seattle: 44.6 miles of trails and 130.4 miles of on-street bicycle facilities (including bike lanes, climbing lanes, pavement markings, bicycle boulevards and signed local street connections). About 7,000 commuters (2.3 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2009, Seattle was recognized as a gold-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.


Go Bellevue!!


Keep it funded

CurioRando