State updates cyclist-pedestrian wish list

For years, bike lanes, sidewalks and other projects that benefit bicyclists and pedestrians represented only about 1 percent of Washington's total transportation budget. Yet those who get around by bike or on foot comprise about 14 percent of the state's transportation-related fatalities.

Earlier this year, the Legislature vowed to change that and pledged about $75 million over the next 16 years to improve access and safety.

This month, the state issued an updated bicycle and pedestrian plan complete with wish lists filled with trail extensions, crosswalks, lighting and new sidewalks it wants lawmakers to consider funding when they convene in January.

While the emphasis clearly rests upon bicycles and pedestrians, the changes will help motorists as well, said Paula Reeves, manager of the state's bicycle and pedestrian program.

"If we improve conditions and make it safer for people to walk, we also make it safer for people to drive. No one wants to have a collision with a pedestrian or bicycle," Reeves said.

While $75 million is a step forward, it would cost at least $150 million to build all the bike paths, sidewalks and trails Washington communities have so far said they need to improve safety and boost the number of self-powered travelers, she said.

Already, however, the state's growing attention is changing how people get where they're going.

Bike and pedestrian plan


Here is a sampling of the projects competing for $75 million in state funds earmarked for bicycle and pedestrian access and safety improvements

Snohomish County: Road crossings along the Centennial Trail at Lake Armstrong Road, Grandview Road and other points

Seattle: A full-service bike station, with secure bicycle parking, repair shop, rentals and a lost-and-found

Issaquah: Eight-foot bicycle/pedestrian shoulders along both sides of the Issaquah-Fall City Road from East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast to Black Nugget Road

Woodinville: A pedestrian crossing from City Hall to 131st Avenue Northeast

Source: Washington state Department of Transportation

For example, more students now walk and bike to Bellevue's Sherwood Forest Elementary, not far from the Crossroads mall and the busy intersection of 156th Avenue Northeast, Northeast 24th Street and Northeast Bel-Red Road.

"It's just been a bad situation for a long time for pedestrians," said principal Gail McDonald.

Last year, the state selected the school as part of a pilot program to promote safer travel to and from schools around Washington.

The school got a new sidewalk, held assemblies with police to teach kids about safety, and even formed walking brigades known as "walking school buses," in which adults in orange vests and kids walk a set route to school and pick up other students along the way.

"I'm really excited," McDonald said. "I think it's been great for the kids, and it's got great long-term benefits for us."

The state Department of Transportation has included a bike and pedestrian plan within its long-range transportation plan since 1991. It pays to make it onto that project list: Such proposals stand a better chance of getting noticed and winning state and federal funds, Reeves said, because the state knows they already have been vetted by local governments and included in comprehensive plans. Preference will go to projects that have lined up matching funds.

The state's goal is for biking and walking eventually to comprise 15 percent of all trips, up from about 5 percent now, and to reduce the number of bicyclists and walkers killed in accidents by at least 10 percent over the next 20 years.

Transportation officials aim to achieve both goals by funding projects that improve existing networks of bike and pedestrian pathways, creating safe routes for kids to walk and bike to and from school, and encouraging local governments to include sidewalks and bike paths in future street improvements.

The Legislature will select the first projects for funding when it convenes in Olympia next month. Money for the program comes from a variety of vehicle fees.

Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618 or kgaudette@seattletimes.com