User:SounderBruce/Sandbox/Cycling

=Cycling in Seattle=

Cycling in Seattle is a form of transportation in Seattle, Washington, that comprises 3 percent of commute trips in the city center. The city has a network of 134.8 mi mixed-traffic streets and grade-separated bikeways, planned to be expanded into a 608.3 mi network by 2034.

History
Bicycles were introduced to Seattle in 1879 by merchant William H. Pumphrey upon returning from San Francisco. By 1900, approximately 10,000 of the city's 80,000 residents owned or used a bicycle. The bicycling craze, which influenced the creation of the city's Olmstead boulevards and greenways, waned by 1915 with the introduction of cars amid Seattle's large population boom.


 * 1973 plan https://mobile.twitter.com/jhfrazier/status/1123280038458060800
 * 2019: Removal from plans under Mayor Durkan's administration
 * New city council requirement to build protected lanes for any paving project, unless justification is provided

Recreation

 * Rail trails

Bicycle sharing

 * Dockless permit bikeshare: Spin, LimeBike, ofo beginning in July 2017
 * 9,000 bikes as of December
 * By 2019, only Jump remains
 * Jump ceases service in May due to takeover by Lime, returns in June

Infrastructure

 * Downtown network standards

Laws and rules

 * Helmet law

Culture and events

 * Critical Mass
 * Sunday rides on Lake Washington Boulevard
 * Bike Everywhere Day (May)

Political activism

 * Greenways
 * Cascade Bicycle Club (WA Bikes)
 * Tacks on trails, brake vandalism of dockless bikes

History
The City of Seattle conducted a bikeshare feasibility study in 2010, concluding that the county's bicycle helmet law would be an obstacle to the system's success. Other organizations, including King County's government and Seattle University, also explored launching a bikeshare system in 2011.


 * Bike Blog timeline


 * 2012-08: Puget Sound Bike Share non-profit private-public partnership founded, proposing 50 stations and 500 bicycles to launch by mid-2013 at a cost of $3.7 million (and $1.4 million in annual operating cost); initial service area includes Downtown Seattle, SLU, Eastlake, Capitol Hill, University District and Sand Point
 * 2012-12: $750K WSDOT grant to develop King County bikeshare
 * 2013-04-23: Alta selected as operator
 * 2013-09-03: Seattle City Council approves bike share plan
 * 2014-01: Bixi, the selected bike manufacturer, declares bankruptcy
 * 2014-05-05: "Pronto! Emerald City Cycle Share" brand announced, along with bicycle paint scheme and Alaska Airlines sponsorship ($2.5 million for 5 years)
 * 2014-07-22: Pronto submits permits for bike stations
 * 2014-08-08: Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority rejects station at its market because of corporate sponsorship
 * 2014-08-25: Membership sales begin
 * 2014-09-24: Station installation begins


 * Launch
 * 2014-10-13: Phase I launches, with 50 stations and 500 bicycles serving Downtown Seattle, SLU, Capitol Hill, Eastlake, University District and Sand Point
 * First month: 10,747 total rides, averaging 14.5 minutes long


 * Decline and takeover
 * 2015-10: City takeover of Pronto proposed in mayor's budget and by SDOT director
 * SDOT director conflict-of-interest controversy
 * 2016-03-14: Seattle City Council approves buyout of Pronto for $1.4 million
 * 2016-10: Electric bikeshare replacement proposed
 * 2017-01-13: Replacement cancelled

Service area

 * Downtown, ID/Chinatown, Eastlake, SLU, Capitol Hill, U District


 * Planned expansion
 * Ballard and Fremont
 * Rainier Valley
 * Bellevue
 * Overlake


 * Other systems
 * 2016: Eastside system proposed

Designations

 * Primary Regional Trail: regionally-significant off-road facility, meeting trail development guidelines for size, grade, etc.
 * Secondary Regional Trail: regionally-significant but fails some trail development guidelines
 * Road Link Connector: street-running segment that connects to a primary/secondary trail

Rules

 * Posted at all trails
 * Listed in King County Code under sections KCC 7.12.295, 7.12.430, and 7.12.645


 * Specific rules
 * No motorized vehicles
 * 15 mph speed limit
 * Pass on the left
 * All cyclists must wear helmet
 * Leash law, scoop law

List of trails

 * BPA and West Campus Trails

History

 * 2004: "one of the largest county trail systems in the U.S."

History

 * Railroad history
 * 1888-09-19: First trains run between Seattle and Snohomish on the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
 * 1889: Sumas Branch of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, connecting Seattle to Canada, opens to freight and passenger service
 * 1892: Northern Pacific purchases Arlington-Snohomish segment
 * 1970: Burlington Northern purchases Arlington-Snohomish segment


 * Railroad abandonment
 * 1972: Hartford-Edgecomb section abandoned
 * 1987: Snohomish-Hartford section abandoned


 * Opening and extensions
 * 1972: County discusses trail plans with various cities
 * 1982-12: Rail trail concept conceived by State Representative John Wynne (of Lake Stevens)
 * 1989: Trail construction begins with $1.4 million; named for state centennial and age of rail line
 * 1989-10-23: Snohomish-Arlington Trail Coalition begins collecting funds for right-of-way purchase
 * 1990: National Park Service considers 17.5-mile Centennial Trail "a project of national significance", requests federal funding
 * 1990-02-01: $1.1 million in county money and $1.1 million in Legislature appropriations approved for use in buying Centennial Trail right-of-way; Congress to be asked to provide $2.9 million to Snohomish and King counties
 * 1990-04-02: Snohomish County purchases first of 153 acres of abandoned right of way from BNSF for $40,000
 * 1990-08-27: Snohomish County purchases remaining 15.5 miles of right-of-way from Burlington Northern at a cost of $342,300
 * 1991-07-01: Construction begins on the first segment
 * 1991-07-08: Snohomish County purchases part of 7.33-mile BN right-of-way north of Arlington, for eventual extension to Skagit County; $16,450 of $130,000
 * 1991-11-16: First 7.3 mi segment opens, from Pine & Maple in Snohomish to Machias Trailhead, constructed by Dennis R. Craig Construction of Redmond on a $1.4 million contract
 * Cost: 4.2 million
 * Plans: $12.5 million for 44 mi, from Skagit County to King County
 * Bike trail: Asphalt from Pilchuck Trailhead to Lake Stevens, 6 ft wide, 5 replaced bridges
 * Equetrian trail: Gravel, 6 ft wide
 * 1993: State grant awards $1.6 million for Arlington-Lake Stevens segment
 * 1997: Highway 92 underpass built, with $1 million federal grant
 * 2000: 108th Street underpass built for $750,000
 * 2003-11: Snohomish County Council approves trail extension to Arlington for $4.6 million
 * 2005-04-02: 10.3 mi section from Lake Stevens Trailhead to Armar Road Trailhead (including new Lake Cassidy pear and Highway 92 trailheads) opens, at a cost of $6.75 million
 * 2010-11: New northern extension from Arlington to Bryant opens
 * 2011-10-15: New infill section from Armar Road Trailhead to Arlington opens
 * 2012-11-03: Skagit County extension opens

Historic education program utilizing interpretive signs at points along the trail and an interactive website; made by Site Story, Luminous Creative, and SKL Architects
 * PastForward Project


 * 2011-04-22: $99,000 grant from Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation awarded to Snohomish County to "complete a multimedia interpretive exhibit using modern technology to depict the history of the Centennial Trail."
 * 2014-02-15: PastForward unveiled at the Machias trailheard


 * Proposed extensions and improvements
 * Connections to Eastside Rail Trail corridor and Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River trails
 * 2013-12-09: Snohomish County Council approves buying 12 miles of the corridor from the Port of Seattle, who bought it from BNSF in 2009
 * 2014-02-15: Signing ceremony for the transfer of BNSF Corridor to Snohomish County
 * Whitehorse Trail connector in Arlington
 * Monroe connection
 * Snohomish segment improvements

Route
The Centennial Trail begins at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in Snohomish, at a trailhead adjacent to the Snohomish branch of the Boys & Girls Club and a skatepark. The trail follows Lincoln Avenue as it travels north, past the Snohomish branch of the Sno-Isle Regional Library System.


 * 400,000 annual visitors (pre-2020)


 * Programs
 * Historic quiz with prize (2020)

History

 * Seattle–Everett Interurban
 * 1910-04-01: Seattle-Everett Traction Company inaugurates electric interurban rail service
 * 1939-02-20: North Coast Lines ceases operation of the Seattle–Everett Interurban


 * Conversion to trail
 * 1992-10: WSDOT awards $1.6 million to Interurban Trail construction from federal grants for bicycle and pedestrian projects
 * 1994-09-10: Lynnwood opens first segment of Interurban Trail, 3.8 mi from Alderwood Mall to 212th Street SW, for less than $1 million
 * 1995-09-08: 8 mi segment from Butternut Road (near I-5/I-405 interchange) to East Casino Road in Everett opens


 * Extensions
 * 1998: Mountlake Terrace opens its first, 1.3 mi segment from 212th Street SW to 220th Street SW
 * 2000: Second Mountlake Terrace segment opens, including the 220th Street SW underpass, extended to 226th Place SW
 * 2005: Everett extends trail north to Colby & 43rd
 * 2006-07: Construction completed on 128th Street pedestrian bridge, trail link delayed because of right-of-way disputes; temporary path along I-5 ramps built
 * 2008-04: Bridge and trail link open
 * 2008-10-15: Mountlake Terrace opens their final segment, from 226th Place SW to 228th Place SW around a PUD substation
 * 2012-06-19: Edmonds opens its 1.37 mi segment, including bike lanes on 76th Avenue W
 * Construction began in August 2011


 * Future improvements
 * Interpretive kiosks
 * Improved landscaping
 * Mountlake Terrace: Extension to King County line
 * Edmonds: Alternative off-street alignments
 * Everett: Extension to Downtown

Route
The Interurban Trail begins as a continuation of the Shoreline segment of the Interurban Trail at the King County line, located at the intersection of 76th Avenue West and State Route 104 (Northeast 205th Street). The trail travels north as a bicycle lane on the shoulder of 76th Avenue West for a short distance before turning northeastward to a shared space on 74th Avenue West on the west shore of Lake Ballinger.


 * Snohomish County Map, pre-2007
 * CT Map, 2014
 * Google Maps

Route description

 * Component trails
 * Olympic Discovery Trail
 * Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail
 * Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

History

 * 2019: Great American Rail Trail plan announced
 * August 2021: USBR 40 approved in Washington, starting with Tekoa section