Ballard ‘greenway’ open house this week

Ballard will soon be the next neighborhood to get a greenway, and this Thursday there will be a meeting to talk about what that will look like. A greenway is a route on a non-arterial street that is intended for safe, family-friendly bicycle and pedestrian travel. The meeting is on Thursday, July 26 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and will be at Adams Elementary School cafeteria (6110 28th Ave NW).

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) says Ballard is one of five neighborhoods in Seattle where greenways will be installed this year. “This greenway is one of several that were proposed by the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways organization as a key corridor for improving pedestrian and bicycle access in the heart of Ballard,” according to a press release from SDOT.

From SDOT:

The Ballard Neighborhood Greenway is just over 2.1 miles long and will follow NW 58^th Street for the majority of the route, improving access to parks, schools, shops, restaurants and services.  The greenway will start at the Burke-Gilman Trail at Seaview Avenue NW, connecting to NW 58^thStreet at 32nd Avenue NW via Seaview Place NW and NW 57^th Street.  The greenway continues along NW 58^th Street until it terminates at 4^thAvenue NW.

Proposed project elements along the greenway route include:

• Additional bicycle parking at destinations along the route
• Signs and pavement legends along the greenway
• Stop signs to control traffic crossing the greenway at certain intersections
• Widen sidewalk on Seaview Avenue NW to access the Burke-Gilman Trail
• Median island at 24^th Avenue NW and NW 58^th Street

SDOT says the community is also looking for additional funding through the Neighborhood Project Funds to improve pedestrian and bicycle access at the following locations:

• 20^th Avenue NW and NW 58^th Street (curb ramps and crosswalks)
• 8^th Avenue NW and NW 58^th Street (curb ramp and additional crosswalks to upgrade existing traffic signal)
• Diverter for eastbound traffic at 15th Avenue NW and NW 58^th Street (at St. Alphonsus School)

For more information about neighborhood greenways, click here.