Tomorrow (Sat. Sept. 7) is the grand opening party for the Ballard Greenways, Seattle’s third neighborhood bicycle/pedestrian safety corridor. There will be a community party from 2 to 5 p.m. to celebrate the opening, which will include family events like a “Kidical Mass” family bike ride from the Ballard Library, a bike rodeo, cruises available on the Dutch Conference Bike which fits up to seven people at a time, smoothies made with a bicycle blender, dancing on the sidewalk piano borrowed from A-1 Piano, an Undriver Licensing™ Station, and an official ribbon cutting with Mayor Mike McGinn. The festivities will take place on NW 58th St. between 20th and 22nd Avenues NW.
The Ballard Greenway is over two miles long, and runs along NW 58th St. for most of the route. It starts at the Burke-Gilman Trail at Seaview Ave NW and connects to NW 58th St. at 32nd Ave NW via Seaview Place NW and NW 57th St.
From the Seattle Department of Transportation:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) worked closely with the community and the two volunteer groups—Ballard Greenways and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways—to find solutions for making the corridor friendlier for all travelers. Traffic calming improvements include lowering the speed limit to 20 miles per hour; adding wheelchair curb ramps at busy intersections; putting in speed humps; making sidewalk and pavement repairs; widening the sidewalk on Seaview Avenue NW; installing Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons at 24th Avenue NW and a partial diverter at 15th Avenue NW.
“I’m delighted for Ballard’s first greenway to be opening,” said Jennifer Litowski, Ballard resident. “I say this as a resident; as a parent; as someone who walks to the store and bikes to work; and as someone who wants to encourage affordable, safe, healthy, low impact solutions for Seattleites.”
“Safety is my number one priority,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “We want to make our streets safer and more comfortable for everyone from children to grandparents to walk and bike. Creating a citywide network of neighborhood greenways is one step to achieving this goal.”
Other neighborhoods where SDOT is installing greenways include Beacon Hill, Delridge, and in Fremont. Learn more about the city’s greenways here.
