Missing Link update: design underway, community meetings scheduled

Meghan Walker Ballard

The Missing Link completion project is underway, with the city conducting detailed design plans and scheduling public meetings to meet with the community and business owners about progress.

In February, city leaders, trail supporters, and the business community announced that an agreement had been made to complete the trail, which will run along NW Market Street between the Ballard Locks and 24th Ave NW, then turn onto the south side of Shilshole Ave NW. There will also be improvements to the existing trial east of the Ballard Bridge along NW 45th St.

In May, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released; there’s a printed copy at Ballard Library for public review and comment. It’s possible to appeal, however, according to the Cascade Bicycle Club, it’s typically difficult to challenge a FEIS. Kelsey Mesher from Cascade wrote in a recent blog post that the club and other stakeholders have begun forming a collective Design Advisory Council (DAC) to look at the proposed trail block-by-block in order to ensure that the final design, “prioritizes safety of all who use the corridor, and preserves access to water-dependent businesses and adjacent buildings.” The DAC has outlined, “an aggressive schedule” to keep the project on track in order to start construction in 2018.

In the meantime, the city is planning public meetings to address concerns and keep people informed. The workshops will be trail-segment specific (see this flyer):

  • Segment 1 (Ballard Locks to 24th Ave NW): Tuesday, June 27, 3-6pm at Ballard VFW (2812 NW Market St)
  • Segment 2 (Shilshole Ave NW): Thursday, June 29, 3-6pm at Ballard VFW (2812 NW Market St)
  • Segment 3 (NW 45th St): Tuesday, July 11, 3-6pm, Seattle Maritime Academy, Maritime Classroom (4455 Shilshole Ave NW)
  • Public meeting at Ballard VFW on July 13; more details to come.

The city’s timeline for trail completion is detailed above, indicating they expect it to be completed in the winter of 2018/2019.

For more information and to stay up-to-date with the project, visit the city’s Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link Project page.

All graphics courtesy Seattle Department of Transportation

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