New safety modifications to Burke-Gilman Trail under the bridge

It’s now a little safer to ride a bike under the Ballard Bridge: SDOT has added some new features to help riders negotiate the train tracks on the Burke-Gilman Trail.

SDOT has added new posts, paint, and signs along the Burke-Gilman where it passes over the railroad tracks under the Ballard Bridge, the site of far too many bike accidents over the years.

Ethan Bergerson from SDOT tells My Ballard that the changes help riders to see the train track crossing from a distance, while also alerting riders to where cars and trucks are likely to exit the new alley along that section of the trail.

The goal of the signage and trail modifications is to encourage riders to cross the tracks at a perpendicular angle to prevent bike wheels from getting caught in the tracks.

Bergerson says the upgrades were a standalone project, but that they’ll make some more minor adjustments later this year. He adds that the Ballard Multimodal Corridor project contains plans for “significantly more comprehensive safety improvements at this location and throughout the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link.” However, those plans are delayed at least until 2022 due to court proceedings about SDOT’s Missing Link alignment plans.