8/12/2019 Burke Gilman Trail Eessay

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Patrick Lee

URBDP 300

Alon Bassok

21 May 2014

Burke Gilman Trail

The Burke Gilman has a missing link between 11th

Ave NW and NW 45thStreet to 30thAve NW at the Ballard

Locks where the trail just ends (SDOT). The area where

the missing link is an industrial zone home to the Ballard

maritime industry where most of the Alaskan fishing fleet

is located. Because of this, there is heavy truck traffic in

the area presenting a hazard to bikers as they are forced

to share narrow roads veined with old rail road tracks

with these large vehicles as seen in the picture on theright. For the past decades, local businesses and the city

of Seattle have been debating on what to do with this

problem.

One side of the debate, led by local businesses

oppose the extension of the trail as they claim that it will

cripple their business. The extension would cripple their businesses through increased bicycle traffic

which means an increased chance of bicycle-vehicle collisions which would in turn drive up insurance

costs (Young/Seattle Times). In addition to an

increased risk of collision, up to 100 parking

spots will have to be converted to bicycle onlylanes inconveniencing many workers who

would have to park further away from their

jobs (Martin/Seattle Times). While these

arguments are valid, they are trivial compared

to the risks that bikers face of injury or death.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the

priorities of these two groups. The local

businesses care about their own finances

while the city cares about the welfare of

bicyclists. Whether or not there is a safer bicycle route along this corridor, bicyclists will still continue totake the shortest flattest route to get to where they want to go which happens to be in this industrial

area of Ballard.

The city of Seattle stands firmly behind the belief that bicyclists and trucks can coexist safely.

With proper signage, bike lanes, and education, trucks and bicyclists can coexist together in this bustling

industrial area (Fucoloro/Seattle Bike Blog). The goal is to add safety features that will prevent accidents

while allowing truck traffic to flow normally which can be said to be beneficial to both sides. Bicyclists

Biker and truck sharing a narrow road

Steve Ringman / Seattle Times

These parking spaces will be removed for bicycle

lanes

Gabriel Campanario / Seattle Times

8/12/2019 Burke Gilman Trail Eessay

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will be predictable and will be separated from truck

traffic. When viewing this issue from a cost-benefit

analysis paradigm, the benefits outweigh the costs and

both sides gain something which is why the Burke

Gilman trail should be extended through this area. In

fact the losses would be merely parking spots and anexpected rise in insurance costs due to the greater risks

of hitting bikers. Both sides win with the extension by

hopefully preventing accidents that will disrupt both

parties. The city has not abandoned industrial activities

in the area, but rather wants compromise so that both

sides leave with something beneficial.Some work has been performed on the

missing link of the Burke Gilman

Fucoloro/Seattle Bike Blog