WSDOT Gives Money to Alternate Transportation (15. February 2008, 15:41 by Whitney) ~ Pedal, Pedal
We received a heads up on some grant money from WSDOT that may be of interest to many of you.
Rec’d via email:
Communities across the state have an opportunity to increase safety for bicyclists and pedestrians through two grant programs that are managed by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The programs support pedestrian and bicycle safety projects such as pedestrian and bicycle paths, sidewalks, safe routes to school and safe routes to transit projects. Today WSDOT issued a “call for projects”. A total of $11 million is available for the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Grant Program and the Safe Routes to School Grant Program.
Anytime we can make our roads safer for everyone we’re all over it. Funding for bicycle projects… WOO HOOO!!! Here’s your chance to help advocate for a bit of local funding. Who has ideas?
For more information click here
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This is awesome.
How about linking up the various regional bike paths to make one uber-path through the Puget Sound region? I know it’s been talked about, but currently there are a few gaps.
There’s also plenty of opportunity to improve awareness/safety educational programs for both cyclists and drivers. Dave Zabriski’s Yield to Life program is an example of this kind of approach.
1 | Posted by kbce | Feb 15, 04:22 PM
Saying there are “a few gaps” is being awfully charitable, especially in the South Sound. I’d love to see a bike path completed from Pt. Defiance Park through downtown Tacoma and on to Puyallup. There also needs to be a better bike route through downtown Tacoma to the Tacoma Dome bus/train station.
2 | Posted by michael g. | Feb 15, 04:36 PM
Another thing… connecting bike lanes. There are a fair number of places throughout the state where bike lanes will exist for 1/8 of a mile then end abruptly, with no other lanes nearby to connect with. While obvious obstructions (like road width) exist, this also happens so that government(s) can say they have X miles of bike lanes, which opens up funding and other benefits… unfortunately, while big numbers, most of these lanes aren’t connected and do little to encourage people to use ‘em.
3 | Posted by kbce | Feb 15, 04:36 PM
Let’s see… 11 million dollars… Tell you what, I need $12 for a paint brush and, lets say, $1000 for paint, and I’ll put a bike lane down 6th tomorrow. It might take till Sunday. This leaves $10,998,988 left over for whatever kind of feasibility studies, property aquisitions, and interlocal partnership agreements for regional planning you want to spend the rest on. In the mean time, I won’t get killed on my way downtown, and I think that’s something we can all get behind. Right?
Right?
Oh, and we definately need a good route from downtown to the dome. You know, one that avoids train tracks. Tell you what, I’ll do that job as a free “value added bonus.”
Hmmm… if only we had an existing city wide bicycle path and pedestrian plan that we could use for this application. Does anyone know where I can find this?
5 | Posted by morgan | Feb 15, 10:08 PM
Frankly, I would like to see ADA sidewalk ramps on every corner of the city. Good for skate boarders, bicyclists, strollers, and walkers for all the retiring baby boomers.
6 | Posted by morgan | Feb 15, 10:22 PM
Morgan,
Although the map is 8 years old, there is one located in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan. When talking with former councilman Stenger last year about the MLK LID and having bike lanes as part of the plan. He suggested that we could connect the Scott Pierson trail that ends at 25th and Sprague. I have been pushing this idea as often as possible. So here is your chance bikers. It could come down 25th connect at MLK and continue down to Division past Wrights Park down to St Helens or whatever and into downtown. The LID is going to happen anyway so seems like a great opportunity to leverage some state $ for the cause.
*&%$!@? Textile! Here’s the link:
Lincoln and McKinley Bike Trail
9 | Posted by Douglas Tooley | Feb 18, 02:28 PM
Morgan,
There is some information here: http://www.psrc.org/projects/nonmotorized/longrange.htm
Unfortunately, the links to the maps are broken.
I also found it interesting that the Destination 2030 project list (on psrc.org) includes $4M for a pedestrian bridge between downtown and Dock St over I-705. It is listed as “approved” but I haven’t been able to find any other information on where and when this bridge is being constructed. Hopefully it will be suitable for bicycles.
I stumbled on this thread while trying to find information on bike paths and lanes in the Tacoma area. If I find a better map, I’ll comment again.
10 | Posted by Heather | Feb 25, 03:24 PM
Sorry everyone. The $4M approved was for the pedestrian crossing that is already complete — the glass art bridge.
11 | Posted by Heather | Feb 25, 03:47 PM
For inspiration on making our streets more bike friendly, check out the videos about bicycle routes in Portland posted by Street Films. http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/category/nabecitystate/portland-or/
12 | Posted by Heather | Feb 25, 04:01 PM
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