Walking

The City of Seattle quietly dropped speed cushions and other traffic safety treatments from long-made plans after months of radio silence. The backpedal received swift pushback from some District 2 city council candidates.

Seattle Parks and Recreation rolled out plans to add traffic calming to Lake Washington Boulevard last year. But traffic safety advocates are pushing for answers after installation of those upgrades stopped midway through without explanation.

Former Seattle permitting director Nathan Torgelson will lead the new city department, intended to advance an ambitious plan for a new bike and pedestrian bridge over I-405. One of the largest capital projects in city history, it's also intended to be a major placemaking project.

On June 11, Seattle officials celebrated the completion of a major overhaul of Pike Street and Pine Street, improving connectivity between Downtown and Capitol Hill. The project features planter-protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, public art, and a one-block pedestrianization near the Market.

Cities in Washington will have the legal authority to create shared streets, which feature much lower speed limits and put pedestrians first, under Senate Bill 5595. Governor Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law Saturday. It will go into effect on July 27.

Summer in Puget Sound means the return of Trailhead Direct, Bicycle Weekends, Seattle's free Waterfront Shuttle, and the Hurricane Ridge Shuttle.

The kiosks, scattered around downtown and eventually other busy business districts, would provide ad revenue for groups like the Downtown Seattle Association. Last year, the Seattle Design Commission rejected the proposal as half-baked and suggested a smaller pilot instead.

The fully completed plan, intended to provide an array of strategies that would advance Pierce County toward a goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries by 2035, was only approved by a 4-3 vote last week.