In accordance with Seattle’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans as well as the Bridging the Gap levy, the city’s first buffered bike lanes have been installed east and west along N. 130th Street between Linden and Greenwood (the Bitter Lake area). The concept is a “complete street” where walkers and cyclists feel as equally welcome as drivers. The striped buffers provide enough separation, especially on hills where cars go measurably faster than bikes, to enable all parties to focus on the traffic ahead rather than alongside them. And on 130th, as you’ll see, the lanes also allow for dodging car doors potentially being opened by parked drivers on the right.
We took the bike lanes for a video test ride.
I’m not sure this is the first… there is a buffered bike lane on Alaskan Way south of downtown.
Not sure why the discrepancy, but according to the City itself (SDOT), the Bitter Lake buffered lane is the first. See: http://sdotblog.seattle.gov/
Alaska Way south is supposed to be getting buffered lanes as well. Perhaps they’re not officially done yet.
Hey – I hope you’re right! They just finished all the northbound lanes; perhaps they’re still yet to finish the southbound ones. I posted a photo of the buffered bike lanes here: http://bikeseattle.blogspot.com/2010/06/bike-improvements-everywhere.html
There is also a buffered bike lane along Alki at the most Western spot.
Technically the buffered bike lane is on E. Marginal Way, and is a fairly short stretch which abruptly becomes un-buffered when the road narrows. Should I mention it’s spectacularly poorly paved as well? On Alaskan Way there’s a mixed use path / sidewalk.