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In this issue:
Options: a complete street in Beacon Hill, bike lanes to climb Queen Anne hill Tools: 2011 Seattle bike map is here Inspiration: win an electric bike or hotel stay, transit saves you a bundle
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 Spotlight of the Month: Creating Great Places
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Great places are the streets and spaces providing the backbone and character that make a city extraordinary. They include public plazas, thriving businesses and public art and make getting around on foot, bike and transit engaging and fun. Creating great places to connect pedestrian, bicycle and transit networks is one of the key strategies of Mayor McGinn's Walk Bike Ride Initiative. Here are a few examples:
 McGraw Square recently opened just north of Westlake Center downtown. SDOT converted a block of street into a public plaza with seating, trees, artwork and preservation of a historic statue. This new great place is part of the Westlake transportation hub, where you can connect to streetcar, monorail, light rail and buses.
Summer Streets open up the city's largest public space--our streets--for people to have fun; celebrate the spirit and personality of their community; discover active, healthy transportation; and support local businesses. By using our streets creatively, the same street can be a gathering place for the community one day and a road for moving commuters the next.
 Complete Streets are for everyone--walkers, bicyclists, transit users, trucks and drivers. They can have inviting sidewalks, safe crosswalks, bike lanes and traffic calming so people of all ages and abilities can get to where they work, shop and play. Learn about Beacon Hill's complete street below.
Art adds new dimension and meaning to a space, transforming it into a great place in the community. Here are inspiring examples of art you can enjoy while moving around Seattle. | |
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Options to Get Around | |
Complete street makes it easier to get around in Beacon Hill
SDOT recently added crosswalks, curb bulbs, a bike lane and sharrows and widened the travel lanes to make buses more reliable on 15th Ave S between S College St and S Columbian Way. This makes the street calmer and more attractive for walkers and transit users. Now you can bike between northwest Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach exclusively via bike lanes, sharrows and the Chief Sealth Trail with only a six block gap along Jefferson Park.
 
Bike up Queen Anne hill on a new bike lane
 SDOT added a bike lane on the uphill side and sharrows on the downhill side of Taylor Ave N on the east side of Queen Anne in the fall of 2010. Now bicyclists have their own lane from Mercer St to the top of Queen Anne so they can take their time biking up the hill. These bike facilities connect to those on Mercer St and Roy St, which bring you to the center of the Uptown neighborhood.
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Tools to Help You Walk, Bike and Ride | |
 New 2011 Bike Map shows Seattle's growing bike network
SDOT's annual update is hot off the press. With all the new bike lanes, sharrows and signed bike routes added in 2010, it's more important than ever to have a current map. An interactive website allows you to zoom in or out on the map. Order a hard copy through Bike Alliance of Washington (206-224-9252) or with our online form. | |
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Inspiration to Walk, Bike and Ride | |
Walk Bike Ride Challenge: winners, new round and grand prizes added
 · Participants in the January/February round converted over 46,000 miles of driving to walking, biking, transit and carpooling--almost enough miles to circle the Earth twice.
· Our January/February prize drawing winners are Brett W., Tyler S., Marlene M., and Dawn H., who won the $100 Zipcar gift certificate, a birthday party at the Children's Museum, a Monorail Family Four Pack and a $100 REI gift certificate, respectively.
· Register for the March/April round and you could win great prizes for Zipcar, Children's Museum, REI and Ballard Brother's Seafood. Receive support via weekly tips and encouragement, and track your progress online.
· Just Added! All 2011 participants are entered to win the end of the year grand prizes--an electric bike from e-Moto or a one-night stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel.
· Thanks to our partners for donating prizes. (See their links above.)
Driving drops in the Northwest
Across our region driving is lower than projected. In Seattle traffic dropped from 975,000 average trips per day in 2003 to 920,000 in 2008 and 900,000 in 2009.
As gas prices rise, transit can save you $973 each month
A recent study shows that Seattle residents achieve some of the highest savings nationally by taking transit and owning one less car. Seattle's One Less Car Challenge provides information and incentives to help you shed that car.
Reading could win a kid a bike
First-grade through third-grade students can win a bike and helmet by giving book reports and entering a drawing slip for every ten books read. This contest runs from March 1 to May 21 at the Green Lake Library. | |
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Upcoming | |
National Start! Walking Day is April 6
 Start walking and improve your health. The American Heart Association provides great resources and tips to get you moving.
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Subscribe, Share Feedback and View Past Newsletters |
Subscribe to the Walk Bike Rider, your monthly newsletter with quick tools, information and inspiration to help you walk, bike and ride. Subscribing is quick and easy, and you may unsubscribe any time.
We appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Please keep the comments coming.
Current and past newsletters are on our newsletter web page. 
Regards,
Dave Allen
Way to Go, Seattle! Team
www.seattle.gov/waytogo | |
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