Safe 35th and the Jenny Durkan Motor Speedway

In this episode we talk with Chris Priest and Lolly Kunkler, the founders of Safe 35th. They are a group of people who support safety improvements along 35th Ave NE, a busy arterial street connecting the neighborhoods of Lake City, Maple Leaf, and University District. The avenue underwent a major re-pavement project this year using the city’s transportation budget and the design leading up to construction was for a protected bike lane traveling north and an unprotected bike lane moving south downhill. These bicycle lanes were on the Bicycle Master Plan for Seattle. It was a plan that took hundreds of hours of community engagement, volunteer hours, and lobbying effort to secure. 35th Ave NE was identified as a street that should include bicycle infrastructure improvement. However! What we now have is possibly a more dangerous road after re-pavement and laying paint on the road. No bike lanes have been constructed. Travel lanes have been widened, encouraging faster speeds. A center lane was introduced instead. Some dubbed it the Durkan Speedway, named after Seattle Mayor, Jenny Durkan. As the one to appoint the director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, and with the Mayor’s hands off involvement with neighborhood conflicting interest, she has had to accept some responsibility for the numerous crashes taking place on this street now and with people being hospitalized because of it. This corridor in the northeastern part of Seattle is a case study for the entire city, as we have seen injuries related to car crashes the highest they have been for nine years. Fortunate for us, we have Chris and Lolly here to help inform us with what occurred during the year leading up to construction, how the decision to scrap the bike lane plans came about, and what has happened to the street in the interim. Welcome to the show Chris and Lolly.