We Can’t Wait, Part I: People pack City Hall to end Seattle’s bike plan delays
Cathy Tuttle of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and Kelli Refer of Cascade Bicycle Club (also my amazing spouse) address the crowd.
Shirley Savel takes the mic.
Seattle has not built a bike lane downtown since October 2014. The 2nd Ave bike lane was supposed to demonstrate what could be, but going into summer 2016 it remains all that is.
Holding signs saying, "My Family Bikes" and "Safe Streets Now," bike plan supporters chanted "We can't wait!" in the City Hall lobby. The noontime rally Tuesday was designed to urge city leaders to stop delaying its bike plans.
"We want safe streets, we don't want anybody injured or killed," said biking mom from Rainier Valley Shirley Savel.
It really is that simple.
The reasonably polite protest made a statement by filling the lobby and chanting, but the message was clear: After years of plan making and campaigning, the city has the tools it needs to make our streets safer. The people expect them to do it.
The pressure is getting some results. After Councilmember Mike O'Brien asked directly, SDOT staff committed to restarting the downtown bike plan in July when the Center City Mobility Plan releases its analysis of 2018 bus movements (buses will be kicked out of the tunnel as early at 2018, so the city wants to make sure it knows where those buses will go). This still represents a year of delay, but it probably would have been much longer had people not spoken up.
But we must do even better. Check back Thursday morning for Part II looking at how we got here and how we can get back on track.
Dozens of people stuck around after the rally to testify at the City Council Sustainability and Transportation Committee in the afternoon, providing a full hour of pre-meeting public comment. Not a single person spoke in opposition to the city's bike plans.
Even people who showed up to testify in favor of a different agenda item - a very cool new program to provide affordable transit passes to Capitol Hill Housing residents - added a note of support for implementing the bike plan.
"My family bikes, my staff bikes and my friends bike, and I agree with everything that everybody has said here," Capitol Hill Housing CEO Christopher Persons added at the end of his testimony.
You can watch all the testimony via Seattle Channel (and check out our tweets below).
So many people told such powerful stories for why the city needs to be taking bold action on safe streets rather than cutting its plans into fragments.
I hope city leaders - especially high up at SDOT and the Mayor's Office - understand the difference between the grumpy online bike haters across the region who send them road-raging emails and the engaged people and families who dedicated an entire afternoon to tell their stories of fear on our streets and the promise of a better future with safe and connected bike routes.
I hope they also understand that ignoring and deferring safe streets projects is not a wise political move. People are watching and expect the city to deliver on its promises. People are looking for a champion.
But remember, this isn't a game. People's lives are on the line. Every day of delay is rolling the dice. Sher Kung died just ten days before the 2nd Ave protected bike lane was installed.
Here's a taste of the testimony:
City Hall filling up with bikes. So many families. Imagine a family-friendly bike network downtown. We can do it. pic.twitter.com/kk5Vi3HUiJ
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"We want safe streets, we don't want anybody injured or killed." - @NoSpandexReq. It's that simple. #SEAbikes pic.twitter.com/7QEY1Sm5mv
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"We can't wait" pic.twitter.com/uvpxxeQPJ4
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"We took a bus today, we wouldn't bike" downtown because it isn't safe enough yet. Public comment underway. pic.twitter.com/DErkAS05wv
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"I still don't feel sending my now 18yo-who was 8 when I started in bicycle advocacy-biking to school at Roosevelt High School"-Cathy Tuttle
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
Person came to testify about affordable ORCA cards, was inspired to talk about his scary collision while biking. Supports better bike lanes.
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"The Bike Master Plan might be finished my the time he is 29. That's not soon enough." - @fbaum with his son pic.twitter.com/PVTFTqifCr
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
Andres & Atom testify we not only need safe bike routes, but need to make sure they stay open during construction. pic.twitter.com/P9bl7luVfL
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"Every child in every neighborhood deserves" safe bike routes so they can bike to school. - Shannon. pic.twitter.com/DpxByUZ51q
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
Brie urges Council to pair the need for safe bike lanes w/ conversation abt affordable housing. Ppl can save $, but only if they feel safe.
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"It's harrowing and terrifying" just to bike the few blocks from her Ballard home to the Burke-Gilman. pic.twitter.com/juhyazI5eh
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"The air has sort of gone out of the tire for greenways" - Janine from Lake City. Says to revive the efforts. pic.twitter.com/gyJydhl2Rm
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
My bike ride on Dexter today "was terrifying" due to closures, says @CascadeRobin. "It doesn't need to be this way." pic.twitter.com/LpT2UAINkf
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"I very easily could not have been here today." - Speaker got hit by a van that drifted into the bike lane. pic.twitter.com/D5kwqRt4gM
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"A lot of special needs youth will need this option" says father of a special needs teen who likely will never drive. Need safe streets.
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
"Just a couple months ago, I was phone calling to get"Move Seattle through"I feel like we made people a promise" pic.twitter.com/TsvQCzq1r2
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
Capitol Hill Housing CEO came to comment in support of affordable ORCA program, then added he supports what ppl have said abt bike lanes :-)
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
Pronto "needs downtown protected bike lanes to be successful." Ryan from @BeaconBIKES pic.twitter.com/1MEAn5IpGz
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016
Aaaaaand public comment is finally over. One hour on the dot. Not a single comment opposed to a bold bike plan. #SEAbikes
- Seattle Bike Blog (@seabikeblog) May 17, 2016