Major Burke-Gilman detours in Fremont and Ballard end as sewer work progresses

Seattle's least-discussed infrastructure megaproject has wrapped up a pair of multi-year, trail-disrupting closures in Fremont and Ballard in recent weeks. Work on the $561 million Ship Canal Water Quality Project has taken place in multiple locations, including bike-route-disrupting closures on Stone Way in Fremont and near Fred Meyer in Ballard. Work at both sites is wrapping up, and conditions have been restored to the way they were before construction began.

As Hanoch at Best Side Cycling demonstrated in a recent video (above), the Ballard Fred Meyer section of the Burke-Gilman Trail is back to its pre-2020 design, including the odd half-concrete section and the awkward double-ramp curb cut at the intersection with 11th Ave NW. It is much better than the sometimes awful trail detour conditions during construction, but I was hoping that work would have improved some of this section to meet modern design standards.

The half-concrete section between 9th and 11th Avenues NW is a bit confusing because people don't know if we should treat the whole thing as one trail or if the concrete section is for walking and the asphalt section is for biking. I've never witnessed or heard of any dangerous situations arising from this confusion, but it is awkward. I'm a firm believer that the trail should always follow trail rules (all users stay to the right and pass on the left) except where the walking and biking spaces are adequately separated, like sections on and near UW campus east of the University Bridge.

Screenshot from the Best Side Cycling video. The natural path to the trail from the rider's perspective would go straight through the raised section of the curb.

The awkward curb ramp on the Fred Meyer corner of 11th Ave NW can be dangerous, unfortunately. I have personally witnessed someone crash because the curb is raised in the middle where the natural flow from the street to the trail would be. As you can see at the 1:10 mark of the Best Side Cycling video, riders need to veer awkwardly far to the right in order to use the curb ramp. This can be especially awkward if someone in a car has stopped too far forward. Alternatively, riders can use the left curb ramp to take a more direct line, but then they are heading into the oncoming direction, which is not ideal. The water quality project did destroy this corner, so it is very frustrating that they rebuilt the same flawed design. This is not the appropriate curb cut design for a mutli-use trail. The Washington State Design Manual (chapter 1515), for example, states, Curb ramps (excluding any flared sides) on shared-use paths must match the full width of the shared-use path." I didn't get out a tape measure, but I don't think these ramps meet that standard.

Over on the Fremont/Wallingford border, a different worksite for the same project is wrapping up, restoring the important intersection at N 34th St and Stone Way N. Stone Way is the least steep route up the hill from the Burke-Gilman Trail to Green Lake, and N 34th Street is an important bike route for accessing the Fremont Bridge. This closure has been annoying for basically everyone, so it's nice to see it finally reopening.

There is still work remaining, so be prepared for some periodic closures. For example, from November 21-27 crews will temporarily shift a short segment of the trail north a few feet to go around a work area in the trail" in Fremont near 2nd Ave NW. In the past, project detours in this area were handled well so hopefully that will be the case this time as well.