$19M project to improve busy bike trail at UW
SEATTLE (AP) - The University of Washington plans $19 million in improvements to the section of the Burke-Gilman Trail that runs through the Seattle campus.
UW transportation services director Josh Kavanagh told the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce it's gone from being a nice amenity to being critical infrastructure.
The UW says its 2-mile section of the 27-mile-long trail has the highest bicycle and pedestrian traffic of any shared-use path in the state: 500 bicyclist and 300 pedestrians an hour. About 9 percent of UW students and staff commute by bike.
Trail use is expected to grow with a light rail station opening in 2016 at Husky Stadium.
Improvements will widen the trail and create separate lanes for walking and bicycling. The work could start this fall.
UW transportation services director Josh Kavanagh told the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce it's gone from being a nice amenity to being critical infrastructure.
The UW says its 2-mile section of the 27-mile-long trail has the highest bicycle and pedestrian traffic of any shared-use path in the state: 500 bicyclist and 300 pedestrians an hour. About 9 percent of UW students and staff commute by bike.
Trail use is expected to grow with a light rail station opening in 2016 at Husky Stadium.
Improvements will widen the trail and create separate lanes for walking and bicycling. The work could start this fall.
19 fing MILLION for 2 miles of bike trail? Somebody is totally out of their mind.Â
Now I see why they've raised tuition so much... Higher operating costs my ***!
Start tabbing bycycles to pay for such extravagance! I am tired of dodging these idiots on bicycles . They seem to think they are entitled to use our roads without paying the price. So make them pay for the trail and keep themout of the way of people who DO have the right to use public roads
 @signboy Give them their fair share of the road, when they pay their fair share of the taxes.
 @signboy Like it or not legally cyclists do have the right to use public roads,streets and highways (except for restricted highways).You won't have to worry about it by the year 2050 because petroleum will be exorbitantly costly by then and by the year 2100 the age of oil will be practically over.
By then of course electric cars will be prohibitively costly too.Only the very wealthy will be able to afford to drive them.Â
$18 a lineal foot. It seems logical when it is not your money. Its a feel good situation.
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I hear UW is replacing the toilet paper in the dorms with stacks of $100 dollar bills, too...
Must be nice to spend taxpayer dollars like it grows on trees. Just raise tuition and stick it to the folks trying to get an education.
Seriously??? $19 million???? I think this is something that can be done for little money using people that need to work off community service. Come on folks, with all the budget cuts going on that are affecting more important programs, to justify spending $19 million for a trail is insane. Get your priorities straight for crying out loud.
@The WA Mama Psssssst. You're talking about Washington State planners and lawmakers. They couldn't find their BUTTS with two hands and a road map, so do you think they have a clue about priorities? I agree Mama, this is insane.
19 million. What are they going to do gold plate the two miles?
 @jcman Sir, gold leafing the 2 miles with a 16ft wide path would cost $4.224 million, but they would need adhesive also which would cost $84480. More than likely less because of bulk pricing of course. Then there is also labor.