Seattle Department of Transportation’s Peter Hahn and Dongho Chang will attend Seattle Greenways’ city-wide meet-up on Thursday to answer questions regarding greenways and further a discussion on safe, multi-use streets.

Neighborhood Greenways are slow-speed, low-traffic residential streets near major arterials which provide a safe option for people to bike or walk.

By adding new park-like amenities and limiting cut-through traffic, Greenways are naturally attractive both for families, and for anyone seeking a safer, more connected community experience.

While many new dedicated walking and bicycling trails are beyond the reach of the City budget, 10 miles of Greenways can be built for the cost of a single mile of new trail, offering the potential to bring a high-quality network to all Seattle neighborhoods at a comparatively low cost.

Last month, Councilmember Sally Bagshaw attended the Seattle Greenway Organizers meeting and revealed a set of pilot Neighborhood Greenways being planned by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) this coming year.

The Neighborhood Greenways under SDOT will review a total of 11 miles of Greenways: seven miles in Ballard, Beacon Hill, Greenwood, North Delridge, Wallingford, and the University District and an additional four miles in Laurelhurst (funded by Seattle Children’s Hospital).

These projects are intended to form the backbone of a new network of Greenways that effectively connect people to the places they want to go by giving them a choice to travel on quieter, safer streets around the city.

In Ballard, the street under consideration is NW 57th Street from Seaview Avenue to 17th Avenue NW and NW 58th Street from 17th Avenue NW to 4th Avenue NW.

Funding for these initial Greenways is coming from Bridging the Gap funds that are being reallocated.

Ballard Greenways also recently submitted an application for a Neighborhood Project Fund grant, asking for crossing improvements along NW 58th St at 8th Avenue NW, 15th Avenue NW, and 20th Avenue NW. This could include pedestrian buttons, street level triggers or curb cuts. It should be announced by July whether they will be selected to receive funds for these street improvement.

To hear more about greenway projects happening in Ballard and around the city, attend the city-wide meet-up on Thursday, March 22, at 6:30 at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6615 Dayton Avenue North.