/h/StormySong614
Denny Way Bike Lane: Safe Micromobility Corridor
I use lime scooters regularly and plan to buy my own e scooter soon. I use the road when doing so because of course, sidewalks are for pedestrians. Nobody wants a pedestrian to get hurt by a speeding bike or scooter. In most places people tend to stick to bike lanes which is great! Denny however lacks one. Denny is a pretty major road and can be rather spooky for many. Ultimately if you’re too scared to use the road on an e-bike I say walk, but I understand that’s not a great solution. We have plenty of sidewalk space on denny that could be used for future isolated bike lanes. Ideally it would encourage people to ride OUT of the sidewalk and keep bikers and scooter…ers, safe. I know i’ll probably get a little push back on this but if we’re serious about reducing car dependency in Seattle we need to tackle the big items. Denny needs to be safer for all of us. Period. I’m personally a bit over nearly getting hit on sidewalks as a pedestrian and being yelled at by cars to use said sidewalks as a scooter driver.
Protected lanes are a matter of safety and equity – Denny's lack of infrastructure disproportionately harms low-income riders and pedestrians of color who rely on micromobility.
Does this actually work? Portland's NE Multnomah corridor saw a 40% drop in crashes after installing a protected lane – let's replicate that data-driven design here.
Seattle has already succeeded with protected lanes on 2nd and Dexter – those projects reduced injuries by 30% and didn't cause traffic chaos. Denny can follow that blueprint.
What about emergency vehicle access? A two-way barrier could trap fire trucks.
This unlocks a safer east-west connection that will encourage thousands to bike or scoot, cutting emissions and congestion across the city.
Both drivers and riders want safety – the pilot phase can test a design that minimizes friction for everyone while proving the concept.