partnerships is a growing circumference of
bicycle and pedestrian facilities leading to
and along the Burke-Gilman. With each
new road crossing, greenway and access
point, the trail reaches a new neighbor-
hood, a new first-time user, a new fan,
and—in many cases—a new engaged
citizen and advocate. That, after all, is the
real magic of the Burke-Gilman. It’s not
the city’s trail, or the university’s trail or
King County’s trail. It belongs to every-
one, and everyone has a stake.
Karl Wirsing is the former editor-in-chief of
Rails
to Trails
.
He moved to Seattle a year ago and now
works for the University ofWashington,where he
regularly runs and rides on the Burke-GilmanTrail.
up to the Burke-Gilman.
The existing route from the
hospital has no sidewalks or
shoulders and zigzags through
side streets; it’s not a clear or
inviting path. The new 8-foot-
wide spur will be only 580 feet
long, but this connector, built
at an easier grade, will provide
a direct path from the rail-trail
to the main hospital entrance. “The Burke-
Gilman is an amazing treasure for us,” says
Nunes-Ueno. “When we build this con-
nector, it will be so much easier for people
to go for a walk with their kids or go on a
short bike ride to clear their minds.”
The hospital isn’t done yet, either. Ride
around the neighborhood with Nunes-
Ueno, and he’ll point out a number of
future projects on the calendar, from
more signalized crossings to other green-
ways. His energy and enthusiasm, and
his eagerness to draw in new partners and
community input, is the sort of emotion-
al stake that powers the Burke-Gilman.
From the university to the hospital and
beyond, the payoff of these community
shower facilities. Each day biking to work
earns an employee a $3.25 bonus; a loaner
bike program is available for one-off
errands or short, local trips; every employ-
ee gets a free transit pass; and the hospital
runs its own free shuttle service to collect
employees from several stops in the city.
Community Feeling
Rather than be a spectator to future
developments, the hospital took the lead
in reimagining the bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure in its surrounding neighbor-
hoods. As part of Seattle Children’s Major
Institution Master Plan, which commits
nearly $4 million to local transportation
improvements, Nunes-Ueno organized
community workshops, an open house
and other forums, and also solicited let-
ters, emails and public comments.
What he found right away was a hap-
py intersection of interests. “We wanted
the same things our neighbors wanted
for the community,” he says, citing better
trail access, more sidewalks and safe road
crossings as examples.
Working with the City of Seattle, the
hospital used that feedback to start priori-
tizing projects in early 2011. One of the
first projects addressed a major challenge
to pedestrian mobility: Sand Point Way, a
busy, four-lane arterial with limited signal-
ized crossings that cuts a daunting diago-
nal across the main access points to Seattle
Children’s. To overcome this barrier, the
hospital invested in a block-long, two-lane
cycle track along the main frontage with
Sand Point Way. At the northeast end, it
connects to several neighborhoods adja-
cent to the hospital campus. At the south-
west end, it spills out at the new signalized
intersection, which features a separate
“
bike-cross” lane next to the pedestrian
crosswalk—the first of its kind in Seattle.
Nunes-Ueno says the vocal support
of hospital leaders has helped move these
initiatives forward. Seattle Children’s also
has committed funds—beyond the $4
million—to develop nearby infrastructure
through its campus development fund.
Most recently, construction began on a
connector from Sand Point Way to ramp
universityof
washington
seattle children’s
hospital
husky stadium
uwmedical
center
capitol
hill
google
seattle
ballard
university
district
northeast
seattle
lake
forest
park
bothell
kenmore
s e a t t l e
Gas
Works
Park
Golden
Gardens
Park
Log
Boom
Park
Matthews
Beach
Park
Blyth
Park
llustration
ielle Marks
rks Desig
view Drive
23071-3110
4 238-1539
trocast.net
marks.com
marks.com
ork © 2014
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405
5
522
523
513
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104
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N
Parking
Burke-Gilman
Trail
Trail
endpoint
Restrooms
Trail length:
17
miles
Trail surface:
Asphalt
map illustration by
daniellemarks.com
Other trails
Lake
Union
Lake
Washington
Ship Canal
SAND
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Sammamish
RiverTrail
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Pipeline
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0
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2
MILES
102
nd Ave.NE
96
th Ave.NE
NW Market St.
Holman Rd.
NE 45th St.
NE 125th St.
68
th Ave. NE
Northgate Way
Sand Point Way
Leary Way
32
nd Ave. NW
15
th Ave. NW
wa s h i ng t on
The number of
commuters using the
Burke-Gilman around
UW campus is expected
to double by 2030.
Val Richey
rails
to
trails
u
spring/summer.14
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