Three Cheers for Urban Planning: Pedestrian Overpass to Break Ground Next Month

One of Seattle's main draws is the hyper-local feeling of each of its neighborhoods. Unfortunately, that's also one of our town's major draw-backs. So insular are many of the neighborhoods, they're separated by impossible-to-cross six-lane arterials. Many disperse into frayed edges that take pedestrians from sidewalks and storefronts to construction and no sidewalks. Enter the Lake 2 Bay Loop, a proposed pedestrian-friendly initiative designed to attractively and accessibly connect Elliot Bay to Lake Union.

In talks since 2007, this ever-evolving concept was initially designed to create a safe, easy connection between Seattle Center, South Lake Union and Queen Anne, and the waterfront, Belltown and Downtown.

KOMO reported this morning that a vital leg of the the L2B Loop, the West Thomas Street Overpass, is finally nearing actual construction, and that ground is expected to be broken next month.

The West Thomas Street Overpass won't actively add the much-needed connection to SLU, but will create bike-and-foot-friendly access to Myrtle Edwards Park, north of Belltown, from Lower Queen Anne at Elliot Avenue West.

image courtesy of SDOT

We can only hope that this development will be part of a series of events to make the city more walkable, particularly around South Lake Union.

South Lake Union has been receiving a lot of attention in the last year. New developments, that shiny Whole Foods and a handful of Tom "T. Doug" Douglas restaurants have helped transform this neighborhood near the Needle from an unwalkable industrial armpit to a cute live/work wonderland for Amazonians and more. Unfortunately, with the Mercer Mess hulking over the 'hoods main entrance, SLU still feels a little...far, despite being relatively close to Queen Anne and the Center.

Currently, pedestrians are stymied by Aurora, funneled alongside nervous bikers onto narrow sidewalks below terrifying underpasses and consistently made to wait for long, confusing six-way stoplights. It's undesirable, to say the least.

Considering our recent ranking by Transportation for America as one of the top ten safest cities for pedestrians, we've got to keep the momentum. This sort of urban development, which connects existing areas in a way that is both commuter-friendly and doesn't impede automobile traffic, is precisely what the City needs. And while these new structures are pricey, they're also an investment in Seattle's growth and revenue. When tourists and locals can walk from one place to another, the City feels infinitely more accessible and active.