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Cyclists pushing for safety improvements on the 'Missing Link' of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Ballard

Plans to complete safety improvements in the area have been in the works for years. Washington Bike Law says people are still getting hurt.

SEATTLE — A law office representing clients who say they were hurt on the 'Missing Link' of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood says it's filing new claims against the City of Seattle and pushing for expedited fixes to prevent future injury. 

The "Missing Link" refers to a 1.4-mile gap between two sections of the iconic Burke-Gilman Trail stretching from Golden Gardens to Bothell. The Seattle Department of Transportation is working on multiple projects to address the issue and says completing the Missing Link remains a high priority for the city. As a result of the missing link, cyclists often take a number of detours. 

According to SDOT, "100% designs" are ready along a Shilshole route, but it faces continuing legal challenges. It is also studying the potential for bike lanes along Northwest Leary Way and Northwest Market Street. Meanwhile, it says work is underway at a fix on Shilshole Avenue Northwest under the Ballard Bridge. 

Two phases of improvements are planned for work along Shilshole Avenue Northwest near 45th. The first phase is complete, with the second expected to be done by the end of 2023. Attorneys representing cyclist clients are hoping that the timeline can be sped up. 

Jessica Cutler is an associate attorney with Washington Bike Law and a cyclist who travels through the area frequently.

"The configuration, the way they've painted the roadway, the way they've tried to channel cyclists through here, it's remained confusing," Cutler said. "This is a crucial connection between that end of the Burke-Gilman Trail and where the trail picks up again. A lot of families are using this route to get to Golden Gardens, to recreate, to get to the Nordic museum and just to get to Ballard in general and it's not safe for really any cyclists."

She's hopeful that when Phase 2 plans are complete, conditions will improve, and they will no longer receive calls from injured cyclists. 

"We're hoping to continue to strongly urge the city to fix this spot that's been a hazard not just for cyclists, we've also heard about runners falling and tripping on these tracks; just fix this dangerous spot that's hurting people," Cutler said. "We want people to be able to ride around this city safely. We want the city to uphold Vision Zero and show the cyclists in this city that they're committed to something they've been talking about for years."

Bob Anderton is the founder of Washington Bike Law and has been involved with this issue for decades. 

"The last set of people we represented who were injured here, we made an agreement with the city of Seattle to make changes," Anderton said. "I really hope the city will finish the plan to make it safer so people stop crashing and being seriously injured here."

Anderton says Shilshole Northwest under the Ballard Bridge is not reasonably safe for ordinary travel. While an expectation is in place that Phase 2 should be complete by Dec. 31, he'd like to see it happen faster. Cutler, too, is hopeful that the second phase's work should improve safety significantly. 

"We respectfully request that they do it now," Anderton said. 

A spokesperson for the Seattle city attorney's office said it did not have additional comment to add at this time. 

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