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In a move aimed at increasing bicycle access throughout the city, Sound Transit has awarded Edmonds $1.85 million to, according to City transportation engineer Bertrand Hauss, make it easier and safer for both cyclists and pedestrians to get to and from Sound Transit stations.

The project will almost double the length of bike lanes throughout the city.

In 2016, Sound Transit 3 included up to $10 million for each of Sound Transit's five areas, Snohomish County being one of them. Edmonds submitted a grant application in spring.

"This is exciting news for our community," says Edmonds mayor and Sound Transit board member Dave Earling in a news release. "This grant will allow the city to better connect both cyclists and pedestrians to both the light rail station in Mountlake Terrace and the Sounder station in downtown Edmonds, while also helping ease parking congestion at both those stations."

Said Public Works Director Phil Williams: "This project does much more than simply increase bike access to our Sounder Stations. It will also greatly enhance bike and pedestrian access throughout our entire community to make it far easier and safer for people to choose a greener, healthier mode of transportation."

The project proposes to add bike lanes/ "sharrows" along several minor arterials/collectors throughout the city:

– Firdale Avenue/100th Avenue West/Ninth Avenue South from 244th Street SW to Walnut Street (two miles of bike lane in each direction through road/lane reduction);

– Bowdoin Way from Ninth Avenue South to 84th Avenue West/Five Corners (one mile of bike lane in each direction through re-striping);

– 228th Street SW from 80th Ave. W to 78th Ave. W (one-tenth of bike lane in each direction through roadway widening); and

– 80th Avenue West from 228th Street SW to 220th Street SW (sharrows for one mile in each direction).

This project will result in almost doubling the length of bike lanes in the City, going from 8 miles under current conditions to 14 miles upon project completion. The addition of bike facilities along those key east-west and north-south corridors will enhance the existing bike network.

Access to the Edmonds Transit Station and Mountlake Terrace Transit Station for cyclists will be improved. Hauss said this will hopefully encourage more people to consider an alternative mode of transportation when traveling to those stations.

Hauss added that cyclists will also benefit from new bike connections to be created during this project to places throughout the community, such as schools, local parks, downtown Edmonds, mixed use areas like Westgate Village and Firdale Village, and adjacent jurisdictions such as Shoreline.

Hauss also said the bike lanes are also aimed at increasing the physical activity of the community by encouraging new cyclists to start using the bike network. The project's design phase is currently scheduled to start in 2020, with construction scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.

For more information, contact Bertrand Hauss at [email protected] or 425-771-0220, extension 1328.