BGT Missing Link

I attended the open house in Ballard for the Bridge the Gap project last night and came away very impressed. It seemed obvious to me that the project managers had spent a lot of time talking to, and watching cyclists who navigate the area.
I came away with a healthy respect for the myriad of details that must be addressed with something that SEEMS like just a little trail along side a road.
I would encourage people to watch for and attend these information meetings. If this is any example...They are well organized. The folks running the event are very open to questions and comments. The project managers will take the time to talk to you directly...even if you oppose their ideas. I watched the project manager politely take questions for an hour BEFORE the presentation. Never did he try to skirt any question put before him or say "wait for the presentation".
The Project
Anyone who rides in North Seattle has found the end of the BGT. It is between Fremont and Ballard at the North end of the Fred Meyer store. If you want to continue to the Locks or to Golden Gardens you must run the gauntlet. The worlds worst rail crossing. A really narrow road that seems to be the express lane for people avoiding the arterial. The busy and narrow Shilshole Ave that seems to have the most creative parking I've ever seen alongside.

A plan to continue BGT from Fremont to Golden Gardens has been in the works for years. As roadblocks to the project are addressed a section is tackled. Last year the section from the Locks to GG was completed.
The project has neccesarily been carved up due to pressure from various groups and the logistics of safely getting a trail thru a busy corridor without sacrificing business traffic or the safety of trail users. The most difficult section is this "missing link." Many roadblocks have stood in the way of moving forward.
The issues...

• How to plan around an active Railroad right of way
• How to safely separate trail users from roadways
• How to use the project to address multiple already present drainage problems
• Working with the business owners around the corridor to find workable solutions to thier concerns
• Creating a new road layout that still works for oversize truck traffic.

You'll have to go to the Project Website to get all the details but here are a few of the highlights

• Trail will be 12 feet wide. Separated from both rail and road traffic
  
• There will still be a small missing link where users will need to leave the trail to ride on reasonably quiet Ballard Ave for a couple blocks to get around a section which still has multiple large problems. (too narrow, grade, biz cooperation, many driveways) The city told the planners. "you can go ahead with the rest but we're not tackling all that right now ....or you can wait on the whole thing"
  
• A dedicated red light controlled crosswalk will allow access to this hopefully temporary link
  
• The famous Train Tracks of Doom under the Ballard Bridge will no longer be a factor...unless you decide to ignore the trail and ride in the traffic lane. Then you will still have to deal with the shallow angle of the track layout.
  
• A good way to think about how the layout of this first section is that traffic will be on the North side of the thruway, train in the middle and the trail will be on South side
• The trail will follow along behind the businesses on Market, and behind the Lockspot
• Many of the businesses along the route have welcomed the trail

Section One Fred Meyer to Ballard Bridge
Aerial Section One
Section Two Ballard Bridge to 17th
Aerial Section Two
Section Three 11th to the Ballard Locks
Aerial Section Three
Aerial Section Four
FAQ
Website for the Project