西雅圖凹凸鏡

前一陣子，彥生的文章報導了西雅圖市民以投票決定不花錢他們的納稅錢來修繕NBA超音速籃球隊的籃球場，因為在西雅圖市民的眼中，有其他更重要的事情該做，其中一項，就是為西雅圖建構一個更為完善的自行車環境。

西雅圖的市民投票通過了一個為期九年，經費達三億六千萬美元（約台幣一百多億）的自行車環境計畫，隨後，西雅圖市政府則公布「十年自行車總體計畫書」（10-year Bicycle Master Plan），作為將來建構自行車環境的規劃綱領。未來，西雅圖的道路建設除了汽車道之外，還必須包含腳踏車道和人行道（在美國，還是有許多新的道路建設連人行道都沒有）；計畫中還包括了21英哩（約33.6公里）長的新自行車道，以及有五個供自行車安全穿越快速道路的陸橋；此外，還要替道路進行「減肥」計畫，讓某些四線車道的道路縮減成兩線、加上一線待轉車道、再加上自行車道。

要增加自行車道本身不是什麼困難的工程，但是，要一個城市願意將本來被汽車霸佔的道路讓給自行車，這象徵了一個城市在觀念上的進步，市民和市政府都越來越尊重比較環保健康的交通運輸方式，也尊重選擇不開車的人的路權。與其他美國城市比起來，西雅圖的自行車環境其實已經蠻不錯的了，他們還願意再花一百多億台幣在建構更完善自行車環境身上，這大概是台灣的自行車族作夢也不敢想的吧！

想要對西雅圖的自行車計畫有更進一步的瞭解請參考西雅圖市政府的網站：
http://www.cityofseattle.net/transportation/bikemaster.htm

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以下，轉載Seattle Times西雅圖時報十二月六日的報導供參考，原文網址：
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003463853_bikeplan06m.html

Seattle rolls out Bicycle Master Plan

By Mike Lindblom
Seattle Times staff reporter

On the streets of Seattle, the balance of power is about to shift.

The city government has rolled out the latest draft of a 10-year Bicycle Master Plan, designed to radically change how travelers share the pavement.

The Seattle Department of Transportation has $32 million to spend on bike projects after voters recently passed Proposition 1, a nine-year, $360 million property-tax levy.

In addition, the city has committed to a "Complete Streets" principle that requires road-reconstruction projects to include new bike lanes and sidewalks when safe to do so.

About 250 people packed into a meeting room at Ballard Odd Fellows' Temple on Tuesday evening to hear the details as the city collaborates with the powerful Cascade Bicycle Club and takes suggestions from individual riders.

Proposed projects include 21 miles of new trail, including five bicycle overpasses:

o     A Ballard bicycle bridge next to the four-lane street bridge.

o     An overpass crossing Interstate 5 in the new Chief Sealth Trail corridor, linking Beacon Hill to the Duwamish area at South Oregon Street.

o    An overpass crossing I-5 at Northeast 47th Street, from Wallingford to the University District.

o    A short bridge over railroad tracks at Airport Way South and South Military Road, near south Beacon Hill.

o    An overpass across I-5 from Northgate Transit Center to North Seattle Community College.

So-called "road diets" would convert certain four-lane streets to two lanes plus a two-way left-turn lane and bike lanes. Perhaps the most controversial is 35th Avenue Southwest in West Seattle, from the High Point area southward.

Near bike-hostile strips such as Aurora Avenue North, the city would try "bicycle boulevards" on parallel side streets. When crossing arterials, such as North 80th Street, bikes would use a special signal (similar to some pedestrian crosswalks) to stop east-west traffic so the cyclist could ride through.

Broadway could wind up with "sharrows," in which a relatively wide swath of pavement is labeled for both car and bike use. Western Avenue in downtown can immediately be restriped to add bike lanes.

David Hiller, advocacy director for the Cascade Bicycle Club, said he hopes the city can increase cycling from his estimate of 2 percent of all trips now, to 12 percent of all trips within 20 years.