SDOT to host Open House regarding new Roosevelt bike lane proposal

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8/23/12 editor's note: this post has been updated with respect to the latest comments from the Maple Leaf Community Council.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) representatives are visiting the community with a revised proposal for a bike lane on Roosevelt Way NE between 75th and 85th Streets.

In 2010, SDOT restriped Roosevelt Way NE to add a bike lane, yet left the 10-block stretch between 75th and 85th hanging without a bike lane. At the time, some neighbors worried that a bike lane in that stretch of road would result in a loss of parking space without improving traffic flow.

For the past two years, SDOT has been studying alternative options and has now released a proposal that will add a bike lane to the east side of the street while creating more room for buses to pull out of traffic at bus stops.

The Maple Leaf Community Council notes of SDOT's proposal that "traffic flow in the area will not be diminished according to SDOT. In fact, there may be improvements because some of the parking that is being removed will allow buses to pull to the curb instead of stopping in traffic."

Additionally, SDOT data shows there will be enough parking spaces left to handle even the peak parking as recorded by SDOT during their multi-seasonal surveys. The east side parking strip and the bike lane will both be one foot wider in this area than seen throughout the rest of the city.

The Open House will take place Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Avenue Northeast.