Seattle Department of Transportation hosted two public meetings last week to gather pubic input for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Burke-Gilman Trail Extension Project. The DEIS evaluates four routes that aim to connect the Missing Link: the gap between the intersection of N.W. 45th Street and 11th Avenue N.W. and the Ballard Locks.

The Missing Link has been the center of controversy dating back to the late 80s, but more specifically since 2003 when the City proposed connecting the link along Shilshole Avenue N.W. Community members with business interests in the freight and maritime industries appealed the resolution, their contention being that the increase of activity through the industrial sector would negatively impact business operations and potentially lead to safety issues because Shilshole Avenue N.W. is a freight route.

Activists outside the meeting contended that the Shilshole South route is the most direct and safest route with only four roadway crossings.

In 2012, the City's Hearing Examiner required SDOT produce an environmental impact statement (EIS). The statement examines five alternative routes: Shilshole North, Shilshole South, Leary, Ballard Avenue and a No Build Alternative. The statement includes consideration of a litany of impacts, some of which are transportation, economics, recreations, utilities and wildlife.

Hundreds of people turned out at the Leif Erickson Hall in Ballard to hear SDOT Director Scott Kubly and staff discuss the report. Outside the hall there were hundreds of bicycles parked on the sidewalk as well as demonstrators advocating for the Shilshole South alternative. Inside the hall people gathered to view diagrams of the alternative routes. By far the individuals with the most skin in the game and consequently the most out spoken were cyclists commuters and maritime/freight industry business owners like Warren Aakervik of Ballard Oil.

Four alternative routes examined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Aakervik is a member of the group that appealed the resolution to connect the trail Shilshole Avenue N.W. Aakervick’s main contention with many of the alternatives is safety. He said that the higher in activity in the freight areas could mean the accidental death of a cyclist or pedestrian at the hands of a big truck driver.

“This is about people dying and a maritime industry, and there has to be some common ground for this to work. Whatever this public wants for its future is its choice, but they will have to accept the responsibility for it … What is a death? They can design this thing so that people don’t have to get killed,” said Aakervick.

Aakervick expressed support for the Ballard Avenue Alternative, which is primarily routed along the south side of Ballard Avenue N.W. He said that this alternative would be the safest one by diverting the trail traffic away from freight activity.

On the contrary, activists outside and inside the meeting contended that the Shilshole South route is the most direct and safest route with only four roadway crossings. They also purported that building the Ballard Avenue Alternative could mean the disruption, closing and the moving of the Ballard Farmers Market.

Other citizens were less specific when it came down to naming which alternative would be the best.

Kate Hotler, a designer and cyclist commuter who lives in North Seattle, was hopeful and impressed with SDOT’s movement in the project. She said that no matter what alternative is chosen, the ultimate measure for safety and functionality of the trail lies in the design.

“Good design can actually get you pretty far in this process,” said Hotler.

She also expressed frustration that the completion of the trail has taken this long.

“I see this situation as horribly unjust for the general public, for the kids that have grown up over those 20 years without having a trail.”

Which alternative that will connect the trail will be determined by public comment, and SDOT will be accepting comments up to August 1. After that time SDOT will review and respond to comments, and a Final EIS will be prepared, which will contain the responses to the comments and potential updates to the report. SDOT anticipates releasing the Final EIS in early 2017.

The full DEIS is available online at: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/BGT_Ballard.htm.