The Seattle Department of Transportation announced today that progress has been made toward completing goals in the city's Bicycle Master Plan.

Mayor Greg Nickels has said he wants Seattle to become the "most bike-friendly city in the nation."

The Bicycle Master Plan Progress Report is posted on the transportation department Web site.

During the past two years, the city has extended the network of bicycle routes, lanes and trails, and improved bicycle safety.

Nearly two miles of new multi-purpose trail have been completed, including adding a section to the Burke-Gilman Trail along Shilshole Bay to Golden Gardens Park. The trail's designed the “missing link” section of the trail in Ballard has also been designed and is going through a public comment phase now.

Two sections were added to the Duwamish Trail (one built by the Port of Seattle), and the Interurban Bikeway was completed.

New features added to Seattle streets include green bike lanes at locations where bikes and cars are most likely to be in conflict, and sharrows, pavement markings that remind motorists to look for bicyclists.

The city has also designed and installed new bicycle route signs, performed trail maintenance, repaired roadway pavement, improved trail crossings, installed hundreds of bike racks, distributed thousands of bike maps, and funded the Bike Smart education program.