Active Connections: Fleming Bicycle Corridor

Fleming Bicycle Corridor FAQs

What is a bike boulevard?

 Bike boulevards are important to developing a low stress bikeway network and providing an attractive bikeway for users of all ages and abilities. They are constructed on low volume and low speed local streets and include the following elements:

• Route planning to provide access to neighborhoods.
• Signs and pavement markings that are easy to understand.
• Vehicle speed and volume management techniques to maintain the quiet nature of the street.
• Intersection safety treatments that prioritize bicyclist safety.

Why is the City building this in this location? There don’t appear to be any bicyclists riding here.

Currently there isn't a north/south bikeway west of Evergreen. Data show most people who have expressed an interest in riding a bike hesitate to ride where there isn't a bikeway. The Fleming Bicycle Corridor will be a bike boulevard for people who currently bike (approximately one percent of Everett's commuting population), and for people who have expressed an interest in biking but are cautious, because there isn't a current bike route.  

How will the Fleming Bicycle Corridor project impact the character of the neighborhood?

This project will:

• maintain the local sense of place for the neighborhood.
• provide a comfortable bike route for users of all ages and abilities.
• benefit residents and pedestrians by reducing the likelihood of vehicle crashes.

Will the Fleming Bicycle Corridor project make pedestrians less safe?

Vehicle volume speed and management treatments are a key element of bike boulevards. By decreasing motor vehicle speeds, these treatments: 

• improve bicyclist comfort and benefit pedestrians and residents by reducing traffic speeds and discouraging cut-through vehicle traffic along the corridor.
• decrease the likelihood that crashes will occur by increasing driver’s response time and minimize motor vehicles overtaking movements.
• decrease the likelihood of a serious or fatal injury when crashes do occur.

Will the traffic islands reduce road safety?

The traffic islands are an important vehicle speed and volume management treatment for the Fleming Bicycle Corridor. They are being built to: 

• improve bicyclist comfort and benefit pedestrians and residents by reducing motor vehicle speeds and discouraging cut-through vehicle traffic along the corridor.
• decrease the likelihood that crashes will occur by increasing driver’s response time and minimize motor vehicle overtaking movements.
• decrease the likelihood of a serious or fatal injury when crashes do occur.

Why are you building the traffic islands on College/Federal but not Fleming?

City practice is to maintain minimum vehicle lane widths of 10 feet wherever possible on local streets. Fleming, south of 52^nd, doesn’t meet this criterion. College and Federal, north of 52^nd, becomes significantly wider, so the traffic islands here were an important treatment to provide vehicle and speed volume management elements necessary for a bike boulevard.    

Will you be widening the road?

No, all work will be done in the existing roadway.

Will we lose street parking?

One or two parking spots will be lost where the traffic islands are built. Engineering analysis done by the City showed an adequate supply of on-street and off-street parking to accommodate current demand.

What notifications have there been for this project? 

The Fleming Bicycle Corridor project is in Everett's Bicycle Master Plan, which was adopted by the Everett City Council in 2011. The Council passed a plans and systems ordinance for the project on December 22, 2021, authorized a call for bids on August 17, 2022, and awarded the construction contract on December 21, 2022. 

Public Works’ practice is to notify impacted community members prior to construction beginning on a project. In keeping with this practice, a written notice was mailed to addresses along the project corridor on April 13, 2023. 

Funding

The funding sources for this project include a Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) grant of $595,000 and local matching funds of $110,000 from Fund 119 – Street Improvements for a total programmed available funding of $705,000. The CMAQ Program provides funding for projects and programs that help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act by reducing mobile source emissions and regional congestion on transportation networks.