The Seattle Department of Transportation has proposed improvements to the stretch of Dexter Ave N between Mercer and Nickerson that it says are “designed to benefit everyone who uses the street, including commuters, truck drivers, bus passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.”

The project would include:

• Repaving Dexter Ave N
• Installing bike lanes on both sides of the street that are separated from vehicle traffic by a parking lane
• Removing the two-way left turn lane
• Providing dedicated left-turn lanes at busy intersections
• Providing dedicated load zones for businesses that need them
• Providing in-lane bus stops to improve transit speed and reliability
• Installing dedicated bus islands

SDOT will be holding an open house regarding the plan from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29 in Conference Room A at the Seattle Center’s Center House.

If you can’t make it to the meeting, public comments may be submitted via e-mail to walkandbike@seattle.gov, or by calling 206-684-7583.

The project, if approved, would be funding Seattle’s Bridging the Gap Levy.

Bicyclists and pedestrians in the neighborhood may have been surprised to find the Ship Canal Trail closed off yesterday between 6th Ave W and 11th Ave W. SDOT has asked the contractors who have been working on Phase 2 of the project to make a few final adjustments to the trail’s new extension–extending the fence bordering the trail and fixing damaged concrete.

Due to this work, the section of trail between 6th and 11th avenues will be closed off to through traffic until this Friday, May 14. SDOT asks that trail users follow the instructed signs and stay off the trail work zone until the freshly poured concrete is dry. To follow the Ship Canal Trail project progress, click here.

One of the great things about Queen Anne in the summer is that the location provides a number of captivating and enjoyable routes for walking and cycling to and around town! But if you’re looking forward to taking a stroll over the Ballard Bridge in the coming months, you might have to put your plans on hold. This summer, Seattle Department of Transportation crews will be painting one half of the Ballard Bridge, affecting pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Rick Sheridan with SDOT tells us that pedestrian access on either the east or west side of the bridge will be shut down entirely during the painting. The other side of the bridge will remain open. No word on when painting will start or which side of the bridge crews will work on first. The side that isn’t painted this year will be painted next year.

It’s that time of year again: This weekend Hempfest will take over three waterfront parks, bringing with it added traffic congestion for cars and bikes in the area. The festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Elliott Bay Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, and the Olympic Sculpture Park, but set up and tear down for the event will restrict park access from at least Friday to Monday, but possibly longer.

According to the Hempfest website and Publicola, beginning this Friday, August 14, until Monday, August 17 bicyclists riding through Myrtle Edwards Park, a 1.25-mile stretch along the waterfront that is used as a commuting route for hundreds of cyclists every day, will be required to dismount and walk through the park.

However, another report released on the 6th says otherwise, and signs currently posted in the park instruct bikers to dismount as of 6 a.m. on August 11 until 8 p.m. on August 19.

Publicola reported yesterday that the city had originally asked cyclists to dismount at Myrtle Edwards from Tuesday, August 11 to next Wednesday, August 19 – what would have been a nine-day closure of the path, book-ending the two-day festival, so that vendors could safely set up for and tear down the event. However, after getting a big lobby push from bicyclists who use the popular path, the city decided to reduce the closure to just four days — Friday to set up, and Monday to tear down. We’re still digging to find out when the finalized restriction days are.

Until then, bicyclists and pedestrians who plan on using the path though the park anytime from now through next Wednesday should be aware of the restrictions and expect to see an increase in their commute time due to the huge crowds Hempfest draws. Our editor over at MagnoliaVoice was at the park yesterday and confirms that they are already setting up for the weekend event.

Hempfest, an annual event in Seattle held on the third weekend in August since 1991, is being held August 15-16 and will feature life music over five stages, a comedy stage, and a long list of noteable speakers on hemp and marijuana policy reform. Admission is free.