Site Report #4: The Past and Future U District
In the pass years, U-District has been known as a city within a city. According to the article University District Green Streets Concept Plan 2015, U District is a thriving neighborhood with 14,000 residents, and hundreds of unique local businesses, thus create its own unique culture (Seattle Department of Planning and Development). According to the University District Residential Market Analysis of 2013, in the year of 2012 40% of U-District population were between the ages of 20 to 24, and 21% were between the ages of 25 to 34, mostly students. Based on statistic, U-District had created it owns city that are mostly occupy by students from UW (City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development).
We will be looking at block 34, a block that is occupy by the dorm Alder Hall. In 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan recommends an uphill bike lanes from NE 40th Street to NE 43rdStreet. This is due to the important gateway located at NE 43rd Street (Figure 1). The City of Seattle saw the potential of getting people on bike from dorm to school, as well as connecting the bike lanes to Burke Gilman trail. City of Seattle built the bike lane on Brooklyn Ave Ne from NE 43rd Street to NE 40th Street (Figure 1). City of Seattle also built in another bike lane specifically on NE 40th Street between Brooklyn Ave NE to 15th Ave NE (Figure 1). This plan had been implemented and completed on 2015. If you are on block 34 facing NE 40th Street currently, you will be able to see a bike lane on your right (Figure 2). In figure 2, we see pedestrian, street parking, cars/bike, cars, bikes, street parking, pedestrian. This is what we called a multi-purpose street; which is what we have on NE 40th street currently.
The City of Seattle wrote the Seattle Bicycle Master plan is to encourage students to use bike as a substitution for cars and buses to create a greener space and solving congestion issue. My previous site reports had provided us an idea of why Seattle is a car dependent city. Since Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the US, due to the cars prioritize transportation method; it created a huge congestion issue. City of Seattle had seen this in advanced; therefore, they want to encourage young adults to start using other mode of transportations as part of their daily commute (Seattle Urban Mobility Plan).
Due to the implement of the bike lane and the Seattle Bicycle Master plan, it had completely transform block 34 surrounding. When University of Washington was first build at U District, cars lane was number one priorities, to encourage students to go to school (City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development). After server years of the bike lane being implemented, block 34 was a widely use street, becoming one of the busiest street among students. This is because block 34 had one of the most pedestrian friendlies streets. Students started to use different mode of transportations in the area now, such as bikes, skateboards, roller skates, and others. Block 34 slowly becoming a gathering area.