Survey Results

Latest Survey: 6/12/2020

1. Where do you live?

2. How did you use Grow Ave during the Safe Streets program (check all that apply):

3. The Safe Streets program on Grow Ave. was intended to provide instant, short term, open greenways to allow for better social distancing and safer outdoor recreation for all ages during Covid-19.

a. What did you like about the Grow Safe Streets greenways project?

Nothing
Nothing
nothing
Nothing.
Ability for the residence of Grow to have a break from the too busy traffic.
I did not like it
Reduced traffic driving too fast down the street allowed my family and I to safely walk and bike without fear
Not worrying about cars while riding my bike
Nothing! This was such a bad idea!! Don’t shut down Grow Ave again! Makes no sense, Grow already has very wide safe shoulders. Shut off another street that is not such a critical thoroughfare for cars/vehicle traffic. Shut down Sunrise, or at least make it one-way only traffic. Sunrise was choked with pedestrians and bicyclists during the stay at home, and it has no shoulder so it was very unsafe for all (pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles). Lots of near misses happened every day on Sunrise during the Say at Home. Do not close off Grow Ave again, it already has very wide safe shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists – no need to restrict vehicles!
Allowed people to social distance AND be outside with only local cars — really great! Lots more walkers, all social distancing. Thumbs up. Hope this can be made permanent! Thanks for piloting!
Nothing. It only serves a tiny portion of the community.
I did not.
We have appreciated a calmer street. We have lived on upper Grow Ave for 30+ years and have seen traffic increase from a few cars per hour to a few cars per minute during morning and afternoon peaks. Most cars exceeded the original 25 mph limit, and even more continue to exceed the 20 mph limit. It creates a dangerous situation for both children and adults, whether walking or on bikes, especially at dusk and pre-dawn hours when kids are waiting for the schoolbus. When we signal to drivers to please slow down, we have been shouted at, given an obscene gesture, or have had cars speed up. When the portable speed sign is in front of our house, we have seen cars speed up, or refuse to slow down in response to 30 or even 35 mph on the sign. We would appreciate the consideration of permanent traffic calming devices that don’t change the character of the neighborhood, but contribute to safety, such as speed tables and/or median plantings at cross streets. More speed limit signs would be helpful…the one at Highschool Rd right under the End School Zone sign is very misleading to drivers, since the next 20 mph sign does not occur until Wallace Ave.
Not much. In particular I did not like the way this came about without a broader discussion.
The neighborhood is quieter, traffic is slower because its local, I can hear the birds. It is safer to walk up and down Grow, the neighbors give walkers room. That doesn’t always happen when the road is open.
Did not think it achieved any benefit as there are too many houses, and cars to be vehicle free. Also throws cars onto other local streets so unable to see any benefit except if you live on Grow
Nothing. Seems unnecessary and out of touch with what BI residents need.
Did not like it at all.
N/A
I love the idea of prioritizing streets for people not cars.
I did not use it so I don’t know what’s really to like about it.
Loved seeing people safely walk and bike on Grow.
I am happy for the neighborhood getting a period of traffic calming.
None
That it provides a safer experience for people walking, biking, or rolling. I recently got surgery and am using a knee scooter, and am so thankful for the sidwalks near Wilkes Elementary. Safe Streets are a cheaper alternative to adding sidewalks, let’s expand them!
It is fun to be able to use the streets on a more human scale and it may very well promote better community.
Seems like a good idea
A great idea. Grow is a through street and not the quiet spot it used to be. I have friends who live there who lament this. Walkable areas are a big part of the culture of this island. Let’s do more of this.
Peaceful street. Much slower pace of traffic.
No cars
Nothing. The exclusion of cars as a rationale for “safe streets” is a joke. Streets would be safer if cyclists obeyed the law – stopping at stop signs, not switching between being a car or a cyclist or a pedestrians with no notice, not speeding on downhills, not riding side by side in a narrow bike lane…
I like the premise. I’m not sure that I saw a marked uptick in the useage of Grow though. Might not be the best street.
Did not need to walk off pavement to escape drivers who did not give me room
They have lots of pedestrian walking zones in Europe and they are wonderful and relaxing. Grow reminded me of that during the trial. I think Winslow Way should become a walking zones between Ericson and Madison with parking provided on the city property behind Winslow way. This would make Winslow really terrific! I hope the city council has the guts to take this trial to the next level. Sustainable transportation means less cars and more livability.
I really like creating more island space for walking and biking – we have lots of space for cars, let’s make more space for other uses
good idea
Emphasis away from driving
I’m glad that this was tried and it was a success.
Safe places for kids to ride bikes. Fewer bike-car conflicts.
The safety of being able to safe distance when exercising/walking
less traffic on Grow Ave
The reduced traffic flow and improved recreational use.
I am not living on BI at this time but will be starting June 3
Less traffic, more people using the street for walking
I could walk up GROW without being sideswiped by speeding cars. Not having a sidewalk on such a major thoroughfare (both legs of GROW) is disgraceful.
Safety when walking along side of street. When I walk my dog I never used to walk along Grow because of the cars and NO sidewalk.
I did not notice a difference in vehicle speeds or traffic during either of these “experiments”.
It was a nice way for me to get downtown and feel safer.
Less traffic, fewer speeding cars racing to the ferry, less noise, easier walking, less noise, fewer delivery trucks
It was a difficult to adjust with the change, see below with my comments
Place for quiet, safe walking and jogging
Feeling of increased safety, especially for children on bikes and “senior citizens’ walking their dogs. Encouraged neighbors to have time to talk, re-connect, (at a safe social distance) and feel that Grow Ave is part of the neighborhood, not a barrier or a car conduit.
It made it so pleasant to walk and run on my street. It also massively reduced the noise in my home.
Extra space for social distancing. Priory for people walking and riding.
Less speeding traffic
That is was done during nicer weather
Safe place free of cars
I would love to see more emphasis on pedestrian and bike travel.
Sorry, but nothing. It served no interests other than immediate residents and increased traffic and aggressive driving on Lovell.
Easier to jog or cycle
Nothing. It was a bog hassle and it only benefits the few who live directly on Grow. What, are people supposed to drive to Grow and park on the side of the road so they can walk down the middle of the road too!? I’m 100% for social distancing, but we managed just fine in my neighborhood without the street shut down.
HATE it
It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to get out and walk or bike without having to worry so much about interference from cars.
Reduced traffic volumes; comfortable, safe space for walking
Nothing in the way it was implemented.
Felt safer walking on Grow. Also liked calling out to neighbors
Please stop shutting down Grow Avenue. It is safe enough with a low speed limit. There are so. many great trails and side streets even in the downtown area that shutting down a main feeder street to the high school and Winslow makes no sense.
I think it is just wrong to shut down a main arterial in Winslow. There are so many other accessible roads and side streets for walking both in the downtown section and around Bainbridge. This is not Seattle. Especially during a pandemic with ferry service cut and no school, there’s a huge reduction in car traffic.
Everything. Fewer cars. Much safer to walk with my grandchildren and to take my daily walk with my dogs. Also safer to ride my bike.
Nothing. It didn’t work. People still kept driving THROUGH, from Winslow Way to high school road. The project gets an F.
Nothing. It was very inconvenient. Put in a sidewalk or educate people how to not walk in the middle of the road.
Less car traffic makes walking on Grow much safer, since there are no sidewalks! I loved seeing my neighbors enjoying being outside as well.
Always safe travel & recreation and encourages non-motorized transportation
It’s a great street to walk along. Without sidewalks that is difficult. Fewer cars means lass noise and car exhaust.
I didn’t like it, but I did like the street being quieter of vehicle noise.
I was able to walk without worrying about cars driving by too fast. It was quieter and more safe.
Not a damn thing!
I loved having a street without cars where you could walk safely, especially since Grow does not have sidewalks. Seeing people use it was wonderful.
Increased safety for pedestrians, children and bicycles; decrease in speeding cars and trucks
The limitation on thru traffic in neighborhoods
Less traffic and those vehicles that drove by reduced speed
I liked that someone had an idea and we tried it.
Less traffic allowed my daughter to safely ride her bike near our house without having to worry too much about traffic (she just recently learned how to ride her bike).
Good Concept
it made no sense. you either had to walk to Grow to walk or bike to Grow to bike. Madison was more congested as a result. There are many places to walk without shutting down a street and serious bikers will not be biking there to toodle up and down.
feeling safe and being able to tune into the sounds of birds and wind in the trees when walking all along Grow without the usual level of vehicle traffic, exhaust and noise.
see number 2
That people are thinking about good ways to move people around safely.
Helps that neighborhood find quiet. But I don’t think it will work when school is back in session later in the year.
Hmmm, who wrote this survey? This is a leading question. I liked nothing about it.
It was annoying for me to find a way to go west.
Didn’t like the program
It was great to have a safer way to get to Winslow from Commodore area without having to cross 305 to get to the bike path.
Not much
Nothing. I am a licensed professional cycling coach who rides 15,000+ miles a year on the roads all over BI and Kitsap County. I am honestly having a difficult time wrapping my head around the project and the need for it.
I liked having another road that was “dedicated” to bikes and walking.
It connected Winslow to the High School with a safe route for me when I bike into town

b. What problems did you encounter with the Safe Streets program on Grow?

None
none
N/A
School access/egress impeded even though school closed…..had to drop off and pick up items outside several times. Cannot imagine traffic chaos if school in session.
Lack of accessability to Winslow for the entire south end of the island
Rude bikers
I couldn’t drive on it
None. I rode my bike down Grow twice to get to the ferry from the south of BI
None!
The second time more drivers ignored the signs and used Grow as a through street
A woman yelling at me for riding my bike, saying the street was for pedestrians only
It shut off/removed a critical thoroughfare for vehicle traffic into and out of downtown Winslow. Caused many more extra traffic flow problems throughout the roundabout. Just don’t shut down Grow again! Do this to another street that isn’t a critical to maintain smooth vehicle traffic flow into and out of Winslow.
Limited access to Winslow
Privatization of a street that is paid for by all island taxpayers. The inaccessibility further demonstrates the lack of inclusiveness that has become a cornerstone of recent BI policy.
The only problems we have encountered are cars and trucks–especially landscaping trucks with trailers–ignoring the signs and continuing to speed down Grow, complete with revving their engines and making obscene gestures.
It makes it more difficult for me to drive downtown.
If you live on the south end of the island, as I do, Grow is vital in avoiding the hardest intersection on the island to navigate: the corner of Winslow Way and Madison Ave. By using Grow and turning right at that intersection, you can avoid the high risk of accident during times when pedestrian and vehicle traffic is heavy. I cannot stress enough now fraught getting through that intersection is. I would ask that you properly consider south Bainbridge Islanders’ need for access to downtown via Grow Avenue when assessing this program. I would also stress that as long as there is no reliable public transportation on the island, car travel is the only option for people needing to shop downtown or get to the ferries from where we live. Some accommodation to cars remains vital here.
The shoulders on the east side are in poor shape. How about putting a pipe in the ditch and gravel on the wider shoulder for safer walking on that side? That’s the side all the high school kids use when school is in session. Other problem is the griping.
Too many cars, so could not walk down the street. No sidewalks
It inhibits the ability of citizens to move about the island.
Interrupted my normal commuting pattern into Winslow.
It did seem to increase traffic on Lovell, which is a serious bummer since Lovell has less shoulder than Grow for pedestrians. I have better walking routes than Grow, plus presently there is not much traffic on any street in Winslow.
Again I didn’t use it but it was a bit different not to get into town that way
I thought it was disingenuous of the city and Squeaky Wheels to present it as a place for islanders to recreate.
all of the signage, the impairment of travel. If this works, Im closing Rockaway, also.
Cats and trucks go down Fletcher bay road at twice their normal speed
I don’t live there. Not sure.
I had to go out of the way to get to my mom’s on Wood Av.
Problems? That we pay for the streets through our taxes and now the radical bicycle activists have decided it’s theirs.
Increased traffic on Lovell.
I witnessed drivers who ignored the restrictions and just drove through to High School Road
None, I did not use Grow Ave.
So many people in cars ignored the closed signage. Drive too fast
No problems
None.
N?A
Several cars did not heed the safe streets program – just came right through. And those who needed access drove too fast.
Some speeding cars that then turned onto side streets.
The communication to the majority of residents who were affected by the closure was terrible. About 6 years ago the multi-modal coalition left flyers on every door. Only a handful of people showed up to the meeting at a residence in Grow Community. I wasn’t invited back for future meetings but I imagine this is what had become of it. There wasn’t even a majority in favor at the meeting so I fail to see how a minority of Grow residents can determine how our road is to be used.
I saw a car or two ignore the signs. Otherwise, all good!
Non-residential thru traffic with some fast cars and delivery trucks
A lot of people walking were not social distancing which made me nervous in my front yard. As a person who’s home is located near the street we a lot of loud vocal traffic that woke us up in the morning and in late at night. Teenagers were using our streets to socializing late at night. This is a normal during the summer, but increase when our streets were specifically for nonmotorized transportation street. It did not decrease the speed only increased people to think they could go faster because no one else was on the road. The bikers have not been paying attention to their speed on the road and feel more unsafe to cross the street because they are zipping by. I felt more cautious crossing the street because bikers were speeding and believing it was their road.
Non-local drivers using Grow
Cars continued to use Grow Ave as a cut-off, shortcut, to-and-from Winslow. Signage on Winslow for cars going west; not enough warning that Grow was closed for thru traffic. We need to improve communication about project with adjoining neighborhoods, and commercial/construction businesses.
None, I love this program.
None – appreciate the change in signage that reduced impacts on High school and arterials with traffic control
Other neighborhoods want similar safe streets – shoulders, pathways
It closed down a major street on Bainbridge. The city should be spending money on making ALL streets safer (wider bike lanes, wider shoulders), not closing down one street.
See above.
Nothing
Speeds and aggressive driving super increase on Parfitt and Wood
It was an inconvenience. I used to live on Grow and never hand any issues walking or biking down the road. I have a business in Winslow and take Grow daily-driving the 20 mph speed limit and giving room for bikers and walkers. Because of where my shop is located, using an alternate route would have meant using more fuel and backtracking.
It was a useless use of money to plan it out and place signs. It’s not a street that really effects enough people or has a high car flow, especially with school out. Not enough walkers need that street available either.
Make me drive further and burn more fuel and leave a larger footprint.
Driving further to go home
None – not clear what the problem would be.
Traffic flowed onto other streets causing congestion that made walking that area not as safe as it once was.
Some cars still used it as a through way and many cars went around 30 miles per hour instead of 30.
The city should install sidewalks if they really want to protect pedestrians on Grow. Shutting down a Main Street into Winslow during a pandemic when there are (1) less cars on the street and (2) trails and quiet streets throughout Bainbridge to access makes little or no sense.
When I looked down Grow there were barely people using the street and there were cars on it anyway.
People ignoring the intent (and the signage) and continuing to use Grow as a thruway.
Very few drivers observed the experiment. They keep driving through from one end of Grow to High School Road.
There are lots of paths on bainbridge. I would prefer to walk and bike on those rather than Grow Ave.
Made my life inconvenient as I need to access roads to drive.
Drivers continuing to use Grow as a thru-street. The city could make the closure clearer by providing signage at the intersection of Madison and Winslow.
Had to find alternative road.
This whole project did not make any sense.
More cars than I expected, going faster than appropriate. Some even used it in spite of the signs to pass through.
I did not notice any increase in non-motorized traffic – just the usual folks – so it seems over-the-top to close the street. It was a hassle having to go drive further out of my way to accommodate the closure. It just adds to the already over stigmatized social aspects of life in this community, because I felt glared at and judged for driving down my own street.
Required to drive alternate routes taking longer and burning more fuel while increasing carbon emissions
No problems.
Closing a through street in my opinion is a poor idea
I live in this area, so I passed by Grow multiple times each day. I rarely saw anyone using Grow at all. But in the meantime, I often had to drive out of my way to get to my destination. This meant more time in my car, more gas, more pollution, etc.
People ignoring the signs or removing the signs.
Random application, and it just shifts traffic to Lovell
needed to plan ahead and detour
When the traffic flow returns to normal this will only compound congestion problems
No problems except that it eliminates another driving route to Winslow. I am a senior citizen and I drive
The lack of alternate routes and the whole concept.
Lack of expedient access through and to other areas
The problem is that closing Grow pushes the traffic onto other North/South Avenues. We don’t have enough N/S conduits to make it reasonable to shut one down. I often walk along Lovell, which is narrower than Grow, with mailboxes and greenery coming right up to the road edge. Pushing Grow Ave traffic to Lovell created less safe environment on Lovell, which has always been a quiet favorite of dog walkers, strollers, etc. We can’t afford to increase traffic here. If you insist on shutting Grow, you have to shut Lovell too, and use the wider Madison and Weaver Avenues for car traffic. Please, this is really a problematic side effect!!
Much more traffic on Lovell Ave. Forces us to make a left turn onto Wyatt, which at busy times, is difficult.
It forced me to go from Parfitt Way to Madison – fine during a pandemic, not so fine when tourists and traffic return to block the streets.
Too restrictive
None.
Concerned about traveling to Winslow with the upcoming construction on Wyatt and Madison.
Walkers and bikers not looking for the traffic that was allowed on it.
more traffic on Madison
Grow is a thru street and to think it can be blocked off for use by a very small group of home owners is ridiculous.
The big one that jumps to mind is the lack of adequate signage indicating the closure to thru traffic.
There were no signs on Winslow before Grow so after Madison you didn’t know about the closure until you got to Grow. Also after the first weekend people were driving on the road anyway. Why not? Who would stop you? When walking I still had to stick to the shoulder.
There is still traffic in both directions, grow has never been a particularly busy street so i didn’t notice much difference riding up or down the road. I still had to be aware of cars driving or pulling into/out of driveways.

c. Grow Ave. is designated as a future Island Greenway in the City’s nonmotorized transportation plan. What do you think of this idea?

Bad idea
Not sure
With the high school right there, very poor idea.
It is an idea in search of a problem and penalizes many island citizens for the benefit of a very few
Don’t like it. It’s just loudmouth residents who think they should get special treatment
Great
Awesome
great
I support it 100%
No!! Please just leave Grow alone. With more vehicles getting on the roads now as we all reopen. we must keep Grow as a vital vehicle throughway for ferry traffic and those vehicles getting into and out of Winslow. Don’t change Grow, please!
Likely we are fully supportive; we need to learn more to understand what this is.
Terrible. To force all the traffic from the south end of the Island onto Madison to access downtown is unconscionable.
Residents along Grow Ave May choose to come together and purchase the section of road from the town, and thus removing the financial responsibility from COBI & taxpayers. Anything less is incredibly non-inclusive.
It causes more congestion on adjacent streets and only serves a vocal minority who have wanted to close Grow to through traffic for many years. Data from the pd indicates speeding is not anywhere near the hyperbolic claims made by Grow’s residents. This plan is just a means to an end. The end: permanent prohibition of through traffic on Grow Avenue.
We are in favor of efforts to provide a clamer street that don’t change the character of our neighborhood. We don’t want plans that remove existing vegetation and neighbors’ yards to create lanes for individual purposes.
Terrible idea. Traffic at the high school already backs up in the morning and afternoon. This will just push more traffic onto Lovell.
Bad idea.
Define Greenway. If that means sidewalks, then I don’t think so. How about gravel path on the east side of the road, putting a pipe in the ditch and covering. The right of way is huge, but that doesn’t mean paving it all.
Put in sidewalks, then no need for vehicle bottlenecks once we return to normal. Too many houses on Grow to make it vehicle free all the time. I think the Island does not have the need for a Greenway
Dislike.
Grow needs sidewalks. The community plan developed over 10 years ago was a good solution that met both the neighborhood’s needs and those of the island in general.
I don’t see why Grow was selected. It’s on a steep hill. It’s not a major route to anything save the high school as far as I can tell. Doesn’t make sense to me.
If something is done to share that idea with Lovell I think its great. If Lovell simply gets the overflow from Grow then its terrible, especially since Lovell already lacks any crosswalk infrastructure at either the High School Road or Wyatt Way ends. Let’s make Lovell one way one direction with an open lane for peds and bikes and Grow one way the other with one lane for peds and bikes with trees planned between the two lanes!
I think there are better projects to take on than Grow as an Island Greenway
Yes. We need to be more aggressive elsewhere on the Island.
I think it would be better to turn Madison and Ferncliff Avenues into greenways. That transformation would provide a truly significant impact for cyclists and walkers islandwide, as well as putting the burden on highway 305 to funnel non-localized automobile traffic in and out of Winslow.
Let’s stick to the non-motorized transportation plan.
Not much.
I would prefer to see the city invest in developing dedicated off street pathways than start closing streets. If residential neighborhoods support local closures then that is acceptable but any closures that impact access to local businesses or the parking for them seems out of balance. We are a car oriented world and no amount of wishful thinking will change that.
What’s the comprehensive plan?
I would bike there and walk my dog there. Awesome!
I think the planting of trees and gardens is a fine idea. I think the 20mph is fine. I do not think the street should be blocked off to thru traffic.
Great. More Greenways. More transportation. Fewer cars on the Island.
It’s a slippery slope. Which street will be next. This is just a backlash to high school students driving and parking on Grow. One people moved in, they knew the High School was a block away. They need to stop whining.
I think it needs more study. As a member of the Grow neighborhood, it is an important street for me to be able to drive on. The congestion at the Highschool Road/Madison roundabout is a nightmare (particularly when school is in). Unless that is also addressed, I believe closing grow won’t be optimal.
I approve
Yes do it
Why not? There are multiple ways to get through that corridor. I support this idea
It’s a good beginning
This should be used throughout the Island.
I love it.
Yes, a great idea!
I think it would be OK, but would like to know more.
Worthy of consideration.
I support the idea
EXCELLENT!
Love it. But there has to be a way for locals to continue using the street without “threatening” the walkers.
Fabulous!
I don’t agree with this. I am a bicycle commuter, voter, Grow Avenue home owner, and parent of young children.
I think it’s an excellent idea!
It would give us a true neighborhood feeling instead of a thru road. It would be safer and less noisy.
I do not think it is the answer to the problem. Taking my freedom to live on a street where my family and I are not a priority and our transportation needs is frustrating. We continue to be excused from the conversation around this project and it goes to the city as if all Grow is in agreement. My husband has tried to go to the meetings until he was told that he too young to have house on Grow and then suddenly he was not invited to meetings. I have two daughters who go to school and their safety is my first priority. But I also am concerned about having too many people accessing our street on foot, increase criminal activity or too comfortable around our property. Before the closure of the street I was aware of the people walking by my street. It was predicable. Over the past week there were a lot of strangers, and unfamiliar people which does not make me feel safe that my children can be in the front yard. We already had an increase of stolen property around the holidays, more access on our street could increase this. When you advertise this, it attracts everyone which makes it a public street. We attract new people who might not always have the best intentions for our street. I felt like a visitor on my own street. It feels invading and that people own our street and could do what they want. It is overwhelming for homeowners who just want their street to be private and quiet.
Love the idea
Very much supportive.
I love this idea and fully support it.
I think it’s appropriate particularly with Madison so close to handle thru traffic
No idea what Greenway is in this context – more trees and plants?? Oh, I see the definition below. Need a serious traffic study in Winslow neighborhoods to balance needs.s
No, Grow Ave is a major street used between the ferry, HS, Children’s Doctor Office, downtown Winslow. Closing Grow will just cause more traffic on Madison and Lovell. This is a horrible idea. I am sure all residents want to close down their street to local traffic.
Yes, but I’d like to see it shift to one-way, one lane instead.
Who designated this? I am adamantly against this and will fight to insure this does not happen.
Dumb
It will have a knock on effect and increase traffic speed on other streets
It’s a terrible idea. If people feel unsafe walking and biking on Grow then a better solution would to enforce the speed limit and work on getting people to stop at stop sign at Grow and Wyatt. Put in bike lanes and/or sidewalks. Closing off a useful street only creates more traffic and less-safe situations on nearby streets. No street in Winslow should be blocked. Ive lived here for 30 years, own a business here, and love Bainbridge. I’ve seen it change in good ways, and some I wasnt fond of but dealt with. This is the only one so far that has made me feel a need to write the city. Just stop.
Never even heard of this plan, and can’t make sense of why this street.
It is Stupid and they don’t live on or off of Grow.
It is Stupid
That’s excellent and I hope there will be many more designated greenways soon.
Think it makes a great deal of sense, given proximity to school and alternate travel routes.
Do not agree with is until the Council looks at all the unintended consequences that are resulting from this closure. For example, neighboring streets are more congested and this effects walkers, bikers and children at play.
Want it to happen but it has been taking too long.
It is a bad idea. I would love to know how many people actually support this versus the many who think it is a silly idea.
I think it is a bad idea and I would like this put to a citizen’s vote. The city should use its money to install sidewalks instead. If you want to close streets close ones downtown that are less used consider Lovell or Erickson. Seattle had a great idea when we lived there. They used to close down Lake Washington Blvd once a month during nice weather and let people bike and walk along the water. Do something like that once a month to have a bicycle day but make it on a longer stretch of road. People here are blessed with great trails, paths, parks and side streets that don’t necessitate closing down a main road in the downtown core that leads to the high school and Winslow. Please stop.
The sooner, the better.
No. It will make Madison uunmanageable.
I do not support it
Use the trails or put in a sidewalk if you don’t know how to not walk in the middle of the road.
We do not need this on Bainbridge Island.
Agree with that—plus we need more. Ultimately need safe trails around and across our island.
Great idea! Not sure what that means exactly. Speed bumps? Sidewalks? Only local traffic?
Since you can’t really close the street off anyway, I prefer the idea of upgrading Grow so it will more safely and effectively accommodate all travelers, which is true equity and justice.
I like it!
Bad idea, period.
I think its great. I think Winslow Way between Madison and 305 should also become a pedestrian only street during times of peak interest.
I support this
I think it would be unreasonable to adjacent roads to limit use of Grow long term.
Terrible idea
Good idea
I don’t think it is a necessary designation. I think it should remain a proper street.
I think it’s a great idea! Madison is better developed to handle the traffic with wider lanes and sidewalks.
Not practical. Build sidewalks and bike lane. The street has evolved. Deal with it.
It makes no sense. it only benefits the people living on Grow.
I think it would be great. I regularly walk from my home on Commodore Ln to downtown and that would encourage my doubtful neighbors also to dare to walk along at least some BI streets. At present our Island is not very welcoming to pedestrians. For the sake of everyone’s health and safety, we need the infrastructure to change that.
Very poor idea
It’s fine in an emergency like a pandemic when traffic is light anyway
That the road should be developed with sidewalks and bike lanes instead of closing yet another through access for trucks and cars. A clear “truck route” should also be developed. This will just put pressure on other non through routes. Everyone who needs to get to and from the Winslow core to Lynwood Ctr and Southward need some clear and safe access to the ferry. Condoning off streets creates more safety concerns.
Not a good idea. Grow avenue is a public thoroughfare funded by taxpayers. Lawful through traffic at safe speed should not affect pedestrian safety any more than other streets on Bainbridge Island.
I strongly support bike lanes and pedestrian space on Grow in the future (post-Covid), as a safer way to get kids to BHS. However, pushing Grow traffic onto Lovell simply displaces the hazards to an even narrower and more occluded road, and is a bad idea. Use the bigger roads for cars, the narrower ones for bikes and pedestrians. I do like the overall notion of more greenways, better and safer biking routes for families and kids, and interconnected routes that help people get to other parts of the island safely and without a car.
I don’t like this plan. You have added all that housing on Madison, and if you close Grow, all that traffic will be forced on Lovell or Madison. You should do much more research, and add sidewalks to east side of Grow,
Ridiculous! Why should only that street get their own private street. We all pay taxes!
Totally inappropriate, favors one neighborhood to the detriment of others and the convenience of the population as a whole.
OTHER (9)

4. Greenways are only one solution to provide instant safe spaces for walkers/cyclists during Covid-19. There are other options. Would you be supportive of the City implementing any of the following temporary methods at other locations around the island? (Select all that apply):

5. How would you like the City of Bainbridge Island to communicate with you regarding future Safe Streets or other programs for walkers/cyclists during Covid-19 restrictions? (Select all that apply):

6. If you would like to talk with the City or council about the Safe Streets Program, please provide your contact information here

(not shown on web site for privacy)

7. Comments:

Grow ave is not a playground it is and has always been a thoroughfare for the entire south end of the island. The entire island is a greenway.
None but thanks to Squeeky Wheels for taking this on
Thank you for your efforts – I enjoyed the opportunity to use the street safely.
Please speak to your citizens directly before making this decision.
We’re excited that Bainbridge is taking steps to enhance roads for pedestrians and bicycles. We are in full support of ways to help residents safely walk and bike, and use cars as minimally as possible. Thank you.
Should all roads be closed to non-residents in the interest of safety? There are plenty of private roads on the island where folks have taken full financial responsibility for and the city no longer maintains. I would expect the same here. If only a select number of houses are permitted to use the road, then only the select number of houses should be paying to maintain it.
See #3a above…we wish Bainbridge Island could become a place whose culture is one of respect for all–including posted speed limits. We do not drive at 35 or 40 mph down other neighborhood streets–your neighborhood is our neighborhood, your kids are our kids. Allow more time–Grow Ave is not an arterial street, it is a neighborhood. We are not a freeway to the ferry, or wherever it is you need to get so quickly.
It seems wrong for the private organization that is pushing this initiative to be collecting information for the council.
Great idea. Looking forward to the Wyatt project completion so traffic on Grow can get back to normal and perhaps be limited again.
Good intentions (and I’m an avid cyclist) but safe strees doesn’t make sense to me vs. other things the city could be doing to make things safer for bikers AND motorists who need to co-exist with them on the road.
Please support a cross walk at the south end of Lovell to help pedestrians get to the south side of Wyatt and downtown. Currently Lovell is a pedestrian dead end at Wyatt–including a sidewalk with a curb cut to nowhere. Its been that way for over a decade. Surely we can complete that path. Please note that on Question 2, I was required to answer but none of the choices were appropriate. I did walk down Grow but not for exercise or to get outside, rather just to get from point a to point b with my feet.
Making Winslow one-way or closing it to cars so the restaurants and wine bars can spill out into the street for outdoor dining would be great!
Thank you Squeaky Wheels and the Bainbridge Island community for coming together to ensure a safer experience for people walking, biking, or rolling.
I think bikes should pay a fee to ride on Washington State roads…. built for automobiles.
Thank you, Squeaky Wheels!
Thanks for helping make BI a better place to live.
More busses, more often, fewer cars.
Want to see more of this. We need to make it safe to go out for a ride or walk from anywhere on the island. Drivers are generally cautious, but there are still too many narrow roads with ZERO shoulder. It’s just not safe enough. Period.
I used Grow every day during the closure and there was always 5-7 other people using it also. A good use of the space and much needed to connect with trails and access along the south side of Winslow Way.
During the height of the stay at home order Grow Avenue had already lost most of the commuting car traffic, and there was already an increase in walkers as the weather turned warmer. I live on this street and commute to work on my bicycle. There are indeed speeding cars under normal circumstances, and people use it as a quicker connection to go from the south end to high school road. I don’t agree that re designating this a greenway. A meeting I attended 6 or so years ago talked about this same agenda. Most of the residents didn’t agree and asked for speed humps to mitigate speeding cars. I don’t agree that a vocal minority, from lower Grow, can dictate what happens to the entire length of the street. There needs to be more community outreach to all of us affected by these designations. This can’t be a few residents and advocacy groups shoving ideologies down everyone else’s throats. The city needs to talk to us all, and if you want to perform these experiments, you owe the residents of this street a longer heads up than a Nixle text the night before with very limited information about what the rules are. This seemed very shoddy and slapped together. There is already adequate bike lanes and sidewalks a block over on Madison that connects the same roads to the downtown core. Resources would be better spent directing people to that arterial, than directing more traffic onto our residential road. My last comment is that I have noticed an increase in speeding E-Bikes during the pandemic.They can even speed uphill!
Thanks for doing this!
Thanks for working toward this worthy goal
I think we really need to think about how this will socially affect our street. We will be another part of the town area where people will think they have right to use our streets their own way and will forget people of all ages are living there. We will become more of the city of part of Winslow. The amount of people will only increase as more people move into the new house/apartments. The homeowners on Grow did not sign up for that. I am aware the lower grow looks at themselves as part of the downtown Winslow, but upper Grow does not and enjoy the quietness. The best part of where I live is I get a taste of both worlds. I can go downtown when I want to, but have the quietness of my home on upper Grow. The larger question is how to we decrease the amount of regular car drivers on the island. We are saturated with car drivers which is over populated the roads. Our school buses are empty….. Why have we become a culture who needs to drive our children to school? Why have become a culture who does not have time to create other options for transportation. Lastly I do not think it makes sense to call this week of Safe Street a success during a pandemic. The number of cars did not reflect the amount we have on a normal time.
Thank you for initiating this project. Clearly we need to move forward on this. We should be very clear what our objectives are: safety, transportation alternative, greenways, etc. Folks need to understand why COBI is pursuing these projects.
Thanks for asking!
I’ve been clear in my responses. This is an exclusionary effort that will overtly benefit residents of Grow and the surrounding areas, and increase traffic and related vehicular danger in the areas of close proximity not included in this program.
I think it’s great that they want to improve non motorized transportation. but adding a bunch of 1 ways is just going to shift the problem . A traffic cop writing tickets all day for 2 weeks will change behavior.
A better use of the city’s time would be to work on the parking issue for downtown. More cars end up using side streets as they continuously circle around back into town to look for parking. These drivers are usually annoyed and in a hurry to get back onto Winslow Way for another pass at finding a spot. Find room for more parking, and not only will local support their downtown businesses again, they will be happier drivers!
If you want a safe street, stay home!
I am handicapped and need to drive. Grow is the best way to get onto Shepard way. I have to drive further to get home and use more fuel and leave a larger footprint on the environment on a limited income. I SAY NO!
My husband and I are concerned that the ways being selected for safer roads and effectively fighting climate change are actually exasperating the problem.
Please consider everyone’s needs to use the streets. Creating a bike path from the Ferry to Agatepass Bridge was squandered by the city and do this piecemeal of shutting down a Main Street in downtown to appease a few makes zero sense.
See above
There is no need for any changes in streets on the island.
Build dedicated bike/walk paths away from roadways to really make a difference! Closing streets should not be the answer.
Cars drive too fast on Wyatt Way. More monitoring is needed. More sidewalks, too.
Please put this energy and resources into implementing a more permanent and long-term plan for safe and effective non-motorized travel around the whole island. We need bike-lanes and ADA sidewalks!
None
Please consider expanding it to a street with businesses. Winslow Way between Madison and 305 would be wonderful, especially as businesses begin to re-open.
The majority of the roads on Bainbridge Island that I have used for transportation are the same roads ( with the exception of those into new housing developments) I have used for over 76 years. Yet the population has increased from a few thousand to over twenty four thousand during the same period. Reducing or limiting the use of through streets while the population has greatly increased makes no sense to me. I find it interesting that I have never seen any data that indicates the number of citizens on Bainbridge that actually ride their bikes to commute, go to a local store or for another purpose verses those that drive their car or take public transportation. Also data on how many citizens outside the Winslow area actually walk to work or to the store. A good example how a special interest group – Squeaky Wheels- attempts to force their agenda on all citizens.
I think the safe streets plan is a great idea. It enhances the community environment that many of us chose Bainbridge Island for.
This seems to be a let’s do what Seattle does and knee jerk. Many will be inconvenienced and very few will benefit.
Right now the streets seem fine to me because traffic is light- please don’t over think this and find a solution to a non existent problem.
There needs to be some enhancements to Winslow way east of Madison. Grow should be redeveloped to have multimodal safe access.
Now that we have moved to Phase 2 of COVID recovery, there are many beautiful parks and open spaces available to recreate and exercise including waterfront park Eagle Harbor within walking distance of Grow avenue. Grow avenue is no more “special” than other streets and roadways on Bainbridge Island and should not gain special treatment or status. Public roadways are publicly funded and should be allowed for safe public use.
thank you for the opportunity to give input! And thank you for looking for opportunities to provide safe, green corridors for recreation and car-free transportation on the island.
This project seems to have been started by a small, well named bicycle group. People who live in this neighborhood were not asked. We are greatly effected.And when all the new housing in this area is fully occupied, the traffic will be way up. We haven’t even seen the full effect yet.
Ridiculous to block one street for the benefit of a few people.
Thanks for the survey. Hope a small, vocal group doesn’t persuade the city to ignore the fact that existing streets are public, not to be made private for their personal benefit.
I do not want Grow Avenue to become a Greenway, nor do I want it to become a one-way street. Stop fiddling with something that does not need fixing.
When I was out on the first Saturday of the road closure, May 9, the nicest, sunniest day of the year, in the middle of the day, I didn’t see one other pedestrian or bicyclist.

First Survey: 5/27/2020

156 responses

Do you live/work on Grow Ave or one of its feeder streets (Shepard Way, Willis Lane, Gideon Lane, Fir Acres, Wallace Way, Ihland Way, Nakata Ave)? 155 responses: Yes – 82, No – 73

Do you live/work on a cross/neighboring street to Grow Ave (Lovell, High School, Wyatt, Winslow Way)? 155 responses: Yes – 55, No – 100

Did you use Grow Ave for any of the following activities during the Safe Streets traffic revisions? Check all that apply:155 responses

Do you think the Grow Ave “Safe Streets” traffic revisions should be continued during the Governor’s Covid-19 Stay at Home orders (to June 1)? 155 responses: Yes – 86, No – 55, Undecided – 14

Would you recommend extending the Safe Streets program to other roads on Bainbridge Island? 155 responses: Yes – 82, No – 46, Undecided – 27

If yes, are there any roads you would like to recommend to be designated as Safe Streets? 41 responses:

Value	Count
Crystal Spring	1
Crystal Springs!	1
Crystal springs Dr.	1
Crystal springs, sunrise, manitou beach	1
Eagle Harbor Dr	1
Ericksen	1
Erickson	1
Grow	1
Grow is a natural since we get so much …	1
I think it depends upon the kind of tra…	1
I would like to see a network that effe…	1
Lovell	1
Lovell Ave, Erickson	1
Lovell, Grow and Winslow Way. For stree…	1
Lovell, Winslow at Madison	1
Manitou	2
Manitou Beach	1
Manitou Beach, Point White	1
Manitou, Crystal Springs	1
Most roads in Winslow. Rest of the isl…	1
N/A	1
New Brooklyn Rd	1
Northtown, McDonald, New Sweden	1
One way uphill on lower Grow. Lower Gr…	1
Other residential streets where residen…	1
Partial closure of Winslow Way.	1
Pleasant Beach.	1
Point white Drive	1
The big issue is lack of sidewalks	1
Weaver Ave, Point White Dr,	1
Weaver Road, Lovell Ave SW, Cherry Ave,…	1
Whereever residents are really behind t…	1
Winslow Way	1
Winslow Way, Point White Dr	1
Wood	1
asdf	1
lovell	1
lynwood center area and rollingbay/mani…	1
ones identified by the committee	1
sdf	1

Additional comments 102 responses:

Thanks for this

We are extremely concerned that city maintained roads may be cut off for vehicular traffic. We walk at least 3 miles a day around Winslow. The traffic on Grow is no better or worse than any other street and cutting off Grow only causes cars to bunch up on other streets, making those streets more difficult to navigate for walkers. Please leave our roads open so that all of us can access our destinations

With crazy fast drivers on Grow Avenue- for ferries, before school and especially following school dismissals and sports events at the high school- we would love to see the safe street extended indefinitely. Most drivers do not adhere to the new 20 mph speed that was recently implemented. We are 20+ year residents of Grow Ave.

Seems a lot of effort for no reward. I did not think it was worth the effort.

I think it was ridiculous to close down Grow Ave. When we went by there were no walkers/bikers/etc using the street. Instead it caused chaos and confusion in the downtown corridor over Mother’s Day weekend.

Grow is a main arterial, if the bikers want a bike path they should build one or maybe go to Seattle to ride bikes. Cars are the main mode of transportation on this Island and will remain so and need a workable street network.

Please make Grow Ave. a safe street permanently!

How do we extend this to make more permanent option?

I drive by Grow practically every day, and see very few people using the street for recreation. With the upcoming wyatt way construction, I am concerned that permanently blocking grow to through traffic will create huge traffic problems for all those trying to access Winslow from the south end of the island. I am not opposed to creating pedestrian only streets, but I feel that Grow is a poor choice.

Thanks for trying this idea out!

What Island lifestyle do we want? Humanistic or Automobile?

Leave the streets for the cars and work for bike lanes and sidewalks. Both are sorely needed.

This is so unnecessary in my opinion. I walk on Grow all the time and have done a fair amount of cycling here and have never felt unsafe. It’s a street, not a park It would have been nice if Grow residents were consulted and a vote taken before it was decided and foisted upon us. If the majority wanted it then fine but as it is we’ve had no say.

I am an urban planner and support active/public transportation. This was not planned well. Pilots must have public involvement & a decent level of buy in from the community. Project planners need to talk w/ neighbors & do outreach. My mom lives directly off this route in the grow community and had no opportunity to discuss. Hundreds of MF residents live very close to grow and rely on it as their only access to their homes. Many are elderly w/ medical conditions. Emergency vehicles and buses need access here. Concerned about safety. Couldn’t a smaller separated bike/ped path be considered in a better spot? Did you analyze alternatives & gain review?

We are not a huge city that needs restricted thoroughfares. What is needed are bike lanes on the shoulder of the road so bikers can ride safely. It may be time for cyclist, and I am one, to pay for a commuter bike license to co tribute to the taxes that go into bike safely. To close a street that is paid for by all residents in Bainbridge seems extreme. Anyone using whatever method if transport should be able to use a road that COBI has funded with tax dollars.

There are a lot of families with children now on Grow. Nice to see them ride their bikes safely – something they could not do without the Grow Ave pilot and a good reason to extend it.

I am fine with Grow as a ‘safe street’, but I would like to be able to turn left off high school rd

We chose to live in Winslow to reduce carbon and car-centric planning. Safe Streets help us do that, and they encourage others to see the light, too.

Great idea for Grow Ave! Let’s make it permanent like Seattle (20 miles of residential streets designated according to Seattle Times)

Traffic on Grow is never that bad to walk or bike on. It would be good to improve the shoulders, add bike lanes, narrow the driving lanes and calm the traffic and maybe add some lighting for winter time. But just closing the street and not modifying it doesn’t seem to be very beneficial.

This has cut off a feeder street to downtown, forcing the traffic to only two other routes, which makes the traffic unsafe and unmanageable. If only doing this during Covid-19 shutdown, that would be one thing, but something tells us y’all will want this information for a more permanent solution, which is unreasonably going to increase traffic on Lovell and Weaver, making them worse than they already are too. Grow Avenue is not an optional road, it is a main road to downtown (1 of only 3 on this side of the highway) and should not be cut off from traffic. Possible other solutions would be one-way traffic streets to minimize the two lane issue of safety (perhaps Lovell is one direction and Grow is the other direction between Wyatt and HS road)? Because they are connected by a street in the middle, this should not be as much of a hinderance to the residences either. Also, we do live in this Neighborhood, just not on Grow or Lovell (We live off of Weaver and this decision directly affects us too.)

I the best long term solution is sidewalks and make it one-way with a bike lane.

I’m concerned about increased traffic on other streets like Madison, if this is continued beyond the stay at home order. In the short term it’s fine.

I am in favor of well planned equitable dedicated nonmotorized paths and trails in communities. In the case of Grow: I found no benefit of feeling safer in any way as a pedestrian on Grow with this closure in place. I felt very vulnerable walking while cyclists whizzed past, most of them exceeding the speed limit. Then we have to contend with confused local drivers anyway, trying to navigate around wandering pedetrians in groups walking down the center of the street, with cyclists speeding through the whole scene. I see no benefit in closing down this street and am against continuing it. To me it just felt like another stressful change that was imposed upon our regular routines duri g Covid. I question whether this action honestly had the interest of the greater community at heart when enacted. It came so quickly without apparent public notice it seemed more sneaky than squeaky!

Sunday was fabulous… as a mother I biked with my family AM safely on Grow, and then strolled about for an eve walk. We could hear birds and chatted with neighbors. Let’s make it permanent somehow!

I would love more safe walking places. I have to say though that I am seeing tons of cars still using Grow as a through street- going all the way from Winslow Way to Wyatt for example, so they could have used Madison instead. Most of the cars that have gone by have not been going to side streets or driveways. I haven’t noticed less traffic on Grow in the first couple of days.

How did grow come to be selected? how will effect of the pilot be evaluated? What other corridors were considered? I mostly have my doubts about this being a good use of city staff times. As a walker on grow since covid started, I didn’t see many more walkers or bike riders than I did before the road closure

great idea

The streets are plenty “safe” already. Unsafe are bad drivers and uneducated cyclists. The only unsafe bicyclists are those under 8 years old, because they are generally not physiologically capable of employing safe practices. So, yes, such a street might be “safe” for them, but what do you tell them when they get to Wyatt, HS Road or Winslow Way? And where is the evidence to support the assertion that a street such as Grow was “unsafe” before?

I am absolutely outraged that you would find that this is a reasonable thing to do.

It was my son’s birthday today. All he wanted was a drive thru birthday party. But thanks to this absurd restriction, half of his friends didn’t even show up. He is now crying in the living room on the floor. So thanks a lot.

I live on Grow across from Grow Village. I am undecided in response to these 2 questions because despite the signs at either ends of Grow (& supposed restrictions) we did not really notice a decrease in traffic. Pedestrians that we saw mostly had to walk on sides of the road. Also, compared to last year’s closed Grow, vehicles were speeding this year (b/c the road was “closed” but there were no impediments this year in the road or police? B/c of Covid-19? All? None?). This year’s closing felt disorganized and resulted in an unsafe corridor. Passersbys commented on how dangerous it was to encourage public use of street for recreation while cars continued to use Grow – some aggressively. If it is to continue or happen again it needs to be more than signs at ends of Grow. Too residents on or near Grow (who are not necessarily home owners – some are renters) should be made aware of the closure, duration etc well in advance. Maybe included in duration decision making as stakeholders. Early on Sat many neighbors and we did not know what was going on. If BI is to close streets for commuter/recreation benefits then it needs to be inclusive, communicated, clear, enforced, and actually safe. If the City clocked no.s of cars that drove Grow during it or their speeds I’d be interested in seeing that data. If the City didn’t – why didn’t it? How does the City know it was “successful”: either safe or working for users? This survey is not enough metrics to determine outcomes. We need safety data – what occurred – actual no. of cars that drove Grow during it vs. no. of peds, cyclists and those cars’ speeds. It needs to be taken far more seriously.

This is a bad idea that pushes traffic onto adjacent streets and encourages irresponsible pedestrian and bicycling on a valid city street. Not a smart idea to encumber your neighbors to benefit a few, and a dubious benefit at that. You want a pedestrian thoroughfare? Then get the city to vacate the street officially. I saw bikers behaving erratically and in unsafe ways. Please do not encourage that.My husband and I love and support this idea. I would in fact love seeing this happen on Winslow Way as well. There is enough surrounding parking and back entrance to T&C. I suggest closing Lovell as well as I don’t want to see added traffic on they street due to Grow Closure. Only allowing Weaver and Madison as access to Winslow and Wyatt way would work. I live off of High School Road so am impacted by these closures but completely support them. Making residential roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists is the way to go.

As a 33 year resident of upper Grow and a former participant with the group of local residents requesting lower speed limits on our street, I was a bit put off by not being contacted about this albeit temporary street use change until I read it in the paper. Once again, it seems to me that Squeaky Wheels and the non-motorized transportation folks have hijacked the process, and gone off in their own direction, leaving many of the actual residents of our street out of the loop. Due to the stay-at-home order, there has been a marked decrease in car traffic on upper Grow for the past several months, so this whole exercise seemed kinda useless to me.

This is a bad way to enforce speed limits. Speed bumps would be a better solution.

As an exercise in what the island could be like, what about a short closure of a comprehensive loop – say 4 hours. Other cities have done something like this across the world. Could be a run from Winslow to the south end and back or one of the bike event routes. Make it for islanders only to control the number of participants. Start early to minimize traffic impact – it’s light early and I would be happy to be on the road at 530 or six.

So important for everyone’s mental health to have a safe peaceful place to bike and walk close to home.

I live on Grow and hope this could be extended to the 4th of July as well.

If Grow is made a safe street then a plan needs to be put in place for Lovell so that it doesn’t have to endure extra traffic.

Went well! Possibly might get stronger support if people understood purpose better. Thank you for taking an interest as our street has a big traffic and speed problem. I worry someone will get hit along the road.

This is a good idea. I hope it can be made permanent after the Stay Home orders are over. When school starts again, kids use this street a lot to get to school. We want the street to be as safe as possible for those kids.

This is a big city approach to a small town situation — pandering to the voice of a few at the expense of the many. ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY. It also INCREASES SAFETY ISSUES by diverting traffic onto Lovell. Grow has a four way stop at Wyatt, and a very clear intersection at High School Road, both very safe for cars exiting Grow. Lovell has unsafe exits onto both Wyatt and High School Road due to poor sight lines and very tight corners. This closure will just exacerbate the problem. IF you close any street, close Lovell, although I do not recommend doing either. I walk Grow almost daily and simply do not see the need for it.

Great survey

I think that this is a very good idea and should be pursued as long as it does not seriously disrupt people‘s ability to get to shopping and the ferry. Grow Ave can be very busy, and most people do not drive at 20 mph. In fact, last night at 10.30 pm I was almost hit by someone turning right onto Grow from Winslow (in spite of the signs). Also, please be aware that the signs make turning onto Grow more difficult, and more dangerous for pedestrians, if drivers chose to ignore the signs.

I think Grow Ave should be closed like this going forward even after the virus issue subsides ( some day) as this is a walking/biking conduit for many school kids

It was so nice to walk in a place where social distancing was safe and easy. Also, great to see families out enjoying fresh air. This is absolutely incredible! With three kids, chickens, cats and dog, our family is in favor of the quieter and safer Grow Avenue where we work and live! Thank you!

I think there should be a sign on at Madison so folks know to turn there. Yesterday there were many cars that came up from Winslow Way all the way to Wyatt–basically just disregarding the “no thru” signs, I think because they didn’t know until they were most of the way there.

Driver’s need to prioritize pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

Thanks for making this happen, especially while walking is a primary source of exercise

I would prefer not to have additional traffic on my street please.

There is public benefit here with virtually no downside or inconvenience to drivers – City should consider making it permanent!

I use Grow Ave everyday to get to school, ride bikes with my little sister, etc; the Safe Streets program has been amazing for these couple days without having to worry about cars zooming up and down and potential accidents for little ones on their bikes or just walking.

It’s wonderful on Grow Ave right now. Children on bikes with their parents, seniors walking, runners running, joggers jogging, neighbors actually out in front talking since they can hear one another safely. Please consider making it more permanent. Bainbridge should take a look at what Seattle’s doing – I just read they are designating 20 miles of residential street for closure (even beyond COVID) to give designated streets back to the tax paying residents. If done right, this is heading in good direction as we have too many cars on the road that pay little heed to speed limits. Thank you, Squeaky Wheels and COBI! Please consider longer term on Grow.

I live on Grow and this has been a great improvement to my quality of life – it’s so quiet in my home now!

I think it should be the default for all residential neighborhoods when there is a good alternate path.

This is not needed, focus on more walking trails and shoulder improvements

Thanks for doing this. All we have to enjoy is good outdoor walking and biking! Let’s make it safer and easier!

I LOVE the idea of creating more outdoor spaces where we can safely recreate during the pandemic. More designated outdoor space = more safe spaces. Nice work!

I am extremely pleased to see Safe Streets and related groups supporting this experiment. I want to also thank the Bainbridge Island City Council for their support.

This is a ridiculous plan. A false sense of security for pedestrians while cars attempt to navigate Grow. What a waster of my tax dollars to ask for police support. Grow is a street- designed for vehicles. Sorry there are no sidewalks- get over it.

Along with thru-traffic mitigation long term on Grow Ave – please support funding for a permanent sidewalk for our children walking and riding to school – also for walkers looking for a safe place to exercise.

It was like old Bainbridge this weekend especially Mother’s Day on our much quieter street. So many people walking along the street with so little traffic. Seattle Times reported they are permanently closing many residential streets. Maybe Bainbridge should take a close look to see what they’ve learned.

I have walked Grow most days throughout the Stay Home order and there was never a ton of traffic. This closure was not necessary.

We live on Winslow Way and have four kids…this experiment has been a dream! We all have loved the quietness, the sweet movement of families on bikes up and down grow…it’s a very beautiful street…the gardens and the greens in full glory….I felt more connected to my community and nature rather than using grow as a thoroughfare to go to and from ferry or town. On a typical day the cars and bikes go so so fast around the bend from Grow to Winslow….It’s scary at times! I love that the city and organizers were open to this experiment so that folks and actually see for themselves the positive changes that these measures have on our families, neighbors, safety and health of our children. The effects have made quite an impact and we are really appreciative.

Neighborhood involvement is a step that should not be skipped. Regardless, this whole neighborhood ( we live off Grow) is so much more peaceful without the through-traffic speeding along.

Less cars on the road makes walking and biking safer and more enjoyable.

This might work on other parts of the island but please commit to never doing something like this on Winslow way.

Many of the cars we saw were still using Grow as a through street and were not local

Why not consider making one way streets with single lane auto traffic and pedestrians on the other lane with cone barriers. Maybe Grow going N and Erickson or Weaver going S.

In addition to the safety benefits, the last few days on Grow Ave have been SO peaceful. It actually feels like a residential street in a way that, even with the drastic reduction in commuter traffic, it still hasn’t felt.

I would strongly recommend that Grow Ave become a residential traffic only street permanently. I wonder if, in turn, Grow Ave at Wyatt Way could become a two-way stop, so the then-increased Wyatt traffic would be less impeded.

Safe Streets needs to extend to a more permanent comprehensive solution for traffic calming on Bainbridge Island for sustainable transportation, safe road sharing with pedestrians (including children and seniors) and cyclists, restoring residential neighborhoods that have become high-speed thoroughfares/shortcuts, and promote the common welfare (not just interests of motorists). Grow Ave is an ideal ‘incubator’ to experiment with both short term and permanent solutions. Thank you for your emphasis on Grow Ave.

Doing this during a pandemic is inappropriate and sneaky.

I live in the Grow community and have some concerns about permanently closing Grow Avenue. During school hours it is needed for many students and parents to access the high school and Ordway elementary school. If all the traffic had to be on Madison and go through the traffic circle at Madison and High School Road it would be very congested. I am also concerned that cars would be using Shepard Avenue and Ambrose Lane to get to Wyatt. Ambrose is a private lane and designed only for Grow residents to access their garage. Many pedestrians use Shephard Lane to walk into town and it would be unsafe to have extra traffic on this road. I do not approve of permanently closing Grow Avenue.

I am not aware of what actually is the Safe Streets program but would wish it on New Brooklyn road as well if not before Grow Ave as there is probably more people that would be helped and the citizens would get more bang for their buck.

Taxpayers pay for ALL public roads. Let’s say I don’t like all the traffic to a Park that leads to my residence( which is true, btw). Is the City going to honor that by shutting it down like Grow? Of course not. Ticket speeders. The City wants more construction downtown, well.. there’s a cost to that. More traffic. You don’t just shut down arteries to downtown. You control growth, which the City is not willing to do.

This is my second comment. I noticed this morning that the traffic flow from Wyatt to Madison was VERY efficient. (not having cars turning off or onto Grow Ave.). I also noted that there didn’t seem to be a lot of impact on Lovell. (both times I drove it I was the only car on it) Lastly, the majority of speeding vehicles up and down ‘upper’ Grow this morning were contractor/landscaping vehicles who were not even suppose to be using the road. The atmosphere of runners, walkers, bicyclists and neighbors talking is wonderful. Thank you!

There were still multiple people who used the street as a throughway, going all the way from High school to Winslow. If it was going to be longer term it would need better monitoring.

This is an inconvenience.

Dear Squeakywheels: I appreciate that you are asking for feedback on the trial of a street closing. However, I am not in favor of this decision. As a taxpayer, I find it difficult to turn important roads that lead to our business district into pedestrian only streets. Especially, as the state will soon be reopening business. My thinking: This road was built for cars (taxes pays for the roads)roads where built for cars. There is less cars on the road today – more people staying at home. If speeding is the issue – have the police patrol more, and ticket more. You had the speed limit lowered in the past few years – enforce it legally. This also would generate revenue to the city- that could be used today with the ecommnonc issues. There are wonderful parks that have been reopened We have always shared the rode with everyone. Our city has always shared the road with everyone including cars. If you purchase a home on a major thoroughfare, and the expect to turn a public road into a private drive- I have no respect for that thinking. Everyone has free choice when purchasing a home. And there needs to be buyer responsibly for thinking about the future (more people will always come). Result of this change: now you have pushed all the traffic into other roads..is that fare? NO Elderly people most often can’t bike and walk…this is discriminatory I am sorry that the virus has changed our lives, but closing streets is not the answers. Thank you for asking for feedback! Stay Safe Out There!

Exiting Lovell Ave either at the top, on to High School road, or at the bottom, on to Wyatt, is already difficult with those exits opening on to streets with free flowing traffic. If any street in the immediate area should be a “Safe Street”, it should be Lovell, not Grow. The traffic flow on these streets needs the 4 way stop at the bottom of Grow to maintain it’s flow. It will be a disaster at the intersection of Wyatt and Lovell if more traffic is using Lovell to get through.

It would be ideal to implement the “Safe Streets” approach permanently on Grow. But if not permanently, then perhaps it could be applied from time to time, for short periods, to perhaps condition drivers to treat Grow as a residential street and not as an expressway.

Not having traffic that rolls down and back from town via Grow made a huge difference; the street felt more welcoming and safer to those not in cars.

I live at 278 Grow and love the decreased car traffic. Would really like to see this effort as permanent. The speed limit does not inhibit drivers from speeding and it would be very beneficial at all times to have less traffic barreling down the road. Thanks for doing this!

Thanks for doing this.

It was unnecessary to close the entire road to accomplish safer ped bike travel on Grow. It has 60 foot right of way, 20mph speed limit, and vehicle traffic during Covid is already well below normal. “What was the point” is the feedback I’ve gotten from many people.

You are only moving the traffic from one street to another so I’m not sure this makes a lot of sense. The reality is that we have cars here. For those of us who live outside of city center, we will always need to use our car. That is reality. It may be time for me to move and close my business if this is extended or additional streets are added as this city is becoming increasingly unfriendly to businesses on many levels.

It did an uptick in traffic to Lovell. Cars avoid Grow and produced more traffic on our street

I think you may have seem more usage due to sunny weather, Mother’s Day weekend. I don’t think it was a fair representation of who would actually use Grow for strolling, pleasure biking etc.

Wonderful experience these past few days!

This seemed kind of pointless on Grow. When we walked, very few people were on the street, but there were still lots of cars driving the length of it (some pretty fast!). We tried to walk in the middle of the road to make it clear that the car was the interloper, but instead we ended up walking along the edge like we do normally every week. I wish you would do this on streets where there are no nearby sidewalks (obviously Madison, with sidewalks, is one block over). For example, I would love to be able to walk all the way from the High School to Rolling Bay on actual sidewalks, or at least on a trail that is completely separate from the scary roadway.

Looks like squeaky wheels is taking a public road and turning it into a bike lane.

The most idiotic selfish poorly thought out thing I have seen in a long time on Bainbridge and we are known for this!

Focus on new separated trail systems and greenways. This is going to backfire and not be productive towards our goals. not a good idea.

If a road has to be closed, it should NOT be Grow. The intersection of Grow and Wyatt is a busy one, used continually by people traveling through Winslow. Closing Grow forces additional traffic on to Lovell, forcing cars to turn at a place that is just below the hill where there is poor visibility. Again, at the other end of Lovell where it intersects with High School Rd, there is poor visibility caused by the hill.

Personally, I feel our community would be best served by providing additional paths, allowing pedestrians to stay off the roads rather than closing existing roads and forcing cars to use fewer roads. To get to church now with the Grow closure, I must backtrack an additional couple blocks rather than go straight there. I can imagine others are similarly inconvenienced. Lastly, I felt the process of deciding to close Grow was less than satisfactory. There was almost no warning that it was happening and seemed arbitrary, not well thought out. I am glad the closure was short lived.

A positive, perhaps unintended consequence has been that there is simply less road noise from cars, so it is more enjoyable to be out in the yard. Also, just observing my own behavior, I have made the choice at times to take the shorter route from our house on Grow to connect to Madison or Ericksen to get to town or the highway. Also, I am walking the STO Winslow Connector once or twice a day, and observe that many people are walking some loop, and maybe varying the loop–but using the Winslow Connector usually as part of their loop. Folks might like to somehow formalize some of these loops to include temporary or permanent sort of “neighborhood greenway” routes. For future events, it would be nice to have the friendly, positive intent be conveyed large enough to be deciphered when driving. What is large with this pilot is more “bossy” sort of signs like “Road Closed.”