Ballard residents urge Seattle to reroute Burke-Gilman ‘missing link’ away from Leary Avenue

Residents and business owners in Ballard pressed the Seattle City Council Transportation Committee on Feb. 8 to reconsider routing the Burke-Gilman Trail “missing link” along Leary Avenue, arguing the Leary route would remove mature trees, reduce parking, increase congestion and pose safety risks for older community members.

Why it matters: Multiple speakers said the proposed Leary Avenue alignment would harm seniors, small businesses and the local tree canopy and urged the city to instead complete the trail on Shilshole/Chilshoe Avenue or other alternatives where fewer trees would be removed and less parking disrupted.

Janice Stamm, who identified herself as co-chair of the Missing Link Task Force and a legally blind resident of Ballard Landmark senior housing, told the committee she does not want an “83-year-old grandmother” struck outside her home and urged officials to “look for an alternative to the bike trail on Leary Avenue.”

Other callers described near-miss incidents and mobility concerns. Ryan Davis, a Ballard Landmark resident, said a person on a scooter “appeared out of nowhere” and that many residents are in their 80s and do not drive. “Adding a multiuse bike trail would not make safety first on Leary,” Davis said, endorsing an alternative on Shilshole.

Business owners and residents raised environmental and economic concerns. Megan (surname recorded as Twitch) said the project would remove about 92 mature trees over 1.4 miles and make deliveries and parking “very difficult” for neighborhood businesses. Janet Eastman and Mary Jean Jones, both Ballard Landmark residents, repeated the claim that Leary would remove many mature trees while Shilshole would require far fewer removals.

Advocates for completing the trail on the alternative route said Shilshole Avenue is wider and will limit tree removal and sidewalk impacts. Maxine Shiffman said the city shifted $20 million in levy funds in 2024 toward completing a missing-link route on Shilshole rather than on Leary, and asked the council to finish the work “where it belongs.”

A mix of other public commenters urged the city to consider safety upgrades more broadly, with Seattle Neighborhood Greenways representatives supporting SDOT safety projects citywide while urging careful siting of the missing-link segment. Cascade Bicycle Club and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways speakers voiced support for building safe bike and sidewalk infrastructure elsewhere in the city and for accelerating Vision Zero and sidewalk work.

What the committee heard about specifics: Speakers made several quantitative claims during public comment: they said the Ballard Landmark building serves about 150 residents with an average age of 83; that the Leary alignment would remove approximately 92 mature trees over 1.4 miles; and that a vehicle lane reduction on Market/Leary has already reduced motor lanes from four to two in places. These figures were asserted by commenters and reflect their perspective and material presented to the committee; the committee did not provide independent verification during the meeting.

Committee response and next steps: Chair Rob Sacca noted the Leary delivery plan was the committee’s second agenda item and said the committee would hear the SDOT delivery plan in a later meeting; the discussion of the missing link took place during the public-comment portion of the Feb. 8 meeting. No council action or vote on the route was taken during the session. Several council members thanked commenters and noted the project remains under SDOT review and that environmental review and design work remain ongoing.

Speakers and materials submitted during and after the meeting may be included in the formal file for the Leary Delivery Plan when SDOT presents further details to the committee.