Community residents, the Mayor of Kirkland, city staff and EnviroIssues gathered in late May at Kirkland’s newly designed Park Lane to cut the ribbon—giant scissors and all—and welcome the newly designed corridor that features a one level plaza-style street. The new Park Lane, once a narrow two lane thoroughfare with tree roots fissuring the aging sidewalks, has been transformed into open-concept road that will moonlight as a car-free pedestrian mall for special events.
EnviroIssues worked closely with the city to handle community input from design through construction. We drummed up support by providing community drop-in sessions to answer questions and address concerns. We also organized an elementary school scavenger hunt during a site tour, focusing on work-area safety, stormwater systems and visits to local businesses. The ribbon cutting in May was met with anticipation from Eastside residents, who can now enjoy a more vibrant and colorful downtown road lined with cafes and shopping boutiques.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which we helped plan for and participated in, featured a live band and a strong turnout made possible by the new open face features and mall-like setting. Now open to all, the versatile street can now play host to improved safety, livelier walkability, stormwater improvements and a whole lot more.