Urbanist: Bike Bellevue effort paused due to ethics complaint involving Seattle Bike Blog? – UPDATED
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6JK11)
There I was, fresh coffee in hand, reading through my morning news when I saw my own site mentioned in a story by Ryan Packer at The Urbanist regarding an ethics complaint against the City of Bellevue's friendly and hard-working Mobility Planning and Solutions Manager Franz Loewenherz. Surely this must be some kind of mistake, [...]
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Seattle Bike Blog
Link | https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/ |
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Updated | 2024-05-20 15:15 |
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6JH0P)
Taylor McKenzie Gerlach set a goal for herself: For the darkest month of the year, she would bike every trip that was 30 minutes or less. She was new to bike commuting during a Seattle winter, but she found inspiration and help from middle school science teacher Jessica Levine. Levine was featured in an excellent [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6JG1Q)
Seattle's new City Council held its first Transportation Committee meeting Tuesday, and every member in attendance was a new Councilmember. The only returning Transportation Committee member is Dan Strauss (D6), but he was excused Tuesday because he was in Olympia on city business. Chair Rob Saka (D1), vice-chair Joy Hollingsworth (D3), and members Bob Kettle(D7) [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6JDB2)
After years of major supply issues and high demand pushing the price of bikes out of reach for many people, prices have come crashing back down. This trend has been going on for much of the past year, which is one reason why so many bike shops in town are having a tough time or [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6JBHD)
After being closed for two weeks for construction, the 520 Bridge Trail reopened on schedule Friday. The trail still has some temporary pavement and fencing, and there is still work to do before the walk/bike overpass is complete. But after many years of construction, the end is in sight. WSDOT's 520 project website still lists [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6JA8X)
Cascade Bicycle Club's annual Seattle Bike Swap is Saturday (February 3) at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. The flea market is a treasure trove of bike stuff from local bike business and DIY bike geeks. You can find rare and odd stuff as well as deals on used bikes and parts. Doors open for general [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6J8ME)
If there were any concerns that a controversial push to kill the planned protected bike lanes on Eastlake Ave might succeed, Senator Patty Murray and Mayor Bruce Harrell just put that idea to bed for good. When we're done here, we will new and upgraded stations, miles of new transit-only lanes, as well as new [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6J7JW)
A bike/walk bridge connecting the 520 Trail to Sound Transit's upcoming Overlake Village Station is now open. Hanoch at Best Side Cycling filmed a bike tour of the bridge, including its interesting forest illusion artwork by Leo Saul Berk. The $10.4 million bridge connects directly to the 520 Trail on its northwest end, and a [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6J4TZ)
SDOT has closed a section of trail near the east end of the Spokane Street Bridge, effectively closing the trail loop under the bridge and forcing all trail users to use the crosswalks and sidewalks at the intersection of SW Spokane St and 11th Ave SW. The trail will be closed until sometime in April [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6J2VY)
A couple blocks of the S Dearborn Street bike lane now has a knee-high concrete curb separating it from the four lanes of general purpose traffic between Rainier Ave S and 10th Ave S. The Toronto" barriers are shorter than highway-style Jersey barriers but significantly taller than a standard curb. They are fabricated in advance [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6J056)
The person who struck and killed Steve Hulsman December 21 was driving with a suspended license and without a court-mandated ignition interlock device, according to the police report. Seattle Bike Blog is not naming the suspect because the 53-year-old has not been charged at this time. Hulsman, 66, was a husband, father and grandfather who [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HZA0)
Rob Saka has an enormous task ahead of him in his first year as a City Councilmember. In addition to the usual challenges, like hiring a legislative team and getting everyone up to speed on how work gets done inside City Hall, he will also chair the Transportation Committee during what will likely be the [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HX3M)
The trail across the 520 Bridge will be fully closed for two weeks starting January 19 as crews work move the walking and biking route in Montlake into its permanent alignment and install an overhead sign. The closure begins alongside a weekend of major work that will also close Montlake and Lake Washington Boulevards to [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HTGV)
In a devastating and unexpected announcement Friday, G&O Family Cyclery sent a message to customers that the shop is permanently closing. They will be totally closed until January 17, then they will reopen to sell off remaining stock. They are also working to complete existing orders, but are no longer taking service appointments. This news [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HRNA)
Neighborhood greenways have a hit and miss history in Seattle. Sometimes they create fantastic all ages and abilities walking and biking connections, and sometimes they are so heavily compromised that they do very little. So as Seattle prepares to create a new transportation plan and craft a new transportation funding measure, we should probably get [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HPK0)
Seattle has a very new City Council, and the changes aren't even complete yet. Five coucilmembers are new, and a sixth interim councilmember will be appointed soon. For a nine-person governing body, that's a lot of turnover all at once. Washington Bikes asked all the candidates for their stances on various bike issues, and none [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HKRN)
Travel patterns are still out of whack, but the number of bike trips across the Fremont Bridge in 2023 were up more than 13% over 2022, which was itself up more than 11% over 2021. Altogether, the number of people biking across the Ship Canal has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 902,926 counted in [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HHVF)
Bike and scooter share services are more popular than ever in Seattle, and the number of rides in 2023 eclipsed even the wild days of $1 bikes back in 2017 and 2018. According to SDOT data based on real-time reporting from all permitted companies, people took 5.1 million trips on shared scooters and bikes in [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HEX6)
I would like to add a 6th good thing about biking in Seattle in 2023: Bob Svercl.
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HBYS)
Steven Hulsman was biking a hilly route he has ridden countless times when someone driving collided with him and killed him Thursday evening. He was 66. Our condolences to his friends and family. Hulsman was a husband, father and grandfather. He loved riding hills like this one, friends say, and he was scheduled to lead [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HBFY)
Didn't order your copy of Biking Uphill in the Rain soon enough to arrive by Christmas? No problem! You can order one from our online shop and select Local pickup in U District/Wallingford" option during checkout. You can pick it up from my front porch any time. Also, local pickup is free. Each copy sold [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6HAS1)
The design for the Alaskan Way bike lane has reached the 90% milestone, and the latest version is wider and better protected. As before, the bike lane is still on the waterfront side of the street to connect the Elliott Bay Trail in Myrtle Edwards Park to the in-construction bikeway that is part of the [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6H8SP)
SDOT should no longer be able to make a significant road repair project without ensuring that at least one side of the street has a sidewalk and completing any necessary repairs. The City Council approved a new ordinancelast week that will make sure SDOT no longer makes large street investments that ignore the adjacent sidewalks. [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6H68Q)
The Freight Advisory Board fought hard against SDOT's plan to connect the Duwamish Trail to the Alki Trail and Spokane Street Swing Bridge, a connection sorely needed since many sections of the trail opened in the early 1990s. But after Mayor Jenny Durkan delayed the project, safe streets advocates kept pushing. Mayor Bruce Harrell and [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6H39B)
I am writing this post from a subway train in New York City. Did you know it is possible to have more than one subway line? Wild! And when they connect to each other, you can take trains to a lot more places. Seattle should really give this a try. I'm here for fun and [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6H0JX)
Here's some great local bike shop news: Mello Fellos (formerly known as Mobile Bike Repair) is opening a location in the Belltown/Denny Triangle space formerly home to Velo. Mello Fellos/MBR has been operating out of a much smaller space near 9th and Stewart since 2012 while also hosting mobile repair services for bike commuters at [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6H0DB)
UPDATE: WSDOT announced this morning that the trail work has been cancelled. So the bridge trail will be open this weekend, though sections may be skinnier than usual. The 520 Bridge Trail will be closed again this weekend, and this time stretches of Montlake Blvd. and Lake Washington Blvd. will be closed as well along [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GZEB)
For the first time ever, Seattle Bike Blog has a merch shop! This all started when I decided I should figure out a way to sell copies of my book Biking Uphill in the Rain directly, and then that project spiraled out of control and turned into the Seattle Bike Blog Shop. Once I realized [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GXPP)
UPDATE: The trail reopened Wednesday. The atmospheric river inundating Seattle has triggered a small landslide along a slide-prone section of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Lake City between Lakeside Place NE and NE 112th Street. Seattle Parks says they hope to clear the trail by 4:30 p.m. The (hopefully) good news is that this section of [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GWPW)
With the opening of the trail connector between the Eastrail and Northup Way, the in-development rail-trail now connects directly to the 520 bike route. And Hanoch Yeung was there to document the opening and ride the short new trail on his YouTube Channel Best Side Cycling. This short elevated pathway will play a vital role [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GTJ1)
The 520 Bridge is completely closed this weekend, and this time the closure includes the trail. Crews will close the bridge starting at 11 p.m. tonight (Dec. 1) and will reopen it 5 a.m. Monday (Dec. 4). The map shows that the trail will be open on the Eastside up to 92nd Ave NE. The [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GSQA)
The design for the Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project, which will build a long-awaited and sorely needed bike connection, is nearing completion. The biggest changes are that the route will now access the SoDo Trail via S Lander Street rather than S Forest Street, which the SoDo Business Improvement Area requested. They have also revealed [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GQN1)
UPDATE 12/1: Reader Chris says the trail is temporarily open again, and the signs now say that the detour will return 12/4-8. The Fix the Burke-Gilman Facebook page (definitely worth following to stay up to date on these closures) posted an update from the project team: They moved some of the detour signs around and [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GPYD)
The day before Thanksgiving, SDOT released a first look at their design concept for a Ballard Missing Link bike route alternative following 17th Ave NW, Leary Way and Market Street. The plan includes a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail" on one side of the street as well as significant traffic calming and safety upgrades to Leary Way [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GKBM)
A 48-year-old man was killed today in a collision with a 24-year-old driving southbound on Central Avenue South, according to the Kent Police Department. Our condolences to his friends and family. The collision occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m., and the initial information from the police says the person driving stopped, did not show signs of [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GK79)
For a budget cycle with tough revenue projections, the City Council still added some excellent street safety projects and mostly protected safety efforts from cuts. The Council passed the 2024-25 budget Tuesday after weeks of hearings and debates. Highlights include $1.4 million to transform the Mt. Baker station area into a safer and comfortable place [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GJ7V)
Hanoch Yeung rode Cranksgiving for his first time and documented the whole thing. As the organizer, I have never actually ridden Cranksgiving myself. So I loved getting a glimpse of what it's like. Check it out. And be sure to subscribe to Best Side Cycling on YouTube.
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GHEK)
I am still riding high on the happy and caring vibes from Seattle's 14th Annual Cranksgiving. 168 people biked all over our beautiful city Saturday to buy items the U District, Rainier Valley and Byrd Barr Place Food Banks requested. Pannier by backpack by trailer load, the riders all pitched in to deliver an all-time [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GEGZ)
If you see a yellow silhouette attached to a pole or sign around town, it's there because a person was killed in a traffic collision near that spot in the nearly nine years since Seattle first approved it's Vision Zero goal in 2015. The sheer number of these yellow memorials, numbering over 200, provides a [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6GCKX)
Paul Tolme from Cascade and I were on Q13's Studio 13 Live show this morning. I just love talking about Cranksgiving. It such a positive day, and all you make it that way one bike bag full of food at a time. Cranksgiving is Saturday, and all the details are coming together nicely. For the [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G9KF)
Cascade Bicycle Club is hosting a screening of The Street Project 6 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14) at their office in Magnuson Park. The 50-minute documentary is an inspiring story about the global, citizen-led fight to make our streets safer," according to the trailer: There will be a Q&A with Cascade advocacy staff after the film.
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G7PB)
I'm on my way to Vancouver, WA, with a Brompton full of books. A bike to Link to Amtrak adventure is a lovely way to start a day. I'm giving a book presentation and selling copies at the Vancouver Bicycle Club meeting, 5pm at the Aero Room this evening (Nov. 8). It's amazing how much [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G6SP)
Good bike lights are empowering, pun intended. But really, with the end of daylight savings plummeting evening commutes and dinnertime grocery runs into darkness, many readers may be spending a lot of time biking around town at night for the first time. But with a good set of lights, a little darkness does not need [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G5Q1)
The new Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge to the revamped Seattle Ferry Terminal is set to open this week, and crews removed the temporary walkway over the weekend. But thanks to a creative exchange the Puget Sound to Pacific Collaborative facilitated between the City of Seattle and Clallam County, that temporary walkway will not go to [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G3PG)
Volunteers for the Pedaling Relief Project have hauled 1.2 million pounds of food by bike since 2020, all to support local food bank operations. That's equivalent to about 1 million meals. It helps us and the other food bank partners achieve their mission at a time when volunteerism is not keeping pace with the growth [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G2WC)
Counterbalance Bicycles is closing, ending a 16-year run in a trailside space that has become almost a part of the Burke-Gilman Trail itself. The shop is just barely off the trail where it crosses NE Blakely Street near U Village, a post Counterbalance has held since moving there from its original namesake location at W [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G20V)
What I started Seattle Bike Blog in 2010, I chose an icon that seemed to best represent the experience of biking in Seattle at the time: The sharrow. Officially called a shared lane marking," SDOT had painted dozens of miles of sharrows in mixed traffic lanes across the city, including on many busy streets. The [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6G0V8)
Sniff. Can you smell that? There's a crisp coldness in the air, and is that a hint of cranberry sauce? That can mean only one thing: It's almost time for Cranksgiving. For the 14th year, Seattle Bike Blog is presenting a joyful day of bike adventures and good will to celebrate winter riding and support [...]
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by Tom Fucoloro on (#6FY1Z)
via SDOT Director Greg Spotts. For background on what's happening here, see our previous story. UPDATE: I biked there so I could touch it myself to confirm it's real. It is. However, I now see that this looks like a blurry Big Foot photo from a hunt for the mythical Missing Link. Oooh, there's a [...]
by Tom Fucoloro on (#6FXTE)
Seattle has completed the design for the RapidRide J project, which includes complete and protected bike lanes on Eastlake Ave. The design even includes protected bike lanes on the block immediately south of the University Bridge, which was lacking protection in an earlier design. Thanks to many years of persistent advocacy, the project is poised [...]
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