Seattle Bike Blog

Bob Svercl (bobco85) is back with another local bike route guide. This time, he’s connecting the Interurban North Trail in Shoreline to the Burke-Gilman Trail in Lake Forest Park. For anyone who wants to get a good idea of what … Continue reading →

“For the first time since the Bicycle Friendly States ranking began in 2008, a state other than Washington claimed the top position,” wrote the League of American Bicyclists in their summary of their 2022 Bicycle Friendly States report. However, Massachusetts … Continue reading →

People need homes. The private market for homes in the Seattle area has been climbing out of reach for many people for many years, and there is no reason to believe it will become affordable any time soon. Meanwhile, the … Continue reading →

UPDATE: WSDOT announced Thursday that the planned trail closure has been cancelled. “This weekend’s work on SR 520 is canceled. The trail across Lake Washington will be open tonight through Monday morning.” The walking and biking trails on the 520 … Continue reading →

In terms of quality and ease of use, the newest Gen4 Lime e-assist bike is highest-quality model of shared bike yet to hit Seattle streets, and a sign that the company has no intention of abandoning bikes in favor of … Continue reading →

In researching my book, I came across this photo from April 13, 1949 showing large cracks in the Green Lake path. The 7.1 magnitude quake was centered between Tacoma and Olympia, but it caused significant damage at far at Oregon … Continue reading →

Dirk deGroot made headlines a few years back as Seattle’s “Bike Batman,” a guy who would find reported stolen bikes for sale on sites like Craigslist or OfferUp and then go recover the bikes and give them back to the … Continue reading →

The most difficult gap in the nearly-statewide Palouse-to-Cascades Trail is now fixed, and in stunning fashion. The 3,052-foot-long Beverly Bridge over the Columbia River promises to usher in a new era for the statewide trail formerly known as the Iron … Continue reading →

NOTE: You can find this event and more on the Seattle Bike Blog Events Calendar. Posting to the calendar is free and open to anyone. For example, check out this East Seattle History Ride Saturday. Bike Works is hosting a … Continue reading →

In news that is both horrible and unsurprising, a team of researchers from UC Berkeley and UW in Seattle have published a study demonstrating that “redlined” areas of cities marked in federal maps from the 1930s had higher levels of … Continue reading →

The Federal Transit Administration has recommended a $60.1 million grant to fund the RapidRide J project from the U District to South Lake Union via Eastlake. “Coupled with funding from the Levy to Move Seattle that voters approved in 2015, … Continue reading →

Without waiting for SDOT to complete its “outer loop” bike connection around Green Lake, the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation banned biking from the popular lakeside trail. “This long-term temporary use restriction, which restricts all bicycles and other wheeled … Continue reading →

Bring some snacks or a side to Gas Works Park Saturday afternoon for a safe streets potluck with Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. It’s officially dubbed a “volunteer picnic,” but everyone is invited whether you have volunteered or not. You can also … Continue reading →

I am so happy to hear that the Fremont Solstice Parade is back. June 18, mark your calendars. The maps even have bicycle icons printed on them! Does this mean the years of the Fremont Arts Council resisting the naked … Continue reading →

For as much attention as this country gives to electric cars, e-bike sales continue to grow at a remarkable pace. And with gas prices through the roof, sales of e-bikes will not likely slow down any time soon. E-bikes are … Continue reading →

“Countless people” have crashed on the railroad tracks while biking on the streets just west of the abrupt terminus of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Ballard, and now eight of them have joined together in a lawsuit against both the Ballard … Continue reading →

After years of cancelled, scaled back and Zoomified bike events thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle bike events calendar is finally starting to fill up with community celebrations, rides and more. Before 2020, you could pretty much design your … Continue reading →

Megan Ramey and her family recently took the Amtrak Cascades train up from Oregon to spend a few days in Seattle, and they mostly traveled around the city by bike. Ramey wrote about the trip on her site Bikabout, and … Continue reading →

In late 2020 and early 2021, the Seattle Bike Blog covered work happening behind the scenes at the Seattle Department of Transportation to work toward integrating the city’s different modal plans (bicycle, pedestrian, freight, transit) into one plan. This technical … Continue reading →

I ride a bike around Seattle all the time, but can I fly a seaplane? Let’s find out! Join me for an air tour of Seattle from behind the yoke of a seaplane in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Do I know … Continue reading →

Nearly all of the funding for walking, biking and transit projects in the state Democrats’ Move Ahead Washington funding package has made it through to the latest version of the bill. The House and Senate both voted Thursday to approve … Continue reading →

Complete with colorful digital filters and titles that fly in and spin, this Seattle Engineering Department promotional video is a wonderful time capsule of early 1990s Seattle bicycle policy. The video is mostly aimed at agencies from other cities looking … Continue reading →

This spike in gas prices will probably cost car-dependent folks more than any transit-funding or bike lane-building measure we’ve ever approved. But we won’t be left with anything to show for it. A bike network or expanded transit is an … Continue reading →

Work to build Mercer Island Station and redesign the bus connections there will displace a section of the I-90 Trail starting March 7, Sound Transit announced. Though the work area may change as work progresses, expect some kind of trail … Continue reading →

An enormous amount of water has fallen on our region, leading to flooding and landslides. So if you are planning a bike ride on a route near a river, be sure to check in with the King County Roads and … Continue reading →

This week at an online open house, SDOT released the results of a survey the department conducted last year around the concept of creating a path for people walking and rolling along the Outer Loop along Green Lake Park’s western … Continue reading →

The two-decade bicycle helmet law experiment is drawing to a close as Seattle, the largest remaining city in the United States with such a law, no longer requires them. The King County Board of Health voted Thursday to repeal its … Continue reading →

As soon as Washington State legislators released their Move Ahead Washington transportation funding proposal earlier this month, it drew a wave of enthusiastic support from transportation organizations across the state. Lee Lambert, Executive Director of Washington Bikes, called the investments … Continue reading →

UPDATE 2/17: The Board of Health voted 11-2 to repeal the law, citing serious concerns about inequitable police enforcement. The general sentiment of the majority was that they still strongly recommend helmet use, just not the police-enforced strategy for achieving … Continue reading →

On Tuesday morning the City Council’s Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee will consider the nomination of a new member to the Bicycle Advisory Board. The appointment comes months after the board undertook a formal search and interview process to … Continue reading →

The RapidRide J line project, currently scheduled to open in 2026, will upgrade the bus corridor between downtown and U District Link light rail station, and include protected bike lanes along Eastlake Avenue, one of the few bike projects that … Continue reading →

The volunteer-run bike access and repair-teaching organization The Bikery is seeking new board members to serve in 2022-24. In addition to hosting open shop hours Saturday–Sunday from 12–6 to help anyone keep their ride rolling regardless of income, The Bikery … Continue reading →

There’s finally a bike lane from downtown to the Lower Queen Anne/Uptown business district. Over the weekend, crews constructed a two-way bike lane on Broad Street between the existing bike lane on 2nd Avenue to 1st Avenue, then on 1st … Continue reading →

There’s a good chance you missed the news about this one because, well, let’s just look at the timestamp … oh no. As part of the Climate Pledge Arena transportation plan, SDOT closed a short section of the 2nd Ave … Continue reading →

Traffic deaths, especially for people walking, are rising in communities all across the United States, and Seattle is no exception. We have known this increase in deaths is happening, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic changed traffic patterns. But why? There … Continue reading →

Peddler Brewing is closing in march, nine years after opening its bike-loving doors on Leary Way just west of the Ballard Bridge. Owners Haley and Dave made their bike-friendly intentions very clear from the start by dedicating a front corner … Continue reading →

The Montlake Bridge will be closed for maintenance this weekend starting 10 p.m. Friday (today) and ending 5 a.m. Monday. The closure includes the sidewalks as well as the roadway. There will be a shuttle to take people on foot … Continue reading →

I’m trying something new on the blog today. I’ve got two videos for you. Well, really they are two very different versions of the same video, which I shot while heading downtown to pick up my daughter from preschool. The … Continue reading →

Seattle Police should no longer pull people over simply for riding a bicycle without wearing a helmet, according to a new department policy. “These violations do not have a direct connection to the safety of other individuals on the roads, … Continue reading →

Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar argued against further highway expansion during his State of Transportation presentation to the House Transportation Committee this week. Instead, he argued for “a resilient response” to the state’s major challenges, including climate change, inequitable traffic … Continue reading →

State legislators seemed determined to pass a major transportation funding bill during the 2021 session, but the focus on highway spending and backwards ideas like a tax on bicycles ultimately helped stall the effort until the session ran out of … Continue reading →

Councilmember Alex Pedersen (D4) will continue as Chair of the Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee, the City Council voted Tuesday. Dan Strauss (D6) will remain as Vice-Chair, and Lisa Herbold (D1) and Tammy Morales (D2) will remain as committee … Continue reading →

South Park has some of the most harmful air quality of any residential neighborhood in Seattle and King County, and it doesn’t take long to figure out where a lot of it comes from: The freeway that splits the neighborhood … Continue reading →

A gravel cut-through in Georgetown near Boeing Field will become a dog park and trail corridor, providing a key piece of the community-led Georgetown to South Park Trail. If all goes according to schedule, the park and trail connection should … Continue reading →

It feels like Sam Zimbabwe never had the chance to lead the Department of Transportation without an emergency beyond his control dictating the work of the day. With the news that Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell will not keep him on after … Continue reading →

As expected, longtime opponents of the Ballard Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail have filed a complaint in King County Superior Court (PDF) challenging SDOT’s claim that their redesigned trail project is exempt from the State Environmental Policy Act (“SEPA”), … Continue reading →

A new bike share competitor has entered Seattle. Today, Chicago-based Veo is rolling out 500 e-bikes onto Seattle streets, the first legitimate bike share competitor to Lime since Lime acquired Jump in spring 2020. Veo is launching its new Cosmo … Continue reading →

EDITOR’S NOTE: Caroline Carr is a student in UW’s News Lab program. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, celebrated 10 years of working towards a more walking and biking friendly Seattle last month. Three groups from Beacon Hill, Wallingford and the Central District … Continue reading →

In the middle of the 2020 COVID shutdown, Seattle missed an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable achievement. With completion of the Bell Street protected bike lane and implementation of the Stay Healthy Street through the Bell Street Park, Seattle had … Continue reading →

The vast majority of Seattle voters support the city’s safe streets efforts, including pedestrianized streets, on-street café seating, bus lanes and bike lanes. According to a recent survey commissioned by the Northwest Progressive Institute in partnership with Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, … Continue reading →