I-5 Colonnade getting new beginner-friendly pump tracks thanks to Evergreen MTB and Seattle Parks

Map from Evergreen MTB Alliance.

Construction is underway on a long-sought update to add accessible and beginner-friendly features to the I-5 Colonnade mountain bike park in Eastlake, and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance hopes the new paved pump tracks will be open by the end of May.

The I-5 Colonnade mountain bike park was like nothing else when it first opened in 2007. It is an urban mountain bike park with intense grades situated underneath an elevated freeway that keeps it dry year-round. It was also among the first major projects by Evergreen, which has grown to be the largest statewide mountain bike organization in the country. Since then, the Colonnade has provided a practice ground for mountain bikers that is much easier to get to than larger parks in the foothills and mountains. It's a great place for skilled riders, and provides an intriguing setting for videos.

However, I-5 Colonnade has always suffered from two big problems 1) It is loud because of the freeway. 2) Much of it is too advanced, leaving beginning riders and young kids a bit uncertain about how to engage with the space. You rarely ever see parents bring their kids here like they do at Woodland Park, for example. Evergreen can't really do anything about the first issue, but they can do something about the second. Little kids on small features are the experienced riders of tomorrow. Especially for such a rare urban mountain bike park, beginner features could be a major way to increase overall use of the space, leading to more consistent volunteer maintenance. Mountain bike news site Singletracks has a good story on the project that also notes the hope that the new features can lead to a renewed push to rehab some of the older features.

Evergreen and Seattle Parks announced last month that after years of organizing and planning construction was finally underway on a new set of paved pump tracks located in the flatter section in the southwest area of the park. These pump tracks will include one beginner-friendly track that is also friendly to adaptive mountain bikes and one steeper track. They will also build a new path for circulation to help connect to other areas within the park.

Beyond being an improvement to the park, the new pump tracks could possibly also open up more opportunities for programming, such as camps or classes.

The project will not change the existing paved path from E Newton Street to Lakeview Boulevard E, which is a fairly popular bike transportation connection.

It's interesting to consider that in the coming years the new more accessible features of the park will also be just one block from protected bike lanes on Eastlake Ave, which are part of the under-construction Rapidride J project. This will make it much easier for families and people of all ages to bike to the bike park, which today feels hidden away from the city's bike network.

The project will cost $314,000 and is funded by the Seattle Park District, King County Parks Capital and Open Space Grant, and Community Donations," according to Seattle Parks. The land is owned by Washington State but leased to the city for use as a park.