Friday Roundtable: Lake Washington Boulevard Car-free Weekends 2026

People enjoying a car-free Lake Washington Boulevard (Bob Svercl)

Seattle Parks & Recreation's annual Bicycle Weekends program returns this summer starting tomorrow, May 23. This summer, Lake Washington Blvd (LWB) will be closed to non-local car traffic every weekend until Labor Day between Seward Park and Mount Baker Beach. This includes holidays (May 25, July 3, and September 7), but excludes August 1-2 due to Seafair. The road will close to cars at 7pm on Fridays and open for cars at 6am on Monday. All seven parking lots along LWB will be open and accessible to people driving. People driving to homes along LWB (residents, visitors, and deliveries) may enter from the nearest cross street.

Despite the branding, Bicycle Weekends are not about bikes. This program is an opportunity for people to enjoy Lake Washington while they walk, run, or roll. It is an opportunity for friends to have a picnic next to the water without speeding traffic mere feet away. It is an opportunity for kids and adults to learn how to roller skate, skateboard, or bike on a flat surface (a rare amenity in South Seattle). It is an opportunity for all Seattleites to share a valuable community resource that is reserved for drivers 332 days each year.

Safety Upgrades

In addition to expanding Bicycle Weekends, Mayor Wilson has green-lit Phase 3 of the Lake Washington Blvd Renovations Project. Phase 3 re-introduces many safety improvements that were scrapped by the Harrell Administration. This includes speed cushions in six locations, paint and flex post curb bulbs at Orcas St, a new sidewalk between Genessee St and LWB on 43rd Ave, and three new swing gates. The swing gates will be installed around the northern mile of the boulevard, where no homes or businesses accessed are via LWB. The Seattle Bike Blog published a great breakdown of the Phase 3 improvements.

The need for safety improvements on LWB cannot be overstated. Just weeks after the Harrell Administration cancelled these upgrades in 2025, Bradley Hawkins was hit by a car on LWB while biking home from Mount St. Helens. In the past 40 days, two drivers on LWB have lost control and ended up in Lake Washington.

Submerged car in Lake Washington after the crash on May 3. (Jason Rock)How to Get to Lake Washington BoulevardMap of transit routes and parking near LWB. (SPR, edited by the author)

Walking/Biking

The north end of the Bicycle Weekends path is near Mount Baker Blvd, a calm street that connects to the MLK bike lanes, the Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway, and Mount Baker Link station.

The middle of the path passes Genesee Park which connects to the Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway in Columbia City.

The south end is close to the east/west Neighborhood Greenway in Rainier Valley, via Seward Park Ave.

Transit

The north end of the path is close to both Route 14 and Route 27, and a 30 minute walk from Judkins Park station. Route 50 runs somewhat parallel to the path between Genesee Park and Seward Park. Routes 7, 106 and the Link 1 Line stop within a 30 minute walk from the Bicycle Weekends path. Route 9 is labelled on the map, but does not run on the weekend.

Driving

All parking lots along LWB are open and accessible to cars during the weekends. Parking is free. These lots are labelled on the map.

Join the Celebration!

To kick-off Bicycle Weekends this year, Rainier Valley Safe Streets is hosting a Celebration Ride tomorrow, May 23. This short, family friendly ride will start at Judkins Park station at 10:45am. Central Seattle Streets For All and Cat Rides NW will host similar rides from Capitol Hill station and the Fremont Bridge. These group rides will finish at Mount Baker Beach for a ribbon cutting ceremony and short speeches from Mayor Wilson, Former Councilmember Tammy Morales, and Anna Zivarts, author of When Driving Is Not an Option. After the ceremony, everyone is encouraged to enjoy a car-free Lake Washington Boulevard.

Celebration Ride poster (RVSS)

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