Watch: With the West Seattle high bridge closed, here are some popular bike routes to get across the Duwamish River

Transcript (auto-generated .txt)

There is still no timeline for reopening the West Seattle high bridge, by far the most-traveled way to get across the Duwamish River and connect to the rest of the city. In the meantime, the lower Spokane Street swing bridge and its walking and biking trail is still open, making biking a vital way for people to get to and from the neighborhood.

The full impact of the closure has not yet been felt because so many residents are on lockdown in their homes due to the outbreak. But there are still many people with essential jobs or who need to make essential trips, and biking may be their best option. This will especially be the case if the bridge is still closed when workplaces reopen.

So I reached out to Anthony Palmieri, a member of the local bike advocacy group West Seattle Bike Connections, to ask him what advice he would give new riders. He also helped walk through some basic bike routes people can take from various parts of the peninsula, including the Alki/North Admiral, the Fauntleroy Ferry, the Junction, White Center/Delridge and South Park. I then put together a Google Earth tour to help you visualize the routes. The goal of the video was to demystify these bike routes a bit. They are mostly comfortable and easy once you know the way, and some parts are even kind of magical and wonderful.

Palmieri urged anyone who is interested in biking but needs some more specific advice or help to reach out to West Seattle Bike Connections. Their volunteers are happy to help. Join their Facebook Group or email them at westseattlebikeconnections@gmail.com.

WSBC played a vital community role during the winter 2019 Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, hosting how-to rides and sharing bike route knowledge. Bike counts across the low bridge registered August numbers in January that year, taking a lot of pressure off the transportation system.