Bike routes from Georgetown to downtown and South Park officially open + Dual celebration Sept. 28
Two major bike connections to Georgetown are opening at the same time, so SDOT is hosting one party for both of them 12-2 p.m. Sunday (September 28) at Mini Mart City Park.
Two community bike rides will converge at the celebration. Cascade is hosting a ride from the International District that leaves Hing Hay Park at 10:45 a.m. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is hosting a ride that leaves South Park Plaza at 10:30 a.m. (UPDATE: The SDOT news release said the downtown ride started at 11:45, but I confirmed with the ride leader that it is actually 10:45. Thank you commenter Hat for noticing that the Cascade ride listing had a different time, you saved a lot of folks a headache.)
The Georgetown to Downtown project has been largely complete for a while, though there are still some missing pieces. Even with its twists and turns, it is a massive improvement to bike access through SoDo and the industrial district where a disproportionate number of people are killed in traffic collisions. For nearly two decades the SoDo Trail since the SoDo Trail was completed as part of Sound Transit's Link light rail line, the trail has had no bike connections at either end. It has just been this isolated oasis where cycling was pleasant, but only if you could navigate uncomfortable and often dangerous streets to get there.
Now, people can get from the southern terminus of the trail at S Forest Street to S Lucile Street on the north end of the Georgetown neighborhood all within protected bike lanes along 6th Ave S and the Airport Way bridge over the railroad tracks. However, there still is no bike connection from the trail's terminus at Stadium Station to downtown (see section at the end of this post).
Meanwhile, the entirely separate Georgetown to South Park project constructed new sections of trail and bike lanes that dramatically improve connections between the neighboring communities. The new route runs mostly along Ellis Ave S, E Marginal Way and the South Park Bridge allowing people to comfortably bike from the north end of South Park to the south end of the Georgetown business district. A planned mini park with a trail and dog park is still planned on the Flume property, but work has not yet started. Until that trail is complete, there will be a temporary trail on E Marginal Way protected by water-filled barriers.
The projects are huge improvements to bike safety and mobility to and between both neighborhoods, and they put a ton of pressure on the city to address biking and walking circulation within the neighborhoods as well. The lack of a safe and comfortable way to get from S Lucile Street to S Bailey Street is even more glaring now than it was before. I know some riders cross Airport Way and ride through the continuous loading dock area behind the buildings on the east side of the street, but this is not an obvious or high quality solution and doesn't have access to all of the business district. There is also no safe and comfortable bike route traveling north and south within South Park as 14th Ave S behaves more like a highway connection than a neighborhood main street, which has had devastating consequences. These two connection projects are amazing, but the work is far from over.
More details from SDOT:
Why the Georgetown to downtown route still doesn't reach downtownPlease join us to celebrate as we wrap up the Georgetown to South Park Connection Project!
- When:September 28, 12-2 p.m.
- Where:Mini Mart City Park (6525 Ellis Ave S)
We will have food, music, and more! Please join us to celebrate the completion of the Georgetown to Downtown and Georgetown to South Park Safety Projects.
Feel free to share this invitation with friends, family, and neighbors!
Ride with a groupSeattle Neighborhood Greenways and Cascade Bicycle Club will be leading group rides to the Duwamish Valley Celebration via the newly built Georgetown to Downtown or Georgetown to South Park project routes!
- Georgetown to South Park ride:
- Starting point: South Park Plaza at 11:30 a.m.
- Skill level: All ages and abilities
- Led by: Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
- Georgetown to Downtown ride:
- Starting point: Hing Hay Park at 10:45 a.m.
- Skill level: Experienced cyclists
- Led by: Cascade Bicycle Club
Both rides are planned to arrive at the event around 12-12:15 p.m.
The Georgetown to Downtown bike route still doesn't quite reach downtown as the SoDo Trail still ends at Stadium Station. The plan is to install a bike connection on 6th Ave S where a shelter with capacity for 270 people operated by the Salvation Army has fully fenced off the street and sidewalks since it opened in 2020 with funding from King County. At one point, King County had planned to invest in the shelter to expand its capacity and range of services to create what it called the SODO Services Hub, but neighborhood backlash caused the county to abandon that plan in 2022. Since then, the shelter has been operating in a limbo state with temporary fencing still blocking off all street access.
SDOT would very much like to not wade into the politics of this situation, it seems. They didn't mention the missing connection in a recent update announcing the completion" of the Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project even though connecting to downtown is literally in the project's name. An SDOT spokesperson said, We have a design ready for the section between Royal Brougham Way and Seattle Blvd and are coordinating next steps with partners to align on operations in the area. While there isn't a set construction date yet, we are prepared to move forward once that coordination is complete."
Waiting for this shelter to go away isn't a great option, and SDOT should be looking for ways to establish an alternative route while the county figures out the shelter's future. A lot of people live there and rely on those services, and there isn't an obvious place to move a facility of this size. But the full closure of 6th Ave S without a quality detour is creating unacceptable safety conditions for people trying to bike between downtown and the SoDo Trail. SDOT should have installed a temporary (or permanent) bike facility on S Royal Brougham Way and either 4th Ave S or Airport Way S back in 2020 when this facility first closed off the street. But now that this new route has opened, the need is even more urgent. We shouldn't tie bike safety to the removal of the shelter.
Another option would be to work with the Salvation Army and King County to open a walking and biking corridor on 6th Ave S through the shelter complex, though this may make shelter operations more complicated since it uses buildings on both sides of the street. It may be easier and faster to just create a temporary bikeway on Airport Way or 4th Ave.