Seattle Bike Blog

The trail under the 520 Bridge east of Montlake Boulevard will close permanently June 6 as crews begin work on a new biking and walking bridge over the freeway, according to WSDOT. The trail opened in March 2020 and was … Continue reading →

Biking to preschool this morning, as my daughter and I biked across the University Bridge like we do every morning, we saw some Seattle Police boats fishing in the calm waters of Lake Union below us. But they weren’t searching … Continue reading →

The person killed while biking in SoDo May 11 has been identified as Gan Hao Li, the Seattle Times reports. He was 73. Our deepest condolences to his loved ones. Li immigrated from China and lived at Hirabayashi Place in … Continue reading →

After taking a few years off due to the pandemic, Kidical Mass is back. The celebration of family biking will host its first event of the 2020s Sunday as part of the first Bicycle Weekend on Lake Washington Blvd. Meet … Continue reading →

Happy Bike Everywhere Day! This is the first return to form for the long-standing bike day formerly known as “Bike-to-Work Day.” The Cascade Bicycle Club-organized event is one of my favorite days of the year because there are usually a … Continue reading →

Bike Bingo is back! Bicycle Benefits launched its 2022 Seattle bike-friendly business game this month, and it runs through the end of October. The game is simple: Ride your bike to the local businesses on your card and get something … Continue reading →

The good news is that SDOT is redesigning one of the worst stretches of roadway in the city: Rainier Avenue S between Columbia City and I-90. The bad news is that their design still prioritizes car movement above transit mobility … Continue reading →

Another person was struck and killed by a car in SoDo last week. My deep condolences to their friends and family. These pedestrian and biking deaths are unacceptable because they're completely avoidable. There is no excuse for not creating safer … Continue reading →

Seattle Bike Blog is not a bike reviews site, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions. Many people are searching for a bike right now, which can be both exciting and daunting. There are so many options, and it’s … Continue reading →

Seattle has applied for a permit needed to construct the simplified Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link in Ballard, and you know what that means. It’s time to submit yet another comment supporting the completion of this long, long, long, long delayed … Continue reading →

Spin and Wheels have not received permits to operate in Seattle under the city’s 2022–2023 permit, SDOT announced. But for the first time, scooter company Bird will operate here. LINK scooters have retained their permit, as have Lime’s scooters and … Continue reading →

A person driving a Jeep struck and killed someone biking in SoDo Wednesday morning, according to Seattle Police. The driver of the Jeep was trying to exit a parking lot onto 4th Avenue near Holgate Street, and told police they … Continue reading →

54 years after the first Bicycle Sunday on Lake Washington Boulevard, the car-free event has long solidified as a beloved tradition. As was the case in 2021, SDOT and Seattle Parks will expand Bicycle Sundays into what they are now … Continue reading →

Seattle’s downtown waterfront has been under construction for so long, it’s sometimes easy to forget that when the dust finally settles there will be a complete waterfront bikeway for the first time in Seattle history. Upon opening, this bikeway will … Continue reading →

The section of the Interurban North Trail near Lynnwood Transit Center is now open again following ten months of construction closure. This significantly shortens the ride through the area while also removing some awkward detour routing along the sidewalk. Sound … Continue reading →

Bike events are roaring back to life in Seattle at a level not seen since 2019. Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bike Month calendar is packed, as is the Seattle Bike Blog Events Calendar. But that’s not all. After a two-year hiatus, … Continue reading →

Four days into 2022, someone riding a bike in SoDo, at the intersection of S Holgate Street and 3rd Ave S, was struck by someone driving a Hyundai Accent. Receiving substantial injuries in the crash, including a badly injured leg. … Continue reading →

Happy Bike Month, everyone! Bike Everywhere Day 2022 is May 20, but there are also bikey events throughout May to help encourage more people to bike or to simply celebrate how great it is to bike around this beautiful place. … Continue reading →

Every day during busy travel times, people turning left from southbound 9th Avenue N block the bike lane and crosswalk across Mercer Street. This happens every signal cycle, forcing people to try to find a path through the mess of … Continue reading →

It’s the final day to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Sound Transit’s Ballard to West Seattle light rail line. Cascade has a form letter you can quickly send to support bike access as a priority for station … Continue reading →

The 520 Bridge Trail will be closed late Thursday through late Sunday, WSDOT announced Wednesday. The trail under the bridge leading to Lake Washington Boulevard will also be closed. A previously-scheduled closure was cancelled earlier this month. You can check … Continue reading →

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 →