Seattle Bike Blog

On Tuesday morning the City Council’s Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee will consider the nomination of a new member to the Bicycle Advisory Board. The appointment comes months after the board undertook a formal search and interview process to … Continue reading →

The RapidRide J line project, currently scheduled to open in 2026, will upgrade the bus corridor between downtown and U District Link light rail station, and include protected bike lanes along Eastlake Avenue, one of the few bike projects that … Continue reading →

The volunteer-run bike access and repair-teaching organization The Bikery is seeking new board members to serve in 2022-24. In addition to hosting open shop hours Saturday–Sunday from 12–6 to help anyone keep their ride rolling regardless of income, The Bikery … Continue reading →

There’s finally a bike lane from downtown to the Lower Queen Anne/Uptown business district. Over the weekend, crews constructed a two-way bike lane on Broad Street between the existing bike lane on 2nd Avenue to 1st Avenue, then on 1st … Continue reading →

There’s a good chance you missed the news about this one because, well, let’s just look at the timestamp … oh no. As part of the Climate Pledge Arena transportation plan, SDOT closed a short section of the 2nd Ave … Continue reading →

Traffic deaths, especially for people walking, are rising in communities all across the United States, and Seattle is no exception. We have known this increase in deaths is happening, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic changed traffic patterns. But why? There … Continue reading →

Peddler Brewing is closing in march, nine years after opening its bike-loving doors on Leary Way just west of the Ballard Bridge. Owners Haley and Dave made their bike-friendly intentions very clear from the start by dedicating a front corner … Continue reading →

The Montlake Bridge will be closed for maintenance this weekend starting 10 p.m. Friday (today) and ending 5 a.m. Monday. The closure includes the sidewalks as well as the roadway. There will be a shuttle to take people on foot … Continue reading →

I’m trying something new on the blog today. I’ve got two videos for you. Well, really they are two very different versions of the same video, which I shot while heading downtown to pick up my daughter from preschool. The … Continue reading →

Seattle Police should no longer pull people over simply for riding a bicycle without wearing a helmet, according to a new department policy. “These violations do not have a direct connection to the safety of other individuals on the roads, … Continue reading →

Washington Transportation Secretary Roger Millar argued against further highway expansion during his State of Transportation presentation to the House Transportation Committee this week. Instead, he argued for “a resilient response” to the state’s major challenges, including climate change, inequitable traffic … Continue reading →

State legislators seemed determined to pass a major transportation funding bill during the 2021 session, but the focus on highway spending and backwards ideas like a tax on bicycles ultimately helped stall the effort until the session ran out of … Continue reading →

Councilmember Alex Pedersen (D4) will continue as Chair of the Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee, the City Council voted Tuesday. Dan Strauss (D6) will remain as Vice-Chair, and Lisa Herbold (D1) and Tammy Morales (D2) will remain as committee … Continue reading →

South Park has some of the most harmful air quality of any residential neighborhood in Seattle and King County, and it doesn’t take long to figure out where a lot of it comes from: The freeway that splits the neighborhood … Continue reading →

A gravel cut-through in Georgetown near Boeing Field will become a dog park and trail corridor, providing a key piece of the community-led Georgetown to South Park Trail. If all goes according to schedule, the park and trail connection should … Continue reading →

It feels like Sam Zimbabwe never had the chance to lead the Department of Transportation without an emergency beyond his control dictating the work of the day. With the news that Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell will not keep him on after … Continue reading →

As expected, longtime opponents of the Ballard Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail have filed a complaint in King County Superior Court (PDF) challenging SDOT’s claim that their redesigned trail project is exempt from the State Environmental Policy Act (“SEPA”), … Continue reading →

A new bike share competitor has entered Seattle. Today, Chicago-based Veo is rolling out 500 e-bikes onto Seattle streets, the first legitimate bike share competitor to Lime since Lime acquired Jump in spring 2020. Veo is launching its new Cosmo … Continue reading →

EDITOR’S NOTE: Caroline Carr is a student in UW’s News Lab program. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, celebrated 10 years of working towards a more walking and biking friendly Seattle last month. Three groups from Beacon Hill, Wallingford and the Central District … Continue reading →

In the middle of the 2020 COVID shutdown, Seattle missed an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable achievement. With completion of the Bell Street protected bike lane and implementation of the Stay Healthy Street through the Bell Street Park, Seattle had … Continue reading →

The vast majority of Seattle voters support the city’s safe streets efforts, including pedestrianized streets, on-street café seating, bus lanes and bike lanes. According to a recent survey commissioned by the Northwest Progressive Institute in partnership with Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, … Continue reading →

Seattle Bike Blog does not usually do bike tutorial stuff. There are many other excellent YouTube channels and online resources if you want to learn about bike maintenance and such. However, the vast majority of YouTube fix-a-flat tutorials start by … Continue reading →

With $20 million in federal funding, Seattle now has enough money to complete a long-planned E Marginal Way rebuild in SODO. Final design is scheduled to be complete in early 2022, with work beginning later in the year. Construction should … Continue reading →

Today is the final day to submit comments on the revamped Environmental Assessment for the RapidRide J project, which includes a redesigned Eastlake Ave E. There are a lot of excellent improvements included in the project, which would finally build … Continue reading →

This election is only open to voters who live in Seattle’s City Council District 3 (PDF map), encompassing Capitol Hill, the Central District, and some surrounding areas. If your registration is up-to-date, you should have received your ballot in the … Continue reading →

“The Aurora Avenue extension, if authorized by the voters, must be paid for not in money alone, but in the blood of the children who are entitled, first to safe passage to their schools and second, to safety in their … Continue reading →

For Seattle’s 12 Annual Cranksgiving, let’s ride bikes together. Rather than the usual scavenger hunt, Cranksgiving 2021 will join up with the good folks at Bike Works Saturday, November 20, to collect donations for Rainier Valley Food Bank before going … Continue reading →

UPDATE 11/14: The bridge is open! The University Bridge got stuck open Friday morning, and it has remained stuck into the afternoon. SDOT does not yet have an estimated time for it to reopen, so it may be wise to … Continue reading →

Street murals are wonderful, and the newest one in Lake City is one of the best in the city. Designed to be part of the Little Brook Stay Healthy Street, Romel Belleza’s mural is the product of a partnership between … Continue reading →

A 2.5-mile segment of the EasTrail is now open between the Seahawks training facility in Renton and Coal Creek Parkway in Bellevue. The very wide trail replaces the old Lake Washington Loop Trail, which is being swallowed up by the … Continue reading →

Congratulations to Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell on a convincing win. If past voting patterns hold true as the rest of the ballots are counted, Harrell is positioned to win the Mayoral race by a wider margin than Jenny Durkan did in … Continue reading →

The Missing Link appellants have won! But not really. The Seattle Department of Transportation announced today that they are prepared to submit a significantly scaled-back version of their plans to complete the Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail through Ballard. … Continue reading →

Seattle voters have the chance to elect transformational leaders, but only if voter turnout increases dramatically before 8 p.m. Tuesday. So tell all your friends. If you have your vote-by-mail ballot, return it to a King County ballot drop box. … Continue reading →

The Seattle City Council is currently considering some significant budget additions to combat the terrible increase in traffic deaths and injuries in 2021. Seattle’s increase is part of a horrible nationwide trend, and the city should be a leader in … Continue reading →

Beginning at 9 p.m. tonight (Friday), crews are scheduled to close the 520 Bridge, including the trail across Lake Washington. Montlake Boulevard and the underpass trail to the Arboretum will remain open. More details from WSDOT: Heads up, travelers: Crews … Continue reading →

With very little warning, Seattle Public Schools announced Friday that 142 school bus routes would be cancelled as of today (Monday). So many families in our city had to scramble to find a way to get their kids to school. … Continue reading →

Ballots are in the mail and the drop boxes are open. If you don’t receive your ballot or forgot to update your address, go the King County elections website to update your info or request a replacement. If you are … Continue reading →

In 2024, voters will likely be asked to fund Seattle’s renewed vision for transportation. The 2015 Move Seattle Levy will be set to expire, and it will need to be replaced by a new measure. Ballots are in the mail, … Continue reading →

I am briefly emerging from my work on my Seattle bike history book to post this map I found buried deep in the archives of The Argus, a weekly Seattle newspaper co-owned by an early Seattle bicycle booster. It’s a … Continue reading →

Hello, dear readers. I am currently working hard on the second draft of the book I’m writing for UW Press about bicycle history and culture in Seattle. I was initially hoping to be able to keep the blog going through … Continue reading →

The Northgate bike/walk bridge finally has both a name and an opening date. Officially named the John Lewis Memorial Bridge, this biking and walking bridge connecting North Seattle College across I-5 to Northgate Station has a lot to live up … Continue reading →

The King County Water Taxi bike racks can now take bikes with tires as wide as 4.6 inches, nearly double the size of the old bike racks. This should significantly expand compatibility, especially as many of today’s most popular bikes … Continue reading →

E-bike sales are outpacing electric car sales two-to-one in the United States, and e-bikes now make up 20% or more of bikes sold in Seattle bike shops. And as Josh Feit (with Maryam Noor) wrote for Publicola, all signs point … Continue reading →

We have a good news update about the ongoing Montlake Bridge rehabilitation work. The first of several weekend closures is still scheduled for this weekend (September 10–12). But despite original announcements, the west sidewalk will remain open for walking and … Continue reading →

With a pop-up bike protected bike lane, a kids bike rodeo, a roller disco dance party and more, the streets of downtown Redmond are set to be the place to be Sunday. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 … Continue reading →

Last month, Gabriel Zalaya was working on the state project to rehab the Beverly Bridge over the Columbia River when he fell and was killed. He was 39. Our condolences to his friends and family. A contractor for the State … Continue reading →

Disability Rights Washington released a report this week that is so good it should be considered mandatory reading for everyone working in transportation in our state. The word “report” doesn’t really do it justice because “Transportation Access for Everyone: Washington … Continue reading →

For decades, a small public space along the Burke-Gilman Trail just north of the Seattle city limit has been hidden behind a private fence. But no more. It took a remarkable amount of work to open this small space. Volunteers … Continue reading →

Expert bike builder Max Kullaway passed away earlier this month after a long battle with cancer. Kullaway was the force behind 333fab bicycles. For years Max made bicycles in a Fremont shop alongside Bill Davidson before he and his spouse Tarrell … Continue reading →

The Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board is seeking three new members to start two-year terms in the fall. This term will cover some very important decisions for Seattle’s transportation future, including development of the next big Seattle transportation levy likely headed … Continue reading →