Seattle Bike Blog

Bike Works’ Columbia City shop may be operating in a limited fashion (and offering great deals to essential workers), but its usual education programs are shuttered along with so many other parts of society. But nothing can stop Bike Works … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club has made the difficult but clearly correct decision to cancel its 2020 major events, including their iconic Seattle to Portland Classic. The decision sets up a massive test for the large bicycle events and advocacy organization, which … Continue reading →

Like so many other organizations, Cascade Bicycle Club has had to scale back and dramatically redesign how it does work during this outbreak. After furloughing half its staff and surveying people about how they can help during this time, the … Continue reading →

Hey you! Yes, you in the mask. Do you have a question about biking? It could be anything. Big, small, important, trivial, it doesn’t matter! Seattle Bike Blog wants to answer it in a fully-researched blog post and/or video. My … Continue reading →

Seattle has added six more miles of what the city is calling “Stay Healthy Streets,” car-light streets where through-traffic is banned and people are allowed to walk in the street 24/7. They are part of an effort to create more … Continue reading →

Seattle needs to take bold, unprecedented action to help many more people get around by bike during the longterm West Seattle High Bridge closure. This isn’t just about improving cycling conditions, it’s one of the only ways the city can … Continue reading →

It’s not a surprise, but the 2020 Fremont Solstice Parade has officially been cancelled. And that means the annual painted bike ride is also cancelled. Of course the ride and parade shouldn’t happen amid the outbreak, but it’s still tough … Continue reading →

Work to fix some tree root bumps and repave a section of the Sammamish River Trail in Bothell kicks off April 27 and will last for two weeks. During work hours, trail users will need to wait for up to … Continue reading →

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways has been working with local advocates to develop ideas for open streets as a way to relieve crowding on sidewalks, paths and major parks during the outbreak. We previously reported about some of their ideas, and the … Continue reading →

As we learn more about the unexpected and sudden closure of the West Seattle High Bridge at the end of March, it’s looking more and more like the decision to close the bridge prevented a horrific tragedy. Cracking on both … Continue reading →

A survey from Cascade Bicycle Club asks people how their relationship with walking and biking has changed since the outbreak began and seeks ideas for how Cascade can help during this time. As we reported previously, Cascade furloughed half their staff … Continue reading →

I know it’s pretty hard to think about 2023 right now. Because a month lasts about a year right now, 2023 is more than 30 years away. But SDOT is currently conducting a survey about the planned MLK Way S … Continue reading →

The most marginalized people and communities in our society are especially stretched thin and put at increased risk during this outbreak. As unemployment soars, people without a safety net are in a very precarious position. And those with essential jobs … Continue reading →

Since we last wrote about the potential for open streets to reduce crowding on Seattle sidewalks and paths, the city has opened a couple streets within parks to people walking and biking in Seward Park and Volunteer Park. And Settle … Continue reading →

Bike share parking complaints can now be routed through the city’s Find It Fix It app and website as well as by calling 684-ROAD, SDOT’s work order hotline. Basically, reporting a bike share parking issue now goes through the same … Continue reading →

Work is still continuing on an improved I-90/Mountains to Sound Trail connection over Factoria Blvd SE in Bellevue. The project broke ground in the fall and is still aiming for completion in late 2020, according to project manager Chris Masek. … Continue reading →

Transcript (auto-generated .txt) It’s time for the Bike News Roundup. I started collecting the stories for this edition before the COVID-19 outbreak really took over the news and, you know, our whole lives. So there are glimpses of another time … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club is transforming its excellent Advocacy Leadership Institute into an online training course. So if you want to learn more about how to be a bike advocate, organize a campaign or tell your personal story, this could be … Continue reading →

To help people get around during the COVID-19 outbreak, Seattle’s only bike share company JUMP is offering free 30-minute rides to essential workers during the stay-at-home order (“at least”). Workplaces just need to email SeattleSupport@Jump.com to get ride codes they … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

Bike Works was among the first major bike organizations in Seattle to shut down operations amid the COVID-19 outbreak, doing so well before Governor Jay Inslee’s order requiring many businesses and education services to close. Staff have been working for … Continue reading →

King County Parks took an extraordinary step this week to close all its parks in an attempt to further discourage people from crowding or gathering as we fight the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. And unless you are … Continue reading →

Seattle this week closed parking lots at eight busy parks to discourage congregating and enforce social distancing. This was a wise move, as crowds were a bit too dense in many places, including Alki Beach, Seward Park, Green Lake and … Continue reading →

A man turning left from Northrup Way onto NE 8th Street struck and killed a 63-year-old man from Newcastle who was riding his bike just west of Lake Sammamish Sunday afternoon. Though the collision is still under investigation, the City … Continue reading →

Most people are required to stay inside under Washington State’s just-announced “stay home, stay healthy” order. Similar to the “shelter in place” orders in other cities and states, Jay Inslee announced further restrictions on activities and businesses that are allowed … Continue reading →

SDOT Director Sam Zimbabwe made an unexpected announcement Monday afternoon that the upper West Seattle Bridge will be closed starting at 7 p.m. due to concerns about cracking in the bridge structure. The lower swing bridge and its walking and … Continue reading →

Well, what should have been a happy day for transit hardly feels worth celebrating amid the pandemic. Work to connect the existing Sound Transit Link light rail tracks to the under-construction East Link tracks has wrapped up, and the downtown … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club moved Friday to furlough half its staff in what leaders describe as an effort to save the club, which is marking its 50-year anniversary this year. “We want to make sure it’s around for another 50 years,” … Continue reading →

Transcript (auto-generated .txt) When they had to cancel their regular social bike rides due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift Industries got creative. At first they laughed when Swift Founder Martina Brimmer suggested starting the Swift Social Distance Cycling Club. But … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club organizes community biking events, so the social distancing protocols make so many of their regular activities impossible right now. The organization already postponed their annual Bike Swap has been moved to June 14, the Bike Everywhere Breakfast … Continue reading →

So I have been working on a video for several days now about biking around Seattle amid the COVID-19 outbreak, but I keep changing my mind about what it should say. On one hand, I wanted to make something wildly … Continue reading →

You know, in an alternate timeline this would be a really big story. Sound Transit was not able to complete all the work needed to fully reopen downtown light rail service as was planned, so Connect 2020 continues. That means … Continue reading →

Just in time for a virus-news-escaping bike ride, WSDOT has opened a long-awaited biking and walking trail that crosses under SR-520 between the start of the 520 Bridge Trail and Lake Washington Boulevard. This is a “temporary” path, but you … Continue reading →

With the announcement that Seattle Public School will close for at least two weeks and gatherings of 250 people of more have been banned, our region has reached a new level in its social distancing efforts. Events venues have been … Continue reading →

Automated transcript (.txt) It’s the year 2020, and the world’s most famous bike race does not have a comparable event for women. That’s why women have biked the route of the Tour de France one day ahead of the men … Continue reading →

Don’t cut transit! There are so many reasons why cutting transit funding makes no sense. But instead of listing them all here, I want you all to think of them for yourselves. Then I want you to write those reasons … Continue reading →

.@WAbikes priority legislation, the #SafetyStop, has just passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 77-19! 🎉 We are just a few signatures away from people who 🚲 having the option to yield (when the coast is clear) … Continue reading →

Imagine a new trail connecting Tukwila and Seatac to Renton. This trail would tie together the Green River Trail, Interurban Trail, Cedar River Trail and Eastrail, all while accessing rapid transit service. And someday, it could even reach the airport, … Continue reading →

The Seattle Bike and Outdoor Show is the area’s largest bike industry expo. So if you want to check out the latest gear, test ride some bikes, this is your chance. The 2020 show is 9–6 Saturday and 9–4 Sunday … Continue reading →

One of the most insidious ways our transportation infrastructure is designed to delay or harm people walking is mostly invisible: Traffic signals programmed to skip the walk signal unless someone pushes a button. Whenever a traffic signal skips a walk … Continue reading →