Seattle Bike Blog

When SDOT released the 2016 short-term bike plan, I suggested the department “burn it and try again.” Well, they more or less did just that. The new plan is far from perfect, and it doesn’t make up for lost time resulting … Continue reading →

Seattle Bike Blog has been opposed to the downtown car tunnel since this site started in 2010, and we still are. It’s an enormous investment in unsustainable transportation that will likely make downtown and South Lake Union traffic worse. It’s a … Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Seattle’s Justin Carder (or as his close friends call him, “@jseattle“) is likely the hardest-working journalist this side of West Seattle. His dedication to the grind of very-local news has been a remarkable thing to witness, and he has been … Continue reading →

It’s the Bike News Roundup! I may starting posting these more often so they don’t get so ridiculously long. The comments below are open to whatever at-least-somewhat-relevant topics you want to discuss. First up, move over self-driving cars. The true … Continue reading →

Of all the major transportation investments Seattle has planned using Federal grant assistance, the only one that is not at risk by the Trump administration is the one we need the least: The Lander Street Overpass. That project is moving … Continue reading →

If you have not yet tried Pronto Cycle Share, make it your civic duty to give it a spin before it shuts down for good Friday. Yes, I’m talking to you, haters. I’m also talking to all of you who … Continue reading →

Several Capitol Hill community groups are working together to host a free training for anyone who wants to learn how to advocate and organize for safer streets Sunday. Afterwards, attendees will immediately put their new knowledge into action by heading out … Continue reading →

A key section of the new WSDOT-funded Arboretum Trail opened late last week, connecting Madison Street to the car-free Arboretum Drive. The segment is fairly short, but it is one of the most important stretches of the whole plan for people … Continue reading →

A new petition under the hashtag #GivePedsTheGreen is calling on SDOT to make an essentially invisible and low-budget change to traffic signals that could have a big impact on walkability, safety and accessibility in all corners of Seattle. It wouldn’t require any … Continue reading →

The latest plans out of the Madison BRT project (RapidRide G) cut nearly all of the planned bike improvements that were originally planned nearby as part of the high-budget so-called “multimodal corridor” project. We reported in depth about the cuts … Continue reading →

Be sure to check out our other notes from the 2017 WA Bike Summit. State Transportation Secretary Roger Millar kicked off the Monday keynote with some solid jokes about job security, a reference to the sudden, politically-motivated firing his predecessor … Continue reading →

I’m at Cascade Bicycle Club’s Washington Bike Summit, a two-day conference that coincides today with Active Transportation Lobby Day. As I write this, people from all over the state are volunteering their time to meet with their state Representatives and … Continue reading →

It’s time for the Bike News Roundup! Here’s a look at some stuff floating around the web lately. This is an open thread. First up, a PBS documentary (fresh out of 1996) on the auto industry’s conspiracy to destroy public … Continue reading →

As you pedal or stroll along the Burke-Gilman Trail today, it feels like such an integral part of the city that it is hard to imagine the north end without it (unless you’re in Ballard, of course). But that trail … Continue reading →

Seattle is trying a whole new method for gathering community ideas for small park and street improvements, and the people have responded. Loudly. Neighbors from all over Seattle submitted nearly 900 ideas for street and park improvements (up to $90,000 … Continue reading →

The Madison BRT project has dropped its goal of designing a so-called “parallel” bike route to accompany its $120 million plans for a faster and more reliable bus line from the waterfront to MLK Way. But just as concerning, the … Continue reading →

The City of Shoreline has a great idea for taking advantage of Sound Transit construction to also revolutionize bike access in their city: A “Trail Along the Rail.” Much like the Interurban Trail is a premiere asset for the city’s … Continue reading →

For the second annual Emerald Bike Ride, Cascade Bicycle Club is scaling up big time. The full route is longer, the start location is bigger and the rider limit has been set at a stunning 10,000 people. That’s 3,000 more … Continue reading →

Many people bought annual memberships for Pronto Cycle Share before the city announced the decision to shut it down March 31. So what happens to those memberships? Originally, the city had planned a new bike share system using e-assist bikes, … Continue reading →

It seemed every couple minutes, someone at KUOW radio would break into the news broadcast to let people know of another major traffic problem in the Seattle area. It was February 27, and a truck carrying butane had crashed on … Continue reading →

It’s been a very long and hard year for many Greenwood businesses damaged or destroyed by the March 9, 2016, natural gas explosion. Many are still struggling to hang on while insurance companies and Puget Sound Energy delay and haggle … Continue reading →

The Battery Street Tunnel has been part of Seattle for 65 years, but very few people have ever had the opportunity to walk through it. Well, Sunday morning is your chance. Walk the Battery is a free public event, part … Continue reading →

UPDATE: Construction on the Ballard Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail will break ground by winter 2018, Mayor Ed Murray announced Tuesday during a press conference flanked by both longtime trail supporters and business owners who have fought the trail … Continue reading →

Amid all the other giant issues on the November ballot, it may have been easy to miss the news that the people of Bellevue approved a transportation measure that includes funding to kickstart a renewed effort to get their bike … Continue reading →

When Public Bikes opened at Summit and Pine in April 2015, we noted that the shop was “well-positioned to take advantage of Capitol Hill’s bike shop desert.” Velo Bike Shop had recently moved to the Denny Triangle area after decades … Continue reading →

A 2015 safe streets redesign on Rainier Ave is working even better than expected by nearly every measure. Just by repainting the lines on the major street, the city’s Vision Zero team was able to dramatically reduce the number of … Continue reading →

After years of community urging and protest, Seattle is about to kick off a road safety project on NE 65th Street to address the street’s serious ongoing safety problems. People walking, biking and inside cars all continue to get seriously … Continue reading →

Cascade Bicycle Club’s major event season kicks off Sunday with the 45th annual Chilly Hilly. Thousands of people will meet up at Colman Dock to catch the ferry to Bainbridge. Numbers swell when weather is sunny and warm, but that’s … Continue reading →

It’s time for the Bike News Roundup! As always, this is an open thread. Discuss anything localish and bikeish in the comments below. First up, the most terrifying short horror film of 2016 was released in October by the North … Continue reading →

Pike/Pine is one of the most needed and promising connections in the entire Seattle bike network. And the multi-agency One Center City partnership is looking to make major near-term changes along the corridor between Pike Place Market and Broadway that … Continue reading →

The King County Council approved a master plan for a trail along the Eastside Rail Corridor Monday by a unanimous vote of 9–0. The vote is a key step towards creating the region’s most significant new trail since the Burke-Gilman … Continue reading →

A lot of people in south King County and Pierce County have discovered the commuting magic of bringing your bike on Sound Transit’s Sounder trains. Bike to the station, easily carry bikes onto the train, enjoy a traffic-free ride to … Continue reading →

“Roses are red, violets are blue. Complete the Missing Link, it’s long overdue.” That’s the text on the adorable valentines Cascade Bicycle Club is urging supporters of the Burke-Gilman Trail to send to city leaders. It is much more friendly … Continue reading →

After many years at Seattle Center, Cascade Bicycle Club is moving its annual Seattle Bike Swap to Magnuson Park near the club’s headquarters. Vendors from all over the region bring stuff for all kinds of bikes, from locally-made to imports … Continue reading →

Downtown Seattle has added 45,000 jobs since 2010. During the same time, only 2,255 new drive-alone trips have been added to downtown streets, according to a new Commute Seattle survey. The other 95 percent of commute trips were absorbed by … Continue reading →

One year after leading Washington Bikes through a merger with Cascade Bicycle Club, Barb Chamberlain is leaving the organization to become the first ever Director of WSDOT’s new Active Transportation Division. As head of the division, Chamberlain will be tasked … Continue reading →

Seattle’s Department of Transportation is retrofitting all department trucks to include sideguards designed to reduce harm to people walking and biking in the case of a collision. One of the biggest dangers for people around large trucks is not the … Continue reading →

The City Council is set to vote Monday to end its banking business with Wells Fargo as a political act in response to the bank’s funding of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This action is in solidarity with Native American communities … Continue reading →

Andres Salomon was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States when he was three. His wife Anna moved to the U.S. as a refugee when she was five. They met at MIT and named their son Atom (which … Continue reading →

As advocates for safe streets, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways has spent a lot of its efforts lobbying, campaigning and building support for infrastructure investments. So with lots of local transportation funding at risk if the Trump administration succeeds in its threat … Continue reading →

The One Center City partnership released a set of “near-term strategies” for a major redesign of downtown streets Thursday that would increase bus capacity, could increase car capacity, and neither commits to building a connected network of safe bike lanes … Continue reading →

Councilmember Mike O’Brien joined neighbors and representatives from nearby businesses Friday to urge SDOT and Mayor Ed Murray to make a decision about their preferred option for the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link in Ballard. “I believe if the city prioritized … Continue reading →

As neighbors once again fired up the well-worn #Fix65th hashtag after yet another person was injured on that street, Councilmember Rob Johnson and Mayor Ed Murray announced a plan to expedite an already-budgeted effort to improve safety on NE 65th … Continue reading →

The city has not yet released its preferred alternative for the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link, but the choice is obvious. Like, really, really, really obvious. However, just in case the city somehow hasn’t already received that message loud and clear, … Continue reading →

It has taken an enormous amount of advocacy pressure over many, many years to get to this point: The final section of the East Lake Sammamish Trail is finally applying for the permits needed to become reality. But this is … Continue reading →

Ronacin Tjhung was working more than 60 hours a week at two jobs to send money back to support his five children in the Philippines. Those children, between 9 and 16, lost their mother in the terrible typhoon Haiyan (also known … Continue reading →

Well, it’s official. Donald Trump is President. Now what are you going to do about it? I’m not here to tell you the best way to get engaged and take action, but there’s a good chance your bicycle is the … Continue reading →