Newsletter May 2007
Ride of Silence
On the evening of Wednesday, May 16, join hundreds of cyclists in a silent ride to honor people who have been injured or killed in accidents with cars while cycling. The slow-paced, 12 mile Ride of Silence goes from Gasworks Park in Wallingford through downtown and back via Eastlake.
It’s quite an experience for so many bikers to pedal silently along the streets, turning heads and invoking questions from pedestrians and drivers. Arrive by 6:10 p.m. for a 6:30 departure.
Commute on Two Wheels: May is Bike to Work/School Month
If you can use your bike to get to work, this month is your chance to try it, or to get back into the habit. May is Bike to Work Month nationally, and is recognized in various ways in different communities.
Tacoma is celebrating Bike to Work Week May 14-18, and Thursday, May 17 is Bike to Market Day to celebrate the opening of the Farmer’s Market. In Seattle and other area cities, May 18 is Bike to Work /School Day. Stop at one of the many commute stations on your way to work and pick up a new water bottle, snacks and other goodies. If you have time and work in downtown Seattle, head over to City Hall for a rally from 7:30 to 8:30.
Called the “Low Carb(on) Commute” (it reads better on the color posters), cycling is promoted as an alternative to driving your car to work. Fine, great idea. But getting to and from work is only half the chore; once there, you have to actually do your job. How do you do that if you’re hot and sweaty, cold and wet, or greasy from changing a punctured tire along the way?
To encourage bike commuting, employers are urged to offer secure, dry bike storage, employee locker rooms with showers and other forms of support for bike commuters. I like the many suggestions promoted by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. Currently, BAW is promoting a Bike Buddy program and Safe Routes to School.
BAW shares office space with Bikestation Seattle, a separate non-profit that provides secure bike storage and other amenities for commuters. BAW and Bikestation are located on the edge of Pioneer Square, 311 3rd Ave. S.
Through May, BAW’s Kent Peterson is offering commute consulting every Friday at their offices from 1 to 5 p.m. Stop in, get a bike map, see the Bikestation facilities and get commuting tips from Kent.
Two more weeks to comment on city bike plan
It seems that 2,400+ comments just weren’t enough, because the city of Seattle has extended the public comment period for input on the Bicycle Master Plan. The deadline to provide input has been extended to Friday, May 18 (coincidentally also Bike to Work Day).
The city’s plan is to complete a set of actions over 10 years that will make Seattle the best bicycling city in the nation. It hopes to increase bicycle commuting and use of bikes for short trips to help reduce the pollution that causes global warming. Other benefits include increasing the health of Seattle citizens and reducing traffic congestion.
We have a long way to go to become “world-class” for cycling. Of the 2,000 miles of roadways in the city, 25 miles have bicycle lanes. There are approximately 40 miles of bike trails in the city. The plan calls for increasing the bike lanes to 140 miles total, and the bike trails to 58 miles total. Shared lanes, signed roadways and other on-road bicycle routes will make up the bulk of the rest of the plan’s goal of 452 miles of bike “facilities.” For much of this plan, funding has not yet been secured. Today, $27 million is earmarked for bicycle improvements from a recent tax levy. The total, 10-year plan is estimated at $240 million in 2007 dollars.
But the Bicycle Master Plan is a very encouraging step. It has ambitious goals, and even its short-term steps will significantly improve cycling safety and navigation. Over the next three years, the plan calls for 133 miles of new bicycle facilities. First steps will improve links between current routes, add a lot of signage and improve safety in many crucial corridors.
Reviewing the extensive master plan document is daunting, but here’s something that may fit better with your available time. From the master plan’s home page, download the map that shows your neighborhood. Take a look at the streets you normally travel. Ask yourself if the city planners have made changes that would help or hinder your cycling. If something catches your eye, drop them a line at walkandbike@seattle.gov, or call to submit a comment at 206-684-3902.
Favorite City Routes, Part 1: North Seattle
The final draft of Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan is a fascinating look into ideas to expand the network of bike lanes, trails and connections that will help cyclists get around the city.
But what are the best routes available to riders right now? That was a question that I asked myself regularly in my research and writing of Biking Puget Sound. Read more…
Upcoming appearances
OK now, look at all these chances you have to come and see me and the book. The bike shops, Santoro’s Books and BAW fundraiser event will be more informal chats, book signing and map strategy sessions, while the REIs and U Bookstore will get the full slide show, bad jokes and quiz prizes. Come and say hello!
Santoro’s Books, Phinney Ridge, Sat. May 12, 12-2 p.m.
REI Redmond Town Center, Tues., May 15, 7 p.m.
REI Flagship Store, Thurs., May 24, 7 p.m.
University Bookstore, Tues., June 5, 7 p.m.
Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Thurs., June 7, 5:30-close. Benefit for BAW during Pioneer Square 1st Thursday Gallery Walk. Come by and see the Bikestation!
REI Southcenter, Tukwila, Thurs., June 13, 7 p.m.
R & E Cycles, University District, Sat., June 16, 12-3 p.m.
Thank you to Tacoma REI, where I enjoyed meeting about two dozen locals and giving the slide show in the center of their large stockroom. Inventive! Also thanks to Fremont Place Books and Amgen corporate headquarters for having me.
Recent writing
NW Source.com: Seattle Waterfront
Want to turn your visitors on to bicycling in Seattle while showing them our famous sights, like the new Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park? Try this 10-mile tour. It starts on a paved waterfront pedestrian/bike trail, then transitions to city streets at Pioneer Square. Read more…
Community Events
Chief Sealth Trail Grand Opening, May 12, 10 a.m., Beacon Hill, Seattle. Official opening of Seattle’s newest bike trail, running from the top of Beacon Hill to the southeast corner of the city. http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/chiefsealthtrail.htm
Scott Pierson Trail Kick-off Ride, May 12, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., War Memorial Park (SR 16 & Jackson), Tacoma. Official opening of the 3.8 mile trail between the park and Cheney Stadium. http://cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=5349
Skagit Spring Classic, May 12, Bayview Elementary School, Burlington. Sponsored by Skagit Bicycle Club. 25-100 miles. http://www.skagitbicycleclub.org/articles/658
Starbucks Bike to Work Day, May 18, around Puget Sound. From 6 to 9 a.m. stop at 38 commute stations; join a rally at City Hall, 600 4th Ave., from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. http://cbcef.org/btw/btw_day.html
Tour de Cure, May 19, Marymoor Park, Redmond. Benefits American Diabetes Association. 15-100 miles. http://tour.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=4393
7 Hills of Kirkland, May 28, Marina Park, Kirkland. Benefits Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing. 40-100 miles. http://www.7hillskirkland.com/
