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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.

Like everyone, I have my favorite routes for sightseeing, running errands, visiting friends or getting a workout. In the course of writing the book, my extensive research opened my eyes to the network of roads that make excellent cycling routes. Here, chopping the city into section and working south from the northern edge, are my nominations for the current best streets and trails.

Northwest Seattle

From Shoreline, Linden Ave. N. connects to a short segment of the Interurban Trail, which then puts you onto Fremont Ave. N. to head south. To avoid the difficult crossings at N. 105th St./Northgate Way and at N. 85th St., jog two blocks west and take Dayton Ave. N.

To reach Carkeek Park, head west on NW 117th St., which curves left and becomes 116th before reaching the park entrance. You can also head down the steep, winding Carkeek Park Road from 110th. To climb out of the park, use Carkeek Park Road.

To reach Golden Gardens Park, there’s a hilly, serpentine route through the Blue Ridge neighborhood north of the park whose detailed route must be reviewed in Biking Puget Sound. For a more gentle approach, turn west onto N. 80th St. or N. 77th St. and then right on 28th Ave. NW to Loyal Way NW, which connects at 85th with 32nd Ave. NW and Golden Gardens Drive.

Coming from Ballard, take the Burke Gilman (B-G) Trail west, then city streets north to Ballard Ave. and then to NW 20th St. Turn west on NW 57th St. and south to Seaview Ave. at the Hiram Chittenden Locks to pick up the newest section of the B-G to reach Shilshole Bay. Continue north on Seaview Ave. to the park.

Heading east to Green Lake, you can cross Aurora at N. 90th, N. 83rd St. or N. 77th. I like the approach at N. 83rd, which has a bike lane angling south on Greenlake Drive N.

To reach Woodland Park and the Zoo, use the bike lane on Greenwood Ave. N. south of 83rd St. It becomes Phinney Ave. N. at 67th St. Turn east at 50th to enter the zoo at the south entrance, or go under Aurora to continue on 50th to the Woodland Park playfields. Turn north at E. Greenlake Way to return to Green Lake.

If heading to the Burke Gilman Trail, the best southbound routes are 3rd Ave. N. and 8th Ave. N., which has a bike lane on its southern section.

The Wallingford neighborhood is best approached from Green Lake on Meridian Ave. N., or from the B-G by heading north from Gasworks Park and climbing Wallingford Ave. N.

Drop down into Fremont from the Woodland Park area on Fremont Ave. N., or if you’re farther west, take 3rd Ave. NW to the B-G. From Fremont, the B-G will get you out to Ballard, but it currently ends on the streets near the Ballard Bridge. Cross under the bridge on NW 45th St. and follow the directions above to ride through Ballard.

Northeast Seattle:

There are a few routes to cross Interstate 5 between northwest and northeast Seattle. N. 117th St. has a climb to get to the neighborhood north of Northgate Mall. A better approach is from the south edge of North Seattle Community College, crossing at N. 92nd St. The mall can be accessed via 1st Ave. NE, but if heading east toward Lake Washington, a better route is along NE 90th, jogging north at 20th Ave NE, then crossing busy Lake City Way at NE 95th St.

In Lake City, the primary north-south cycling arterial is 35th Ave. NE, which goes to Wedgewood and View Ridge neighborhoods. To reach the Burke Gilman Trail, turn east onto NE 105th St. or NE 92nd St. and angle toward trail connections at 93rd and 94th.

To reach Magnuson Park at Sand Point, travel east on NE 70th or NE 65th, both with significant hills, or continue south on an arterial street to connect to the B-G, then head northeast on the flat, off-street trail.

To reach University Village, take 35th or 25th south to the B-G, which skirts the north edge of the shopping center. If coming from Green Lake, take the wide bike lane on NE Ravenna Blvd., which goes under I-5. Turn right onto 20th Ave. NE to head toward the Roosevelt and Maple Leaf neighborhoods.

To visit Ravenna Park and its newly daylighted creek, take 25th or 20th south to NE 55th St., and find the park entrance between the two roads.

Cycle to the University of Washington on the B-G, which skirts its southern edge. If north of UW, enter the campus roads and shared-use paths off the B-G after passing University Village, or across from Husky Stadium. Enter the center of the campus near the Burke Museum by coming southbound on 17th Ave. NE. Enter its west edge at NE Campus Parkway just south of the Henry Art Gallery. The B-G goes under I-5 and connects to Fremont.

To visit the University District shopping areas, Brooklyn Ave. N. is a good choice. It connects with Ravenna Blvd. on the north edge of the business district and the B-G on its south edge.

Many of the roads and routes in this article are cited in the city’s Bicycle Master Plan for enhancement as bike routes, either by creating or extending bike lanes, or using signage to encourage the routes to be shared by bikes and cars.

Next month: Ship Canal to I-90: Magnolia, Queen Anne, Downtown, Capitol Hill, Central District, Madrona