So whether you preordered a copy or are planning to buy one at the event, you should come to the event. The presentation will be full of great images that didn’t make it into the book, and I’m hoping it will help add some extra insight to inform your reading of it. There will also be a Q&A, and I’ll happily add my terrible signature to your copy.
A group of philanthropists will fully fund a $45 million set of upgrades to the downtown waterfront north of Pier 62, where the existing under-construction Waterfront Park project ends. The Elliott Bay Connections project includes cove and park improvements in Centennial and Myrtle Edwards Parks as well as a new walking and biking trail along the defunct Benson Streetcar rails.
The new trail will exist alongside the city’s planned protected bike lanes on the waterfront side of Alaskan Way, which is part of a larger street safety project for the relatively low-traffic street. The usability of the planned trail will rely heavily on whether Alaskan Way feels safe to cross.
The group hopes to begin construction in early 2025 so that it can be complete before Seattle hosts the 2026 World Cup in June. Expect a lot of community engagement this fall and winter.
The press release (PDF) claims the project “will be undertaken at zero cost to taxpayers”:
(EDIT: I changed the headline because some readers thought the change was permanent. Bikes, along with all vehicles using the car deck, will only be disallowed during this construction period.)
Construction work to build a new elevated walkway at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal will completely close off access to the ferry car decks. The good news is that Washington State Ferries (“WSF”) will maintain walk-on service. The bad news is that bicycles will not be allowed. From WSF:
We separate walk-on and ADA passengers from wheeled vehicles for passenger safety, which is why we cannot accommodate bicycles and electric scooters during the closure. With higher pedestrian volumes, it is not feasible or safe for us to mix pedestrians with bicycles and scooters both inside the ferry and in the terminal waiting areas. For those who want to store their bikes for use on either side of the route, the Kitsap Transit Bike Barn has 79 indoor and 33 outdoor bike parking spaces and we will provide a secure lock up area on the Seattle side or check into bike lockers. Another option is to walk on and use bike share in Seattle.
The closure is scheduled to begin 1 a.m. September 7 and go until 3 a.m. September 13. During this time, they will run single-boat service, though perhaps loading and unloading will be much faster without all the cars. They are also prepared to allow emergency vehicle access as needed.
It’s too bad that they are not accommodating bikes since biking could take a load off the limited car parking and drop off capacity on both sides of Elliott Bay. There are about 112 bike parking spots in the Bike Barn on Bainbridge, which may not be enough given how many people typically bike on board. The Seattle side will be a bit more interesting. WSF says they “will provide a secure lock up area on the Seattle side,” though they have not yet posted the exact details of how that will work and what the capacity will be. Typically, there is no publicly-accessible secure bike parking near the Seattle Ferry Terminal. WSF also suggests in the quote above that you should bike to a closer transit station, use secure bike parking there, then take transit to the ferry. This is a good suggestion if feasible.
The short but important trail connection between the Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway and the I-90 Trail is open, and Hanoch at Best Side Cycling took it for a test ride.
As we noted in July, this short little trail at the end of 28th Ave S has been a long time coming. It never should have been this difficult or taken this long, but SDOT and WSDOT finally figured out a solution to make it happen. This will make it much more intuitive and feasible for people to use this greenway route, which first opened in 2017.
There are still some details still left to be finished, but the trail is open for use.
Folks, support your local bike shops. These are rough times for a lot of them, and competition from online direct-to-customer companies is not slowing down. Sure, you might be able to save some bucks buying online, but that website won’t be there to help you fix it on your way to work or wherever. Supporting your local bike shop is supporting vital bike infrastructure. The experts behind the workbench stocked with all the right tools, they can’t be replaced by any online service.
The locally-owned Pedego Seattle electric bike shop in Ballard will close August 31, the company announced Monday. In a statement, the company said owner Mike Nelson “attributed the store’s closing to personal hardship as well as economic factors driving the ebike industry toward a commodity model, where high-touch white-glove service and the best warranty in the industry matter less than low prices.” Nelson’s first shop opened in Redmond in 2017, and he opened the Ballard location the next year. The Redmond shop was shuttered in 2022. Seattle Bike Blog wishes Nelson and all the Pedego staff the best. The shop’s sale is already on, so head down to their location on Market Street near 26th Ave NW to say goodbye and pick up some deals.
Mainstream bike shops were slow to pick up on the e-bike trend, though they are catching up. But them being slow created lots of space for non-traditional bike sales models, including direct-to-customer discount companies that undercut competitors in part by bypassing the standard retail markup at a local shop. The problem is that bikes require maintenance, and those local shops are lifelines for bike owners. Shops aren’t grifting when they earn money on a sale, they are funding their essential work. And a shop’s warranty, including their warranty on service, is absolutely worth any extra cost in my opinion.
Supporters receive endless love in addition to the satisfaction of knowing you helped power independent bike news in the Seattle area. Please consider supporting the site financially if you are able, starting at $5 per month:
Join Rainier Valley Greenways-Safe Streets and the Seattle Department of Transportation as we celebrate the completion of the Rainier Valley Greenway and a new connection into our neighborhood! Schedule of events: -Info Booth – 4-6 … Read more
Tuesday, September 26, from 4:00 – 6:00 pmRainier Valley Greenway Celebration!!Join Rainier Valley Greenways-Safe Streets and the Seattle Department of Transportation as we celebrate the completion of the Rainier Valley Greenway and a new connection … Read more
Ballard-Fremont Greenways meets monthly on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Join the google group for monthly meeting information: https://groups.google.com/g/ballard-greenwaysBring your enthusiasm and ideas to share with the group or just stop in to say hello … Read more
