Saturday’s “Safe Streets Social: A slow bike ride to honor the fallen and support each other” leaves South Lake Union Park at 4 p.m. We are meeting at 3, near the end of Moving Planet’s line-up of activities.
We look forward to seeing you all there. Bring your friends and family, and wear orange if you can. Orange was Brian Fairbrother’s favorite color.
There are a few last-minute ways you can help. It would be wonderful if you could bring as many flowers as you can to leave at each memorial. If you can manage to bring extras to share with others, that would be a huge help.
The ride will be slow so that it is welcoming to every person who wants to join us, regardless of ability, experience or riding style. We also encourage people to have fun, smile and laugh. After all, bicycling is fun! That’s part of why Mike, Brian and Robert did it. The ride is a celebration of life and a call to protect it.
If you have any questions, ideas or ways you think you can help, please email Tom at [email protected].
See you Saturday!
Ride to help Bellevue transportation planning
You have two opportunities in the next week to help with transportation planning in Bellevue. The first is Saturday morning (you have plenty of time to go on the Bellevue ride and get over to the Safe Streets Social). From Choose Your Way Bellevue:
The first ride is geared towards Bellevue residents, and will take place this Saturday, September 24, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. We’ll meet at local favorite Top Pot Doughnuts for a snack, and then take a ride through downtown, visiting places like the Bellevue Downtown Park, the King County Library, Old Bellevue and City Hall. Along the way, we’ll identify potential traffic signal improvements, and make suggestions for future signage and way-finding mechanisms. The pace will be leisurely and relaxed, and the length of the ride is approximately 3 miles.
The second is geared towards bicycle commuters to downtown Bellevue, and will take place on Wednesday, September 28 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. We will meet at Compass Plaza at Bellevue Galleria and from there branch into two groups. One of the groups will head northward towards the SR 520 floating bridge, and the other will head in the direction of the I-90 trail. Along the way, we will identify potential way-finding and signal improvements. Both will loop back and finish at Compass Plaza, with a happy hour to follow depending upon interest.
Both of the events are absolutely free of charge, and all abilities are welcome. Helmets are required and heavy rain cancels. Please RSVP to [email protected].
Director screening With My Own Two Wheels around the region
Jacob Seigel-Boettner, director of With My Own Two Wheels (which we wrote about in June) will be in the region screening his film in Tacoma and Port Townsend. From Jacob:
I am in the Seattle area for the next few days doing a few screenings of With My Own Two Wheels. I know this is kind of last minute, but is there any chance that you would be willing to do a short blurb to promote the screenings on your blog? Here are the details:
September 23rd – Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma, WA
5 PM – BBQ, 7PM – Film Starts
Suggested Donation: $5 students, $10 adults
Proceeds go to World Bicycle Relief
September 24th – Port Townsend Film Festival, Port Townsend, WA
6 PM, PS Free Cinema
http://www.ptfilmfest.com/Festival/Program.html#seeds
September 25th – Port Townsend Film Festival, Port Townsend, WA
12:15 PM, Rose Theater
Did I miss anything else going on? Leave a note in the comments.
Comments
4 responses to “Weekend Guide: Safe Streets Social Saturday + Bellevue transpo planning rides”
Let me expand a bit on the Bellevue bike rides. The City of Bellevue is updating the Downtown Transportation Plan – I am project manager for that effort. Of course, cars and transit will be part of the update, and also significant attention will be paid to facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists. These rides will be the first opportunity for the public to weigh in on the specific needs of cyclists within downtown as well as along major commute routes from I-90 and SR 520.
Let’s get a modern parking-separated bike lane in downtown Bellevue. That would certainly light a fire under Seattle’s leaders, whose own downtown is shamefully unfriendly to people biking.
I would love to see downtown Bellevue and downtown Seattle engage in a safe bicycle route arms race. That’s the kind of “war” I could get behind: A battle between Bellevue and Seattle to have the safest, most liveable downtown…
Sorry I won’t be in solidarity today. I’ll be showing my colors instead on a solo ride out to South Prairie from Woodinville. Now if I get drilled Tom, I expect a full write up on your blog. Ha! Just kiddin’… but getting hit by a vehicle on a day like today could just promote our cause… Ok ok. I hope everyone is out in force today.
We had a great and informative Downtown bike ride last Saturday, and I would like to encourage bike commuters to join us on the rides this evening. We have three rides planned that will occur concurrently, focusing of Downtown commutes to: I-90 Trail, SR 520 West and SR 520 East. Each ride is mapped and there will be periodic stops where ride leaders will want to talk with riders about the route conditions and what could make bike commuting a better experience. We will also be curious to know what type of accommodations commuters have for their bikes/gear at theie Downtown Bellevue workplace.
We’ll leave from Compass Plaza at about 5:30 – rides are planned to end here as well, but some commuters may choose to just head home instead of looping back to Downtown. This is fine as there will be no closing ceremony upon return to Compass Plaza.
If you can’t join us on one of the rides, yet have comments/observations on your bike commute to downtown Bellevue, please let me know.
Kevin McDonald, [email protected]