There is so much happening this weekend! And of course, your bike is the best way to experience it all. So let’s get to it…
Sound Transit opens magic transporter – Saturday
Sound Transit is finally ready to open a teleportation machine next to the Burke-Gilman Trail that, much like Wonka Vision, harnesses the power of television to break people and their bikes (well, so long as the bikes aren’t too big) down into tiny pieces and transports them through the air where they reassembled at the top of Capitol Hill. Officials assure us this process is safe for organic life. Here’s footage from a media preview earlier this week:
But for real, the opening of Capitol Hill and UW Stations is a big deal for walking, biking and (of course) transit in Seattle. Four minutes from Husky Stadium to Cal Anderson Park? That might as well be Wonka Vision (though without the miniaturizing problem).
Many people will be reassessing how they make trips in the coming weeks, and many of them will find biking and/or bike share is the easiest and fastest way to complete their trips.
You can join opening celebrations at both stations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And you should, of course, bike there. There will be free bike valet at both stations during the Saturday celebrations. All kinds of bike/walk community organizations will be there, too. What’s a Bicycle Petting Zoo? I guess you’re gonna have to head down the UW Station to find out…
Here, I even got you a free ride ticket, good March 19 only:
Bikecitement! The Bike Works Auction – Sunday
Today is the deadline to score a seat at Seattle’s best fundraising auction.
The annual Bike Works auction is Sunday evening in Sodo. They’re celebrating 20 years, so I’m sure there will be cake.
Check out a preview of the auction item here.
Lynnwood Interurban Trail community meeting – Saturday
If this is your neck of the woods, you should join!
You Are Invited:
Interurban Trail Improvements – Community Design Meeting
9AM – 11AM on Saturday, March 19
Lynnwood Senior CenterRSVP to: Sarah Olson, [email protected]
Community members and Interurban Trail stakeholders are invited to participate in a design meeting to identify future improvements to the trail corridor. Improvements may include improved trail heads, signage, mile markers, rest stations, drinking fountains, or other ideas. Led by HBB Landscape Architects, City staff want to learn from community members and trail users what amenities and improvements are desired. Join this design meeting and share your thoughts.
McClinchy Mile – Sunday
Supported ride through the beautiful Stillaguamish River Valley in Snohomish County. You can register at the start between 8 – 10 a.m.
B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County invites you to explore the rural roads and quiet trails north of Seattle. Start your season on our scenic, well-supported ride through the Stillaguamish River Valley.
How far is a McClinchy Mile? That’s up to you. All routes are on paved roads or trails and loop back to the starting point in Arlington. Choose from:
- 34 miles to Stanwood, 767 feet of elevation – ie. FLAT!
- 48 miles to Machias, 1,750 feet of elevation – rolling hills add up
- 52 miles to Skagit County via a hilly 19-mile addition to the Stanwood loop – 1,470 feet of elevation gain total
- 100 miles if you do Machias and Skagit loops.
Food stops on every route (including hot drinks!). Mechanical and vehicle SAG support on all routes.
Riders can register and start from 8 – 10 a.m. Sunday, March 20 at Haller Middle School, 600 E. First St., Arlington.
Register in advance online. Mail-in registration is closed:
Cost is $35.Helmets are required for safety. The course closes at 4 p.m.
The 2016 Washington Bike Summit – Monday & Tuesday
The 2016 Washington Bike Summit is Monday and Tuesday in Tacoma. Unfortunately, registration already closed and there is no registration at the door. So I probably should have told you about this sooner. Sorry!
For those who are registered, sounds like a solid lineup.
I’m probably missing stuff! Let us all know in the comments below. And remember, anyone can submit events to the Seattle Bike Blog Events Calendar.
Comments
6 responses to “Weekend Guide: Sound Transit teleporter opens, Bike Works auction, Lynnwood Trail meeting + more”
The biggest impact of light rail in Capitol Hill for me, personally, is that it re-opens access to recreational bicycling opportunities.
When I moved to Cap Hill, I put my bike in the garage because Capitol Hill lacks the safe, actively traffic-calmed streets — or well-engineered protected bike lanes — necessary for someone like me to feel safe riding a bike in traffic. (vs. Vancouver BC and Portland, where I do it without hesitation.)
My big 3 destinations:
1. South Interurban & Green River trails: these are awesome for biking and virtually empty, even during peak times of year.
Light rail means a direct platform transfer to access these via bus route 150 in the transit tunnel – about 20 minutes each way from my front door. This cuts the trip from Cap Hill almost in half and avoids the need to lug my bike down Westlake station.
2. Chief Sealth Trail: This is now super-easy to access via light rail now (a few blocks over from Othello station, if I recall.)
3. Burke-Gilman: Totally crowded and therefore sucky to ride on, but it’s now easily accessible, making it much easier to get to Fremont.
Capitol Hill has Pronto so what are you complaining about?
Oh! And I forgot, there’s also now direct platform-to-platform access to the Cedar River Trail via the 106 bus.
So there’s 4 decent trails now easily accessible via Link (+ bus tunnel direct transfer).
The 101 is a way better ride to the Cedar River Trail. Just get off at the Transit center, or at the Fred Meyer and ride through town. From that same stop you can get over to the Green River Trail as well.
Re Burke-Gilman: Part of the Burke through campus, from about Rainier Vista to 15th (i.e. on the way from the light rail station to Fremont) is under construction, and the detour isn’t the worst, but… if you won’t ride anywhere on Capitol Hill you probably won’t like the detour. Part of it is along the main campus bus loop, other parts duck through random parking areas, and there’s a stretch along 40th Street that’s basically alright just because everyone is too confused to go very fast.
Of course, today’s campus detour is miles better than the detours we got even a few years ago. I think in 2011 there was a week when the the part near Rainier Vista was closed during all daylight hours to shoot some stupid movie, with no posted detour or advance notice, just some asshole yelling at cyclists not to ride on the only reasonable bike route through the area (essentially the same situation as eastbound Broad Street during much of the Allen Brain Institute construction, except on a much more established bike route, so more people were affected).
Thanks!
I don’t mind the detour, since it’s clearly labeled for drivers — and I have no moral qualms going 10-12 mph taking the full lane in this context.