Seattle Bike Blog

U Link opening is the perfect chance to show Seattle why they bought Pronto

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

March 17, 2016

Base map from James Wing’s Prontolyzer.

Now that the city owns Pronto (or will very soon, anyway), the people of Seattle need to understand why they bought it.

Well, Saturday, big crowds are expected to turn out at Capitol Hill and UW Stations for the long-awaited opening of the U-Link light rail extension. You could hardly find a better time to demonstrate bike share’s potential than this party.

It will be extremely disappointing if no bike share station is present (or at least within view) at each station on Saturday. Even if the station location is only temporary, Pronto needs to be there to greet the crowds. This is what bike share was made for.

As we discussed on Twitter yesterday, one short-term option for Capitol Hill Station would be to temporarily move the 12th and Denny station two blocks west into the new Denny Way light rail plaza (as shown in the map above). There’s a ton of open space for a station, and it’s directly in front of a light rail exit and adjacent to the Broadway Bikeway.

People have questioned both these investments, so let’s show them how, finally, they all work together. (more…)

tags: capitol hill, james wing, pronto emerald city cycle share, prontolyzer, sound transit, u district, university link, uw

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Ahead of Eastside Trail meetings, sign this petition for an interim trail ‘sooner and cheaper’

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

March 16, 2016

The Eastside Trail is poised to revolutionize non-motorized travel on the Eastside, so why wait? Let’s get an interim trail constructed and usable as soon as possible.

We already reported on King County’s draft Trail Master Plan, which is now out for public input. You can have your say at there are three open houses, listed below, and by submitting comments using this online form by March 31.

Cascade Bicycle Club has created a petition urging the County to build an on-railbed interim trail where applicable in order to get the trail open and operational as soon as possible.

Some sections of the rail corridor — like the Bellevue section planned as part of Sound Transit’s East Link line — will need to have rail and the trail next to each other. But in other sections, transit planning is very early and likely far off in the future if it comes to the corridor at all. In those segments, the County should move ahead with the easiest and cheapest option for opening an interim trail quickly: On the existing railbed like Kirkland’s existing Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail.

You can also voice this opinion at an open house. Details from Cascade Bicycle Club’s Eastside Policy Manager McKayla Dunfey: (more…)

tags: cascade bicycle club, eastside rail corridor, eastside trail, king county, mckayla dunfey

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Join us at Peddler Brewing tonight for a Party to Save G&O Family Cyclery

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

March 15, 2016

Tonight, you can drink beer, win prizes and save a Seattle family bike shop all the at the same time.

How? Join Peddler Brewing, Seattle Bike Blog and Familybike Seattle from 5–10 p.m. at Peddler Brewing Company for a fundraiser for G&O Family Cyclery, which was severely damaged in the Greenwood explosion last week.

Peddler has been incredible, offering to donate half the price of each pint of beer to G&O. Cycle Dogs will also be there donating 100 percent of profits. You will also have a chance to enter a fundraiser to win some excellent prizes, including entries to Cascade Bicycle rides, product from Swift Industries, product from several G&O suppliers, books, swag, wine and much more.

The G&O online fundraiser is less than $10,000 from its goal of $45,000 as of press time. Let’s get there tonight for G&O can focus on their efforts to reopen bigger and better than ever.

More details from the Facebook event (invite your friends!): (more…)

tags: g&o family cyclery, peddler brewing company

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City Council decides the fate of Pronto Cycle Share

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

March 14, 2016

The Seattle City Council will decide the fate of Pronto Cycle Share during their 2 p.m. today (Monday).

Seattle Bike Blog will be there with live coverage, so be sure to check back or follow along on Twitter: @SeaBikeBlog. You can watch live online via Seattle Channel.

We have written about the Pronto situation many times in recent months. For background, I suggest you read through those posts.

The Sustainability and Transportation Committee passed the Pronto buyout plan with Council a oversight amendment 4 (O’Brien, Sawant, Johnson, Juarez) – 2 (Burgess, Herbold).

UPDATES: (more…)

tags: city council, pronto emerald city cycle share

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Behind the scenes of Pronto with the experts who make it all work

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

March 13, 2016

Pronto’s Lead Technician Grant Kahl inspects a kiosk.

When you go to check out a Pronto Cycle Share bike, you probably only see the bikes and docks. You beep a bike with your key fob or swipe your credit card at a kiosk and a bike unlocks. You ride it to the station closest to your destination, push it into the dock and “beep,” it locks and disappears back into the bike share system.

You walk away as though you didn’t ride a bike at all. You don’t need to return it to where you started, and you don’t need to worry about it being stolen. You don’t need to fix a flat tire or take it in for a tune-up. When you decide you want to bike again, a working bike will be waiting for you.

But this doesn’t happen by magic. It takes a team of smart people working behind the scenes for system operator Motivate to keep Pronto so safe and easy. As the Seattle City Council prepares to vote Monday on whether to buy the system, the debate has largely ignored the value of the trained and inventive staff working every day to get better and better at running a bike share system uniquely designed for Seattle.

The Council will vote during their 2 p.m. meeting Monday, and you can testify to support the buyout plan at the start of the meeting (sign up before the start of the meeting). Under the plan, the City would buy the system, and Motivate would continue operating the system while the city requests bids for an expansion (presumably, Motivate will be among the companies bidding on the contract). (more…)

tags: ben bryner, city council, danielle schrimmer, demi allen, grant kahl, joe sundstrom, luna breed, motivate, pronto emerald city cycle share, ryan mckillop, shae healey

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A big effort is underway to save G&O Family Cyclery after the Greenwood explosion

By

Tom Fucoloro

| Posted

March 11, 2016

NOTE: G&O Family Cyclery is not only a Seattle Bike Blog advertiser, but co-owner Davey Oil is a close friend. He even officiated my wedding (and was amazing). I note this for disclosure, but also to emphasize that this shop is very special. I can’t wait to see it back open better than ever.
Photo of the old shop shortly after the explosion, from Davey Oil. The building was structurally damaged and has since been torn down.
G&O Family Cyclery is more than a store.
G&O is bike infrastructure as much as a bike lane. It’s a resource where people can try out and purchase bikes that do more, bikes that can replace a minivan.
But early Wednesday, a major gas leak ignited in a dramatic blast. Mr Gyros, Neptune Coffee and the Quick Stop corner store were leveled completely. And though photos show the G&O storefront directly adjacent to Neptune Coffee still standing, co-owner Davey Oil said the shop has also been destroyed.
“Our status right now is looking for where we can go,” he said. The shop is closed for the now, but Davey and co-owner Tyler Gillies are not giving up. And judging by the huge outpouring of help, the Greenwood and family biking communities aren’t giving up either.
An effort to raise money to support the shop’s incredible staff and invest in reopening in a new space passed the $15,000 mark in just 18 hours with 192 people donating to the cause as of press time. You can help them reach their goal by donating online or mailing a check. More details here.
“I’m not interested in closing, I’m not interested in giving up at all,” said Davey. And especially after going through this challenge together, he’s also dedicated to the Greenwood neighborhood.
“The people of Greeenwood have been amazing,” he said. “I want to stay here” to keep serving the neighborhood as their local bike shop and to keep introducing people to the power of family biking, but also “to fix everybody’s stroller wheels.”
(more…)

tags: #greenwoodexplosion, cargo bikes, davey oil, family biking, g&o family cyclery, greenwood, tyler gillies

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