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  • See you at the Ballard Bike Street Party today?

    2014 Summer Streets Poster - BallardAn afternoon of bikes and car-free streets in the heart of Ballard? Where else would you want to be?

    The Ballard Bike Street Party is today (Thursday) on both Ballard Ave and 22nd Ave NW from the bell tower to Market St.

    It’s one part Cascade Bicycle Club party and one part Seattle Summer Streets open streets event. There’s live music, a bicycle fashion show (hosted by SBB sponsor Hub & Bespoke!), a kids bike rodeo and parade, and a BMX bike jump show.

    And, of course, beer! It’s the final Bike Happy Hour of Bike Month. If you want to ride to the party in bike nerd style, Cascade will host a policy ride from downtown to Ballard via Westlake. Meet at McGraw Square at 4:30 p.m.

    Here’s the schedule of events for the party, via Cascade: (more…)

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  • Think the UW trail detour is bad? City Light work could detour Burke-Gilman into traffic

    Recently-received UW trail detour map
    Recently-received UW trail detour map looks more like a maze than a biking and walking route

    During peak commute hours, the Burke-Gilman Trail through UW campus carries 1,200 or so people every hour. So it is more than a little bit crazy that the ever-changing detours are so confusing even regular trail users and people familiar with UW campus are getting lost along the way.

    People have been frustrated by the confusing detours, but it’s not really the detour team’s fault. The problem stems from the core decision to avoid the obvious best detour option: A temporary trail on Montlake and Pacific.

    Both major streets (Montlake is actually a state route) are very wide and follow the trail’s general path. And since biking and walking is vital to keep people moving through the congested area during construction work (we don’t want people ditching their bike and joining the congestion, right?), it only makes sense. Here’s the Seattle Bike Blog proposed detour trail: (more…)

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  • This summer, you have (at least) two chances to bike to multi-day music festivals

    Forget the traffic jams and expensive parking, this could be the summer biking to muti-day music festivals really takes off in the Seattle area.

    You have at least two chances to party car-free this summer, with the Timber! Outdoor Music Festival in July and the Gigantic Bicycle Festival in August.

    Timber! Outdoor Music Festival: July 24–26

    1899976_596241120464594_921598510_nThe Timber! Outdoor Music Festival happens to be hosted in one of the area’s best bike camping destinations: Tolt McDonald Park in Carnation.

    A group of people biked together for last year’s inaugural festival, but this year they are getting organized and inviting festival goers to meet up at Gas Works Park to bike the 42-miles to the park.

    The best part is that ride organizers are hoping to draw in first-time bike campers. So if you love music and have been interested in the idea of bike camping, this seems like a great way to jump in and give it a shot. From ride organizer Eric Sullivan:

    Timber! is “only” 42 miles from Seattle, and on a fairly straight-forward route, and being that it’s located at a well-run facility next to a town with amenities and supplies makes this something that hopefully lots of folks will see as an opportunity to try bike-camping for the first time. We just want more people to feel comfortable with the idea of traveling to a multiple-day music/camping festival via bicycle, so we’re doing everything we can to get folks who might be sitting on the fence to give it a shot.

    (more…)

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  • Seattle Bike Blog and Bicycle Benefits present: Bicycle Sundae

    bicycle sundaeI am super excited to announce an all-new Seattle Bike Blog event, Bicycle Sundae: an alleycat-style ice cream scavenger hunt by bike.

    Organized in conjunction with Bicycle Benefits, you’ll be sent out into the city on a journey to tour as many of Seattle’s awesome ice cream, gelato and frozen custard shops as you can before time is up. Bike, eat ice cream, bike, eat ice cream, repeat…

    Join us June 1. The ride starts at 12:30 p.m. at Full Tilt in Ballard and ends around 4 in Seward Park for the city’s car-free Lake Washington Boulevard bike party: Bicycle Sunday.

    The event costs $10 if you already have a Bicycle Benefits sticker ($15 if you don’t, but then you’ll get one). You can register at the start (get there by noon) or pre-register online at the event page.

    You can also RSVP via facebook and invite your friends.

    More details from the event page: (more…)

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  • Two chances this week to weigh in on school road safety investments

    Safety-to-School-Workshop-Evite

    srts_Oly2
    Image from SDOT

    One of Seattle’s smartest road safety strategies in recent years has been its school road safety efforts, funded in large part by school zone speeding cameras.

    You have two chances this week to weigh in on the efforts and help guide investments:

    • Tuesday (today), 6 p.m. at Northeast Branch Library (NE 68th St and 35th Ave NE)
    • Thursday, 6 p.m. at Garfield Community Center (23rd and Cherry)

    The city’s efforts are brilliant, combining immediate and permanent solutions to school zone safety and giving more students the opportunity to walk or bike to class. Once speed cameras are installed, the number of people speeding near the school plummets almost immediately. People who get one ticket very rarely get a second, which is a good sign that the cameras are effective at encouraging people to change their speeding habits near schools. (more…)

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  • Seattle Bike Blog Magazine, Issue 9

    IMG_0155

    Seattle Bike Blog Magazine, Issue #9

    The magazine is a touch-screen-optimized recap of some of our recent posts on this blog. So if you read everything on the blog, don’t expect to find any new content. But for those of you who like to kick back and get caught up, enjoy!

    Catch archived issues here.

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