Without waiting for SDOT to complete its “outer loop” bike connection around Green Lake, the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation banned biking from the popular lakeside trail.

“This long-term temporary use restriction, which restricts all bicycles and other wheeled uses from the Green Lake Park inner loop (strollers and mobility devices are allowed), is intended to create more space for path users on this high use trail,” wrote the Parks Department in a blog post announcing the change. But without SDOT’s planned outer path, people biking now have no comfortable option for traveling along the west side of the lake. Regardless of whatever “long-term temporary” means, signs are now in place with icons of bikes, roller skates and scooters crossed out in red. People can submit feedback on the rule change to [email protected].

There is a lot of history leading up to this point. People have argued off and on about banning biking on the path for decades. The Seattle P-I asked readers in 1979 (Seattle library card required) whether biking and roller skating should be banned from the path. The majority of respondents said no, but one reader said, “Ban everybody, I say. The public has enjoyed Green Lake long enough. One would think the public owned it.” In 1980, the Parks Department even surveyed users about whether something should be done about it. People at the time said to leave it alone, according a 1983 article in the Seattle Times.

The Green Lake path was once among the most popular destinations in the city for people looking for a nice place to bike because, just like now, many people simply did not feel comfortable mixing with car traffic on city streets. Countless young Seattleites learned to ride a bike on the path. It’s an extremely pleasant place, at least when you don’t get stuck in a big summer weekend crowd. Over the decades, there have been many efforts in the past to ease congestion on the path. The longest-lasting solution was the one in place until very recently: A divided path with foot traffic on one side and “wheels” on the other. While people on foot were allowed to go either direction, wheels were only allowed counterclockwise. This never worked perfectly, but it was a compromise.

Today, there are many places to ride a bike in Seattle other than this one path. There are even bike lanes on the street not far from the path for about two thirds of the lake. But there still is no bike route on the western edge of Green Lake, leaving the lakeside path as the only obvious and direct option for people traveling there. (more…)