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Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/10/14/packer-city-staff-created-shovel-ready-design-for-lake-washington-blvd-safety-upgrades-before-mayor-harrell-cancelled-them/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Packer: City staff created shovel-ready design for Lake Washington Blvd safety upgrades before Mayor Harrell cancelled them</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-42.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>A construction-ready engineering plot city staff created for a planned safety upgrade to the intersection of Lake Washington Boulevard and S Orcas Street. <a href="https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/07/lake-washington-boulevard-safety-upgrades-fully-designed-before-mayor-pulled-plug/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Published by the Urbanist</a>.Staff at both Seattle Parks and SDOT worked together to fully design a series of planned street safety upgrades to Lake Washington Boulevard, including additional speed humps to slow speeding and a redesigned intersection at S Orcas Street. The existence of late-stage design documents and internal communications <a href="https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/07/lake-washington-boulevard-safety-upgrades-fully-designed-before-mayor-pulled-plug/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">uncovered by Ryan Packer at the Urbanist</a> demonstrate that the city was planning to go ahead with the previously announced safety upgrades to the street as recently as the spring before Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office told them to cancel them. Final design documents represent a lot of work and public investment to create a plot ready to be handed off to a city work crew or contractor. Usually public debate happens during earlier phases of design, such as the concept images Seattle Bike Blog posted in <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a previous story</a>. The concept phase gives the public enough information to have an informed debate before investing a ton of time and money into the minute details needed to create a final construction plot. For a final design, staff must study the existing conditions to make exact measurements and check for any needed repairs to existing infrastructure like damaged pavement or curbs. They also need to determine the locations and access needs for any other utilities (the new design can’t obstruct a gas or sewer cover for example). They have to make sure water drainage will still function correctly and safely, and they have to analyze all the turning angles and line markings to ensure every detail meets the relevant engineering standards. It’s a huge amount of work, and something the city only does if they actually intend to build something because it would be a big waste of precious staff time and taxpayer money to go through all this work for nothing. A February Teams chat documented both that staff were intending to move forward with construction and that the mayor’s office stopped them:<blockquote>With the intersection changes fully designed, city staff asked superiors if the city move forward with issuing a work order for it in a late February Teams chat.“Yes, that should work from an outreach standpoint. The only consideration is if the mayors office wants that pulled from the project, but we won’t know until march,” was the reply from Jordan Hoy, leading the Lake Washington Boulevard project for Seattle Parks. It was also Hoy who <a href="https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/01/08/lake-washington-boulevard-traffic-calming-fight/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">raised questions about a proposal</a> to remove an all-way stop near Mount Baker Beach from an earlier set of changes to the corridor, a move that also seemed to go against what the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) had determined was warranted at the intersection.</blockquote>When Mayor Harrell’s office cancelled the project over the summer, they tried to hide their decision by announcing a dramatically reduced project list without acknowledging that anything had been cut. Seattle Bike Blog and others had to use the Wayback Machine to find archives of older versions of the project webpage to <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">determine what the mayor’s office had removed</a>. The list included most of the safety upgrades, including the Orcas intersection. Within a couple weeks of the reduced and changed work on the street, which included some new center line reflectors and new fog lines on the sides of the road, <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/08/22/man-struck-from-behind-while-biking-on-section-of-lake-washington-blvd-where-city-dropped-planned-safety-upgrades/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bradley Hawkins was struck from behind</a> and injured while biking home from a trip to the mountains. The person who hit him did not cross the newly-reflectorized center line or slow down, then fled the scene after the collision. He was struck so hard that multiple pieces of the damaged car were destroyed as well. He had some bad scrapes and back pain, but luckily his injuries were not more serious considering the speed of the impact. He was struck in an area what was scheduled to get speed humps before the mayor cancelled them. His injuries should be a wake-up call to city leaders that this work has real life consequences.These documents, uncovered through a public information request because the city is still obscuring the truth around the handling of this project, further make the case that Bruce Harrell isn’t up for the job of mayor. The public bears the consequences of the mayor’s anti-safety decisions like these whether they are injured, killed or simply feel unsafe accessing our streets and parks. Now it is time for the mayor to bear the consequences of his decisions as the public heads to the ballot box. <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/17/endorsement-katie-wilson-for-seattle-mayor/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Vote for Katie Wilson</a>!Ballots will be mailed tomorrow and are due back by 8 p.m. November 4. The deadline to <a href="https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections/how-to-vote/register-to-vote" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">register</a> or <a href="https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections/how-to-vote/register-to-vote/change-my-address" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">update your registration</a> online is November 27. After that, you can still register and vote in-person at <a href="https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections/how-to-vote/ballots/return-my-ballot/vote-centers" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a vote center</a> up to and including election day.#SEAbikes #Seattle

US<a href="https://www.europesays.com/us/290312/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.europesays.com/us/290312/</a> Former Park Hill Golf Course to reopen as Denver park this month <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/colorado" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#colorado</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/ColoradoNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ColoradoNews</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Denver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Denver</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/DenverInternationalAirport" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DenverInternationalAirport</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/DenverParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DenverParksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/DenverPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DenverPolitics</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/FrontRange" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FrontRange</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Golf" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Golf</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Housing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Housing</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/LatestHeadlines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LatestHeadlines</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/MikeJohnston" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MikeJohnston</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#News</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/OpenSpace" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#OpenSpace</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/ParkHill" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParkHill</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/ParkHillGolfClub" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParkHillGolfClub</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/parks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#parks</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/ParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Politics</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/Sports" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Sports</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/UnitedStates" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#UnitedStates</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/UnitedStates" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#UnitedStates</a> <a href="https://pubeurope.com/tags/US" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#US</a>

kaiserkiwi :kiwibird:I just finished <a href="https://corteximplant.com/tags/ParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRecreation</a>. I feel so empty now.What a great show. What a great finale.I will miss them so much… Especially Ben. I understand that Ron is the favorite of pretty much everyone. But Ben is my MVP. 💚Not being able to continue to watch this show will definitely be hard.

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/09/07/seattle-permitted-a-car-commercial-shoot-in-the-middle-of-bicycle-weekends-and-an-accessible-cycling-event/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Seattle permitted a car commercial shoot in the middle of Bicycle Weekends and an accessible cycling event</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-07-at-11.03.43-AM.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Photo from a reader.It’s <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6wamrktolx6e37qid6666cu5/post/3lybchqs7xk24" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the Tom Flood meme</a> come to life. “Bicycles deliver the freedom that auto ads promise.” Sunday, a permitted commercial shoot for Rivian shut down a section of Lake Washington Boulevard during the penultimate Bicycle Weekends open streets event. It wasn’t just any Bicycle Weekend day, though, it was also <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bike-and-Scoot-Sundays-Flyer_2024.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bike & Scoot Sundays (PDF)</a>, an accessible cycling event in which SDOT, Lime and Bird partner with Outdoors for All to lend out adaptive cycles for free that people with a wide range of disabilities can ride along what was supposed to be a car-free Lake Washington Boulevard. Readers immediately started sending us photos and messages about the closure. Bicycle Weekends is very popular, as it has been since 1968, and large numbers of people of all ages and abilities come down to the boulevard for the ten weekends per year that it is advertised to happen. Nobody would expect it to be closed in the middle, something that I can’t remember happening before. The only vaguely similar incident I can think of was <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2022/09/06/seattle-parks-forgot-to-make-bicycle-weekends-car-free-so-riders-moved-the-signs-themselves/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the time in 2022 when Seattle Parks forgot to put up the signs</a>. Nearby resident Braeden Van Deynze said the officer in charge of closing the street seemed exasperated by the sheer number of people he had to turn away or send down a very bumpy and skinny sidewalk. The shoot seemed to wrap early, and they probably did not get all the shots they wanted. Several readers said that when they asked about why the road was closed during Bicycle Weekends, they were told to take it up with the mayor’s office.The film crew received <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SEAFIL002930-MotionState_RivianRunningFootage.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">permits (PDF)</a> from both the Office of Economic Development and the Department of Parks and Recreation. It’s not clear at this point whether SDOT was consulted. I have questions out to all three agencies and will update if I learn more.UPDATE 9/8: A Seattle Parks spokesperson said the shoot was “permitted in error.” <blockquote>“We talked to our permitting staff, and it turns out this was permitted in error. We apologize for this mishap, and the impact it had on the community and on the Bicycle Weekend event. We have explored why this happened and have a plan in place to tighten up our systems so this type of oversight doesn’t happen again.”</blockquote><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/permit-and-bw-maps.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Left is the map from the commercial permit (“lockup” is their term for points where police would close the street to traffic). Right is the Bicycle Weekends event map from Seattle Parks. I circled the overlapping area.The permits cover a handful of locations and dates at once, but the details are all in there for Lake Washington Boulevard. September 7 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. They would load in at Stan Sayres Park, but the closed section would be to the north of that between Mount Baker Park and a point around Horton Street. The entirety of the permit is within the Bicycle Weekend area. There is no mention of Bicycle Weekend anywhere in the permit documentation. The Parks Department permit notes that they were not allowed to stop anyone from using any park space or sidewalks, and the number of people probably made shooting difficult. <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-07-at-1.57.09-PM.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fxjqjbmvithsqm6m7ds2uylj/post/3lybkatrqzk2d" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">From Qagggy! on Bluesky</a>.The permit seems fairly comprehensive. They spell out exactly how the drone shots and chase car shots will work. They even have detailed flight plans for the drone. I want to assume that nobody checked to see if Bicycle Weekends were happening, though it’s hard to imagine it and the nearby adaptive cycling event did not appear on any of the city’s events calendars. I sure hope nobody scheduled this on at this time on purpose since it would already be closed to car traffic, though that is the assumption that several readers immediately jumped to. UPDATE 9/8: I pressed Parks on whether the decision was on purpose, and they said it was “absolutely not on purpose.”<blockquote>“They didn’t do an expansive enough search for conflicting events. And missed the conflict with Bicycle Weekend. Absolutely not on purpose.”</blockquote>Regardless of how it happened, it’s a pretty big screw-up on a street that is at the center of political controversy already. The Parks Department <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">bailed on planned safety upgrades</a> along this exact strip of the street back in July (while hiding the cuts from the public), and then <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/08/22/man-struck-from-behind-while-biking-on-section-of-lake-washington-blvd-where-city-dropped-planned-safety-upgrades/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bradley Hawkins was struck from behind in a hit and run</a> last month in a location also within the filming area. It is insult upon insult to folks who have spent years trying to get the city to make this street safe for people biking and walking. Seattle Bike Blog even helped organize a bike rally for Katie Wilson’s mayoral campaign in August because it is a clear example of a street where Mayor Bruce Harrell has stood in the way of safe streets. So to have one of the final Bicycle Weekend events of the year shut down without warning to film a car commercial, well, let’s just say many of the messages I received today included some expletives.#SEAbikes #Seattle

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/08/22/man-struck-from-behind-while-biking-on-section-of-lake-washington-blvd-where-city-dropped-planned-safety-upgrades/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Man struck from behind while biking on section of Lake Washington Blvd where city dropped planned safety upgrades</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/514282858_10163713578784468_5411309474153162776_n.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Photo from Bradley Hawkins.If you’ve ever seen someone biking around town pulling a bright yellow or magenta cello case in a bike trailer, you’ve seen Bradley Hawkins. Even without his cello, he’s a self-identified “die-hard bicycle dude” who has been biking pretty much everywhere for a long time. But all that could have easily come to an end last week when someone driving a Hyundai Elantra ran into him from behind while he was biking on Lake Washington Boulevard on a section of road where <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the city under Mayor Bruce Harrell’s leadership recently cut some planned speed humps</a> and intersection safety improvements. The person responsible never stopped, fleeing the scene and leaving behind a pile of broken car parts and a seriously injured Hawkins.“I feel really lucky,” said a mobile but bandaged-up Hawkins when I spoke to him in his home a few days after the collision. Hawkins is a longtime reader and friend of the blog. His bike is damaged well beyond repair, but he somehow didn’t have any broken bones. He has pain between his shoulders and in his lower back, and he has scrapes and bruises all over, but it could have been a lot worse.<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/img_5901-750x563.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Photo from Hawkins. “If I had had the cello behind, I bet I wouldn’t have gotten hit,” Hawkins joked (or maybe he was serious, he did bike his cello to Friday Harbor once). But he was on his way home from a long three-day tour of Oregon and Washington “to see as many volcanoes as I could.” He started in Breitenbush and rode to Mounts Jefferson, Hood, Adams, St. Helens and Rainier. On August 13, he woke up on St. Helens and rode to Rainier before heading back to Seattle.“It was starting to get dark around Renton, so I decided to go up Lake Washington Boulevard because I figured it would be safer,” he said. His bike had a bright front and rear lights as well as large reflectors on the back of his panniers and helmet, so he was fully prepared for night biking. In Renton, he rode a bit with a bunch of teens on Lime bikes and was feeling good about the world. As he got further north on Lake Washington Boulevard, he noticed the new center lane reflectors and lane-edge fog lines that the city added, and he said he felt like people were driving faster than usual.“I’ve ridden Lake Washington Boulevard at all hours, and at least ten times at night this year, and I get the sense the cars are going a lot faster now,” he said. He worried that the new fog lines look too much like bike lanes even though they are not wide enough to be real bike lanes, and the shoulder space varies in width along the road. “Every driver is going to think that bicyclists need to be in that spot,” he said of the fog lines. “That was worse than nothing, putting those lines in.”As he approached the fishing pier south of Mount Baker Beach, “I noticed somebody was not moving over and going at a clip, and I got hit from behind,” he said. “I somehow ended up in the grass on the side of the road, got on my hands and knees, lifted my hand up, and a car stopped.” The first person to stop came to his aid, then someone with EMT experience showed up and got him to lie back down until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center and spent about eight hours there. The driver never stopped to render aid and remains at large.“All that I know about them is from the parts that they left,” said Hawkins. He has a rearview mirror, a fog light, and two pieces of the front fender for a 2011–2013 Hyundai Elantra. It’s possible there was additional damage like a cracked windshield or dented hood, but it happened so fast Hawkins isn’t sure. Given the number of car pieces left behind, it was clearly a high-speed impact. Seattle Police arrived and started an investigation, but Hawkins hadn’t heard any updates on the case as of our interview. As his ride-tracking app notes, it was an abrupt end to what had been his longest recorded ride:<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/hawkins-ride-screenshot.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Not the best way to earn a PR. Screenshot from Hawkins.A Seattle Parks project map from 2024 shows that the city had planned multiple speed humps on the segment of road where Hawkins was struck, including two within a few hundred feet of the location where the collision occurred. A series of speed humps had been installed in the southern segment of the project as a first phase of work, and rest were scheduled for installation this summer before <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the department suddenly backtracked in July</a> and cancelled nearly all the remaining safety upgrades. When crews went to work in late July, they painted new wide stripes on the side of the street (that are not bike lanes) and added some reflectors to the dashed yellow center line. Neither the lane reflectors nor wider fog lines had been mentioned in public outreach materials before July. One of the new wide fog lines is visible in Hawkins’ bike wreckage photo from the scene.<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LWBProjectSnapshotAugust2024.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>The green boxes note approximate locations for the planned speed cushions, which the city cut from the plan despite years of public outreach strongly in favor of improving safety on the street.Hawkins said the new center lane reflectors make the road feel more like a freeway, and perhaps they also make it so his lights and reflectors didn’t stand out as much. While we can’t know for sure whether speed humps would have prevented this collision, they do slow vehicle speeds, and speed is a top factor in both the likelihood of a collision and the severity of a collision. Unfortunately, the only person who knows what role the street changes (or lackthereof) played in the collision fled the scene and is still at large, so we cannot ask them (or get them to pay for Hawkins’ health care and bike replacement). Hit and run is a shameful crime.It’s also shameful for the city, and in this case Mayor Harrell especially, to choose to remove safety from city park and street investments. Hawkins is far from the first person to be injured in a collision in this area, as Seattle Parks’ own study from 2024 clearly documented:<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/collision-heatmap-hawkins.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Map from <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LWBDesignConcepts.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a spring 2024 traffic study by Seattle Parks (PDF)</a>. I marked the approximate collision location.We don’t need to see anymore to call it: The Settle Parks 2024-25 Lake Washington Boulevard Renovations project has failed. The next mayor should commit to a complete redo under SDOT’s Vision Zero program, our city’s staff of professional street safety experts. The Board of Park Commissioners may also want to look into how the Parks Department blew this project so badly. Cancelling most the publicly-announced project elements and secretly replacing them with never-discussed and much less effective ones just weeks before construction is not good governance and points to some serious issues within the department (in <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">my original story from July</a> I had to use the Wayback Machine to figure out what had been cut because this information was not disclosed in the department’s communications). Seattle expects and deserves better from its Parks Department. What happened to Bradley Hawkins is yet another reminder of what is at stake when we are planning and investing in street safety projects. We are talking about people’s lives. It’s not hyperbole, and it’s not “cars versus bikes” or any of the other garbage that too often weighs down these debates. Seattle Parks and Mayor Harrell made a huge mistake, safe streets advocates made it clear that it was a mistake, and then this happens to a guy who was just biking home to the Central District after a lovely vacation. Southeast Seattle deserves safe streets, and Lake Washington Boulevard should be an oasis where everyone can enjoy the lakeside without being put at risk of a serious traffic injury or worse.In a complete coincidence, Seattle Bike Blog and friends are <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/08/18/saturday-join-seattle-bike-blog-and-friends-for-a-bicycle-rally-on-car-free-lake-washington-blvd-to-support-katie-wilson-for-mayor/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">hosting a family-friendly bicycle rally for Katie Wilson tomorrow</a> (August 23) on Lake Washington Boulevard. Meet at 11 a.m. near 43rd Ave S. This event was planned before Hawkins was injured, but his story will certainly add fuel to the community push for safety on this street and mayor who will take this work seriously. #SEAbikes #Seattle

Alvaro MontoroNew comiCSS cartoon: CSS Pyramid of Greatness <a href="https://comicss.art/comics/200/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://comicss.art/comics/200/</a>Today's cartoon is inspired by a joke from Parks and Recreation –a bit late? Maybe, but it's never too late for Parks and Rec, Jerry!–, I made the CSS Pyramid of Greatness.<a href="https://front-end.social/tags/css" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#css</a> <a href="https://front-end.social/tags/cartoon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cartoon</a> <a href="https://front-end.social/tags/parksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#parksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://front-end.social/tags/parksAndRec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#parksAndRec</a> <a href="https://front-end.social/tags/parody" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#parody</a>

DeadlineNick Offerman On “Dumb People” Saying Ron Swanson Would’ve Been MAGA & Voted For Trump: “He Would Think He’s An Absolute Idiot” <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#News</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DonaldTrump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NickOfferman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NickOfferman</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ParksRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksRecreation</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ParksandRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksandRecreation</a><a href="https://deadline.com/2025/07/nick-offerman-ron-swanson-maga-voted-trump-1236455975/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://deadline.com/2025/07/nick-offerman-ron-swanson-maga-voted-trump-1236455975/</a>

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/07/10/following-5-years-of-process-and-some-scary-collisions-mayor-harrell-removes-safety-improvements-from-already-watered-down-lake-washington-blvd-project/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Following 5 years of process and some scary collisions, Mayor Harrell removes safety improvements from already-watered-down Lake Washington Blvd project</a>Great news for people who like to speed on Lake Washington Boulevard! Seattle Parks will not be installing more speed humps or stop signs, so you’re free to continue scaring the crap out of anyone biking along or walking across our city’s most beautiful park boulevard. Not even <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/06/27/neighbors-plan-a-people-protected-bicycle-weekend-following-hit-and-run-on-a-minor/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">recent news of a person striking a teen</a> on the street and then fleeing the scene will change city leaders’ determination to protect the park boulevard from new traffic safety improvements.In Bruce Harrell’s Seattle, wealthy people with expensive homes along Lake Washington Boulevard get veto power over the public’s interest. Whether it’s <a href="https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2024/07/the-stranger-text-messages-reveal-mayor-worked-with-wealthy-neighbor-in-fight-over-nude-beach-at-denny-blaine-park/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a mall owner trying to shut down a long-standing nude beach</a>, people <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2023/04/26/parks-announces-scaled-back-schedule-for-2023-bicycle-weekends-on-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">pushing back against the 57-year-old tradition of Bicycle Sundays/Weekends</a>, or anti-safety advocates fighting against speed humps and stop signs, it’s clear to those advocating through the public and open process that there is a separate and more influential channel to the Mayor’s Office that is only available to certain people.In a vaguely-worded and suspiciously misleading email, Seattle Parks announced through omission that they are further scaling back the already delayed and dramatically-watered-down safety improvements planned for Lake Washington Boulevard. The Parks email update does not mention that any elements were cut, and they even announced it with an ! as though they were sharing exciting news (“More Improvements Coming to Lake Washington Boulevard!”). Because they did not acknowledge the cuts, they also did not provide any reasoning for them. I had to use the Wayback Machine to find <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250528183313/https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/lake-washington-boulevard-renovations" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">an archived version of the original list</a> of improvements to find that Parks has cut the majority of traffic calming and safety improvements from the plan, including 12 speed cushions (watered-down speed humps) and a significant redesign of the S Orcas Street intersection. Here’s a comparison:<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/lk-wa-blvd-before-after.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>The before list is from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250528183313/https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/lake-washington-boulevard-renovations" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a Wayback Machine snapshot of the project website May 28</a>. The After is <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/lake-washington-boulevard-renovations" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the list as of press time</a>.What makes all this even more insulting is that <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2023/09/06/seattle-needs-a-permanently-safe-space-for-biking-and-walking-on-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">even the original project list was dramatically watered down</a> compared to overwhelmingly popular ideas that advocates for safe streets and safe park access were initially seeking. This project is the result of half a decade of advocacy work and a tortured, unfair public process. 3,048 people responded to a city survey in 2022 about the project, and 2,319 of them (76%) said they supported “dedicated space along the boulevard to separate people driving and people that ride bikes.” Despite this overwhelming level of support, the city convened a task force with half of members in support of safety improvements and half opposed. After months of meetings, the task force predictably deadlocked on whether to support creating dedicated biking space. Instead, the only things the group agreed on were smaller less effective and less controversial changes like some speed humps, stop signs and crosswalks. So despite overwhelming public support, opponents succeeded in watering down the project.<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/orcas-concept.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>The city’s <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/orcas-concept.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2024 design concept (PDF)</a> for Orcas Street that was removed from the project list. I guess we don’t need to make these crosswalks safer and reduce turning and merging conflicts despite a history of collisions here that are guaranteed to keep happening if the city takes no action to change it.<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/collision-heatmap-orcas.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>It would be bad enough if it ended there, but now Seattle Parks is walking back even these watered down improvements, removing nearly all the elements intended to calm traffic, prevent speeding and improve the dangerous Orcas street crossing. This comes after <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/12/05/alert-it-is-once-again-time-to-voice-overwhelming-support-for-a-safer-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a public meeting in December</a> when the public once again voiced overwhelming support for improving safety on Lake Washington Blvd. The meeting appeared to be a trial balloon to see if the public would handle watering down the plan even more, and the people once again clearly said, “No.” Now once again, the city is ignoring the people who participated in the public process and are cutting safety improvements out of the project seemingly at the behest of people who have a more powerful line to the Mayor’s Office than those who respond to public surveys and show up to public meetings. <a href="https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/01/08/lake-washington-boulevard-traffic-calming-fight/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ryan Packer at the Urbanist</a> acquired some internal emails back in January in that show at least one staffer was seemingly baffled by some of the safety plan reversals at that time, which were to replace some stop signs with more speed cushions:<blockquote>“Since this meeting, we have received direction from SDOT to remove the all-way stop and replace with additional speed cushions and signage,” Seattle Parks’ Jordan Hoy, the planner in charge of the Lake Washington Boulevard improvements, wrote in an email to a colleague in late July. “I am still trying to understand this decision, as it is not consistent with community feedback or recommendations based on SDOT traffic engineering expertise. An all-way stop warrant data analysis was conducted and determined that this intersection would be a good candidate for this treatment.”</blockquote>Now even those speed cushions are being removed from the plan, a continuous watering down process that has left very few traffic safety elements in the workplan.For well more than a decade, safe streets advocates and the city’s volunteer bicycle and pedestrian advisory boards have been consistent in their message to the city: We need to create safe routes in Southeast Seattle, especially Rainier Valley. The city had historically under-invested in Rainier Valley’s streets, and the result is that people who live there are injured and killed in traffic collisions at a disproportionate rate. Rainier Valley residents have far worse access to safe and direct bicycle routes and are the only large swath of the city that remains disconnected from the downtown bicycle network. It is shameful and unacceptable to have a project with funding and years of study behind it and then choose to maintain the inequitable and harmful status quo. Community group Rainier Valley Greenways has <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-a-safer-lake-washington-blvd-3/?link_id=1&can_id=32df0f21f62be7ce5a08b5c93e6fc258&source=email-act-now-where-are-the-speed-humps-promised-for-lake-wa-blvd&email_referrer=&email_subject=act-now-where-are-the-speed-humps-promised-for-lake-wa-blvd&&" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">an action alert</a> you can use to contact the mayor and Parks leaders and tell them you support making Lake Washington Blvd. safer. As of press time they were nearing 1,000 letters sent. <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LWBDesignConcepts.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">A traffic study (PDF)</a> shows that the average driver on Lake Washington Blvd is going 10 mph over the speed limit, though they measured speeds as high as 73 mph, 48 mph above the 25 mph limit. The street only carries about 3,200 vehicles per day, which is very low compared to actual traffic-heavy parallel streets like 44,000 on MLK and 26,000 on Rainier Ave S. Lake Washington Blvd. is not classified as a major arterial. It is and always has been a park, not a highway. The voters of Seattle specifically passed a ballot measure in the early 1900s to fund this street as a park, which is why these decisions are now going through the Parks Department instead of SDOT.There are only three continuous and relatively flat streets that run north and south: MLK Jr. Way S, Rainier Ave S and Lake Washington Blvd S. A safe biking space on Lake Washington Blvd. is the only option for creating a route in Rainier Valley that is comparable to the Burke-Gilman Trail in north Seattle. Perhaps I need to remind Mayor Harrell that despite strong public support for the Burke-Gilman Trail concept in the early 1970s, some people advocated against that trail, too.Bruce Harrell was on the City Council from 2008 to 2020, and he represented Lake Washington Blvd’s District 2 for four of those years. He has now in his fourth year as mayor. In all that time, the major streets in Rainier Valley have been allowed to persist as some of the most dangerous in the city. Biking access has remained disconnected. Now when he had an opportunity to actually improve this beautiful gem of a boulevard and create a space in Rainier Valley to rival the Burke-Gilman Trail as an iconic public amenity, he has specifically chosen not to do it. He turned what could have been a slam dunk into a huge political liability just a month before the primary election.The text of the Parks email (note the complete lack of recognition that anything has been removed):<blockquote>We’re excited to share an update on the Lake Washington Boulevard Renovations Project! Seattle Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the community, is moving forward with Phase 2 of the project. Phase 2 construction is set to begin in mid–July/early August 2025 and continue through fall 2025.These improvements will build upon the work completed <a href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.seattle.gov%2Fparks%2Fabout-us%2Fprojects%2Flake-washington-boulevard-renovations%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000197f0eb258f-fb86f537-ace0-4625-93bf-140a45548658-000000/khZfYcnLuOd4VzZetRDNsUqRrRu0nnn_NjBr1-mEJLM=413" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">during Phase 1</a>, further enhancing safety and access along the corridor. What’s Coming in Phase 2:<ul><li>Pathway Repairs (Mount Baker Beach to Genesee Park) Asphalt pavement repairs will address tripping hazards caused by tree roots, improving safety and comfort for walkers, runners, and cyclists.</li><li>New Benches near the Lake Washington Fishing Pier  Additional seating will fill a critical “bench gap” along the north mile of the corridor, offering much-needed rest spots.</li><li>New Walkway Connection at 43rd Avenue A new pedestrian connection to South Genesee Street will link directly to the marked crossing installed during Phase One.</li><li>New Walkway Connection from South Adams Street A new accessible path will connect the South Adams Street intersection to the existing Lake Washington Boulevard pathway, improving access to the waterfront.</li><li>Curb Extensions at the 51st Ave South Intersection Paint and post curb extensions will visually narrow the intersection to encourage slower vehicle turning speeds, improve sightlines, and reduce crossing distance.</li><li>New Marked Crossing at South Dawson Street  A newly painted crossing will help alert drivers to pedestrian activity at this southern segment of the corridor.</li></ul>These upgrades reflect community feedback and priorities shared throughout the past year. You can read more in the . (sic)A third phase of improvements is planned for summer 2026. SDOT is currently monitoring traffic volume and speed data at locations studied as part of the Rainier Ave S Vision Zero and Lake Washington Blvd Keep Moving Street Data Analysis. Data will be considered before phase 3 improvements begin.  In winter, the project team provided a Phase One project update at the Mount Baker Rowing & Sailing Center. You can review the materials here: <a href="https://seattle.gov/documents/Departments/ParksAndRecreation/Projects/Lakewashingtonblvd/LWBPhase1Update_Q&A.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Phase 1 Update and Questions & Answers Document</a>.If you have any questions, please contact us at PKS_LakeWABlvd@seattle.gov.Thank you for your continued interest and involvement!</blockquote>#SEAbikes #Seattle

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/05/23/the-burke-gilman-trail-pollinator-path-is-wonderful/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Burke-Gilman Trail ‘pollinator path’ is wonderful</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_5994.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Kudos to the <a href="https://www.seattleparksfoundation.org/project/friends-of-the-burke-gilman-trail/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail</a>, the Green Seattle Partnership and Seattle Parks for the work they have put into creating a “pollinator path” along the Burke-Gilman Trail east of Gas Works Park. Now that the wildflowers are bright, it’s astoundingly beautiful. It has taken a lot of work to go from tons of blackberry bushes and some sad grass to this, but what a difference. The <a href="https://seattle.greencitypartnerships.org/event/41712/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">next volunteer date for working on this section is May 28</a>, but there are all kinds of opportunities all across the city if you want to get your hands dirty helping our city and its wildlife be as healthy and happy as possible.<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_5997-rotated.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_5998_1.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>#SEAbikes #Seattle

knizer<a href="https://toot.boston/tags/BostonWeekend" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BostonWeekend</a> 29/x Sat-Sun - <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/amyPohler" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#amyPohler</a> and <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/TinaFey" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TinaFey</a> in Boston at the Wang. <a href="https://www.bochcenter.org/events/detail/tinaandamy" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.bochcenter.org/events/detail/tinaandamy</a> <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/BostonComedy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BostonComedy</a> <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/SNL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SNL</a> <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/ParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/parksAndRec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#parksAndRec</a> <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/30Rock" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#30Rock</a> <a href="https://toot.boston/tags/SaturdayNightLive" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SaturdayNightLive</a>

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/05/02/someone-built-a-bridge-across-lake-union-parks-missing-path-bog/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Someone built a bridge across Lake Union Park’s Missing Path Bog</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lake-union-bog-bridge.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Left: My photo of the muddy gap from January. Right: A photo from reader Dave showing the new bridge.Seattle has a new bike bridge across Lake Union Park’s Missing Path Bog to kick off Bike Month.Well, “bridge” is perhaps a generous term, but the mysteriously-installed wood planks do provide a bikeable way to cross the sunken and muddy gap between two paved paths along a popular biking and walking route that connects the Eastlake and South Lake Union neighborhoods.It’s the second piece of people-created bike infrastructure we’ve reported on this week. The first was <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/04/30/after-hit-and-run-at-4th-pine-safety-advocates-plan-people-protected-bike-lane-at-1pm/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a series of plungers and and well-placed trash can</a> someone used to create a protected space for the Pine Street bike lane at 4th Ave downtown. A person was hospitalized by a hit-and-run driver just hours after the city removed the plungers early Wednesday, but after further organizing and protest SDOT crews installed a stronger barrier by the day’s end. -- Advertisement -- Lake Union Park Bog is not quite as urgent as the 4th and Pine situation, perhaps, but people are clearly tired of waiting for the city to fill in this gap. Path users have been waiting a year since construction on <a href="https://vulcanrealestate.com/projects/lake-union-piers/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Vulkan’s redeveloped Lake Union Piers</a> finished, leaving a short gap between the end of the privately-funded path and the Lake Union Park paths. In that time, the gap has become very worn down, increasing the bump felt when transitioning from the dirt to the pavement. Rainy days turn the gap into a muddy mess, and deep ruts serve as evidence of bike tires slipping and sinking as they pass through. I named it “Missing Path Bog” in <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/seattlebikeblog.com/post/3lezmv5gt2s2j" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a post back in January</a> (which, fun fact, was included in <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/pwhl--seattle.bsky.social/post/3lnzxekakok2p" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a Seattle PWHL women’s hockey team announcement this week</a>, so I’d say it is now official lore).While the gap is annoying and possibly a hazard for people biking, it makes the connection totally inaccessible to many chair users who can’t navigate up the raised pavement lips or around the increasingly-exposed stump in the middle. It’s a very short gap that connects the park to the contiguous parking lots along Fairview Ave N, and it is part of the Parks Departments’s <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/parks/allparks/cheshiahud-lake-union-loop" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cheshiahud Loop</a> walking path around Lake Union, which purportedly “creates access to the lake for all users – connecting Gasworks and Lake Union Parks, linking more than 35 pocket parks, street ends and waterways that ring the lake.”The new bridge is sort of a mountain bike trail style bridge, so it’s also not an accessible connection. I love the statement it makes and that whoever made this put in the effort to try to make it better, but we Seattle really needs to build a proper path here. I have a question out to Seattle Parks about their timeline for completing this path gap and will update if/when I hear back.#SEAbikes #Seattle

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/05/01/2025-bicycle-weekends-schedule-released-starts-may-17-18/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2025 Bicycle Weekends schedule released, starts May 17–18</a>Seattle Parks will again host 10 car-free Bicycle Weekends on Lake Washington Boulevard this summer. The schedule and route are very similar to recent years, and the first event is May 17–18.One difference is that Labor Day weekend is not included in the 2025 schedule. In 2024, the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend were included, but not Labor Day itself. It has been 57 years since the first Bicycle Sunday on Lake Washington Boulevard in 1968, making the event one of the oldest and likely the longest-running open streets events anywhere. This stretch of the road <a href="https://www.historylink.org/File/10244" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">opened in 1917</a>, so Bicycle Sundays have been part of the road for more than half of the road’s existence. The event was expanded during the early months of the COVID pandemic, when it was renamed Bicycle Weekends as the closures extended beyond Sundays. As Seattle’s bicycle facilities network expands across the city, there has been increased pressure to make Lake Washington Boulevard safer for cycling 365 days a year rather than only a handful of days during the summer. The easiest and most cost-effective solution would be to make the historic park boulevard one-way for motor vehicles while opening the other half of the street for biking and walking. This would preserve vehicle access to all driveways and parking areas while also creating a much-needed continuous and flat transportation and recreation route in southeast Seattle. The most recent effort to make such changes <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/12/05/alert-it-is-once-again-time-to-voice-overwhelming-support-for-a-safer-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">devolved into a farce</a> due to a lack of political leadership. Regardless, it remains a popular idea, and it would be an immediately smash hit from the moment it opens. It would be a Burke-Gilman Trail for southeast Seattle. Support for a safer Lake Washington Boulevard that preserves car access while creating a great walking and biking space could even be a strong issue for a candidate running for City Council District 2 or Seattle Mayor. The 2025 Bicycle Weekend dates:<ul><li>Saturday, May 17- Sunday, May 18 </li><li>Saturday, May 31- Sunday, June 1  </li><li>Saturday, June 14– Sunday, June 15 </li><li>Saturday, June 28– Sunday, June 29  </li><li>Saturday, July 12- Sunday, July 13  </li><li>Saturday, July 26– Sunday, July 27 </li><li>Saturday, August 9– Sunday, August 10 </li><li>Saturday, August 23– Sunday, August 24  </li><li>Saturday, September 6– Sunday, September 7  </li><li>Saturday, September 20– Sunday, September 21</li></ul>Map of the 2025 route:<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image-1.jpeg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>#SEAbikes #Seattle

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2025/03/24/i-5-colonnade-getting-new-beginner-friendly-pump-tracks-thanks-to-evergreen-mtb-and-seattle-parks/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">I-5 Colonnade getting new beginner-friendly pump tracks thanks to Evergreen MTB and Seattle Parks</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/480623214_1050884417063257_3951452595263355625_n.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Map from Evergreen MTB Alliance.Construction is underway on <a href="https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2025/03/wanna-ride-bikes-the-i-5-colonnade-park-is-getting-two-new-pump-tracks-this-spring/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a long-sought update</a> to add accessible and beginner-friendly features to the I-5 Colonnade mountain bike park in Eastlake, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EvergreenMTB/posts/pfbid02x8mU64UG7QXGu525Zi8nPuzkcQvvCthBHbxWyro5QGEgy1whmu9wcVnMwdQgw3S5l" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance hopes</a> the new paved pump tracks will be open by the end of May.The I-5 Colonnade mountain bike park was like nothing else when it first opened in 2007. It is an urban mountain bike park with intense grades situated underneath an elevated freeway that keeps it dry year-round. It was also among the first major projects by Evergreen, which has grown to be the largest statewide mountain bike organization in the country. Since then, the Colonnade has provided a practice ground for mountain bikers that is much easier to get to than larger parks in the foothills and mountains. It’s a great place for skilled riders, and provides <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gVGw6rpyhg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">an intriguing setting for videos</a>. However, I-5 Colonnade has always suffered from two big problems 1) It is loud because of the freeway. 2) Much of it is too advanced, leaving beginning riders and young kids a bit uncertain about how to engage with the space. You rarely ever see parents bring their kids here like they do at Woodland Park, for example. Evergreen can’t really do anything about the first issue, but they can do something about the second. Little kids on small features are the experienced riders of tomorrow. Especially for such a rare urban mountain bike park, beginner features could be a major way to increase overall use of the space, leading to more consistent volunteer maintenance. <a href="https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/two-new-paved-pump-tracks-are-coming-to-seattles-i-5-colonnade-park/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mountain bike news site Singletracks has a good story </a>on the project that also notes the hope that the new features can lead to a renewed push to rehab some of the older features.Evergreen and Seattle Parks announced last month that after years of organizing and planning construction was finally underway on a new set of paved pump tracks located in the flatter section in the southwest area of the park. These pump tracks will include one beginner-friendly track that is also friendly to <a href="https://www.evergreenmtb.org/blog/the-exciting-future-of-amtb-accessibility-in-washington-thanks-to-your-support" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">adaptive mountain bikes</a> and one steeper track. They will also build a new path for circulation to help connect to other areas within the park.Beyond being an improvement to the park, the new pump tracks could possibly also open up more opportunities for programming, such as camps or classes.The project will not change the existing paved path from E Newton Street to Lakeview Boulevard E, which is a fairly popular bike transportation connection.It’s interesting to consider that in the coming years the new more accessible features of the park will also be just one block from protected bike lanes on Eastlake Ave, which are part of the <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/10/08/the-shovels-are-in-the-dirt-so-eastlake-bike-lanes-are-really-happening/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">under-construction Rapidride J project</a>. This will make it much easier for families and people of all ages to bike to the bike park, which today feels hidden away from the city’s bike network. The <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/i-5-colonnade-pump-track-" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">project will cost $314,000</a> and is funded by “the Seattle Park District, King County Parks Capital and Open Space Grant, and Community Donations,” according to Seattle Parks. The land is owned by Washington State but leased to the city for use as a park.#SEAbikes #Seattle

Today On ScreenToday, February 13, is the day that Pawnee parks department employee Leslie Knope gathers her friends to shower them with affirming compliments, and feast on breakfast foods together (Parks and Rec, "Galentine's Day" s02e16, 2009) <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/TV" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TV</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/Television" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Television</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/ParksAndRec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRec</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/ParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/GalentinesDay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GalentinesDay</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/Feb13" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Feb13</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/ValentinesDay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ValentinesDay</a>

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/12/05/alert-it-is-once-again-time-to-voice-overwhelming-support-for-a-safer-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Alert: It is once again time to voice overwhelming support for a safer Lake Washington Blvd</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LWBProjectSnapshotAugust2024.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>Speed cushions don’t stop anyone from driving, but they do make it a little harder to drive too fast. Even the dramatically watered-down and insufficient traffic calming improvements planned for Lake Washington Boulevard are now apparently at risk after pushback from “people who enjoy driving as fast as they want along the boulevard,” as Seattle Neighborhood Greenways put it. Neighbors have campaigned for years about the need for safer walking and biking space on the storied lakeside boulevard, one of the only reasonably flat north-south routes in southeast Seattle. Extensive public outreach showed very strong support for ambitious changes, but SDOT and Seattle Parks decided to ignore their own outreach and instead give a baffling amount of authority to <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2023/09/06/seattle-needs-a-permanently-safe-space-for-biking-and-walking-on-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a failed and resentment-consumed community task force effort</a> in 2022–23 that was unable to agree on much of anything beyond <a href="https://engage.seattleparksandrec.com/en/projects/lake-washington-boulevard" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a short list of low-cost, unoffensive and insufficient traffic calming improvements</a> that finally made it to construction in 2024 and 2025. We’re talking about a handful of crosswalk improvements, some speed humps, and some boulders in places where people keep driving off the road and into the park and lake. The final list falls far short of than the permanent on-street walking and biking path and expanded Bicycle Weekend hours advocates were initially hoping for. Safety opponents won, and now at least some of them are fighting even the scraps that made it through by pressuring the city to cancel the second half of the planned improvements.You can help by using <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-a-safer-lake-washington-blvd-2/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">their handy online form</a> to send letters to city leaders supporting completion of the traffic calming work. You can also join supporters at <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/lake-washington-boulevard-renovations" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a community meeting</a> 6:30 p.m. December 12 at the Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/3800+Lake+Washington+Blvd+S,+Seattle,+WA+98118/@47.5704739,-122.2803035,1015m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x54906a6a1b79d615:0xae8d37ad02ab1c36!8m2!3d47.5704703!4d-122.2777286!16s%2Fg%2F11bw4jc84r?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIwMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3800 Lake Washington Blvd S</a>) in person or online.I honestly have no idea why the winners of this joke of a public process would want to reopen debate on this matter, but fine. Let’s do it. Let’s reopen this project debate. If they don’t know how to take a W, then let’s turn it into an L. Every time the city surveys people about the idea of a permanent safe space for walking and biking on Lake Washington Blvd., the result is resounding and enthusiastic support. A 2022 public outreach effort got survey responses from 3,048 people, 73% of whom lived in a Seattle zip code that includes Lake Washington Boulevard. The survey asked respondents to pick up to three of their preferred improvements they you like to see on the boulevard. Respondents overwhelmingly supported adding dedicated space for biking (2,319 or 76%), increasing the number of Bicycle Weekends days (1,754 or 58%), and adding traffic calming like speed humps (1,664 or 55%), the top three of eight options. Even though 31% of respondents said they drive on the boulevard as their main commute route, only 14% chose “do nothing” as one of their three preferred changes to the street, a dismal 5% of total responses to the question. Even when they did in-person intercept surveys at nearby grocery stores and community events, they got similar support for better walking and biking conditions on the boulevard even from people who said they usually drive there. Yet we find ourselves once again having to fill out action alerts and pressure city leaders not to listen to this demonstrably unpopular opinion even after these decisions were already made and work is already underway.From Jan 2015 to April 2022, there were 101 collisions on this park boulevard, including 36 that injured at least one person and 6 that resulted in serious potentially life-long injuries. This is unacceptable and must change. Speed humps, stop signs and raised crosswalks should help, which is why Rainier Valley Greenways has been supporting the watered-down plans despite their frustrations with the process and result. But even once the traffic calming elements are completed, the work will not be finished. Hopefully the rate of serious crashes will be reduced, but there will still be no dedicated space for people of all ages and abilities to bike on the street. Lake Washington Boulevard is a park. It falls under the purview of the Department of Recreation and was originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers in the early 1900s as a park boulevard, though the Parks Department has since deferred much of the process to SDOT as the city’s experts on roads and traffic. Lake Washington Boulevard is not and has never been a highway, and fast car travel should not be a priority on this street at all. The goal should be to maintain vehicle access to homes and destinations including parking lots, loading zones and boat launches, but that is where a park’s duty to vehicle access ends. The primary goal needs to be providing safe access to everyone regardless of how they traveled there, and the secondary goal should be fostering an extraordinary park experience along our waterfront.The issue of how to make Lake Washington Boulevard safe for everyone is not over. I am still angry at the city for the way they handled the task force in 2022, which had no logical reason to be given decision-making power. Ideas that got 73% support from a survey of thousands of neighbors got shut down because on the day of task force voting only 10 people could make it and 5 of them voted no. This is not how public outreach or community task forces are supposed to work. Community task forces are supposed to exist so a subset of community members can discuss an issue in a more in-depth manor. You can gather a lot of qualitative feedback, and the task force members can take what they learn back to their larger communities, etc. They are not supposed to be used as democratic decision-making bodies because they were not selected by a population. In a best scenario, task force members could come together and attempt to find some common ground, learn from each other and then maybe some people would change their minds. If you purposefully create a task force so that it contains half people in favor and half against as the city did in this case, you cannot treat a resulting 5–5 split vote as a sign of anything other than that your task force process did not change anyone’s mind. By saying that they would follow whatever the task force recommends, the city essentially told a few safe streets supporters that if they wanted the city to make it safe to ride a bike on this park boulevard, they would need to change the minds of a couple of their outspoken opponents within 10 meetings. They couldn’t, and so the city didn’t. What a ridiculous hoop to force advocates to jump through, and what a mockery of real public outreach.Let’s get the rest of these speed humps and crosswalks done so we can get to work on the next phase: Safe access for all park users.More details on <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-a-safer-lake-washington-blvd-2/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the latest action from Seattle Neighborhood Greenways</a>:<blockquote>Thanks to past community advocacy for a safer and more accessible Lake Washington Boulevard, construction began this November, dramatically reducing dangerous speeding on the boulevard! 🎉🎉🎉 The project is now half completed, with another round of construction <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/lake-washington-boulevard-renovations" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">expected in spring/summer 2025</a>.📣But now, completion of the these basic safety improvements for Lake Washington Boulevard are at immediate risk. People who enjoy driving as fast as they want along the boulevard are opposed to basic traffic calming improvements like speed humps are pushing to axe the second phase of traffic calming improvements slated for next summer.We need your help:<ol><li>Show up: Community Meeting on Thursday, Dec 12, 6:30 – 8:00 pm. In person at the Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center (3800 Lake Washington Blvd S)</li><li>Write an email in support of a safer and more accessible Lake Washington Blvd. Use the easy form letter to the right or write your own and send to: Jordan.Hoy2@seattle.gov, kellina.stamm@seattle.gov, AP.Diaz@seattle.gov, Bruce.Harrell@seattle.gov, rob.saka@seattle.gov, Tammy.morales@seattle.gov, joy.hollingsworth@seattle.gov, greg.spotts@seattle.gov, chris.kartheiser@seattle.gov.</li><li>Share this page with 3 neighbors or friends. Word of mouth is the best form of advocacy.</li></ol>Thank you for your ongoing advocacy!BACKGROUND:Lake Washington Boulevard is one of Seattle’s greatest parks. Year round, Seattle families enjoy walking, biking, rolling, swimming, pleasure drives, and more along the 3-mile shoreline between Mt Baker Beach and Seward Park.As our city has grown, car traffic on Lake Washington Blvd has grown dramatically. More and more drivers use the blvd as a highway, rather than as a scenic drive, bike ride, or stroll it was originally designed for, threatening the safety of other park users.The proposed renovations are a set of low-cost “short term improvements” that are the result of an extensive three-year process, with vocal and ongoing community support for slowing dangerous speeding and rollover crashes along this peaceful park boulevard. The goal is to reduce vehicle speeds to the posted speed limit, reduce street racing, improve pedestrian access when crossing the blvd to access the waterfront, and improve safety for people walking, rolling, and biking along the blvd.The curb bulbs, stop signs, and speed humps installed in November are incredibly helpful in slowing dangerous speeding, but not adequate to address safety for the full 3-mile corridor.We are asking elected officials and city staff to complete the remaining portion of the project without delay or watering down the designs from Mt. Baker Beach to Seward Park.</blockquote>#SEAbikes #Seattle

Tom Fucoloro<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/10/15/tell-king-county-parks-trails-should-be-open-24-hours/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Tell King County Parks trails should be open 24 hours</a><a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_2347.jpeg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a>These people should be biking on busy street instead, according to parks rules.It’s midnight, and you’re biking home from a night out. Should you ride on the separated biking and walking path or along the side of the nearby state highway? If you think the answer is obvious, then congratulations! You’re a lawbreaker. King County Trails are only open from dawn until dusk. We can debate whether any park should close at dusk, but regional trails are important transportation infrastructure. It makes no more sense to close a trail at night than it does a road or highway. People travel at all hours, so our safest biking and walking routes need to be open at all hours.The good news is that King County is currently considering changes to the time of day restrictions on trails, and they are collecting feedback through <a href="https://publicinput.com/trail-hours-gd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">an online survey</a>. Go fill it out, and tell them that trails should be open 24 hours.The reality is that this is not a real rule, and everybody knows it. I have never heard of anyone getting in trouble solely for biking on a King County trail after dusk. But that’s also a problem. Having a rule on the books that essentially everybody ignores gives law enforcement wide discretion about who they stop. Other similar laws, such as King County’s old bicycle helmet law, have been misused to profile people based on race or homelessness status. This is a big reason why the King County Board of Health <a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2022/02/15/king-county-health-board-set-to-vote-on-repeal-of-rare-all-ages-helmet-law/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">repealed the helmet law in 2022</a>.The King County Council in June tasked the Parks Department with conducting a “feasibility assessment” for extending trail hours and reporting back with the results by February. The current survey will surely be part of that assessment. The Council also gave the Parks Director the power to extend trail hours on a trail-by-trail basis without the need for further Council action. They also allowed Parks to keep trails open even if they pass through parks that are otherwise closed. So everything is set up for Parks to take action and change these trail rules.It should be 100% legal to bike or walk on the safest route regardless of the time of day. Period. There is no wiggle room here.Though King County Parks are not in control of trails within the Seattle city limits, Seattle isn’t off the hook here, either. <a href="https://www.seattle.gov/parks/allparks/burke-gilman-trail" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">According to the Seattle Parks website</a>, Seattle’s official open hours for the Burke-Gilman Trail are <a href="https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT18PARE_CH18.12PACO_SUBCHAPTER_VIIUSRE_18.12.245GEPAOPHOOUA.THELIRP" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the same as the rest of the city’s parks (SMC 18.12.245</a>): 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. I am not sure if these hours pertain to sections of the trail under the jurisdiction of SDOT or the University of Washington, however. Seattle’s hours are slightly more lenient than King County Parks, but they are not good enough. The Seattle code setting trail hours includes exemptions for park boulevards, which seems to acknowledge that transportation facilities should not close at night. So why close trails then? We need our whole region to agree together that trail are open 24 hours regardless of which agency is in charge or which section. It’s absurd that someone might be biking along a trail and suddenly become a scofflaw because they crossed a city limit line after 11:30 p.m.Seattle’s rules, which include many hours of darkness, make absolutely no sense. If a trail is safe to use at 4 a.m., then it is just as safe at 3 a.m. King County might be able to claim that their trails are not designed to be safe for use in the dark, and so “closing” them might shield them from liability if someone were to, for example, crash on an unmaintained bump in the trail surface that was difficult to see at night. But people are already using them at night, so the county should already be maintaining them to be safe after the sun goes down. Simply keeping a rule on the books that few people even know about is not a good solution.#SEAbikes #Seattle

Sebastian HeroldThis is beautiful. One minute recreation. Website by Elliott Cost.<a href="https://oneminutepark.tv/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://oneminutepark.tv/</a><a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/park" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#park</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/nature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nature</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/ParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/calm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#calm</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Meditation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Meditation</a>

Tom FucoloroSeattle Parks announces 2024 Bicycle Weekends on Lake Washington Blvd.<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/05/07/seattle-parks-announces-2024-bicycle-weekends-on-lake-washington-blvd/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/05/07/seattle-parks-announces-2024-bicycle-weekends-on-lake-washington-blvd/</a>#SEAbikes #Seattle

Today On ScreenToday, March 31, Pawnee, Indiana parks department director Ron Swanson has to deal with more than 90 meetings after his assistant April mistakenly schedules them all for a single day (Parks and Recreation, s02e21 "94 Meetings", 2009)<a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/TV" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TV</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/Television" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Television</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/ParksAndRecreation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRecreation</a> <a href="https://xoxo.zone/tags/ParksAndRec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ParksAndRec</a>

Tom FucoloroParks Dept will fix Burke-Gilman bumps north of Matthews Beach + Transpo Plan looks to future trail rebuild<a href="https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/03/15/parks-dept-will-fix-burke-gilman-bumps-north-of-matthews-beach-transpo-plan-looks-to-future-trail-rebuild/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2024/03/15/parks-dept-will-fix-burke-gilman-bumps-north-of-matthews-beach-transpo-plan-looks-to-future-trail-rebuild/</a>#SEAbikes #Seattle

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