The SunBreak » bicycle

Seattle Drivers Not Sure if They Have Hit Everyone Yet

Michael van Baker — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:04:05 +0000

Who knew that a lack of rain would make Seattle drivers even worse? At midnight, record-keepers will be marking into the books the first all-dry July in 50 years. But along with the terrific weather has come an alarming rise in cars colliding with bikes and pedestrians. Is it just more people taking to their … Continue reading →

The Greenways are Coming! (to Beacon Hill and Ballard)

Michael van Baker — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:51:56 +0000

Wallingford had its greenway grand opening in mid-June, and now Beacon Hill and Ballard get to learn what all the traffic-calming excitement is about. Beacon Hill's open house is tonight, July 19, at Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Avenue S) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Ballard's greenway-curious population will gather next Thursday, July 26, at Adams Elementary School (6110 28th Avenue NW), in the cafeteria.

Yes, New Seattle-to-Portland BoltBus Service Will Take Bikes

Michael van Baker — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:29:54 +0000

Because Portland is one of the most bike-friendly cities to visit you can imagine, my first question was whether I could bring a bike along. This led to a helpful tutorial on BoltBus baggage policy: "You are allowed one piece of baggage under the coach and two small bags to carry on (purse or backpack)." In theory, your bicycle is the under-the-coach item: "We do allow them and consider them to be oversize items as long as space is available in the baggage area."

Seattle Cyclists Hold Memorial Ride for the Fallen

Guest Contributor — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:24:06 +0000

Following Saturday’s “Moving Planet Seattle” rally, a group of nearly a hundred cyclists rode through South Lake Union and up to the University District, past the memorials commemorating the recent deaths of three Seattle-area cyclists. You were supposed to show up at the Moving Planet Seattle rally in some colorful form of non-automotive transportation. Bicycles were the most popular choice: Several hundred bikes were in Lake Union Park when I arrived.

Portland Has a Greenway They’d Like to Sell Seattle

Michael van Baker — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:18:29 +0000

It changes the whole personality of the street when it's safe enough for kids to bike on. And it's quick and easy, relative to other transportation solutions. On Thursday, September 22, you can get the details from Mark Lear and Greg Raisman, who are visiting the University of Washington (Savery Hall 264, 7 p.m.) for a talk about Portland's Neighborhood Greenways program.

The Economist to Seattle: Car Speed Kills

Michael van Baker — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:44:18 +0000

One of the motivations behind SDOT's complete streets is an attempt at what The Economist recommends: traffic calming. SDOT has simply been trying to get drivers to obey the speed limit on boulevards and arterials. The Economist writes approvingly of a 20-mph limit where cars are near bicycles, "a speed that, in case of collision, kills less than 5%." I imagine that's cold comfort to anyone in that five percent, but at just 30 mph, the fatality rate (for cyclists and pedestrians) has skyrocketed to around 45 percent.