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News & Announcements

1 June 2007
BGT Extension Ground Breaking Celebration

BGT Extension Ground Breaking to be Rescheduled. Stayed tuned.

For more information and directions, please visit the Burke-Gilman Trail project web page or contact Diana Holloway, Project Manager, Seattle Department of Transportation (206) 684-3970 or diana.holloway@seattle.gov.

19 May 2007
Spokane REI Hosts Fish Lake Trail Service Project

On, Saturday, May 19th, from 9am-12pm, REI will host its second annual Fish Lake Trail Service Project. The Fish Lake Trail is part of the Rails to Trails network within the region. This year's project scope will include building a trailhead at Lindeke Street, trimming growth along the trail, proper noxious weed removal, and trail surface maintenance. The trailhead construction will include the installation of a small kiosk. In addition, we plan to have group paint over graffiti in a tunnel near Scribner Road.

Items to bring for the project: water for yourself, work gloves, and one or more of the following: rake, hoe, shovel, pruning shears, and tree trimming hand saw.

Location: Meet at St. Matthews Baptist Church, 2815 W Sunset Blvd. (parking available)
Contact: REI, 509-328-9900 or jhess@rei.com
You may register online at www.gonzaga.edu/fishlaketrail or contact REI at 509-328-9900.

18 May 2007
Last chance to submit comments on Seattle Bike Master Plan!

The deadline for comments will be 5 pm, May 18th, 2007. (comment period has been extended--original deadline was May 4th)
The Full Draft Plan is available at: Draft Bicycle Master Plan.

Send your comments via email to walkandbike@seattle.gov or by phone at 206-684-3902.

18 May 2007
Bike to Work/School Day

May is Bike to Work Month, National Bike to Work Week is May 14-18, and Bike to Work/School Day is Friday May 18th. Bike to Work Day/Bike to School Day is celebrated by rides, events, and acitivities all over the country. Peruse the list below to see what's happening in your part of Washington state:

Whatcom County/Bellingham
The 10th Annual Whatcom County/Bellingham Bike to Work and School Day is Friday, May 18 this year. Hop on your bike as an alternative form of transportation on your way to work or school. Free; no registration required. Celebration Stations throughout the region run by volunteers offer snacks, prizes, giveaways and bike assistance. For more information, contact Margaux Mellott, Whatcom County EverybodyBike Coordinator at (360) 676-6974, margaux@wcog.org; or visit: www.everybodybike.com

Snohomish County
Snohomish County Bike to Work gives first-time bike commuters, die-hard regulars and fair weather cyclists a chance to ride and celebrate together. Visit www.communitytransit.org/go2/biketowork to learn about our Bike to Work Day Celebration Stations the morning of May 18, our Bike to Work and Bike to School Challenges May 18-June 15 and the classes that will help get your ready for those events.

King County/Seattle
Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation is coordinating Bike to Work events in the Seattle area for the month of May.

Tacoma
Tacoma's events are listed at cityoftacoma.org.

You can find more events listed on the League of Amerian Bicyclists website

17 May 2007
Attention Walla Walla Cyclists! Ride with the Bicycle Alliance!

Join Bicycle Alliance of Washington board chair, Ralph Wessels, members of the Transportation Improvement Board (they make decisions on funding bicycle projects!), and local cycling advocates on a social ride in Walla Walla. The ride is scheduled for Thursday, May 17 at 6:00 pm and will depart from Best Western Walla Walla Suites Inn at 7 E Oak Street. Riders will return to the start point by 8 pm. Hungry cyclists can also join Ralph for dinner at a nearby eatery afterward.

As a board member of the Bicycle Alliance and member of the TIB, Ralph is anxious to meet local cyclists and hear what they have to say about cycling conditions in the Walla Walla region. Don't be afraid to share the good, the bad and ugly with him!

Thursday, May 17, 2007
6:00-8:00 pm
Best Western Walla Walla Suites Inn
7 E Oak Street in Walla Walla

For more information, contact Louise McGrody.

16 May 2007
Ride of Silence

Join cyclists worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride (max. 12 mph/19.3 kph) in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.

So far, rides have been planned for Everett, Tacoma, Olympia, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Seattle [note: Seattle ride starts at 6:30pm]. Last year, there were at least 8 rides in Washington State (over 700 riders participated in Seattle alone). For up-to-date ride locations and contact info, check the www.rideofsilence.org website.

If you are unfamiliar with the Ride of Silence, below is a brief history:

• In 2003 endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was struck and killed by the mirror of a passing bus while cycling outside of Dallas. His good friend & Coach Chris Phelan organized a memorial ride in Dallas on May 18th, titled the Ride of Silence, a slow paced silent 12 mile ride to honor/remember his friend. In just a 10 day period, via email and word of mouth, over 1,000 cyclists attend. Chris thought he had closure.
• Word spread about the Ride. Chris began to get enquiries from cyclists in other cities on holding a Ride of Silence. A grassroots movement takes place.
• In 2004, Rides of Silence take place on May 18th at 7:00 PM in 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada. The Dallas Ride has 2,500 cyclists attending. It's written up in Bicycling magazine.
• Chris actively promotes the Ride. A board of directors is in place. A copyright is applied for the Ride of Silence name.
• In 2005, Rides of Silence take place on Wed. May 18th at 7:00 PM in over 100 U.S cities, 150+ worldwide, in 9 countries, on 4 continents. The Dallas ride again has 2,500 cyclists. The Dallas City Council issues a proclamation that May 18th 2005 is The Ride of Silence Day. The board applies for and receives non-profit status as an organization.
• In 2006, Rides of Silence take place in over 200 U.S cities, 250+ worldwide on Wed. May 17th at 7:00 PM, in 8 countries, across 5 continents. The Dallas ride has close to 3,000 cyclists. The Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists Andy Clarke and board member Preston Tyree attend the Dallas ride.

This is NOT a Critical Mass Ride. There are no shirts or items for sale, there's no fee or registration. Each ride is approximately 10-12 miles long, is ridden at a 12 MPH pace, and is Silent. It's not just a club ride. It's a ride for Moms, Dads, brothers & sisters, family & friends, beginning cyclists to the racers, anyone who wishes to honor a fellow cyclist that has been killed or injured by a motorist while out riding and to let them know they MUST Share the Road with us.

Participants are asked to wear a black arm band to honor a cyclist who's been killed, and/or a red arm band to honor a cyclist that has been injured. The Ride's date purposely coincides with National Bike Safety Month and Week.

12 May 2007
Chief Sealth Trail Grand Opening Celebration

The Chief Sealth Trail (CST) is a new multi-purpose trial in southeast Seattle. It will be the City's newest addition to the Regional Trails Systemand will provide connections to the Mountains to Sound Greenway (via bike routes/lanes north of Beacon Avenue), and Sound Transit light rail stations along Martin Luther King Jr. Way (MLK).

To learn more, please contact Katherine Bush at katherine.bush@seattle.gov or 206-233-1084.

3 May 2007
Achieving a Bicycle-Friendly Yakima

Join representatives of the Yakima Valley Bicycle-Pedestrian Network and the Bicycle Alliance of Washington in a brainstorm and discussion of how to create a bicycle-friendly Yakima Valley.

Thursday, May 3, 2007
6:30-8:30 pm
Harman Senior Center
101 North 65th Avenue in Yakima
(Southeast corner of Summitview Ave & North 65th)

For more information, contact Louise McGrody.

26 April 2007
Mountain Biking the Great Divide

Thursday 4/26/2007 7:00 PM

2490 miles. Solo. Self-supported. The ultimate mountain biking adventure. Less than ten people each year participate in the Great Divide Race, but even fewer have completed it on a single speed mountain bike--here's your chance to hear the story first-hand from one of those adventurers.

REI & the Bike Alliance of Washington are excited to welcome Kent Peterson, who currently holds the record for a single-speed finish of the GDR. Join us for an exciting look at this ultra-endurance mountain bike race through stories, images, and tips on touring this beautiful wilderness route.

This event is FREE, but donations to the Bike Alliance of Washington will gladly be accepted.

Location: Seattle REI, 222 Yale Ave N
Contact: 206-223-1944

See you there!

16 April 2007
Susie Stephens Memorial Ride Apr 16th

Join the Bicycle Alliance of Washington as we celebrate Susie Stephens' life with a short ride on city streets, bicycle trails and of course, tip back a "brew" in her memory. As a bicycle advocate and former Executive Director of the Alliance, it was Susie's personal mission to use her skills and strengths to create healthy communities. So long as we learn, change and grow, her passion and mission continues in us.

Join the celebration of a vibrant individual.

Bob Myrick, of the Tacoma Wheelmen Bicycle Club, adds these words of remembrance:

I can't be there, but I will be thinking of you. I have Susie's titanium Airborne touring bike in my dining room. It has been to New Zealand where some remaining portion of her ashes were scattered in the Bay of Islands. It has also traveled to Sun Valley, Idaho over Old Man Pass down south of Mt. Adams.

I also have Sue Gygax's Bridgestone XO 3 touring bike. It has been re-painted, tuned up and taken a few trips around Tacoma. It is a sweet ride and will get mountain bike tires and do some back roads in Washington, maybe New Zealand, too.

Both of these ladies have their names attached to the Bicycle Safety Fund at the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. I call it the Sue and Susie Fund. Proceeds are directed every year, forever, to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. You can even have a charitable gift annuity established to fund your retirement. After you join Sue and Susie, the proceeds from your annuity can be directed to the Fund.

Susie Stephens, April 16, 1965 — March 21, 2002
[Info about Susie's "accident"]

April 2007
Seattle Bike Master Plan Event April 4th

Join Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to celebrate the release of the City of Seattle's Draft Bicycle Master Plan! The City-hosted event takes place on Wednesday April 4th at 10:00AM at Sturgus Park (904 Sturgus Ave S) which is located by the Jose P. Rizal Bridge near 12th Ave. S and I-90. A big turnout is important as a way of saying thanks and showing support for bicycling facilities and bicycling as a transportation option.

For more information contact Pete Lagerwey at 206-684-5108.

March 2007
Bike Alliance coming to Yakima! - March 22nd

Join members of the Transportation Improvement Board (they make decisions on funding bicycle projects!) on a social ride in Yakima. The ride is scheduled for Thursday, March 22 at 6:00 pm and will depart from Oxford Suites, 1701 E Yakima Avenue. Riders will return to the start point by 7:45 pm. Interested cyclists can also join members for dinner at a nearby eatery afterward.

Ralph Wessels, Board Chair of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and member of the TIB, will be on the ride. Ralph is anxious to meet local cyclists and hear what they have to say about cycling conditions in the Yakima Valley. Don't be afraid to share the good, the bad and the ugly with him!

Bicycling in the News
Are we missing an interesting article? Send a link to our Webmaster.

• Wheeler Dealers: Seeing a shift in opportunity, cyclists are riding a spurt of political power - 22 October 2006, Pacific NW Magazine (Sea Times/P-I).
• Seattle Bikes: Bumps in the plan - 4 September 2006, Seattle P-I.
• Toward a safer Seattle for bicyclists: 400 riders weigh in to help create a pedal-friendly city - 30 August 2006, Seattle P-I.
• Everett bike shop manager keeps the customers rolling - 16 August 2006, Daily Herald.
• Bicyclist won't be charged with felony for assaulting deputies - 27 July 2006, Seattle P-I.
• Cycling in Snohomish County: Bike trails gain riders as roads gain drivers - 21 June 2006, Seattle Times.
• [Ride of Silence] Trek a memorial for bicyclists - 17 May 2006, Seattle Times.
• For bicycle commuters, pedal can be test of mettle - 1 May 2006, Spokane Spokesman-Review.
• We Need Bicycle Infrastructure - April 2006, Out There Monthly.
• Bicyclists face rough ride in region - 14 April 2006, Seattle P-I.
• Pedaling to work works - 8 April 2006, Seattle Times.
• Fixed-sated: Coasting is for poseurs. Fixed-gear bikes are about the pedaling - 30 March 2006, Seattle Times.
• Classes teach city riders how to thrive and stay alive - 16 February 2006, Seattle P-I.
• Should Critical Mass continue? PRO/CON - January 2006, Out There Monthly
• Getting There: Should bikers dismount at all crosswalks? - 5 December 2005, Seattle P-I.
• Crossing paths: Cyclists and motorists are far apart on rules of the road - 29 August 2005, Seattle P-I.
• Behind the wheel: Drivers sound off about reckless cyclists - 29 August 2005, Seattle P-I.
• Behind the handlebars: Cyclists sound off about dangerous drivers - 29 August 2005, Seattle P-I.
• 'Ghost bikes' offer eerie reminder to share the road - 3 August 2005, Seattle P-I.
• "Ghost bikes" eerie reminders of accidents - 2 August 2005, Seattle Times.
• Slade Groene was 13, like Cooper Jones - 1 June 2005, Spokane Spokesman-Review.
• Bicyclists vs. homeowners: Facing off on a trail of fears—Debate over changes to Burke-Gilman in Lake Forest Park is coming to boil - 26 May 2005, Seattle P-I.
• Mayor vetoes restrictions on Burke-Gilman Trail - 8 June 2004, Seattle Times.
• Getting There: Even on a bike, the law is the law - 22 September 2003, Seattle P-I.
• Use your head: Wear a helmet - 21 September 2003, Seattle P-I.
• Getting There: Why do bikes have to stop at those trail crossings? - 14 July 2003, Seattle P-I.
• Getting There: Speeding cyclists are subject to the law -- and gravity - 24 June 2002, Seattle P-I.
• Crosswalks Cover Bikes, Court Says - 3 June 1999, Seattle Times.
• Cyclists Must Upgrade Traffic-Safety Skills - 9 July 1998, Seattle Times.

Archived News & Announcements

Read older news items and announcements on our Archived News page.

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