Bicycle Seattle

The Interstate 5 construction project that begins today in Seattle is projected to create major traffic hassles all the way into Tacoma as 130,000 vehicles per day are re-routed from I-5 onto surface streets. For those who try to avoid or bypass the mess and give bike commuting a try, here are Seattle area bike commute resources:

• Bicycle Alliance of Washington Bike Buddy program pairs the new bike commuter with an experienced and trained volunteer who will help you with route selection, safe riding in traffic, bike commute gear, taking your bike on the bus and other helpful tips and tricks.
  
• Seattle bike map.
  
• Seattle bike routes as listed in bikely.com.
  
• Bike Commute Tips.
  
• Commuting 101 at CommuteByBike.com.
  
• Bike Seattle blog.
  
• City of Seattle bicycling resources includes links to other local resources.

Tags: seattle, traffic, commute, congestion, bicycle, cycling, puget

Washington DC by bicycle

See my photos of Washington DC landmarks by bike.

I was in DC for a business trip and had two hours free to play tourist. I rented a bike from Bike The Sites behind the IRS Building on 12th and Constitution and biked around the White House, toward the Washington Monument, up the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial, and up the National Mall by all of the various memorials, museums and other landmarks around the Mall toward the Capitol Building.

Thank you to Gwadzilla in DC for pointing out Bike the Sites, Rich Layman and others at Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space for DC Metro light rail information and help, and the WashCycle for help making cycling great in the Nation's capital.

Don't forget the Google Street View contest. Thank you to those who have posted links to neat cycling images! Check them out if you haven't yet.

Bikes make the world a better place

Yes, it would
Originally uploaded by fixedgear

I'm in a conference in the nation's capital, I haven't been on a bike in two days and I'm jonesin' bad.

I love the DC Metro light rail system. It's like BART in San Francisco in so many ways, except it's cleaner, newer, shinier, doesn't stink, and I don't push through a phalanx of panhandlers to get into the stations. After lunch I have about an hour free; I don't know whether to see the tourist sights or just ride the DC Metro.

Don't forget the Google Street View contest!.

Photo by Fixed Gear Cycling Guy. Used with permission.

Tags: washington, dc, public+transportation, metro, transit, washington+dc

Seattle to increase bike lanes 800%

Making bicyclists of all ages feel more secure in city traffic is a top goal of the city of Seattle, which will soon release the final draft of its Bicycle Master Plan for public comment.

At the heart of the 10-year strategy is a call to designate more than 200 miles of roadway as bike lanes, along with guidelines for safely sharing roads and trails with cars and pedestrians. While the city currently offers only 25 miles of designated bike lanes, the plan anticipates a huge increase in recreational and commuting bicyclists.

What excites Wayne Wentz, the city's director of traffic management, is that the plan was mandated by the people -- as part of a $360 million property tax levy passed last fall -- which means it comes with the funding to make it happen.

Read more in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Tags: seattle, bike+lanes