On the beautiful day of January 25th, I set out on an interesting bike trip: hitting all of Seattle’s protected bike lanes in one ride, in one morning. My route would take me 60 miles from the Eastside to Seattle and back to the Eastside, climbing many hills and biking on many great trails, streets, and of course, protected bike lanes in the process (see my route on Strava).
Here’s a rundown of all the protected bike lanes that I rode on:
Yesler Way (Eastern Segment)
Distance: 1 Block
Opened: Winter 2014
Connection: On the popular Yesler Way bike route from the Central District to Downtown.
Broadway
Distance: 16 blocks
Opened: Fall 2013 (Northern segment), Spring 2014 (Southern segment)
Connection: Connects First Hill and Capitol Hill, built as part of the First Hill Streetcar project.
Roosevelt Way
Distance: 5 blocks for now, to be 25 when fully opened
Opened: Demonstration 5 blocks: Winter 2015. Full opening: Fall 2015/Winter 2016
Connection: Connection for Northeast Seattle to the Burke Gilman at NE 40th St and the University Bridge, eventually to Downtown.
NE 40th St (Western Segment)
Distance: 2 Blocks
Opened: A while ago! Before Summer 2002
Connection: Connection from the Northbound University bridge to the Westbound Burke Gilman, and from the Burke Gilman to UW.
NE 40th St (Eastern Segment)
Distance: 2 Blocks
Opened: Spring 2014
Connection: Built as part of the Burke-Gilman detour through UW, also connects the “regular” Burke-Gilman to UW.
Sand Point Way
Distance: 2 Blocks
Opened: Spring 2014
Connection: Connects Seattle Children’s Hospital with the Burke Gilman Trail.
NE 65th St
Distance: 3 Blocks
Opened: Spring 2013
Connection: Connects Magnuson Park with the Burke-Gilman Trail.
Linden Ave
Distance: 17 Blocks
Opened: Summer 2013
Connection: Part of the Interurban route, which goes from Seattle to Everett. Missing link between two sections of the Interurban trail.
NW 45th St
Distance: 3 Blocks
Opened: Spring 2014
Connection: Part of the Burke Gilman Missing Link, the major East-West bike route through Ballard
Dexter Ave
Distance: 5 blocks when complete (still partially under construction)
Opened: Winter 2015
Connection: Part of the popular Dexter Ave bike route from the Fremont bridge to Downtown Seattle, which connects Northwest Seattle to Downtown Seattle and beyond.
Pike St
Distance: 1 Block
Opened: Summer 2014
Connection: Connects Pike Place Market to the 2nd Ave Bike Lane.
2nd Ave
Distance: 10 Blocks
Opened: Summer 2014
Connection: Only north-south protected bike lane through Downtown Seattle, major commute route and important piece for Pronto! bikeshare.
Yesler Way (Western Segment)
Distance: 1 Block
Opened: Summer 2014
Connection: Connects the 2nd Ave Cycle Track with Pioneer Square.
Cherry St
Distance: 1 Block
Opened: Summer 2013
Connection: Connects Downtown Seattle with First Hill and beyond.
7th Ave
Distance: 1 Block
Opened: Summer 2013
Connection: Also part of the route that connects Downtown Seattle with First Hill.
Did I miss any? Let me know what I should ride next in the Comments! And have fun riding your bike around those Protected Bike Lanes!
Guy is a high school student in Bellevue with a strong desire to become an urban planner. Before moving to Bellevue, he grew up in the Paris metropolitan area where he fell in love with and learned from some of the best rail systems in Europe. Translating his experiences from abroad to Seattle, Guy is now passionate about improving this region's public transit (especially marine-based transportation) and cycling infrastructure. Aside from the technical side of things, Guy also enjoys photography and music.