Seahawk Michael Bennett and Mayor Ed Murray celebrated Bike to Work Day by riding along the Lake Washington Ship Canal near Fremont and were joined by community members.
Seahawk Michael Bennett, Mayor Murray, Elizabeth Kiker with Cascade Bicycle Club and community members on Bike to work Day ride.
Bennett famously took a victory lap around Century Link Field on a Seattle Police Department bike after the Seahawks won the NFC Championship game on the road to the Super Bowl last season. SPD again provided Bennett with a bike to use on today’s ride.
Bennett supports biking and recently launched the Bennett Foundation to battle childhood obesity, he encouraged everyone to get out and ride because it’s a healthy and fun way to get out and enjoy the city. He bikes with his family and gets out at least twice a week.
Michael Bennett and Mayor Murray encourage biking; SPD loan Michael a helmet and bike for the ride.
Bike trips on Seattle’s major bike routes are up 12 percent during the first 4 months of 2015, compared the same period last year. On the 39th Ave NE greenway, which provides a bike friendly corridor through Seattle neighborhoods of Wedgewood and Bryant to the Burke-Gillman trail, bike traffic has increased 40 percent.
Fremont Bridge’s bike counter tallied more than one million riders in 2014. The Pronto! cycle share program now has 50 stations throughout Seattle, and will be adding two new stations this month.
The Mayor transmitted his proposed Transportation Levy to Move Seattle to the Seattle City Council, which will consider sending the measure to the voters in November. Move Seattle will implement major pieces of the Bicycle Master Plan, including funding for 170 miles of neighborhood greenways and protected bike lanes over 9 years.
SDOT continues to improve bicycle access and mobility enhancements throughout the city. Last year SDOT completed the 1.2 mile Second Avenue protected bike lane now used by more than 1,000 cyclists a day.
This year, SDOT begins construction of the permanent Roosevelt Way protected bike lane and the Westlake cycle track. The department will build a total of 12 miles of neighborhood greenways and seven miles of bike lanes in neighborhoods throughout Seattle in 2015.
Thanks to everyone that participated in today’s ride. For useful bicycling information and an online bike map, please visit SDOT’s biking webpage.