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May is Bike Everywhere Month! Resources to bike & scoot your way around Seattle | LEVY DOLLARS AT WORK

by on May 1, 2023
Several adults and children bike during a Summer Parkways event in the Central District. Credit: SDOT

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Get excited! May is Bike Everywhere Month, a time for beginners and seasoned cyclists alike to celebrate biking and encourage riding bikes for transportation, leisure, exercise, and more.

Thanks to the Levy to Move Seattle, we have added over 60 miles to our bike network, including 29 miles of protected bike lanes!

In 2022, we completed the Green Lake Outer Loop, 15th Ave NE protected bike lane, and the Northgate to Maple Leaf Neighborhood Greenway. We added over three miles of protected bike lanes, two and-a-half miles of neighborhood greenways, and one-quarter mile of new bike lanes.

Please use the links below to jump to any topic within this blog post:

Bike & scooter resources

Whether you’re biking or scooting in Seattle for the first time or are looking to refresh your skills, our Seattle by Bike Guide has you covered. The guide features information on picking out a bike and other important gear, fixing a flat tire, planning your route, and more. Our Bike Web Map is another useful tool that shows where different bike facilities and infrastructure throughout the city are located.

The cover graphic of the Seattle By Bike guide which features the title on the left on a solid green background, and an image on the right of a person on a bike wearing a helmet.
Cover of Seattle by Bike: Your guide to bicycling around the city. Graphic: SDOT.

Riders who do not own a bicycle or scooter can take advantage of several bike share or scooter share options. These electric bikes and scooters are great for short trips around town. You may see 3 different brands of electric scooters and 2 different brands of electric bikes on the streets of Seattle. Each is available for rental through a smartphone application by the company labeled on the scooter or bike. You can also rent without a smartphone.

Don’t forget to travel safely by wearing a helmet! You can get a free helmet at any one of the six Seattle Customer Service Centers located in Ballard, First Hill, Lake City, Southeast Seattle, West Seattle, and the University District (map).

Headed to a transit hub? You could save up to $8 on your bike or scooter share trip! With King County Metro’s Bike & Scoot to Transit pilot program, if you bike and scoot to select transit hubs you can earn discounted trips, free mobile transit tickets, and rewards points to use for future trips.

More information on renting, correctly parking, and safely using a scooter or bike can be found on our website.

Biking to school

Wednesday, May 3 is Bike and Walk to School Day in Seattle and over 30 Seattle schools are holding events! Cascade Bicycle Club is also hosting bike/roll and walk activities for students. Participants can play Bike/Roll/Walk Bingo or use a Tracking Calendar to be entered into a raffle to win a prize.

A photo of 4 people smiling while standing on either side of a student-made banner for the Roxhill walking school bus.
Staff and parents at Roxhill Elementary led walking groups to school for Earth Day. Photo: SDOT.

Community biking events in May

Cascade Bicycle Club and other organizations are offering a variety of events and ways to celebrate through the month of May:

SDOT will be hosting celebration stations for Cascade Bike Club’s Bike Everywhere Day on May 19.

At each station we’ll be providing free swag, information on SDOT projects, and an opportunity to provide us feedback on a project.

  • Greenwood Healthy Street Bike Everywhere Station – We’re partnering with the Greenwood PTSA to host a station on the Greenwood Healthy Street
    • Location: NW 80th and 1st Ave NW, on the north side of NW 80th next to Greenwood Elementary
    • When: 7:30am- 9am
  • Central District Healthy Street Bike Everywhere Station – We’ll be hosting a station on the Central District Healthy Street
    • Location: 22nd Ave and Union St, on the south side of Union St next to Adey Abeba Ethiopian Restaurant
    • When: 4pm-6pm
  • Beacon Hill Bike Everywhere Station – Healthy Streets and the Beacon Ave S and 15th Ave S Safety Project are hosting a station in Beacon Hill
    • Location: Beacon Ave S and S Hanford St, on the west side of Beacon Ave S
    • When: 3pm-6pm

You can find all the celebration station locations on this map from Cascade Bike Club.

An adult on a bike leads a train of 5 children on bikes down the protected bike lane on 5th Ave.
Children and adults ride in the protected bike lane on 5th Ave near the Seattle Center. Photo : SDOT.

Safe biking tips

Here are some safety reminders for your next bike ride:

  • Always wear a helmet and make sure it fits properly. The helmet should fit snug and not move when you do. You should be able to fit two fingers underneath the chin strap; any looser, and it’s not going to stay in place. The straps in the front and back should come together right below your ears. The helmet should be level on your head and not tilted back.
  • Bells are handy accessories to have on your bike when passing other cyclists and pedestrians. If you do not have a bell, use your voice to signal you are passing other people.
  • During winter and night, try to wear bright and reflective clothing and attach lights to your bike so you are more visible.
  • Do a safety check before starting your ride. Check out the graphic below from the Seattle by Bike guide on the steps to conducting an ABC Quick Check!
A screenshot of the ABC Quick Check from the Seattle By Bike Guide, which explains simple steps to prepare for a safe ride. This can be found on page 11 of the Seattle By Bike PDF.
The ABC Quick Check (Bike Guide page 11) can help you prepare for your next bike ride. A is for Air, B is for Breaks, C is for Cranks and Chain Cranks. Graphic: SDOT.

Community bike shops & repairs

Here are a few local bike shops in Seattle that offer new or used bikes, bike parts, and/or repairs:

Three riders in the right lane of a downtown protected bike lane exchange high fives with a rider headed in the opposite direction.
Riders exchange high fives on the 4th Ave protected bike lane. Photo: SDOT.

From all of us at SDOT, we wish you a happy Bike Everywhere Month! Thanks for your interest and keep on riding!

Filed Under: Bikeshare, Biking, Funding & Levies, Move Seattle, Safety, Scooters, SDOT, Vision Zero Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,