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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: South Lake Union
- Support Category: Cascade
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We took a short ride with Share The Cities founder Laura Loe to help her gain the confidence to bicycle to the grocery store more often–and pick up some chocolates.
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“That was awesome. I could see myself doing that again.”
Housing advocate Laura Loe is a huge supporter of creating more bike-friendly communities. As someone who didn’t learn to confidently ride as a child, however, she has been hesitant to jump on a bike in Seattle.
Until now.
The founder and executive director of Share The Cities recently signed up for Cascade’s Pledge to Pedal campaign, which encourages people to swap at least one car trip per week with a bike trip during Bike Month in May.
When Loe told Cascade’s Seattle Policy Manager Rachel Schaeffer that she would like to practice riding to the grocery store, Schaeffer and I offered to be her ride buddies.
We met at Loe’s apartment and discussed the route before departing. Loe took a Learn to Ride class from Cascade several years ago and bought a bike from Recycled Cycles, but she never rode as much as she had hoped.
“Then the pandemic happened, my bike was sitting in the garage, and I thought: ‘It’s time to go learn.’”
Many of the actions involved with riding a bike are second-nature to people who have been riding for years, Loe said. But for people newer to the activity, these actions require thought, practice, and attention.
“Getting on and off the bike is like a complicated dance move,” says Loe. “You have to do all these things at once.”
Along the Canal and Over the Bridge to PCC We Go
We started by riding sidewalks and walking our bikes across streets on crosswalks until we reached the Ship Canal Trail, a paved waterfront trail. It was a lovely morning, spring flowers were blooming, and we rode cautiously, pausing at intersections and practicing hand signals.
Loe’s destination was the PCC Community Market in Fremont. Loe normally drives or takes the bus to grocery shop. But following a corrective surgery six months ago, she is “in better shape and trying to get stronger.”
While there are supermarkets closer to her home, the PCC is the easiest and safest to reach by bike. To get there, however, Loe would have to ride up to and over the Fremont Bridge, which she had never done on a bike.
Despite some trepidation, Loe easily navigated the short ramp that leads from the Ship Canal Trail up to the street, where we pedaled on the sidewalk to the Fremont Bridge. Riding over the Fremont Bridge proved to be easier than Loe had anticipated because it was not crowded.
We proceeded to the PCC, where Loe practiced using her bike lock for one of the first times and bought a few grocery items to carry in her backpack. Success.
There was just one more stop: Theo’s Chocolate, located several blocks away. We again locked our bikes, masked up, and bought some chocolates for our loved ones.
Our backpacks loaded, we returned the way we had come, ending at Loe's apartment. “That was awesome. Confidence-building,” she said. “I could see myself doing this again.”
“Going over the Fremont Bridge was fun because it was a beautiful morning and there weren’t many people on it, and it wasn’t as narrow as people say it is,” Loe said.
Loe noted that it’s important for people who bicycle frequently and confidently to understand how complicated riding on shared trails and bike lanes can be for someone who is learning. She also offered encouragement to people who are learning to ride more.
“You have to practice a little bit every day,” she said.
Even though Loe has a few practice rides under her belt, “I still have to think: which leg do I start with? Where am I going to shift my weight? Am I going to fall? Do I get off on the right or the left?”
Cascade is excited that Loe is working on her skills and planning to do more shopping by bike. We are also thankful to Loe for participating in our panel discussion on May 12 about the impact of land use and community planning on climate justice and climate resilience.
Learn about and sign up for our adult classes including Urban Cycling Techniques, Fix-a-Flat, Learn to Ride, and more.
Thank you, Laura, for pledging to pedal!
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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: South Lake Union
- Support Category: Cascade
Starting this week, construction work to replace the old Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal walkway will cause some changes to how biking on the ferry works. The biggest change is that folks may need to wait in lane 6 rather than the covered area near the ferry ramp.
The new elevated walkway will pass right over the previous bike waiting area, so there will be construction activity there for a while. Later this year during the off-season, there will be some significant closures for a couple weeks including a week with limited walk-on-only service. You can sign up for the project newsletter to stay up to date on changes going forward.
From Washington State Ferries:
Construction work brings changes for pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles
Construction crews are onsite at the Bainbridge Island terminal to replace the overhead walkway leading to the ferry. That means changes for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, along with intermittent lane reductions. The first lane reduction will happen the week of July 11 as crews remove part of the barrier between the exit lanes and lane 1.
Pedestrians
The pedestrian ramp and stairs leading to the current overhead loading structure will be closed starting July 18 to create a construction work zone. All pedestrians must use the enclosed overhead walkway to board and exit the ferry throughout construction. The green line above shows the pedestrian route, which is a change for many.Bicycles
All cyclists must use the designated bike lane (above in blue) to access and board the ferry. Bikes will stage and board from lane 6. The area below the terminal building where the bike rack was located will be closed on July 11. That bike rack has been moved to the eastern part of the parking lot near the motorcycle parking.
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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: South Lake Union
- Support Category: Cascade
Cascade’s Seattle to Portland ride returns this weekend for the first time since 2019. The legendary double century leaves UW starting at 5 a.m. Saturday with most riders finishing Sunday in Portland.
If it’s your first time riding such a long event, Hanoch Yeung posted a great video on Best Side Cycling looking back on a video he made during his first STP. It’s full of useful advice.
But if 206 miles sounds like a bit much or if you want a little warm-up, Bike Works is hosting the less ambitious Seattle to Bainbridge Thursday, a 6.80-mile ride across Bainbridge Island to Eleven Winery. You’ll have to pay for your own ferry fare, and 10% of what you spend on wine will go to Bike Works. Register online.
More details from Bike Works:
Join Bike Works for a relaxed, no-drop ride on Thursday, July 14th, from the Bainbridge Island Ferry to Eleven Winery at 7671 NE Day Rd W, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.
All cycling styles are welcome. You can expect to ride 6.8 miles each way with 448 feet of elevation – you will need to be able to ride up and down some hills. (See the route here.)
Please plan to meet at the Coleman Dock Ferry terminal in Downtown Seattle by 3:30 to catch the 3:50 PM ferry to Bainbridge Island.
Suggested donations will help cover the costs of pizza, salad, and non-alcoholic beverages, but not ferry fare or wine purchased by the glass or bottle (valid ID required). 10% of all bottles purchased at the winery will support Bike Works programming, as will any registration donations beyond the cost of this event.
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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: Lake Union
- Support Category: Westlake
When looking at the two options presented by Sound Transit for South Lake Union (SLU) in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), we’re struck by how poorly the station will serve South Lake Union. The Harrison option is deep at about 120’ and all the way on the western edge of SLU. The Mercer option is slightly less deep at about 85’ but its location west of highway 99 isn’t really in SLU and involves an extremely poor pedestrian environment. Both stations are monumentally difficult to build and expensive due to their proximity to highway 99. We can avoid all of those issues and build a station that serves South Lake Union far better by building the SLU station on Westlake.
A station under Westlake located approximately between Harrison and Republican has a lot of advantages. Though it’s still slightly to the west of the center of South Lake Union, the walkshed includes nearly all of this dense neighborhood. It’s aligned with the Denny station which means isolated construction impacts and the potential for a shallow station. It can also cross SR 99 further north where it isn’t as deep while avoiding the need for a complex and expensive mined station under the highway.
A SLU station under Westlake aligned north/south can also serve the dense population and job centers to the north and east far better than the proposed DEIS SLU station locations. Aligning the station north/south will also enable a future Link extension along the highway 99 corridor much easier – opening up one of the best corridors for transit oriented development opportunities in the country.
We were initially enamored by the SLU Harrison station due to the potential for bus to train transfers but the depth, location relative to SLU, and awkward pedestrian environment has convinced us a different option is needed. Sound Transit is looking for cost saving measures to help them deliver ST3. This is an opportunity to build the SLU station both cheaper and better. A true win/win.
Though a Westlake aligned station for SLU is close to the Denny Station, it’s far from the closest stop spacing in the system and is entirely appropriate urban stop spacing for a very dense part of the city. A Westlake station also means a far better combined quarter mile walkshed than Harrison or Mercer stations – which are both marred by their proximity to wide roads and a highway. If you consider the walkshed of the Monorail (which is adding capacity), moving the station to Westlake does almost nothing but gain critical high value walkshed coverage.
Ask Sound Transit to study a shallow central SLU station.
We will have our complete EIS recommendations available soon, but if you are commenting now please include asking Sound Transit to study a Westlake Station that really serves SLU.
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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: Lake Union
- Support Category: Westlake
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Designs for a new, six-story office project in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood must come back for an additional early design guidance meeting after failing to procure board approval last week. During the meeting, veteran developer Vulcan, along with Seattle-based Graphite Design Group, presented their initial designs for 630 Westlake, whose designs will be driven by its proximity to other commercial development and the lakefront.
“While the site may appear unremarkable in its current form as construction staging and parking, it is remarkably well-connected and diverse in context, surrounded by a collection of public and private uses,” explained Graphite Design Group’s Peter Krech. “It is also well-connected to an array of transit networks, bike trails, the trolley and Sound Transit.”
In all, the proposed project will include 289,000 square feet of office and 9,950 square feet of ground floor retail. 300 vehicle parking stalls, as well as 190 total bike spaces, are also planned. Other features include a mid-block connection, a plaza to the Northeast, and a “pedestrian only” zone.
The project team states in its plans that the development will complete the Lakefront Blocks, as the site is the “final missing piece, providing a bookend connection from one end of the through block plaza to the other.” Vulcan and Graphite Design Group also hope to add to the architectural diversity of the neighborhood via a number of unique massing moves and materials.
During the meeting, there were two schemes that were primarily discussed by the West Design Review Board: Step and Shore. Step, the second of three schemes presented, utilized recesses between building masses to provide relief to the facade. The city block was further compartmentalized, and multidirectional occupied terraces would be used at different levels. A primary plaza would also be created and would connect with Lake Union Park.
Shore, also the design team’s preferred option, took a different approach. The massing included additional facade angularity to “ease the merging of two city grids.” The ground level would have additional carved corners at the north side of the site to create widening view corridors, and Lake Union Park would be extended onto the site itself, wrapping on Terry Avenue. Additionally, materials would create a veil effect with a predominantly vertical pattern.
The review board deliberated for some time on the project, and overall felt that the three design schemes missed the mark. While the board did agree that Shore was the strongest in concept, it also noted that the preferred scheme was “two dimensionally-designed,” and needed another pass before its massing really stood out. The board also asked the design team to look more fully at all sides of the building and treat them equally in the design. The board further requested that the project team take a second look at the landscape plan, stating it needed to be better integrated into the overall scheme. The project plans also included six different departures; however, the board was hesitant to approve the departures until the overall design schemes were more finalized.
At the end of the meeting, the board voted unanimously for Vulcan and Graphite to return for an additional early design guidance meeting. At the next meeting, the design team can return with three updated designs, or choose to focus on the refinement of Shore or Step per the board’s guidance.
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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: Lake Union
- Support Category: Westlake
Meta Platforms occupies 1101 Westlake, a 153,708-square-foot creative office in Seattle’s South Lake Union submarket.
SEATTLE — Newmark has arranged the sale of 1101 Westlake, an office building located in downtown Seattle’s South Lake Union submarket. BioMed Realty acquired the property from Invesco Real Estate for an undisclosed price.
Built in 2015, 1101 Westlake is a six-story, 153,708-square-foot creative office building featuring LEED Silver certification and views of Lake Union. The property is 100 percent net-leased to Meta Platforms.
Kevin Shannon, Nick Kucha, Michael Moll, Ken White, Rachel Jones, Jeff Hodson, Jesse Ottele and Alex Foshay of Newmark represented the seller in the transaction.
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- Tech Support by: Emerald City IT
- Support Field: Lake Union
- Support Category: Eastlake
If you’re looking for a place to live in Seattle that’s close to the water, you’ve got a lot of options. There’s Fremont on the canal, Ballard (which is right near Shilshole Bay), and even parts of the Central District border Lake Washington. But there’s also Eastlake - it’s somewhere that has a great view of Lake Union, you’re close enough to Capitol Hill and South Lake Union without paying Capitol Hill and South Lake Union rent prices (although we’re not sure how long that’ll last), and there are some excellent places to eat and drink. The neighborhood is home to one of the best beer bars/sandwich operations in town, a diner that serves ridiculously good carrot cake pancakes, and a pasta spot that we’d pop in for a solo meal any day of the week.
The Spots
Mammoth is a beer bar that also serves subs the size of your head. They make sandwiches on really good baguettes, like a housemade smoked turkey club with cheddar and ranch, a riff on a Cubano, and a beastly fried chicken sandwich. It’s from the same team behind Bitterroot, one of our favorite BBQ spots in town, so you know you’re in fantastic hands with all of the smoked meats here. And while it’s hard to imagine not ordering food, Mammoth also is a great place to hang out if you’re into beer.
The first thing you should know about Son Of A Butcher is that their online waitlist system is a total sh*tshow. It’ll ask you to come to the restaurant in an hour and then have your table become available (and then given away) in five minutes. But we can’t help but love this Korean BBQ spot anyways. They make great cocktails and have a ton of different meats that you can choose to grill, like marinated beef bulgogi or an entire ribeye. However, some of the best things here don’t involve red meat at all - we’re fans of the steamed egg with tobiko, spicy chicken with rice cakes and sweet potato, and the comforting tofu soup.
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Sushi Kappo Tamura
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Sushi Kappo Tamura is a solid place to get some nigiri and rolls. Unlike a lot of the popular Japanese spots in town (like Kashiba, Maneki, and Shiro’s), it’s always easy to get a table here, and as a bonus, most of the fish they serve is sourced sustainably. While it might be tempting to order the chef’s omakase for dinner, you should get a combo of salmon and spicy tuna rolls, and some excellent scallop nigiri.
Think of Grand Central like Panera Bread’s sophisticated older cousin who’s better than Panera in every way possible. Here you’ll find tasty sandwiches, like a turkey and havarti and a tuna melt with Beecher’s cheese on sourdough, along with salads, like a kale caesar with parmesan bread crumbs that are way more exciting than croutons. Don’t forget to add a shortbread cookie, too.
If you need a quick lunch in the neighborhood, go to Poke Square. This spot is a counter operation where you can get tasty raw fish topped with vegetables like edamame, nori flakes, scallions, seaweed salad, pickled ginger, and tobiko. If you like a lot of spice, add in some spicy tuna and hot sesame soy.
Siam is a Thai restaurant that’s a perfect spot if you’ve procrastinated in planning a big group dinner. There are always open tables and everything on the menu is shareable, from the appetizer platter loaded with satays and spring rolls to the very excellent crab fried rice (the best thing here). And you’re in fantastic hands with any of the curries, which are thick, creamy, and taste great when ladled on top of the crab fried rice.
14 Carrot isn’t the kind of diner that you’d stop in for a chopped salad or a cup of coffee. It’s a place where you’re going to eat piles of hashbrowns and crab cake benedicts, and wash it all down with a pint-sized watermelon mimosa. This greasy spoon brunch spot is charming in a nothing’s-been-updated-since-1977 kind of way, based on the old photo collages, vintage dining tables, and coin-operated Runts dispensers that nobody uses. If you’re only going to order one thing, their cinnamon-y carrot pancakes topped with icing and maple syrup are so good that it puts their actual carrot cake (which, to be fair, is also good) to shame.
Chances are you’re either in Eastlake because you live here, or you took the wrong exit on I-5. But anytime you’re in the neighborhood, you should grab a drink at Zoo Tavern. It’s a fun dive with a bunch of activities: billiards, pinball, skee-ball, shuffleboard, and bocce. The food’s pretty similar to what you’d find at a bowling alley, like chicken strips and mozzarella sticks, but most of the stuff on their menu makes for a good snack if you’re hungry after a few pints.