Spotlight of the Month:  Bicycle Safety

May is National Bike Month, an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, get involved in Bike Month and help get more people in your community out riding, too!   Find safety tips here.

Options to Get Around

N.E. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Action is Afoot and "A-Bicycle!" Neighborhood Greenways could be a key resource for making it safer and easier for kids all over town to skip the minivan and ride bikes or walk to school. Watch the SDOT Director and the City Traffic Engineer talk about Greenways at a recent meeting and follow SDOT's accomplishments as we construct seven miles of Greenways this year.  

Countdown to the First Hill Streetcar opening in spring 2014 has officially begun.

Construction began in April on a 2.5 mile route that will connect First Hill, Capitol Hill, Yesler Terrace, the Central Area, International District and Pioneer Square. Read more

Tools to Help You Walk, Bike and Ride

Have Your Children Outgrown Their Bikes? Visit the 2012 May 12 Kids Bike Swap and Trade and trade them in for Bigger Ones. Bike Works refurbishes used bikes to bring to the Kids' Bike Swap. Bring a bike that your kid has outgrown and trade it for a "new" one.

Join a team for May Bike to Work Month. Spring is on the calendar and in the air. More people are using bicycles for transportation than ever before. Expect to see more bicyclists on the road as temperatures moderate, daylight lingers and April showers yield to May Bike to Work month challenge. Join thousands of bicyclists in the Puget Sound Region in Cascade Bike Club's Group Health Bike to Work Challenge. Join or form a team, save gas, time and money and win prizes. Group Health Challenge. Get information, ideas and support here. 

Walking Seattle's Neighborhoods: Is Walking Seattle the blog for you? Get inspiration, share information and find support for your walking experience. 

May kicks off Seattle's Fifth Annual Summer Streets Events. Unleash creativity and energy; try healthy active transportation; ride a bike without worrying about cars. Walking to local stores and restaurants can change the way you and your family think about travel. Come out and play May 18 in Ballard and May 20 in Alki. 

Tips and Inspiration to Walk, Bike and Ride

Driving is so "last century!" Young Americans are driving less; read why and how this trend is likely to continue.

Discover lots of reasons to ride a bike. Hear stories from Bryce, Elece and Dartanyon about the ways they connect with their community by incorporating cycling into their daily lives

New smart phone applicationhelps regional planners understand cyclists' needs.  Starting May 1st, Puget Sound Regional Council is asking bicyclists to record all their bicycle trips using a innovative smart phone application called CycleTracks.Read more here.

"We should do this again next week?" The mere thought of hauling a sofa, a dinette set, a bed and a bed frame down a flight of stairs and into a moving truck is enough for some of us to break a sweat. Now imagine hauling all of it in one trip, five miles across town, by bike.  Read more here.

Happenings and How to Get There

West Seattle CoolMom hosts Think Outside the Car Event on April 28. Pick up an "Un-driver's License," donate bikes and participate in Children's Bike Rodeo at the Westside School in West Seattle from 10 to 2 p.m.

The first Bicycle Sunday of 2012 is May 6.  The 2 1/2-mile course on Lake Washington Boulevard between Seward Park and Mount Baker Beach will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days. That makes the shoreline stretch a magnet for everyone from families on bikes to road cyclists completing a loop around Lake Washington.  Read more here.

May 9 is International Bike to School Day, a great opportunity to instill active habits and healthy lifestyle while spending time with your kids. Get basic information, tips for parents; then take the Bike to School Challenge.

Bikes & Bagels on May 11. If you work in Center City Seattle and will be bicycling to work Friday morning, stop by McGraw Square for a free coffee, bagels and fun prizes compliments of Commute Seattle. Chat with other cyclists and get Information about plans to update the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan.

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