Spending time on Lake Washington alongside its namesake boulevard is one thing many residents sit up for doing within the spring and summer season. With the nice and cozy climate comes Bicycle Weekends, a decades-old summer season program of the Parks & Recreation Division wherein a stretch of the Lake Washington Boulevard — from Seward Park to Mount Baker Seaside — is shut right down to automobiles and reserved for pedestrians and bike riders.
Over time, the times and occasions have modified. Some years it’s been Sundays solely; different years, Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m.
However this yr, Mayor Katie Wilson expanded Bicycle Weekends from 10 weekends to fifteen, and expanded the each day occasions. Most weekends will see the highway closed to automobiles from 7 p.m. Friday till 6 a.m. Monday.
And on Memorial Day weekend, the almost three-mile stretch will near motorists on Friday at 7 p.m. and won’t reopen till Monday evening. The same schedule shall be in place for the July 4 and Labor Day weekends. The highway shall be open to all throughout Seafair, Aug. 1-2.
The growth has garnered complaints and applause. Among the many complainants are enterprise house owners who’ve documented decreases in enterprise throughout shorter closures in years previous. Some close by residents have complained of the visitors being redirected into areas the place kids usually play. As well as, many Seattle motorists use the boulevard to get to work on weekends.
The supporters embody those that experience bikes and run alongside the roadway, although at nice threat. Biking advocates have lengthy pushed for extra bike-friendly roadways. Over time, their affect has netted extra bike lanes citywide. They’ve additionally advocated to make a part of Lake Washington Boulevard permanently motor vehicle-free.
“We’re opening Lake Washington Boulevard each weekend to make more room for folks to bike, stroll, roll and be outdoors,” Wilson stated in information launch. “That is your metropolis, and it must be simple to get out and revel in our sunny days.”
She’s proper. Town belongs to those that bike, stroll and roll, and it belongs to those that don’t. That’s why a extra equitable strategy to Bicycle Weekends could be to rotate the dates with different areas of town, reminiscent of Alki Seaside, Madison Park and Golden Gardens Park. A rotating set of Bicycle Weekends would reduce any inconvenience for one space and permit South Finish residents summer season weekend entry to the lakefront.
Council President Pleasure Hollingsworth, who realized of the growth from the mayor’s information launch, stated she is anxious that an expanded program in a single location would restrict entry to the lake to these with bodily disabilities and people whose solely entry to a seashore is off the boulevard.
Summer season in Seattle is just too quick for just one group of individuals to have a lock on weekend use of Lake Washington Boulevard. Although the phrase fairness could have misplaced its luster nationally, it nonetheless ought to have that means in Seattle: A metropolis that belongs to everybody.
