West Seattle Bike Connections

Let’s Dead End 23rd Ave SW at Delridge

West Seattle Bike Connections is collecting signatures to petition for dead-ending 23rd Ave SW to cars where it meets the West Seattle Bridge Trail at Delridge. This intersection creates unsafe conditions for both cyclists and drivers as cars turn from 23rd onto Delridge.

Drivers turning right from 23rd often block the bridge trail while waiting to merge into fast-moving traffic headed for the West Seattle Bridge on-ramp. Left turns are also dangerous due to limited visibility of cars coming from West Marginal Way and Spokane Street. In either direction, drivers frequently overlook cyclists on the trail. Many roll through the stop sign to keep momentum for merging, adding to the risk.

Ultimately, this intersection has become a major conflict point on one of West Seattle’s busiest bike commuter routes. The 23rd Ave SW connection acts as a shortcut for drivers avoiding the Andover traffic lights just one block south—creating unnecessary hazards for cyclists on the bridge trail.

West Seattle Bike Connections will be communicating with Seattle Department of Transportation and city leaders to move our proposal for dead-ending 23rd Ave forward. Look for us out there as we gather signatures.

Bike Everywhere Day is Wednesday, May 13th, 2026

People with bikes, includng kids, gathered at our Bike Everywhere Day Celebration Station. West Seattle bridge in background.

Bike Everywhere Day, Wednesday, May 13th, is coming up fast! West Seattle Bike Connections will be hosting a comfort station on the bike trail at the foot of the Spokane Street Bridge. Stop in and say hi. Get some coffee and snacks. Chat with your fellow cyclists.

If you’ve been thinking of biking to work and haven’t done it before, this is a great day to give it a try. As the days get longer and drier, bike commuting gets easier. You’ll have lots of company as ridership grows in the summer months. Maybe even by the fall, you’ll have such a routine going, you’ll keep riding in the darker, wetter months. But even if commuting regularly is not your goal, going out for a ride on Bike Everywhere Day is a fun chance to get out and meet your fellow cyclists.

Tune up your bike: If you haven’t ridden your bike for a while, take it into your local bike shop and have them give it a once over to make sure the brakes and tires are in good shape. West Seattle has three great bike shops that can help you out. We’ll link them below.

Know your route: If you’re looking to bike into downtown, South Park, Georgetown, or elsewhere, know your route. Having a good, safe route is key to having a comfortable ride. There are a lot of great new bike lanes around southwest Seattle but getting to some of them can be tricky depending on where you’re coming from. Ask a biking friend or visit your local bike shop to ask what routes they would use to get where you want to go. Then give it a test ride to see how it feels.

Give yourself lots of time. Being in a hurry can cause unsafe choices.

If you’re already a regular commuter, stop in at our comfort station to get some snacks and coffee at our comfort station at the foot of the Spokane Street Bridge. Have a chat with some of your fellow cyclists. Enjoy the day!

Local Bike Shops:

Alki Bike and Board, Admiral District – 2600 California Ave, SW, Seattle, WA 98116

Westside Bicycle, 3418 Harbor Ave SW, Seattle, WA, 98126

Rat City Bike, White Center, 9614 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA, 98106

SDOT’s Highland Park Way Traffic Calming and Bike/Ped Improvements

Highland Park Way has been in the news lately due to the proposed revisions the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is planning to make to that roadway. The changes are driven by the high number of crashes there (41 over 4 years in their survey) likely related to excessive speed (43mph average). Wide road design, poor visibility on the curve, and the steep hill were also cited as factors in the decision redesign (the link to SDOT’s presentation is below).

Source: Seattle Department of Transportation

As part of this redesign, SDOT is going to reduce the number of downhill lanes from two to one as a traffic calming measure. The uphill side will remain a two lane roadway. SDOT will build a downhill bike lane in the former car lane and separate it from traffic with removable barriers. Uphill cyclists will share the path on the east side of HPW with pedestrians.

At the bottom of the hill where Highland Park Way meets West Marginal Way SW, the bike lane will end and cyclists will merge onto the pedestrian/cycle path to access a diagonal crossing, which will connect them to the Duwamish Trail. This will allow SDOT to keep 5 “general purpose” lanes for cars.

For cyclists, Highland Park Way (HPW) would be a key connection to destinations in south Seattle including Georgetown, South Park, and beyond. Currently, to access these destinations, cyclists have to bike to Spokane Street and turn south at the lower bridge, joining the Duwamish Trail along West Marginal Way. For someone who lives near HPW, this would be add ten miles to their trip. This would also represent an alternative route to SODO and downtown via the Duwamish Trail for those coming from the south.

For these reasons, West Seattle Bike Connections strongly supports the redesign on Highland Park Way. Not only is it currently unsafe for those driving cars, but it is virtually unrideable on a bike due to the speed of cars, limiting it to only the most confident and experienced riders. The redesign will make this safer for all users, cars, pedestrians, and bikes alike. For those who support this project, we ask that you let SDOT know your viewpoint. Outreach will be ongoing as the project proceeds through design and implementation. Final design is expected in the summer of 2026 and construction is projected to commence in the Winter of 2026/2027.

There is also a link on the project page where you can sign up for regular updates on the project.

SDOT’s Highland Park Way SW Project Page

SDOT’s March 2026 presentation on the redesign

SDOT makes recent crash data available here

Yesler Way improvements

Good news for anyone trying to get from West Seattle to downtown! SDOT is filling the gap between the Waterfront Trail and the 2nd and 4th Ave bike lanes. Construction is beginning right now.

Read the SDOT blog post for more information.

Looking at the bike route gap eastbound on Yesler Way

Meeting March 3 at 6:30pm

WSBC will be meeting in person and virtually on Tuesday evening. We’ll be discussing progress on the planned bike route on Highland Park Way, reviving the effort to build bike lanes on Fauntleroy Way in the Triangle area, and much more! Come meet with us at the High Point Neighborhood House at 6400 Sylvan Way SW, or at the Zoom link below.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86754127654?pwd=e3YKryceauH7XHr620idjBIu6ZW92G.1

Meeting ID: 867 5412 7654
Passcode: 044536

Joiner Jamboree this Saturday

Joining a club or organization is key to building a thriving community, and the organizers of the Joiner Jamboree on November 8 are making it easy to find the right fit for you! Over 50 organizations (including WSBC) will be there to discuss what we do.

Location: St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (Fellowship Hall), 3050 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Admission: Free

WSBC Meeting November 4 at 6:30pm

If you’re not attending an election party on Tuesday night, why not see what WSBC is up to? Our November meeting will be both in person and virtual. We’ll be hearing from the team at Reconnect South Park about their efforts to remove or improve SR-99 through South Park. We’ll also discuss a number of projects, both completed and in the works, with enough time left over to bring up whatever is on your mind. We may even touch on the election results by the end!

Neighborhood House in High Point at 6400 Sylvan Way SW

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81025021587?pwd=fzWVkPgwaFZ3JawaxbN5RpHhdizbz9.1

Meeting ID: 810 2502 1587
Passcode: 600948

Grand Opening celebration for East Marginal Way Bike Lanes

Saturday, October 25 at 10:30am

The project is (basically*) done and now it’s time to celebrate!

Come for food, drinks, and the chance to meet many of the people involved in getting this fantastic new bike path built, including advocates, elected officials and others. See the 200+ newly-planted trees, and hear about art that will be added next year. SDOT is planning to turn on the new bike counter, so let’s turn out and get some impressive numbers logged!

From SDOT:

Join us in celebrating the end of major construction for the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project!
What: Celebration event with a ribbon cutting, tabling by community partners, and free food and drinks! This is the last stop for Hot Bike Summer – If you have been following along, bring your passport to collect your prize!
Where: E Marginal Way S and S Hanford St (map)
When: Saturday, October 25, from 10:30 AM to 12 PM
Ride with a group: Bike or scoot to the event with our partners at Cascade Bicycle Club, West Seattle Bike Connections and Best Side Cycling.
Ride from Seacrest Park in West Seattle
Ride from the Seattle Ferry Terminal in Downtown

West Seattle Bike Connections members will also lead a ride from the Alaska Junction.
Meet in the Wells Fargo Parking Lot at 44th/Alaska at 9:00-9:30am
This ride departs at 9:30am

*The segment on the east side of the street between Spokane St and Horton St will open in early 2026.

East Marginal Way is open for riding!

Improving East Marginal Way S has been our top priority since 2012. Separation of bike traffic from heavy truck traffic will make it dramatically safer and less stressful to ride a bike on the primary route from West Seattle to downtown and beyond.

The improved East Marginal Way S was achieved by members of the bike and freight communities recognizing a shared interest in safety, efficiency, and resilience for our roadways and seaport. We worked to understand and accommodate each other’s needs, to convince elected officials, to obtain funding, and this allowed SDOT to arrive at an outstanding design that works for everyone. Thanks to everyone who helped along the way!

Let’s enjoy some before pictures to remember how things used to be:

Check back for details about the Grand Opening celebration on October 25!