Category Archives: neighborhoods

South Lake Union: More PARK less parKING

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Tim K | 3 comments

Over the past few years, I’ve take more than a few shots at the South Lake Union neighborhood. There’s the confusing infrastructure, the blade of death, and the dreaded old train tracks.

But there’s also one hell of an awesome park. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in neighborhoods, seattle

Tagged bikes, celebrations, parks, seattle neighborhoods, SLU, SLUT, South Lake Union Park

Transitions: What does your neighborhood say about your (kid’s) riding

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Anne | 4 comments

This is our second post in our transitions series. The other day we talked about parents preparing to let kids ride their own bikes in the road. If you haven’t read the comments from that post, do it. You all have so much great insight to share.

Based on your comments, it looks like we’re all in agreement: When we talk about riding in the road, we’re not talking about a couple of kids racing each other around the block to blow off steam (not that there’s anything wrong with that). No, we’re talking about real mobility, car-replacement stuff: riding to the library, the local lake or pool. Grocery shopping at the store with the good cheese aisle and more. It’s fairly easy for younger kids to ride to a neighborhood play-date with parents. The next step is incorporating normally car-centric errands into longer rides with traffic. For most kids, or maybe more accurately, their parents, it’s that jump up to the next level that’s the big deal. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, family cycling, kids, neighborhoods, transitions

Tagged bikes, community, Family Cycling, riding with kids, transitions

$1000 Available from Safe Routes to School

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Anne | 2 comments

Thought I’d pass along some information about 35 $1000 grants that are available from the National Center for Safe Routes to School. The application deadline is April 7, 2010.

Safe Routes to School $1,000 Mini-grant Call for Applications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (February 26, 2010) — The National Center for Safe Routes to School is now accepting applications for up to 35 $1,000 mini-grants for creative, youth-focused ideas that support safe walking and/or bicycling to school. Eligible activities must occur at an elementary or middle school in Fall 2010 and support the overall goal of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs — to enable and encourage children nationwide to safely walk and bicycle to school…. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged bike-to-school, kids, mini-grants, Safe Routes to School, School, SRTS, walk to school

New Car-free School in Milton, Ontario

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Anne | 4 comments

If you think car-free schools aren’t possible in North America. Think again.

P.L. Robertson elementary in Milton, ON (a suburb of Toronto) just opened this month with a car-free drop off policy. And they didn’t just create a policy in their school operation manual, they also designed a car-free process to back it up.

How in the H E double hockey sticks did they do that? Don’t they know it’s the middle of winter? They live in Canada….it’s cold outside? Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bigger than here, bikes, In other Cities, kids, neighborhoods

Tagged Canada, car-free school, everyday fitness, Milton, Ontario, walk to school

Biking to School…Without Parents

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Anne | 9 comments

I spent two fantastic days in Marin, CA this week visiting with old friends and hanging out with their families. Just north of San Francisco, Marin is the epitome of car culture with traffic jams, packed parking lots and streets clogged with luxury cars.

At least they are doing something right with the kids: they get to school on bikes. Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, In other Cities, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged bike-to-school, kids, Marin, Safe Routes to School

Change your World, a night with Alex Steffen

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Anne | 3 comments

A few weeks ago Tim and I attended a highly inspiring talk by Alex Steffen at Town Hall.

We had hoped to go with Julian of Totcycle (family bike folks represent!), but that fell through. For Julian and others who couldn’t make it, check out a few of these to get a flavor. Alex is also the keynote speaker at three of the major events during the Copenhagen summit, so if you are in the neighborhood…

The entire evening was magical: introduction by mayor-elect Mike McGinn in his first post-election appearance, the inspiring and motivating talk by Alex, yummy beer in eco keg cups from Fremont Brewing, followed by hop-lubricated conversation with like-minded Seattleites interested in changing the city. Plus all of this bookended with rides to and from downtown with my favorite cycling buddy.

We left Town Hall filled with hope for positive changes in Seattle. We all have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to grow Seattle into a dense sustainable city designed with people in mind.

How are we going to do this? Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in bigger than here, bikes, Human Powered Politics, neighborhoods, sustainability

Tagged Alex Steffen, beer, change, density, sustainability, Town Hall Seattle, urbanism, Worldchanging

UW Burke-Gilman Closure/Detour in mid December

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Tim K | Leave a comment

Head’s up: Anne and I were out for ride with a neighbor on Wednesday and noticed an upcoming Burke-Gilman trail reroute.

Apparently a small portion the trail needs to be closed December 14 – January 3 to allow early prep work for the future University Link light rail station.

An easy detour is available on Mason Rd, the lightly-traveled access road which runs parallel and just above the trail grade.

Walking or riding or skipping to school

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Anne | 10 comments

Walk&Wheel-brown-crop

October is International Walk to School Month. At our local elementary, we don’t discriminate. Walk, bike, hike, skip or even take the bus. Just don’t drive to school in October!

Our elementary school received a Seattle Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School grant last year. We’re using some of the funds from the grant to host a Walktober celebration this month. Kids keep track of their “active” trips to school and earn prizes if they make a minimum number of trips by foot, bike or scooter (any way other than a personal automobile).

Basically we’re bribing them.

We should really give prizes to the parents. What do you think would work? massages? coffee? gift certificates to the pub?

Cause it’s really up to the parents to make it happen.

– Anne

10 Comments

Posted in alternative transportation, bikes, kids, neighborhoods, School

Tagged bike, ride, Safe Routes to School, School, walk

PARK(ing) Day 2009

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Anne | 3 comments

Among many other things lately, Parking Day completely snuck up on us this year.

Originally created by Rebar, San Francisco art and design collective, PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens independently but simultaneously temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

We at carfreedays think subsidized on-street parking is a waste of public space. That makes it easy for us to get excited about PARK(ing) Day. Green space where a stinky car would have been waiting between trips? We’re all for it.

I had a few free hours yesterday, a lovely Seattle end-of-summer kind of day, so I took some time to ride around and check out some of the impromptu “parks” in South Lake Union and downtown Seattle. I enjoyed a mini-South Lake Union complete with picnic area, sailboat and kayak, tried my hand at a putting green, albeit badly, and enjoyed a delicious Michou sandwich at Pike Place Market (not a PARK(ing) day site but a prime location for car- freeness).

I intended to ride up to Capitol Hill where the bulk of Seattle’s “parks” were set up but I ran out of time.

What was your favorite PARK(ing) Day site?

How was PARK(ing) Day in your city?

more photos here

– Anne

3 Comments

Posted in bikes, Human Powered Politics, neighborhoods, seattle

Tagged open space, PARK(ing) Day, parks, seattle

New Light Rail and No Parking, What a Concept!

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Anne | 10 comments

Columbia City station on Seattle's Link light rail from rutlo on Flickr

Sound Transit is launching it’s starter light-rail line from Westlake Center to Tukwila tomorrow.

Today’s Seattle Times reports that some would-be light rail riders are upset by the lack of parking around the light rail stations. According to Rick Sheridan, SDOT spokesman, this was done on purpose.

“Light rail was meant to be fed by people taking the bus, walking or biking,” said Rick Sheridan, spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). “It was not meant to be fed by cars.”

Sounds like a great opportunity to promote cycling. One mile is a doable bike ride for most people. Let’s hope people get inspired to give cycling a try since they won’t have any place to park their cars. Go ahead, buy a beater bike and ride it to the light rail station.

Does anyone know if they put in adequate bike parking?

I’d love to hear from some South end readers about what you think of this topic. The Times has 329 comments at this time, so it looks like a hot one.

– Anne