2016 Legislative Session Recap

By Blake Trask | Published April 21, 2016

Kidical Mass Wenatchee RideThe 2016 state legislative session represented a time to assess and solidify gains following the 2015 legislative session. Last year state leaders made historic investments in bicycling, health, and safety, made advances in promoting outdoor recreation, and passed our priority legislation that addresses broken red lights for bicycle riders.

A status report on the 2016 priorities based on our legislative agenda:

  • Investments that get Washingtonians where they want to go: Retain historic funding levels made by 2015 Legislature for the Safe Routes to School Grant Program, Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Grant Program, Complete Streets Grant Program, as well as the bicycle and pedestrian project list.
    • End of session outcome: Through the supplemental budget, progress continues on implementing the historic investment
  • Protecting Trails Statewide:  Washington Bikes will monitor and explore the potential for additional investments that connect and improve trails for neighboring residents, visitors, and neighboring communities that benefit from the economic opportunities that trails bring via the $3.1 billion that bicycle riders spend in Washington state.
    Iron Horse Trail is a western portion of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Pic by Visit Kittitas County.

    Iron Horse Trail is a western portion of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Pic by Visit Kittitas County.

    • End of session outcome: Through lobbying by supporters of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, a budget proviso of $100,000 (not new money) was included to direct Washington State Parks to control invasive species along the trail.
  • Growing the Multimillion Dollar Bicycle Travel & Tourism Industry: Funding for a study of the economic impact of bicycle travel and tourism by the Department of Commerce will help quantify the industry and improve strategies to grow our state’s economy.
    • End of session outcome: Conversations about the need for growing bicycle travel and tourism continued and will be a priority in future years.
  • Strengthen Washington State’s Distracted Driving Laws: The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) agency request legislation would improve upon the current law by broadening the definition so that any person (with much narrower exceptions) operating a motor vehicle while holding a personal wireless communications device is guilty of a traffic infraction.
    • End of session outcome: Again, this legislation fell short.

Looking toward 2017 with many budget challenges looming (particularly around education), many are expecting a challenging legislative session. Over the summer Washington Bikes will be working with partners and stakeholders statewide to craft its upcoming legislative agenda. Stay in touch to know what’s happening.

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John Wayne Pioneer Trail An Incredible Experience

By Barb Chamberlain | Published April 14, 2016

Talk about getting away from it all! These blog posts and videos give you the flavor of what it’s like to ride the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, whether in the eastern portion that is less well-known or on the more developed western end of the trail. Some also cover public meetings that have been held on the trail and its future. Another post will round up media coverage of the policy questions being debated.

When consulting blogs for travel ideas always check the comments. People who have ridden the same section often post additional tips, alternate routes around a temporary closure, and other useful items. A key comment that comes up in a few places: Riding west to east gives you tailwinds rather than headwinds much of the way.

Older posts may refer to railway tunnels in the Iron Horse Trail stretch being closed and requiring detours; those tunnels opened in 2013.

The Cycling Sojourner Washington guidebook includes a tour from Spokane to Ellensburg. Royalties from sales of the book support bike advocacy and education, including the Cascade Bicycle Club’s Advocacy Leadership Institute.

Trip Reports

Forum Discussions

General Information

Are we missing a great post? Share it in the comments.

Videos

We created a YouTube playlist that includes both travel footage and coverage of some of the public meetings that have been held on the trail. Comment on the videos to thank people for riding, taking video, and posting to draw attention to this unparalleled asset — the longest rail-trail in America.

What’s Next for the John Wayne Trail?

  • Washington State Parks John Wayne Pioneer Trail Planning: Our Senior Director of Policy Blake Trask serves on the committee appointed fall 2015 to look at trail issues and develop proposals.
  • To support trail advocacy with a tax-deductible donation, join or donate to the new Friends of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
  • To support our work on state policy and politics, including advocacy for trail funding and protection of public ownership and future endorsements of bike-friendly candidates, you can donate to us. Donations to Washington Bikes are not tax-deductible.
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The New Washington Bikes

By Barb Chamberlain | Published March 31, 2016
Barb Chamberlain, Chief Strategic Officer, and Elizabeth Kiker, Executive Director

Barb Chamberlain, Chief Strategic Officer, and Elizabeth Kiker, Executive Director

We headed into 2016 with a new organizational structure to carry out a statewide mission. What does that look like now, as we’ve settled in a bit?

In short, fantastic! We’re now working on an update to two strategic plans–one for Cascade Bicycle Club, one for Washington Bikes. It’s high time for an overview and an invitation to ask questions, with a touch of IRS regulations just to spice things up–

The Washington Bikes mission of statewide advocacy, education and outreach continues under two organizational names and roles with some evolution and realignment. Former Washington Bikes executive director Barb Chamberlain now serves as the Chief Strategic Officer for Cascade Bicycle Club as well as for WA Bikes, while Blake Trask serves as Senior Director of Policy for both organizations.

Ride Your Bike, Support Statewide Work

Two big events to be aware of as opportunities to support Washington Bikes that formerly were associated with Cascade:

Seattle to Portland (STP): This iconic destination ride now serves as a joint fundraiser for Washington Bikes and Cascade Bicycle Club. When you register for STP you’re supporting statewide policy work and help for advocates around the state along with education and outreach.

Bike Everywhere Challenge: We encourage people to register for commute challenges wherever you live as a way of being counted and connecting with the groups that organize these events. In the Puget Sound region (and beyond) people who register for the Bike Everywhere Challenge can choose to donate to support our policy work. (Since Washington Bikes is now a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, this donation is not tax-deductible.)

What Each Organization Is Doing in the Early Days

Note that this list is not our updated strategic plan for either organization. It’s where responsibilities rest while we go through the planning process.

Cascade Bicycle Club is now a 501(c)(3) public charity that is expanding its mission to be statewide. Donations to support this work are tax-deductible, and any time you register for a Cascade event ride you’re supporting its charitable work across the state. Activities you’ll find under the Cascade name that formerly rested with Washington Bikes:

  • Washington Bike Summit: Cascade now presents the annual statewide bike conference with Washington Bikes a sponsor of the event. Save the date: March 20-21, 2017, in Olympia.
  • Local group partnerships: Cascade is committed to continuing the strong partnership culture Washington Bikes established with groups all across the state. A few examples of what’s already under way:
    • Chief Strategic Officer Barb Chamberlain will travel the state to strengthen these partnerships and support efforts of local groups in highlighting the value of bicycling to their hometowns, backed up by other Cascade staff efforts and visits.
    • A Statewide News section has been added to the Cascade e-newsletter Braking News. (To sign up for Cascade’s e-news, see the link at the bottom of the Cascade home page.)
    • The Cascade Courier print publication now includes news stories from around the state. 
  • Education: Bicycle/pedestrian middle school safety curriculum funded by a grant from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is delivered by the Cascade Education Department. The curriculum is being aligned with the primary-school curriculum Cascade delivers in Seattle Public Schools and high-school encouragement programs such as the Major Taylor Project. Key Contact: Shannon Koller, shannon@cascade.org
  • Share the Road license plates: Revenue from these supports educational materials, classes, and marketing of the plates. We look forward to seeing more and more plates on the road as mini-billboards for safer streets. The extra fee for the specialty plate is now a tax-deductible donation to Cascade to support statewide education.
  • Bike data: The bicycle/pedestrian permanent counter project funded by WSDOT is being managed by the Policy and Planning staff, along with the statewide volunteer bike/pedestrian count conducted each fall. Key contact: Jeff Aken, jeff@cascade.org
  • Bike tourism: The economic value of Cascade rides and connections with communities rides touch are increasingly part of the Cascade message and mission. Cascade will be developing a library of downloadable rides for people to plan a bike outing on their own or with friends. Key contact: Barb Chamberlain, barb@cascade.org
  • Advocacy: Cascade continues its support for bike advocacy. Key contact: Blake Trask, blake@cascade.org

Washington Bikes continues to work statewide, now as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit affiliated with Cascade Bicycle Club. A new board is being appointed with statewide representation.

  • State policy: Our work in Olympia during the legislative session and around the state with advocates who want to influence state policy continues under the Washington Bikes name. Key contact: Blake Trask, blake@wabikes.org
  • Local group partnerships: Washington Bikes will always be a partner to local groups. Depending on the focus of the group’s efforts, partnership activities might be carried out by either or both Washington Bikes in its c4 capacity and by Cascade. Key contact: Barb Chamberlain, barb@wabikes.org
  • Candidate endorsements: Formerly carried out under the Cascade name when it was a c4, political endorsements are now an activity of Washington Bikes. We’ll spend some time evaluating how this works for a statewide organization. Key contact: Blake Trask, blake@wabikes.org
  • Bike tourism: We have a lot of great travel information on this site. We’ll continue to tell the story of the power of bikr tourism as economic development in our state policy work. Through either WA Bikes or Cascade we’ll work directly with communities interested in becoming Bicycle Friendly Communities and enriching their appeal as destinations for bike travel. Key contact: Barb Chamberlain, barb@wabikes.org

By merging we created the nation’s largest statewide bike nonprofit organization and strengthened our ability to continue the policy work that has helped make Washington the #1 Bicycle Friendly State eight years in a row — so far. Roll with us into a bike-friendly future!

 

 

 

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Donate to the Bike Everywhere Challenge

By Administrator | Published March 15, 2016
Free "I Bike WA" t-shirt with every donation >$25

Who bikes WA? YOU bike WA!

The Bike Everywhere Challenge is over, but you can still donate to Washington Bikes and help make it better than ever next year!

 

We want everyone to participate in the Washington Bikes Bike Everywhere Challenge, our fun, free trip-tracking contest. We also hope you will help support this awesome event for years to come by giving to Washington Bikes – with your help, we will keep the bicycle movement rolling forward throughout the state!

You can show your support by donating $25 or more during May: we’ll send you this AWESOME limited-edition “I Bike Washington” t-shirt! We made certain to pick t-shirts we actually WANT to wear: high-quality cotton with sizes for both men and women.

Washington Bikes is supported by people like you who care about better bicycling, safer streets, and strong towns. Your donation will ensure that we continue to advocate, inform, and inspire to grow bicycling statewide… and organize programs such as the Bike Everywhere Challenge.  Contributions and gifts to Washington Bikes are not tax deductible because they may be used to support our political activities.

Men's and Women's t-shirts available

FREE “I Bike WA” t-shirt with every $25 donation! Keep the Bike Everywhere Challenge Rolling.

To participate in the Challenge, you need only to start or join a team, commute at least four days throughout the month and track your trips online. It’s simple and fun! You can ride solo or form a team of coworkers, friends or neighbors and log your commute trips on the user-friendly Washington Bikes Bike Everywhere Challenge website. Invite a friend to join your team and help a newbie get started biking. You could be the one who makes them fall in love with two-wheeled transportation.

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Speak up for the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Cheney and Ellensburg

By Barb Chamberlain | Published March 7, 2016

Bicyclists on John Wayne Trail heading to Snoqualmie Pass. Gravel biking.Show up and speak up for the John Wayne Pioneer Trail at two upcoming meetings held by Washington State Parks as part of a planning process under way to examine the trail’s opportunities and challenges.

March 8, 6-8pm, Cheney City Hall
March 9, 6-8pm, Student Union and Recreation Center Room 137A, Central Washington University, Ellensburg

If you can’t attend a meeting submit written comments by contacting Randy Kline, Parks Planner, (360) 902-8632 or randy.kline@parks.wa.gov.

The trail is an amazing bike tourism opportunity as the longest rail trail in the US. Just think: We can connect from Washington into Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and Route of the Hiawatha on the east, the many great trails in the Puget Sound in the west, for an incredible system.

As tourism promoters will attest, the longer a trail is the farther people will travel to bike it and the more they will spend per day while on their trip, making this an incredible destination asset as well as a gem for the people of Washington.

John Wayne Pioneer Trail

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail stretches across the state in purple. The orange trail that crosses it is the Columbia Plateau Trail.

At the open house you can identify trailheads and camping opportunities, among other topics they’ll talk about in a presentation and breakout discussions. The committee appointed to advise the planning process includes Blake Trask, Senior Director of Policy for Washington Bikes, and Marie Dymkoski, Pullman Chamber of Commerce executive director, who serves on the board of Cascade Bicycle Club and previously served on the board of Washington Bikes.

Posted in Advocacy, Alert, Infrastructure, News, Rural, Tourism, Trails, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Maltby-Mount Vernon Century Bike Ride

By Guest Blogger | Published January 1, 2016

maltby-mtvernon-barn

The century ride I mapped out is an out & back route that begins in Maltby and heads north to Mount Vernon. This relatively flat hundred rolls through the open farmlands, thick woodlands and wetlands, surrounding the lush countrysides of Snohomish County out to Skagit County.

Sixty percent of this ride is on the Centennial Trail; a 30 mile well-maintained multi-purpose trail that begins in the town of Snohomish and ends at the red barn of the historic Nakashima Farm at the North Trailhead. This linear path is built on the old Burlington-Northern railroad line and goes through the towns of Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Marysville and Arlington.

We exit Maltby Community Park onto Broadway Ave and head north on this two-lane road through residential neighborhoods.

Springhetti Road drops us down through the valley with views of the vast agricultural lands of this rich fertile region. This countryside is filled with dairy farms, corn fields, a Christmas tree farms, horse ranches, a plant and tree nursery and farm stands.

We continue on Airport Way/99th Ave SE past a few large farm houses and Harvey Field to cross the bridge over the Snohomish River into Snohomish.

We enter the historic downtown business district of Snohomish on 1st St; this area is filled with many antique shops and collectibles, cafes and restaurants and galleries. The town overlooks the Snohomish River with fantastic views of the water and the River Trestle.

From Maple Ave, we pick hop onto the Centennial Trail off Pine St; the trail is up to 10 feet wide and runs parallel to Machias Rd and the Snohomish River. It goes through the many open fields and meadows with occasional scenes of the river.

mtvernon-rolling-hills

As we’re rolling along, we catch a glimpse of a colorful field of flowers. I stop to turn around for a second look and Michael motions for me to continue on the trail to a little side road, maybe it’ll lead us to the flowers? We follow the road down and around the side and come upon a white sign for Accent Dahlias. I stop to read the little pink paper posting and it welcomes visitors to the display gardens-just follow the trail of orange ribbons to the garden. We walk the bikes through a small path that opens up to eye popping colorful dahlias! The flowers are absolutely BEAUTIFUL and some of the blooms are 10-12 inches wide — WOW! Ken, the owner is very friendly and more than glad to answer any questions you may have. For 2010, he grew over 400 varieties and has won Best of Show several times.

We continue on the trail through Lake Stevens past residential backyards out to the industrial edge of town.

The tree-lined trail continues through the dense woods along the ridge with fantastic views of Marysville valley.

The trail enters the lumber town of Arlington along 67th Ave NE, this road divides the town with lumber and industrial located to the west and residential neighborhoods to the east.

We continue through the edge of Arlington’s historic downtown area. This is where a guy just randomly yells out at us to eat the $1 burgers at the bowling alley. $1 burgers, I could go for that, we’ll have to try it on our way back!

The trail crosses over the Stillaguamish River on the old train trestle by Haller Park in Arlington. The views are amazing and bring about a very peaceful feeling; the river runs through the dense forests along the gravel bar with glimpses of the mountains in the far, far distance!

The trail takes us along the ridge above the valley floor and through the wetlands to the small town of Bryant.

The path continues through more pastoral settings out to the tree-lined stretch along Pilchuck Creek.

The Centennial Trail ends at the red barn of the Historic Nakashima Barn — the North Trailhead. The surrounding area is very scenic with its dense forests and wide open meadows — everything is green!

The rolling gentle terrain on WA-9 N takes us through the small town of Lake MacMurray to WA-534. WA-534 leads us out of the “country” towards I-5 and Mt Vernon.

malby-hay

Cedardale Road is a frontage road along I-5; the flat terrain takes us through the agricultural fields of Skagit County.

We cross I-5 on Anderson Road and ride along Henson and E Section Road into Mount Vernon with a lunch stop at Bill’s Diner on South 2nd Street.

Mount Vernon is the turnaround point; from here we basically reverse our way back to the North Trailhead and continue on the Centennial Trail.

We do stop in Arlington to take advantage of the $1 burgers at Rocket Alley: a beef patty with secret sauce on a soft bun. The burger is one dollar if you buy a drink or an order of fries. This will fuel us back to Maltby!

Near Lake Stevens, we hear thunder and see some lightning flash across the sky. Rain is in the forecast and we get caught in it for the last 15 miles back through Snohomish and to Maltby Park.

For dinner, we stop at Hong Kong Dim Sum on our way back into Seattle. We had soup to warm the tummy and lots of vegetables. The Shanghai dumplings are pretty good too! We have enough leftovers for tomorrow night’s dinner.

This century was most enjoyable — the flat 60 miles out and back on the Centennial Trail allowed for a quiet peaceful ride with no traffic! The broad path takes you through the old lumber towns, past the rich agricultural farmlands and woodlands around Snohomish and Skagit Counties.

This would be a great first century for anyone with minimal elevation gain. The scenery alone is worth the ride and the side trip to Accent Dahlias is well worth the extra time!

Garmin Stats:
105.53 Miles with 2694′ of elevation gain
Max elevation: 445′
Max grade: 7%
Terrain: Flat with a few low climbs

mtvernon-malby-map

GueGuest blogger Nancy Yu biked all over Washington, Nancy shared her experience doing Maltby-Mount Vernon Century Bike Ride, to see all her posts and find out where she’s riding next follow her blog:http://ridechronicles.com/

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2015: A Big Year for Bicycling in Washington State

By Barb Chamberlain | Published December 31, 2015

How to recap a year with so much in it? One month at a time.

Bikes-at-Streamliner-Diner_Bainbridge-Island_forwebJanuary: We look back at 2014 trail projects, block a bad bill right off the bat as the legislature convenes, start working on a bill to deal with faulty traffic signals, help people understand just how widespread the demand and support for Safe Routes to School projects are across the state, launch registration for the Washington Bike Summit, experience a little jaw-drop at just how big the economic impact of bike travel/tourism is in Washington (hint: the figure starts with a B), and keep our safety education rolling with a new brochure of driving tips.

Yakima-bikes-walks-bikes-lined-upFebruary: Dig into the developing conversations on a transportation revenue package that could fund bike/walk projects, work on our “Dead Red” policy bill and work on it some more, highlight local events from Yakima to Tacoma, feature one of our great keynote speakers for the Summit, and of course the month opens with Michael Bennett’s famous bike ride when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.

February’s fun bike challenge: Winter Bike to Work Day

Loaded cargo bike at Costco. Pic by Glen Buhllmann, Seattle, 2015March: Move the Dead Red bill through the Senate and into the House, see a news channel showcase a school making great use of our Safe Routes to School curriculum, and hold a fantastic Washington Bike Summit with a national keynote speaker, content that one grad student loves, and a sold-out crowd.

March’s fun bike challenge: Errandonnee, which some of you really go for

SSB_5438_Bill_SigningApril: Look at the importance of gathering good data (which we’ll be working on thanks to a grant from WSDOT), give a shout-out to new Bicycle Friendly Businesses and the first bike race in the state to benefit our advocacy work (thanks, Wenatchee Valley Velo!), celebrate when the Dead Red bill passes and Gov. Inslee signs it into law and again when he signs into law recommendations of the Parks/Outdoor Recreation Task force we helped lead, start gearing up with action alerts on the transportation revenue package (and again and again), highlight Spokane Bicycle Club’s work to help the Safe Routes to School program in Reardan keep rolling and the City of Pullman’s adoption of bike goals.

April’s fun bike challenge: 30 Days of Biking

#wavebackWA graphic by Brian FungMay: We celebrate our eighth year as the #1 Bicycle Friendly State as Gov. Inslee proclaims May Bike Month. The legislature ends its regular session and rolls straight through a special session; we stay on top of it with lobbying and analysis. Meanwhile, the Ride of Silence takes places in several Washington towns to highlight just how much we need more investment in safer streets, and we feature local clubs and the work under way to grow advocacy in Yakima.

May’s fun bike challenges: National Bike Month, the National Bike Challenge, and commuter challenges around the state, and a new idea from a Seattle rider: #WaveBackWA

Installation of a bicycle/pedestrian counter, Redmond, WA, 2015. Pic by Washington Bikes.June: The legislature kept meeting, we kept working on transportation funding; they passed a transportation budget but they weren’t done with the revenue package so we kept up our drumbeat for investments in health and safety right through crunch time. The state bike/pedestrian counter network began to grow, we helped a Whatcom County group reach out for support for a new trail. We celebrated five new Bicycle Friendly Communities, including the Jamestown S’Klallam as the first tribal government in the nation to be named one, and looked at what it takes to be designated a BFC.

WA-Kids-Say-We-Need-More-Safe-Routes-to-SchoolJuly: The legislature finished a mere 176 days after it started (a new state record — the longest set of sessions in history). But we weren’t done making sure the historic funding wins for trails and equally historic funding levels for other bike/walk projects would turn into groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings. The once-in-a-generation level of funding was threatened; we showed what was at stake; and Washingtonians spoke up and we protected the funding. Whew! (And here our policy director thought it was safe to go on vacation once the last special session ended….)

August: We continued to feature great local efforts to grow and improve bicycling, from Ellensburg (a new Bicycle Friendly Community) to Kidical Mass rides. We encouraged Seattle voters to support a local levy that would provide significant investments in better bicycling and safer streets. And in our biggest news of the year, we announced publicly that the boards of Washington Bikes and Cascade Bicycle Club were discussing the possibility of merging.

Jerry BakerSeptember: We show the great work being done by local advocates working with kids in Vancouver, Congress works on the federal transportation bill (again) with great leadership from Washington state, our ED wins a national award, and in very sad and unexpected news Jerry Baker, one of our founders and an icon of bicycling in the greater Seattle area, dies.

September’s fun bike challenge: 30 Days of Biking

October: We encourage schools to apply for Safe Routes to School curriculum grants, enjoy the fact that Colorado’s governor is trying to beat our historic funding levels (that’s the kind of governor’s race everyone can love), encourage Seattle voters to vote yes on the Move Seattle levy, and provide an update on a critical issue that’s been heating up: public ownership of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, which is a state park. And just for fun, we ask what interesting things you smell along the way when you ride.

Ferry County Rail Trail workNovember: We’re delighted to report progress on the Ferry County Rail Trail thanks to local advocates, it’s time to vote for our state entry in the national bike poster contest, we encourage people to attend John Wayne Trail town hall meetings and speak up for this historic trail (longest rail-trail in the country), it’s time for an action alert to Congress as it keeps working on federal transportatoin funding, and we provide an update on the progress of the merger talks.

November’s fun bike challenge: Ride in the Rain

Cascade-WA-Bikes-logosDecember: More great progress on bike connections to report in Jefferson County and Lewis County, Congress actually passes a transportation bill, we adopt our 2016 legislative agenda and, in a big finish to a year’s worth of bike advocacy, education, and outreach, the boards of Washington Bikes and Cascade Bicycle Club vote to merge the two organizations, forming the nation’s largest bike nonprofit.

And that doesn’t even include all the bike travel posts, highlighted rides, and thoughts about bike culture and the joys of bicycling. Here’s to a tremendous 2015 and happy pedaling as we roll into an even better 2016.

[Tweet “My fave month for biking WA in 2015 was ADD MONTH because ADD REASON.”]

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All kinds of riders for all kinds of reasons

By Louise McGrody | Published December 30, 2015

As we pedal into a new year, let’s take a look at who Washington Bikes represents. We’re riders young and young-at-heart, urban and rural, fast and not-so-fast, long distance riders and riders in the neighborhood. We share something in common: the joy of riding a bike.

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Everett-Mukilteo-Whidbey Island Century

By Guest Blogger | Published December 28, 2015

 

Ev-Muk-Whid road

We’re now a bit further north of Seattle in the city of Everett for a century ride that begins from Lakeside RV Park to Mukilteo and continues with a ferry ride out to Whidbey Island for a 91 mile hilly route that roughly goes in a counter clock-wise NW figure eight direction through the towns of Clinton, Langley, Freeland, Greenbank and Coupeville.

We exit the RV Park and take WA-99 to WA-525/Mukilteo Speedway for the eight miles down to the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal. The fare to Whidbey Island is $4.65 (other discounts may apply if eligible) plus a $1 bicycle surcharge. Arrive 15-20 minutes before departure time to be loaded prior to the vehicle loading process. There are no bike racks; they can be hooked on or strapped to the yellow side railings of the boat. The ferry crossing to Clinton is an enjoyable 20 minutes from Mukilteo.

muk-lighthouse

From the Clinton Ferry Dock, we take WA-525 to Bob Galbreath Rd; this road initially goes through the residential neighborhoods of Clinton before winding out towards the dense wooded area on Wilkinson Rd. The rolling hills takes us pass the Comforts Farm and Vineyards and a cute little farm stand at Ryrose Ranch.

Sandy Point Rd leads us onto the Langley Loop on Camano Ave; this road takes us into the seaside town of Langley pass the cool graphics at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. I also noticed lots of grazing bunnies roaming freely around the surrounding grassy areas and at the campground cross the street.

The Langley Loop continues on Cascade Ave; this short stretch of road runs along the top of the bluff with amazing views of Puget Sound. This tiny town of less than 3/4 of a mile square is filled with historic buildings that house the many different galleries, studios, boutiques, B&B’s, Inns, cafes and restaurants. Even in this small community of 950 people, there are three different churches and a Alcoholics Anonymous!

Saratoga Rd leads us out of town to the “country’ with its open pastoral meadows, ranches and farms. The road heads north up to the tip at Baby Island Heights along the hidden backyards of the waterfront community.

We head south on East Harbor Rd; this quiet road goes through a huge section of dense forest with small residential neighborhoods hidden behind the woods. You see the occasional flower stand out on the side of the road along with grazing deer.

East Harbor Rd ends at the outskirts of another small community-Freeland. Freeland is the island’s retail and financial center. We continue on S Stewart Rd to Freeland Park for a quick pit stop. This park has a boat launch area with gorgeous views of Holmes Harbor! I even spot a bald eagle perched up on a tree-WOW!

whid-eagle

The short steep climb up Shoreview Dr takes us across WA-525 to E Bush Point Rd; this road goes through the rural farmlands out towards the small residential areas around Mutiny Bay. Smugglers Cove Rd is a road that runs parallel to Bush Point and continues north through the lush forests to South Whidbey State Park. This is a great shaded place to stop for a quick snack, water & restrooms. The rolling climbs on Smugglers Cove Rd continue pass Lagoon Point and weaves its way out to WA-525.

From WA-525, we make a quick turn onto North Bluff Rd into the smallest town on the island-Greenbank. This town is situated on the narrowest point of the island and is home to the historic Greenbank Farm-a popular tourist destination. You simply can’t miss the bright red barn-it stands out against the green agricultural fields!

We stay on North Bluff Rd for next rolling 3.8 miles to the steep climb up Houston Rd and get back on WA-525 N to Race Rd. Race Rd runs along the east edge of the island near Harrington Lagoon. Morris Rd turns west and opens up to the expansive meadows of Smith Prairie.

Parker Rd leads us into the town of Coupeville, on Penn Cove along the eastern shore of the island. Our lunch stop is at the Knead & Feed Bakery Restaurant on Front St. There’s a little sitting area next to the bakery with fabulous views of Penn Cove.

Coupeville is like a blast from the past with its beautiful Victorian homes and original blockhouses. The historic Front St has the usual mixes of antique shops, boutiques and restaurants. The Coupeville Wharf is one of the only remaining original wharfs and wharf building in the Pacific Northwest-WOW! This is another popular tourist destination spot!

We exit Coupeville and head a bit further west along Madrona Way; this beautiful madrona tree lined road hugs the shoreline of Penn Cove to Kennedys Lagoon. The 3.7 miles on WA-20 takes us back into Coupeville.

coup-bay

From Coupeville, we turn onto S Engle Rd for the flat stretch through Ebbys Prairie; this rural area is a rich coastal farmland with fields and fields of barley, oats and organic grains. With views of Puget Sound in the far distance, the road drops down into Fort Casey State Park, north of the Coupeville Ferry Terminal.

We continue on Fort Casey Rd up to the Crockett Blockhouse and Crockett Farm with views of Crockett Lake.

W Wanamaker Rd cuts through the coastal farmlands and ranches near Crockett Lake out to WA-505.

This section of the route retraces itself on WA-525 to Houston Rd and North Bluff Rd back to Greenbank. We continue on WA-525 S to the rolling hills on Resort Rd and Honeymoon Bay Rd towards Holmes Harbor. We get back on WA-525 through the towns of Freeland and Bayview.

The turn on Bayview Rd takes us through the small neighborhoods towards the southern point of the island near Cultus Bay. We weave our way along the shoreline on Ewing Rd, Sills Rd to Maxwelton with views of Useless Bay.

The steady climb up Swede Hill Rd takes us to the descent on Scatchet head Rd to Bailey Rd. We continue north on the rolling climbs up Cultus Bay Rd to Deer Lake Rd. The last few rollers on Deer Lake Rd take us back onto WA-525 into Clinton and to the Clinton Ferry Terminal.

It’s a relaxing scenic 20 minute ferry ride back to Mukilteo. The steady climb up Mukilteo Speedway/WA-525 takes us to WA-99 and back to the RV Park in Everett.

Whidbey Island is the largest island in Puget Sound and only 29 miles away from Seattle. It’s still very close but seems a far distance away in terms of old world feel-it’s a wonderful getaway! It’s a beautiful rural island with many small communities dotted and hidden amongst the verdant forests with plenty of history and charm! Here’s another tidbit I learned from talking to a local, there are no mosquitoes and because the island is situated in the rain shadow of the Olympics, they have more sunshine than any other Western Washington location! It might be time to move! So go ahead, go north and enjoy the quiet hilly country roads and gorgeous coastal rural landscapes that comes along with it! There are no bad roads, they’re all well maintained with minimal to no traffic except for the busy sections along WA-525 and WA-20, even then, there’s plenty of shoulder area to ride on.

Garmin Stats:
107.23 Miles with 7776′ of elevation gain
(includes 16 out & back miles from Everett to Mukilteo)
Max elevation: 398′
Max grade: 14%
Terrain: Hilly

Weather: FANTASTIC! Sunny, warm and clear with temps ranging from the low 50’s to the low 80’s. NNE winds with 94% humidity

ev-whid-coup

Guest blogger Nancy Yu writes about her bike travels at Ride Chronicles. She says, “I loved cycling around Washington. It’s a beautiful state with a wonderful network of trails and bike-friendly people. I ride to explore and love sharing my findings! I hope the write-ups and pictures will inspire those who can to get out there and enjoy the natural beauty of all that is available to us.”

Posted in Adventure, Bike Blogs, Guest Blogger, Rides, Whidbey Island | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Everett-Mukilteo-Whidbey Island Century

2016 Washington Bikes Legislative Agenda

By Blake Trask | Published December 23, 2015

Washington Bikes’ 2016 Legislative Agenda seeks to protect historic investments in biking, support distracted driving legislation, grow bicycle travel and tourism, and protect trails.

Trying to outdo what was arguably the most successful legislative sessions for biking in Washington state history is a tall order. In 2015, Washington Bike’ priority legislation, the “dead red” bill, passed in its first attempt with strong bipartisan support for a common-sense safety solution. The Washington State Legislature also passed a state transportation package, which invests approximately $500 million for biking, walking, Safe Routes to Schools, and complete streets projects over the next 16 years. Additionally, the two-year state capital budget invested in a record $15.5 million to build important trail connections statewide. To top it off, the legislature passed a bill to establish an outdoor recreation sector lead in the Governor’s Office and to support important changes for outdoor youth education.Little girl on bike seen from te back, wearing helmet, others biking/walking in street.

All those achievements didn’t come easy as the legislature went through not one, but three special overtime sessions. It amounted to a record 176 days in session (the 2015 legislature originally was scheduled to last 105 days). By most accounts, many remain fatigued and are looking to complete the “short” 60-day second session of the two-year biennium on time.

The 2016 Legislative Agenda

Washington Bikes Board of Directors and its Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee set a 2016 approach with four focus areas that largely mirrors last year’s agenda. It adds one significant focus to protect trails, like the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.

Here are the four priority areas (note, they are not prioritized by the Committee or the Board):

Investments that get Washingtonians where they want to go

Washington Bikes continues to support transportation investments that focus on smart investments in successful programs that provide safe and healthy routes to schools for our children, complete streets for Washington’s main streets and business districts, as well as investments in trails and bikeways that improve mobility and spur economic development in rural and urban areas alike.

  • Ask: (1) Retain historic funding levels made by 2015 Legislature for the Safe Routes to School Grant Program, Bicycle Pedestrian Safety Grant Program, Complete Streets Grant Program, as well as the bicycle and pedestrian project list.

Protecting Trails Statewide

Washington state has some of the longest and most iconic trails in the nation for biking, walking. Washington Bikes is committed to keeping trails open and accessible. Washington Bikes will monitor and explore the potential for additional investments that connect and improve trails for neighboring residents, visitors, and neighboring communities that benefit from the economic opportunities that trails bring via the $3.1 billion that bicycle riders spend in Washington state.

Growing the Multimillion Dollar Bicycle Travel & Tourism Industry

Bicycle travel and tourism is big business. According to a 2015 Economic Impact study from the Governor’s Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Washington state bicycle riders spend $3.1 billion annually. An improved understanding of bike travel and tourism in Washington state is needed to make smart choices for growth statewide, particularly in rural areas.

  • Ask: Funding for a study of the economic impact of bicycle travel and tourism by the Department of Commerce will help quantify the industry and improve strategies to grow our state’s economy.

Strengthen Washington State’s Distracted Driving Laws

Following Washington Bikes successful lobbying in 2010, this Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) agency request legislation improves upon the current law by broadening the definition so that any person (with much narrower exceptions) operating a motor vehicle while holding a personal wireless communications device is guilty of a traffic infraction. It closes loopholes such as being able to use one’s phone while stopped at an intersection or stoplight (currently legal), it also expands the definitions of handheld uses to ban texting and email use on smart phones. Additional violations receive twice the penalty, plus violations go on one’s driver record for insurance purposes. Finally, distracted driving would be included in Department of Licensing exams (currently they are not).

  • Ask: WTSC agency request legislation.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Economic Impact, Funding/Policy, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, Legislature, News, Safe Routes to School, Trails, Transportation | Comments Off on 2016 Washington Bikes Legislative Agenda