By many measures, transportation on King County’s Eastside is changing. By 2024 EastLink Light rail will be open, with stations that will make connecting to Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond easier than ever. Also by 2024, Eastrail, the Eastside’s north/south trail corridor and “bike network spine” will be completed between Woodinville and Renton, connecting Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue by bike. How well people on foot and travelling by bike can access transit and trail on opening day is down to funding, vision and political will. Thanks to advocates and elected leaders, some progress has been made in recent years. But there’s more to do, especially considering the disturbing trend in some Eastside cities of increasing death and serious injury crashes involving people walking and biking on our streets. Along with potential for connectivity, Eastside cities must do more to address this transportation-related public health crisis within their jurisdictions. 

During Washington Bikes’ endorsement process, we asked candidates for office in each of the below races how they would champion solutions to make their community safer and more accessible for people who bike – or want to. Read on for Washington Bikes endorsements, and a deeper dive into issues in key Eastside cities. 

In Seattle, City Council and Mayor each play vital roles in advancing transportation policy and funding. The results when we have champions in office? Progress towards our vision of neighborhoods connected by bike. Over the next four years, Seattle politicians will have lots of opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to making biking an intuitive and safe transportation option for all.

In Seattle, City Council and Mayor each play vital roles in advancing transportation policy and funding. The results when we have champions in office? Progress towards our vision of neighborhoods connected by bike. Over the next four years, Seattle politicians will have lots of opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to making biking an intuitive and safe transportation option for all.

During Washington Bikes’ endorsement process, we asked candidates for office in each of the below races how they would get Vision Zero on track, and reverse the trend of increasing deaths and serious injuries of people biking and walking on our streets. We asked for their commitments to grow investments in a connected, protected bike network as the Levy to Move Seattle expires and its successor’s funding strategy is shaped by council, mayor and community for a vote in 2024 (which means a lot of work to shape the funding package ahead of time). And, we asked candidates if they would champion and hold the line on key biking projects where the biggest hurdle is political will, not funding. We’re excited to announce our Seattle endorsed candidates, and we encourage you to give them your vote.

Among the many other important elected positions on Seattle’s ballot, Washington Bikes also endorsed in the Port of Seattle and County Executive races.

District 8 (Citywide) Seattle City Council: Teresa Mosqueda

Washington Bikes believes Teresa Mosqueda is the right choice for Seattle City Council Position 8. Teresa has demonstrated leadership on bike safety issues while on council, and she is an important voice that deserves a second term. Whether it’s helping evolve the advocate narrative around who we must build the bike network for (must watch video about the ALEGRA bike network) or leading budget negotiations to increase funding for much needed bike safety projects, Teresa backs better biking. Teresa has committed to working to grow funding for bike safety projects in the city budget and next transportation Levy, and supports key projects in the city where political will, not funding, are the biggest hurdle.

From Teresa:

“We don’t have connected bike lanes or connected sidewalks. That infrastructure must be prioritized, and we must keep our commitment to voters and carry through on our Move Seattle and Vision Zero promises. Creating road diets, and ways to get cars to slow down and physically removed from areas where pedestrians and cyclists are is crucial in order to ensure that our children can safely walk and bike to school. This will involve investments in creating safe bike lanes and pedestrian corridors, which is already underway through the Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan. But additionally, we must make sure these investments are equitable and placed in the communities that have been marginalized and have the greatest need for infrastructure improvements.

Read Teresa’s questionnaire responses

District 9 (Citywide) Seattle City Council: Nikkita Oliver

Washington Bikes believes Nikkita Oliver is the right choice for Seattle City Council Position 9. It is clear that Nikkita understands how bicycling fits into the broader issues of mobility, climate, and economic justice. Having recently started biking again for the first time since childhood, Nikkita understands first-hand that Seattle has a long way to go before people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds will feel comfortable on a bike. Nikkita knows that prioritizing active transportation improves community safety and well-being. They are committed to advancing policies that make bicycling safer, more accessible, and welcoming for all communities. Nikkita has committed to working to grow funding for bike safety projects in the city budget and next transportation levy, and supports key projects in the city where political will, not funding, are the biggest hurdle.

From Nikkita:
“Investing in the community is a top priority for our campaign, especially when it comes to measures that create safety. More public space for people walking and rolling is very important, not only for helping people thrive but also for physical safety… I support completing and expanding Seattle’s protected bicycle network…”

Read Nikkita’s questionnaire responses

Mayor of Seattle: M. Lorena González and Bruce Harrell (Dual Endorsement)
M. Lorena González

Washington Bikes endorses M. Lorena González for Seattle Mayor. Reshaping Seattle as a 15 minute city is a central element of Lorena’s campaign platform. That’s because Lorena understands that multi-modal transportation and land use fit together hand in hand – and are necessary to reach the city’s mobility, climate, and economic goals. We know that Lorena will hold the line on key projects needed to advance Seattle’s citywide bike network, including bike lanes along Eastlake and completing the Burke-Gilman Missing Link along Shileshole Ave NW. We look forward to working with Lorena as she brings her record of supporting safer biking to the Mayor’s office to grow investments in completing a connected bike network citywide – especially in historically under-resourced South Seattle.

From Lorena:
“We must finish the Bike Master Plan and provide for sidewalks in every corner of Seattle. It’s no mistake that South Seattle has the highest concentration of people of color in the city, has some of the least complete sidewalk and bike infrastructure, and is home to the most dangerous streets and highest pedestrian injury and death rates—it’s the result of a legacy of underinvestment we must rectify. Dedicated bike and walking lanes, road design to discourage dangerous driving and speeding, and other measures will reduce conflicts between road users, increasing safety and encouraging more to walk and ride—it also will help everyone get where they’re going faster.”

Read Lorena’s questionnaire responses

Bruce Harrell

Washington Bikes endorses Bruce Harrell for Seattle Mayor. Bruce indicated strong support for growing investments for biking, as well as holding the line on key projects needed to advance Seattle’s citywide bike network – including bike lanes along Eastlake and completing the Burke-Gilman Missing Link along Shileshole Ave NW. As Mayor, we look forward to working with Bruce as he builds on his council record of votes in favor of building Seattle’s bike network. Throughout our endorsement process, Bruce committed to using the Mayor’s office to make biking safer and more accessible across the city – especially in South Seattle.

From Bruce:
“Reducing transportation emissions is crucial to our mission to defeat climate change. I absolutely support reducing the number of car trips we take through better planning and access to transit, sidewalks, and bike lanes… We have to look at transportation comprehensively – investing in a variety of solutions like safe sidewalks and bike lanes, electric charging infrastructure and expanded access to e-bikes, and connections to large rail projects, like expediting ST3 and making Cascadia high speed rail possible. For too long automobiles have been the top focus – in our transportation system priorities locally to the transportation packages passed at the state level. During COVID, we’ve seen how transitioning some parking spaces into outdoor seating areas has revitalized our neighborhoods, and I would look for other opportunities to creatively repurpose car-focused infrastructure – making our streets more people, pedestrian and cyclist focused.

Read Bruce’s questionnaire responses

Washington Bikes announces our 2021 general election endorsements for candidates for office in communities across Washington state.

Washington Bikes & Votes: Vote for these bike-friendly candidates in the upcoming general election on Nov. 2

Elected leaders who prioritize connected, comfortable and safe places for active transportation and recreation are critical for creating safe, healthy, and thriving communities. That’s why Washington Bikes makes candidate endorsements in races across the state. Read on for Washington Bikes’ 2021 endorsements. 

Our criteria: Washington Bikes endorsed electeds who led or partnered on efforts to create safer streets for all, increase accessibility to trails, improve healthy communities and health outcomes, and contribute to the economic vitality of Washington’s communities. Additionally, Washington Bikes has endorsed first-time candidates who share our vision of neighborhoods connected by bike. 

We’d like to thank all of the candidates, endorsed or otherwise, for taking the time to participate in Washington Bikes’ endorsement process. 

The Washington Bikes endorsement speaks to thousands of engaged Washingtonians statewide who care about a range of issues. From wanting more connected trails, to safer and more equitable neighborhood streets, to more opportunities for physical activity, Washingtonians are looking for leaders and policies that will advance these priorities. 

With less than four weeks until Election Day, we are in the final stretch! Are you ready to vote? Register if you are new to WA or have recently moved through the Washington Secretary of State’s office. If not, you have until eight days ahead of Election Day to register online or by mail. You can also register in person until the close of business hours on Election Day! 

Curious what will appear on your November ballot? Check out your sample ballot at Ballotpedia. Lastly, Washington is a vote-by-mail state, so expect your ballot in the mail around Oct. 15.

Washington became the fifth state to legalize the Safety Stop on Oct. 1 of 2020, allowing people who bike to treat stop signs as a yield if the coast is clear. As the anniversary nears, we spoke to people who bike about how the law is improving their rides.

Before the Safety Stop became law, Sal Ponce remembers riding his e-cargo bike through Beacon Hill neighborhood streets with his daughter in tow, diligently stopping at every stop sign even though there was no traffic. Though he would often yield at the block-after-block stop signs when biking by himself, he wanted to demonstrate proper behavior for his kids–but all his daughter felt was whiplash.

“My cargo bike is a bit of a boat, so my daughter started asking me, ‘Daddy, why are we stopping again?’ Being able to check intersections, keep a reasonable speed, and not have a jarring stop every block is one great result of the Safety Stop.”

The Safety Stop, which went into effect statewide on Oct. 1 of 2020, is an intuitive law that allows people who bike to treat stop signs as a yield, similar to the “Idaho Stop.” The law was Washington Bikes’ priority legislation during the 2020 legislative session because it helps prevent crashes at intersections, the most dangerous place for people on bikes.

The Safety Stop received overwhelming bipartisan support in Olympia because it is practical and seamless for how people already ride, and it keeps everyone safer on the road. When a similar law passed in Idaho in 1982, bicycle injuries dropped by 14 percent.

People on bikes are extremely vulnerable to being hit by distracted drivers when stopped at an intersection. In addition, people on bikes have an unobstructed view in all directions, unlike people in cars who have “blind spots.”

For Noelle “Bunny” Lindemann, the law ended her worry about being ticketed by police for riding in a manner she knew was safer. “I biked this way for a while, but I was always scared if a police officer saw me, what the repercussions were,” she said.

“Now, I am able to see what is coming and go or wait, and to stay at a better speed,” Lindemann added. “I don’t have to stop and start, and I don’t have to surprise drivers who aren’t looking for a cyclist to be starting and stopping.”

Here’s how the Safety Stop works: people on bikes are required to slow down to a reasonable speed at stop signs, a speed that allows them to stop if necessary. They must stop completely if there are vehicles or pedestrians in the intersection, if they are behind a school bus with a raised stop sign, and at railroad crossings when a train is near. If the coast is clear, they can roll on through the intersection, maintaining momentum and keeping traffic behind them from catching up or coming too close. The law actually improves the flow of traffic for cars, making it a win for everyone on the road.

Check out Olga Lucia Herrera practicing the Safety Stop in Spokane. Notice how the car behind her doesn’t have to get too close because she can roll through the intersection.

In addition to Washington and Idaho, Delaware, Arkansas, and Oregon have legalized a law similar to the Safety Stop. Oregon’s law passed in 2019 after several attempts. Due to the strong bipartisan support for biking in Washington state and WA Bikes’ ability to pass practical, safe, and smart legislation, the Safety Stop was passed on its first try. It was sponsored by Sen. Andy Billig (D-3rd) and Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34th).

“There’s a reason this law received huge support from both sides of the aisle in Olympia–it makes sense and it makes the roads safer,” said Alex Alston, Washington Bikes’ state policy director and lead lobbyist in Olympia. “The Safety Stop was approved so swiftly thanks to our supporters, advocates, and legislative champions.”

As Washington Bikes prepares to release its 2021 candidate endorsements, we will also be planning our 2022 legislative agenda. Stay tuned for info on electing bike champions statewide for more great bike safety laws, and for our upcoming legislative priorities.

• Lee Lambert officially begins on Sept. 12 at Cascade’s Brats & Brews Family BBQ fundraiser.
• We took a spin with our new ED to learn about his love of bikes, teaching his kids to ride, his views on how Cascade and Washington Bikes can boost bicycling–and make our organizations leaders in racial equity and climate action.

Lee Lambert has loved bikes since learning to ride as a child in a church parking lot. His first bike was an orange Huffy with a banana seat and rear suspension. These days, he rides a Novara road bike from REI for commuting and touring, a full-suspension mountain bike for weekend singletrack adventures, and a tandem bicycle on which he and his wife have completed STP, RSVP, and many other group rides.

“I’ve ridden bikes all my life for recreation, transportation, commuting, and exercise. Bicycling is part of who I am,” he says.

Lambert begins his job as the new executive director of Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes on Sunday, Sept. 12. Members and donors can meet Lambert that day by registering for the Brats and Brews Family BBQ and Pedaling On Fundraiser.

Lambert comes to Cascade following a long career in public service and nonprofit leadership, with stints as executive director of City Year Seattle/King County, and the Washington STEM Network, as well as staff roles with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, of the 9th Congressional District. Read more about his hiring and background in our press release.

Lambert, 46, joins Cascade in its 51st year at a pivotal time in the organization’s history as it grapples with the challenges–and opportunities–of the pandemic. Revenues declined due to the cancellation of many events that fund Cascade’s advocacy, education, and community initiatives. But the pandemic also spurred a bike boom as more people across Washington took up riding for health and happiness. Cascade is now ramping up its events season to meet the public desire to get out and ride, while Washington Bikes is working to advance policy initiatives that support more bicycling infrastructure across the state to meet the increased demand for safe places to ride.

Lambert will have a hand in shaping Cascade’s and Washington Bikes’ new missions, as well as both organizations’ efforts to create a more equitable, diverse, and welcoming bicycling culture that helps more people ride for a healthier and more sustainable future.

Before he takes the helm, Lambert has been on a “listening tour” during which he rides with members of the Cascade staff and board to solicit ideas. We met for a quick spin over the SR 520 Bridge Trail that connects Seattle to the East side. We chatted about his lifelong love of bikes, and how he can use his background in public policy, youth empowerment, educational attainment, and diversity initiatives, to help Cascade and Washington Bikes advance their missions. One of his goals is to make Cascade a truly statewide organization despite its historical epicenter of work in the Puget Sound region.

Lambert and his wife live in Shoreline and have two teenage children. He has ridden STP four times (twice on a tandem with his wife), RSVP once, Chilly Hilly twice, and the Kitsap Color Classic three times.

Q: What inspired you to work with Cascade and Washington Bikes?

Lambert: I love bikes and I chose a career as a nonprofit director, so this is a pairing of my professional and personal passions.

Can you share some favorite memories of riding STP and RSVP, and what compelled you to participate in these signature Cascade events?

I did STP for the first time with my Uncle Andrew who has been my bike riding companion since I was a teenager growing up in Tacoma. He lived one block away and we would go on long rides together. One of those must have been around the time of STP because we saw the route markers. That was my first awareness of it.

Two of my STPs have been on the tandem with my wife. It’s a great experience. I’ve never been a fast rider but on a tandem you can really get cruising. Another tandem couple once told us: ‘Whatever direction your relationship is going, you’ll get there twice as fast on a tandem.’

Two years later we rode STP on our tandem again with friends who also rode their tandem. We had two tandems and we were flying. Somewhere near Chehalis we hooked up with a third tandem, so it was three tandems drafting in a pace line. We looked behind and there was a line of cyclists riding in our slipstream. It was a perfect moment that symbolizes how we can all accomplish more when we work together.

In 2017 I rode it for the first time by myself. I was recovering from knee surgery and wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I met a great crew of folks, and the next May they texted me and asked, ‘Hey are we riding STP again?’

The community aspect of STP is one of my greatest memories. One year we were riding and I had overfilled the tires on our tandem bike. We had a catastrophic blowout. I was having trouble changing the tube. We finally got the tube fixed and headed out, and then I did a bad shift and twisted a chain link. We were stuck in the middle of our triple ring. We limped to the REI rest stop. One of the magic technicians there repaired our chain in no time. I wanted to tip the mechanic but they said, ‘No, this is what we do.’

STP is more than a huge cycling event that brings together thousands of riders from around the state and country. It creates a sense of community and camaraderie that binds us all together in a shared experience.

How have bicycles been important in your life for health, happiness, and for basic transportation?

Cycling is a way to clear your thoughts. You can do it together with other people but you are also by yourself with your thoughts. It allows you to think and focus. Exercising is when I get some of my best work done. It’s a time to think through problems and come up with solutions. It also has the magical ability to clear your head of stress or trivial matters.

Teaching children how to ride a bike is an iconic moment for parents. Can you tell us about that experience?

It was a big deal for me to teach our kids. Both of our kids first rode with training wheels. Then, for each of them we decided ‘this is the week’ to remove the training wheels. There is a paved track near our house in Shoreline. We went across the street to the track and did the hunched-over run-behind while pushing. We’d let go and they would crash on the grass. For each of them it took about 60 minutes over five days. It’s an incredible feeling when they ride away from your hand–and you hope they remember how to brake. My only regret is six months later another parent told me about this bar that goes behind the seat so you can run and push. How did I not know this bar existed? I could have saved myself a lot of back pain!

What barriers did you face or overcome in your bicycling journey?

A milestone moment was when I bought my first, quote, ‘nice bike’. I was 16 and had my first paying job. After a few paychecks I got a Trek 820. It was a key moment in my cycling experience. That bike took me all around Tacoma and through college. I used it to commute to work and classes. When I graduated and began my career, I used it to commute to work in Seattle. The 2nd Avenue protected bike lane didn’t exist back then. It’s incredible to see how far Seattle, the Puget Sound region, and Washington state have come in terms of providing more safe cycling routes and infrastructure. Cascade played a big role in those improvements.

Regarding barriers, there are many barriers that prevent people from riding. One of the biggest is safety. Many people just don’t feel safe riding on our streets. I had to overcome my fear of riding around cars in places where there isn’t dedicated bicycling infrastructure. Historically, Cascade and its policy work have made a big impact in making Seattle, the Puget Sound region and many communities in Washington safer places to ride. But there is much more work to be done. Pushing investments that make our streets safer is one way that Cascade and Washington Bikes can help break down barriers, along with continuing to push our Vision Zero goals.

What can Cascade do to increase access to bikes, especially for young people in historically underserved communities?

Growing up in Tacoma we had so-called ‘Franken Bikes’ that we put together with spare parts. Nothing teaches engineering skills like needing to fix your bike, especially when it breaks down 10 miles from home. Bike repair is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skill. It’s engineering and problem solving. The Major Taylor Project’s Build-a-Bike program is an example of how Cascade teaches engineering skills, and we can work to provide more of those opportunities.

Regarding making inroads into underserved communities and increasing access, we need to develop partnerships with organizations serving communities that haven’t traditionally had access to bicycling opportunities and ask them how we can help. We can listen and learn how to use our complementary strengths to make cycling more accessible. It might be a pop-up bike repair shop, bicycle safety class or advocacy. We have to go where there is need and leverage Cascade’s core competencies in service of our mission.

What excites you about our three pillars of bicycle work: community events, advocacy, and education?

It aligns with my personal passions. I am a policy nerd. I have the patience to see an advocacy goal and work incrementally until we achieve that goal. When I was working with Senator (Maria) Cantwell, we would tour cities and see improvements and new infrastructure that resulted from federal grants that we helped provide. Oftentimes this would be bicycle infrastructure. Sometimes those improvements are slow in coming but we keep working toward them.

As for events, group rides are great. I want to make participating in different Free Group Rides part of my routine, so that I can get input from participants and meet our members, volunteers and ride leaders. It’s fun to be in a big group of people on bikes. Someone described STP as a rolling party. It is that and so much more.

In terms of Cascade’s education work, learning how to repair a bike is a STEM skill. Can you identify and solve a problem? Sometimes it’s easier to do that with a bicycle after school than in the classroom dealing with abstract theory. For younger kids, learning how to ride a bike is a life changing event. It opens up your world, allows you to explore your neighborhood and venture out under your own power. I was astounded to learn that Cascade’s Let’s Go program was teaching 20,000 public school children basic bicycling safety skills prior to the pandemic. That’s a hugely impactful program, and it shows how relevant Cascade is to communities. As schools reopen and in-school learning returns, we will continue to ramp up programs such as Major Taylor and Let’s Go so that we are positively touching lives and giving more kids the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of exploring their world by bicycle.

Cascade and Washington Bikes can also make a big difference by continuing to advance policy efforts that create more safe places to ride and link communities together with safe bike routes. Safety concerns are a big barrier. I used to commute by bike from north Seattle to the federal building downtown. This was before the 2nd Avenue bike lane and 4th Avenue bike lane. It was nerve wracking sometimes. When the city put those bike lanes in, it changed everything.

Cascade and Washington Bikes have made a commitment to anti-racism and are working to implement our board-approved racial equity plan. What do you see as the opportunities and challenges with our commitment?

I encourage people to read the blog post I wrote at City Year. We are all on a journey. You know you are doing the anti-racism work right if you’re a little uncomfortable. We all need to push ourselves a bit and listen and learn. The organization doesn’t have to be perfect right away. It should be on a continuous improvement journey. I have been pleased to learn about Cascade’s creation of a Racial Equity Committee to improve its internal and external processes and help eliminate systemic racism within Washington’s bicycling community. The way we become a more equitable society is by working to undo racism within our locus of control. We all have a sphere of influence. That’s true if you are a student or an executive director or a mayor. If we all do the work, we will get to a more equitable society.

You’ve managed a $5 million organization with a 25-person staff and 88 Americorps members successfully through the pandemic. What lessons did you learn that you want to bring to Cascade and Washington Bikes?

Prioritize your people. Prioritizing people and focusing on them while leaning into the core mission is what helped us navigate the pandemic.

Climate Justice is one of Cascade’s values. How can Cascade rally the bicycling community to press for greater action to help solve the climate crisis?

If we accept that riding a bike is better for the environment than driving a car, and we acknowledge that there are barriers to riding a bike, then step one in advancing climate justice is through making bicycling safer and more accessible to everyone. Bicycles can be a big part of the solution to lowering our society’s carbon emissions. We also know that underserved communities and communities of color are already being impacted harder by the climate crisis, and that will only worsen. The climate crisis threatens to exacerbate these inequities. If we care about racial equity, we have to help solve the climate crisis.

Climate change is also a direct threat to bicycling. Wildfire smoke has made it unhealthy to exercise outdoors on some days. The heat domes we have experienced this summer made it too hot to safely ride a bike. People who ride bikes in Washington state have historically enjoyed clean air and moderate temperatures. I have lived in Western Washington my entire life and I’ve never experienced smoke or heat like we’ve had recently. If we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy this activity we all love so much, we must do more to transition off of fossil fuels.

• Lambert takes the helm of Cascade and WA Bikes following a long career in public service and nonprofit leadership.

• Executive director of City Year Seattle/King County, former staff member for U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Adam Smith

• Four-time STP finisher, lifelong bicyclist

SEATTLE — Cascade Bicycle Club, the nation’s largest statewide bicycling nonprofit, and its sister organization Washington Bikes have named Lee Lambert as their new executive director. Lambert, who currently serves as executive director of City Year Seattle/King County, joins Cascade following a long career in state and federal politics and nonprofit leadership focused on education, inclusivity, and youth empowerment.

A lifelong lover of bikes for transportation, recreation, and fitness, and a four-time finisher of Cascade’s iconic Seattle to Portland ride, Lambert officially begins on Sunday, Sept. 12. Cascade members are invited to meet him that day during the Brats & Brews family BBQ and Pedaling On fundraiser at the organization’s Magnuson Park headquarters, starting at 5 p.m.

“As an active bicyclist and follower of state and local government, I have seen the impact that Cascade and Washington Bikes have made in Seattle, the Puget Sound region, and Washington state, where the amount of bicycling infrastructure continues to expand and where more people of all races, ages, genders, and backgrounds are riding bikes than ever before,” Lambert says.

“Washington consistently ranks as one of the most bike friendly states in the nation thanks in large part to Cascade and Washington Bikes’ hard work uniting people to experience the joy of bicycling,” says Lambert. “As we emerge from the pandemic and press forward with efforts to make bicycling and society at large more equitable, we have a tremendous opportunity to use our collective pedal power to drive progress–and use bikes as tools to improve our region’s health, safety, sustainability, and economy.”

Board President Tamara Kim Schmautz lauded Lambert’s experience and commitment to Cascade’s mission of bringing people together to experience the joy of bicycling through transportation, recreation, and friendship. “We are extremely excited and proud to find someone of Lee’s caliber to lead our organization, and help us chart a new path forward for the next 50 years,” she says. “Lee is a lifelong resident of our region who has devoted his career to public service and nonprofit leadership that is uplifting, collaborative, and unifying. We all look forward to pedaling alongside Lee as he begins this new journey.”

Lambert is the first Black Executive Director to lead Cascade in its 51-year history. He joins Cascade following a year in which the organization adopted a new Mission, Vision, and Values that reflects a stronger commitment to racial equity, as well as a Commitment to Anti-Racism.

About Lambert

As the executive director of City Year Seattle/King County since 2018, Lambert led a team of 25 staffers and 88 Americorps members while overseeing a budget of $5 million. Prior to City Year, Lambert served as director of the Washington STEM Network, managing a $2 million grant portfolio and advancing efforts to increase educational and career opportunities for systemically underserved students.

Lambert also served as the founding director of the Washington College Access Network, while working for the College Success Foundation. Prior to his nonprofit career, Lambert worked for U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell as the Washington state special projects manager and grants coordinator. He previously worked for U.S. Rep. Adam Smith as a constituent services representative.

Lambert has a masters degree in public administration from Seattle University and a BA in political science from Washington State University. He lives in Shoreline with his wife and two teenage children, and he owns three bikes–including a tandem upon which he and his wife rode STP twice. Lambert learned to ride bikes in a church parking lot. He grew up in Tacoma, where he began exploring the region by bicycle, thanks to the mentorship of an uncle, Andrew Lambert. He has ridden bikes throughout his life for transportation, commuting, recreation, and fitness.

About Cascade

Cascade Bicycle Club, the nation’s largest statewide bicycling nonprofit, serves bike riders of all ages, races, genders, income levels, and abilities throughout the state of Washington. We teach the joys of bicycling, advocate for safe places to ride, and produce world-class rides and events. Our signature programs include the Seattle to Portland, Free Group Rides, the Pedaling Relief Project, the Advocacy Leadership Institute, the Bike Walk Roll Summit, Let’s Go, and the Major Taylor Project. cascade.org

About Washington Bikes

Washington Bikes increases investments to build and maintain bicycle connections as well as safe places to walk and roll; provides tools for local advocates to improve their communities; and promotes the health, safety, and economic benefits of bicycling. Our work and that of our many partner organizations means more people biking all across Washington, the #1 Bicycle Friendly State in America (every year since 2008)!