The car's 51-year-old driver was assessed for DUI, but officers found no signs of impairment. They do, however, suspect the moped rider was intoxicated, according to a post on the SPD Blotter.

The man's injuries are not considered life-threatening.

From SPD:

At approximately 1:30 am this morning a 27 year old male was riding his 1979 Puch (Austrian made) moped northbound on 25th Avenue approaching East Spring Street.  At the same time, a 1989 Chrysler New Yorker driven by a 51 year old was eastbound on East Spring Street approaching 25th.  The two vehicles collided in the intersection and the moped driver was thrown to the street.

The 27 year old sustained substantial facial injuries.  He was wearing a helmet, but no face shield.  Seattle Police and Seattle Fire responded and the medics treated and transported the rider to Harborview.  His injuries, while significant, are not considered life-threatening.  The moped rider did exhibit signs of alcohol impairment.  He was evaluated and processed for DUI.  The driver of the car was also evaluated at the scene by officers, but no sings of impairment were detected.

Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded and processed the scene.  They will continue to investigate this collision.

But currently, the state’s plans do not include a biking and walking facility on the Portage Bay segment of elevated freeway between Montlake and the I-5 interchange near Roanoke Park in North Capitol Hill.

With funding for the 520 Bridge Replacement Project still looking at a $2 billion gap, the state has moved forward with design and public outreach for the project. The state is holding a meeting Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. until noon at Seattle Prep.

Swing by and encourage them to design this project with biking and walking as a priority!

They will then march down Yesler toward the Federal Building Plaza, where they will hold a rally.

“This counter says that bicycling counts, that you count and that investing in cycling infrastructure counts,” said Cascade’s John Mauro at the Bike to Work rally at City Hall. “An investment in bicycling is an investment in the city of the future,” Mauro said, echoing points Mayor Mike McGinn made during his speech.

“It’s not about flying cars and jet packs any more,” McGinn said, referring to the vision of the future presented 50 years ago during the Seattle World’s Fair. Rather, the city of future is more sustainable and enjoyable to live in, and it has a lot of bicycles, the mayor said.

Bemoaning media reports that focus on “cars vs bikes” conflict, McGinn said the people of Seattle are better than that.

“We believe in something different,” he said. “We don’t believe in fighting each other, we want to build the city of the future.”

Kay Smith-Blum from Seattle Public Schools also took to the podium during the rally, and she brought some ambitious ideas about increasing biking and walking to school both as a way for kids to stay healthy and attentive and as a way for the district to save money on transportation.

“More students walking and biking to school puts more money in our classrooms,” she said. Half a century ago, 50 percent of American elementary students walked or biked to school. That number has dropped to 13 percent today.

To help encourage more walking and biking, SPS released a map of safe walking routes at the start of this school year. Next year, they are working on biking.

“Every one of our K-8s will have a bike train route next year,” Smith-Blum announced at the rally. She credited active parents for getting the walking and biking movement going.

“More and more parents like yourselves are getting involved,” she said, “and they are really changing the conversation.”

Some of those parents were not at the rally because they were busy holding Bike to School Day events in their neighborhoods. Anne and Tim at Car Free Days have some great photos from a police-escorted Bike to School Day train in NE Seattle:

Bike to School/Bike to Work heartwarming photo of the day! Thx @SeattlePD #bike2school #seabike #walkbikeschools #fb flic.kr/p/c1d8U5

— Tim K (@oninformation) May 18, 2012

Just imagine a city where our elementary kids could just bike to school without anyone even suggesting the need for a police escort. With neighborhood greenways and modern protected cycle tracks, we can get there.

Bike-cop radio crackles as we reach our tough crossing “In place at 65th … OK, let’s shut it down.” Cars halted & 180 kid bikes sail thru!

— Tim K (@oninformation) May 18, 2012

Bike to Work Day celebrations are not over yet. There is a street party Friday evening in Ballard with KEXP. There will be a bike fashion show, live music and beer. Schedule:

• Ballard Street Party 4-7 p.m.
• KEXP’s Hood to Hood Challenge, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• “Share Your Style” Bike Fashion Show, 6:15-7 p.m.
• Music and New Belgium beer specials at the Balmar, 5-8 p.m.

Here are some more photos from the Bike to Work Day ride with Mayor McGinn and the rally. How was your Bike to Work/School day? Got any fun photos from the day? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

City Councilmembers Richard Conlin and Mike O'Brien chat with commuters at KEXP studios

The Green River Trail is the squiggly green line to the west of the Interurban Trail (straight green line).

The Green River Trail from Tukwila to Kent has been closed to bicycling since 2009, when miles of three-foot-tall sandbags were installed in the center of the trail. The sandbags were in response to flooding fears, but they closed a scenic biking and walking route and are an eyesore on the riverfront. This 2009 post from Biking Bis has good background on the closure.

Now, a King County board has approved a $5.8 million plan to remove the sandbags, which may actually be impeding the ability to control flooding in the Green River Valley.

From King County:

Sandbag removal along the Green River is one step closer as a result of action … by the King County Flood Control District’s Board of Supervisors. The Board approved a $5.8 million plan to remove 26 miles of giant sandbag barriers lining the river.

The approximately 3-foot high sandbags were installed in 2009 to provide extra flood protection to the cities of Kent, Auburn, and Tukwila because of the increased risk of flooding due to seepage problems at the Howard Hanson Dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates the dam, announced last fall that they are once again operating the dam at full capacity.

“The sandbags were a necessary evil to provide extra protection to the Green River Valley cities during the increased threat of flooding,” stated Chair Julia Patterson who also represents the Green River Valley on the King County Council. “By removing the barriers, users can once again enjoy full access to the trail.”

“In addition to the barriers being an eyesore, they impeded the County’s ability to properly operate and maintain the levees,” said Reagan Dunn, chair of the King County Flood District Executive Committee. “Without the obstacles, it will also allow the public greater access to the public parks and the regional trail system in the Green River Valley.”

“Removing the 26 miles of sandbags along the Green River is a necessary step toward restoring these environments to their previous states,” said Supervisor Pete von Reichbauer.

The Flood Control District paid approximately $8 million for flood response because of the compromise to the Howard Hanson dam. The removal costs would be shared between the District and the cities, with the District paying approximately $4.4 million and the cities paying approximately $1.4 million. Any Flood Control District project delays caused by shifting funds will be applied to projects within the Green River basin.
Now that funding has been secured, Green River Valley cities are planning to move quickly to begin work on removing the sandbags. The sandbags are filled with sand, dirt or gravel and each weigh approximately two tons. The sand will need to be removed, and may be reused.  The bidding process is expected to account for the salvage value of the sand.  Barriers that hold the sand and are in usable condition will be cleaned, properly folded for reuse, and returned to the Corps, who loaned the barriers to the cities. The metal of any damaged barriers will be recycled and the linings disposed of.

The Pollinator Pathway aims to create a corridor of pollinator-friendly plants on Columbia Street from 12th to 29th Avenues to help pollinators like honey bees, butterflies and humming birds move through the neighborhood and between our growing number of urban farms.

If you live on Columbia, you can help by planting pollinator-friendly plants in your own yard. The Pollinator Pathway website has an extremely helpful guide for choosing and planting such a garden.

If you want to help with the work party, meet at 25th and Columbia May 26-27 from 11-4. More details from organizer Sarah Bergmann:

Come help build the next 4 gardens on the Pollinator Pathway! The Pollinator Pathway is a plan for a corridor of pollinator-friendly gardens in planting strips along one mile of Seattle's Columbia Street, between 12th and 29th avenues (the project aims to create a corridor of plants between Seattle U's campus and Nora's Woods). The project now has 13 gardens in place along the corridor. Come dig in the dirt and help grow the project!

Bring gloves and shovels if you have them (and we could use extra wheelbarrows, too)- or just show up, there are tools there. No experience necessary.

Many commuters will make their way to City Hall for an 8 a.m. rally. For more details on Bike to Work Day festivities, see my post over at Seattle Bike Blog.

The Hiawatha station in 2010

In the CD, Hiawatha businesses are hosting a station including snacks from Cafe Weekend and friends:

Café Weekend, Working Dog Bicycles & Ashoka Youth Venture Seattle host the BIKE TO WORK/ SCHOOL DAY station for the Jackson Place Business Association @ THE HUB - Hiawatha Place Urban Business district in the Jackson Place Community neighborhood from 7am - 1pm. Ride your bike down & follow the BIKE BUZZ & PERK UP signs.....treats for bikers only while supplies last.

We will also have an interactive community board up & sharing ideas about up & coming Neighborhood events....such at the Hiawatha Flea, Neighborhood Night Out + more community fun with the Jackson Place Business Association.

Other stations in the neighborhood include one on Seattle U campus, one on Lake Washington near Madrona Park and one at the east entrance to the I-90 Trail tunnel. Here's a map from Cascade Bicycle Club:

Photo by Anne-Marije Rook (used with permission)

Over 70 people rode in near silence from Gas Works Park to City Hall and back Wednesday evening in memory of people who have been seriously injured or killed while biking.

The annual Ride of Silence takes place in cities all over the world. Wednesday’s ride was the 8th such ride in Seattle, and friends and family of people hurt and killed came out to honor their loved ones.

Anne-Marije Rook (AKA The Riding Reporter) wrote about the pre-ride rally over at the Ballard News Tribune:

Jose Hernando. Mike Wang. Larry Kemp. Cecy krone. Fred Rehberger. Brad Nakatani. Kevin Black. Bryce Lewis. Terry McMacken, Marvin Miller. Carol Salomon. Susanne Scaringi. Joel Silvesan. Well over 70 cyclists came out on Wednesday night to ride in memory of these people and many more who were killed or injured by motor vehicles on the road.

Google any one of those names and you’ll find a tragic ending. “Many of which could have been prevented,” said ride organizer J Steve Mayo in his opening words at Gas Works park.

“Today there are a lot of cyclists that have passed away in the last years. These are not accidents. These are collisions and fatalities. Punishments have been trivial,” Mayo stated. “We ride tonight to be visible. To remind people to share the road.”

In the midst of all the excitement of Bike Month, the Ride of Silence is a grim (and not officially Cascade-sanctioned) reminder that increasing road safety is, indeed, a matter of life and death.

In fact, as the Ride of Silence was nearing it’s final stop back at Gas Works Park, Kathryn Rickson died after colliding with a delivery truck in a Portland bike lane. Friends and supporters are gathering at Portland’s SW 3rd and Madison Friday evening to remember her.

While we make great strides to increase road safety in our cities, we have a long way to go. No traffic deaths are acceptable. We can and must do better, both in the form of government investments and as a culture that respects and protects life.

Here are a few more photos I took from the ride:

Bike to Work Day 2011 at the Fremont Bridge

Friday is Bike to Work (and School!) Day, which is pretty much a holiday for folks on two wheels.

There will be Commute Stations all over the region, many of which will be armed with snacks and coffee. In a change from recent years, the main station will be outside KEXP studios at Dexter and John. The station will be broadcasting outdoors through the morning. The annual ride with the mayor will start there at 7:30 a.m. and head to City Hall for an 8 a.m. rally.

If you have never done the ride downtown with the mayor, it’s a lot of fun. I guarantee you have never ridden to work with this many other people before. And if you don’t work downtown, well, it’s still fun.

If you have a friend or co-worker who interested in giving biking to work a shot, let them know that Bike to Work Day is one of the best day to do it. There’s a ton of support and other people cycling, and everyone is full of smiles and in good spirits.

Basically, Bike to Work Day is a one-day look ahead a few years into the future when the number of people cycling had grown significantly. It’s empowering evidence that it can happen if we just keep working to make our city safer and create a more welcoming culture for people new to cycling.

Cascade has also upped the activities at the after party in Ballard:

After work, stop by the Ballard Street Party from 4-7 p.m. in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and enjoy live music, bike polo, test rides and more.

New this year, MOHAI will be displaying an antique penny-farthing bicycle, Theo Chocolates will be sampling their new World Bicycle Relief Bars, and we’ll be inviting you to strut your stuff in our new “Share Your Style” Bike Fashion Show. You can also rest your tired legs and tour the Ballard rain gardens and Ballard’s proposed Greenway with the fine folks at Seattle Pedi-Cab.

Here’s the full schedule:

• Commute stations 6-9 a.m. Find a commute station on your route by looking at our online station map
• Mayor’s Ride from KEXP station to City Hall, 7:45-8:05 a.m.
• Rally at City Hall 8-8:30 a.m.
• Ballard Street Party 4-7 p.m.
• KEXP’s Hood to Hood Challenge, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• “Share Your Style” Bike Fashion Show, 6:15-7 p.m.
• Music and New Belgium beer specials at the Balmar, 5-8 p.m.

Below is a map of the Commute Stations. Obviously, someone needs to organize a “Bike to Work Day Alleycat for the Funemployed.” Start at 6, and you’ve got two hours to get to as many commute stations as possible by 8. The finish line would be City Hall for the rally. Next year…

Anyway, the map:

View Bike Month Activities & Bike to Work Day Stations in a larger map

It's finally farmers market time again. The Madrona Farmers Market opens Friday for its first day of the season. As usual, it will be located in the parking lot of Grocery Outlet at MLK and Union.

Highlights of opening day include a cooking demonstration by St. Clouds chef Michael King and, of course, fresh veggies!

From the Seattle Farmers Market Association:

Madrona Farmers Market Returns This Friday, May 18th, at 3 p.m.!  We’re excite to get the 2012 season going in the Madrona Grocery Outlet parking lot, at the corner of MLK Way & E. Union Street – the confluence of the Central District, Madrona, Capitol Hill and Madison Valley neighborhoods, for its 10th season.  Chef Michael King of St. Clouds, kicks off the season with another of his brilliant cooking demonstrations on opening day, May 18th, at 4 p.m., followed by Chef Carolin Messier of The Harvest Vine in Madison Valley on Friday, May 25th, with a great lineup of chefs from the surrounding neighborhoods throughout the season.  The season will start off with a bang with fresh oyster mushrooms from Red Owl Mushroom Farm, sprouts and microgreens from new vendor Sprouters Northwest, the best chicken you’ve ever tasted from Growing Things Farm, local pickles from new vendor Purdy Pickle, certified organic asparagus from Alvarez Organic Farms and fresh from the market foods from Patty Pan Grill, just to name a few. Of course, one can find much more information on the Madrona Farmers Market blog, including a complete list of in-season crops, a calendar of cooking demonstrations, recipes and great background information on our vendors and their products, and more.