Wheel Talk: April 2025
Exciting bike investments, an Earth Day event, and our April meeting.
The sun is starting to shine – on new bike investments, improvements, and upcoming events to celebrate the joy and community of biking! ☀️
In this edition:
Wednesday, 4/16: our April leadership meeting in Richmond Beach (join virtually!) 🗓️
$10M proposed in Senate transportation budget to bridge the Interurban Gap 💰🌉
"Coffee outside" at Mathay Ballinger Park on Earth Day, 4/22 🌎☕️
…and more!
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Upcoming events
April leadership meeting
Wednesday, April 16 • 6:00pm
Join NSBA for our April leadership meeting on Wednesday, 4/16 from 6-7:30pm at the Richmond Beach Library.
We'll share updates from around the area: advocacy opportunities, regional planning news, upcoming projects, and more. Come and help make biking safer and easier in your neighborhood!
To start the meeting, we’ll hear from a guest speaker from the Rails to Trails Conservancy – more details below.
New: join our meeting virtually! 🎥🌐 Click the link below to join the meeting from your phone or computer.
4/16 guest speaker: Jacque Lavelle, Rails to Trails Conservancy 🛤️
Jacque Lavelle of the Rails to Trails Conservancy will speak about progress in building an off-highway biking and hiking trail, from the Pacific coast in Washington, to Washington DC. The project - the Great American Rail Trail - will link together existing trails, and encourage the building of sections that do not currently exist. When completed, the trail will span 3700 miles; at present, it’s about 54% complete.
Lavelle, RTC’s Western Project Manager, is a former career National Park Service employee who joined RTC this year. She will discuss and take questions on progress to develop the trail across twelve states, including filling the gaps along the Olympic Discovery Trail, Palouse to Cascade Trail and elsewhere in Washington. The biggest gap on the route is close to 960 miles in Montana and Wyoming.
Lavelle is based in Montana, will join us remotely.
NSBA Coffee Outside 🌎☕️
Tuesday, April 22nd • 10am-12pm
Join NSBA for a cup of coffee and a celebration of Earth Day (and the environmental benefits of biking) on April 22nd at Mathay Ballinger Park in Edmonds. We’ll bring the coffee, brewing gear, and cups – just show up!
Edmonds Waterfront Center volunteer fair
Saturday, April 12th • 10am-1pm
Come visit our table on Saturday, 4/12 at the Edmonds Waterfront Center’s volunteer fair, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m! Meet other local and regional nonprofit and advocacy organizations, and find new ways to get involved in our community.
Cascade Bicycle Club: “Bike Everywhere Lunch”
Wednesday, April 30th • 11am-1pm
Cascade Bicycle Club is hosting their annual “Bike Everywhere Lunch” fundraiser on April 30th, just ahead of “Bike Everywhere Month” in May:
Join more than 400 bicycle advocates – from cargo bike commuters to the weekend century riders – at Cascade’s biggest fundraiser of the year. You will hear from educators, local leaders, and community members about the power of learning to ride.
Cascade educates kids, advocates for safer streets, and builds a strong biking community. This year, we have an ambitious goal: to teach bike skills to 70,000 kids across the state. Your support will fuel advocacy and community programs, so everyone has a safe place to ride and friends to share their journey.
Learn more about the lunch, and purchase tickets (starting at $25) at Cascade’s website.
News & updates
Senate transportation budget includes $10M for Interurban bridge
The Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by Marko Liias (21st District) included $10M in its proposed 2025-2027 budget for a bike and pedestrian bridge across SR 104 on the King-Snohomish county line.
The inclusion in the budget comes after sustained efforts by North Sound Bicycle Advocates to build a safer crossing of the state highway for Interurban Trail users. Getting a bridge across SR 104 is a key campaign for North Sound Bicycle Advocates, which has led eight site visits for elected officials over the past two years. Senator Liias was part of a group attending last September.
Both the City of Shoreline and King County have set aside funds for a route study. (The City of Edmonds, although supportive of a safer crossing, has been unable to provide study funds because of a budget crisis. )
The state transportation budget has to be finalized before the session ends on April 27; NSBA board members will be actively engaged in ensuring the bridge funds remain in the budget.
New connection to Interurban Trail as part of park renovation
The City of Edmonds has built a paved connector between the end of the Interurban Trail at Mathay-Ballinger Park and 178th Place as part of a near-half-million dollar park renovation.
Previously, the paved trail from Lake Ballinger ended just west of 76th, adjacent to Mathay-Ballinger Park. There was a partial gravel trail, and then grass for riders and walkers who wanted to access the park. The new trail now sweeps through the park and ends with a no-curb transition to 178th Place.
The new trail connection through the park opens up potential for using 178th Place as a route connection to a potential bridge across SR 104.
Improvements to Mathay-Ballinger are part of an overall revamp and expansion of the park. An adjoining property, which the city purchased from its owner who offered it at a below-market price, will result in the park almost doubling in size. Grant money and the city’s own parks capital fund were used to purchase the adjoining land at cost of almost $1M.
“The adjacent property (the Mee property) has had significant work done in preparation to make it available to the public including demolition of the house and some outbuildings. That purchase was also 75% grant funded and as a result, it is required to remain mostly open space,” said City of Edmonds parks and recreation director Angie Feser.
Work is expected to be completed later this spring. A newly installed pit toilet will also open by then.
Want to help us make biking safer and easier in the North Sound? 📣🙋
Volunteer with North Sound Bikes! We’re a community-powered, all-volunteer organization.
Just send us an email, and we’ll find a match for your skills, interests, and availability: board@northsoundbikes.org
That’s all for April! Have any questions or comments about this month’s edition, or want us to feature something next month? Just reply to this email.
Thanks for reading, and happy riding! 🚲