ONCLUSION The Court finds the decision to proceed with the 15th Street Cycle Track Removal to be arbitrary and capricious because the record does not reflect that the defendants examined the relevant data and articulated a rational connection between the facts found and the choice made. It further finds that the defendants’ invocation of the highway modernization categorical exclusion, and their conclusion that the Removal Project would not have a significant impact on public health and safety, to be arbitrary and capricious as well.

Therefore, the decision to proceed with the Removal Project as described in the March 31, 2026 NPS Decision Memorandum and the March 31, 2026 NPS and FHWA Categorial Exclusion documents, as well as in the February 23 NPS and February 27 FHWA Categorical Exclusion documents to the extent they were not rescinded or nullified but only elaborated upon on March 31, is hereby VACATED and REMANDED to the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration. This means, as counsel for the defendants acknowledged on the record at the hearing, that the decision is null and void, and the Removal Project may not and will not proceed on April 23, 2026. Given the ruling in plaintiff’s favor on the merits, plaintiff’s request for interim relief is denied as MOOT.

WABA prevails in its lawsuit, barring the National Park Service and FHWA from removing the 15th Street protected bike lanes.

EW Earth Day/Birthday Open House Please join us to catch up, share a beverage, and celebrate our birthday!

Friends of EW:
Please join us for our annual Earth Day/Birthday open house!

Please join us at the Fire Station on Thursday 4/23 to catch up, share a beverage, and make seed bombs out of old EW drawings!

Learn more and RSVP:
www.eventbrite.com/e/ew-earth-d...

My dark gray cat Foggy sits on a couch and looks at me while grooming himself as my tortie kitten Coraline lies next to him

Close up of my dark gray cat Foggy nice and comfy in my lap as my legs are extended on an ottoman

My two cats looking out and away while both on leashes during a walk in a park at night

Selfie with my dark gray cat Foggy as he shows his beautiful yellow-green eyes

My cat Foggy is 6 years old today ! During his 6th year of life:
-he gained a little sister (Coraline) who still annoys him, but he’s grown to like her
-he learned how to be a lap cat! For the longest time, trying to lie down in a lap was awkward, now he’s a cuddlebug! Here’s to many more years

A delicious traditional French toast on a plate topped with sliced bananas and strawberries with a raspberry compote next to a cup of mocha coffee and a to go bag with a chocolate croissant

Mask selfie wearing my new Yosemite National Park shirt with an image of a bear and trees on it as I stand in an airport

The mountain Tahoma is visible in the distance as a Sound Transit light rail train approaches

My 2 cats Foggy (dark grey) and Coraline (tortie) groom themselves around my feet in the sun on my balcony

Day 7 of my trip was short as I returned home to Seattle. It’s going to take me time to process the memories, but I’m happy I went for it. My kitties were excited, as Foggy was meowing to greet me, & Coraline flopped around my feet. Hopefully it won’t take me another 15 years for my next trip to SF!

My rental bike standing on the ground outside the Millbrae BART station entrance with letters in art deco typeface and a palm tree

View looking up from under a tree at the vertical post BART sign for 12th Street / Oakland station with the tower of the Tribune building in back

Wide angle view of my rental bike standing next to a digital screen showing updated transit info near a glass curved roof entrance to the Downtown Berkeley station next to a public plaza where people are hanging out

Smiling selfie in my red shirt on my bike outside the Richmond BART station

On Day 6, I biked to every BART Red Line station (Millbrae to Richmond). It was challenging trying to figure out a route, changing plans from cross-bay ferry to train, riding each city bike infra, seeing road cycling race in Berkeley, & making it back to SF to return rental with 10 min to spare

Smiling selfie as I bike across the Golden Gate Bridge

Distant view of the Golden Gate Bridge that lines up and overlaps the spans in the center

Concrete sphere shaped traffic diverters direct vehicle traffic away from the car-free divided Great Highway

People walk, bike, and roll with ease on a car free segment of a former divided highway next to the beach

2/2 I was inspired by:
-bike advocates ensured a bike path stays on Golden Gate Bridge (super busy today)
-advocates closed section of Great Highway to cars, turned into linear park by the beach (Lake WA Blvd in Seattle should become this!)
-gorgeous weather led me to keep biking another 10+ miles

View of Alcatraz Island from a departing ferry in San Francisco Bay on a sunny day

A sign reading “United States Property” on the former barracks building on Alcatraz Island has graffiti in red paint changing it to read “Indians Welcome - United Indian Property - Indian Land”

Black and white photograph from Alcatraz Island with the caption “Occupiers drum and sing during a powwow in 1970. Second drummer from the left: Mead Chibidi, (Comanche); far-right drummer: Al (Alan) Miller. A powwow is a gathering of many Indigenous peoples and Nations that features traditional dancing, singing, drumming, food and crafts.”

People with audio headsets walk around the first floor of a former 3 tier jailblock facility

1/2 Day 5 of my trip had theme of inspiration
I was inspired by:
-indigenous activists occupied Alcatraz & directly inspired Seattle area folks like Bernie Whitebear to occupy Ft Lawton, led to Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
-prison reform advocates fighting against mass incarceration industry

Mirror Lake reflects both rocks and trees nearby and distant craggy mountains

A black bird with iridescent blue feathers puffs its body outwards as it tweets while standing on a log

Selfie in a train next to a window as I wear my “Climate Town” shirt

Train view of the sunset over water as a person closer to the train stands and takes in the sunset scenery

Day 4 of my trip started with one last hike in Yosemite National Park to Mirror Lake, enjoying 1 more spin around park’s free shuttle bus, taking YARTS out of the park, then Amtrak train & bus back into SF for the rest of my trip. It’s been an incredible journey, & I have a few days left to enjoy it

Elon Musk personally cancels blogger's Tesla order after 'rude' post A Californian venture capitalist had his Tesla Motors Model X order cancelled after he wrote about a badly run launch event

Well, he did cancel the Tesla order of someone who criticized an event, so the precedent for retaliation is there

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Terrifying especially in how it can easily be abused

Sun rays shine out from behind a tall cedar tree in a misty/smoky forest

Wide angle view from the side of Vernal Falls which has a rainbow formed in the mist

Smiling selfie from a spot high above Vernal Falls and the viewing area atop the falls

El Capitan in afternoon sky looming over a forest and river below

Day 3 of my trip involved exploring Yosemite National Park with Vernal Falls hike, checking out Ansel Adams Gallery, shower & nap, hiking near El Capitan, & riding park’s free shuttle buses.
I return to SF tomorrow, but I will never get tired of the majesty of the giants surrounding Yosemite Valley

Big blue colored bus with YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) livery and the destination showing as Curry Village

Wide angle view across a grassy meadow of a majestic mountain rising above a forest in Yosemite National Park

View of the Half Dome from a bridge over a river that reflects the mountain

Selfie right in front of the Lower Yosemite Falls which is spraying so much water that I look like I got caught in a rainstorm

Day 2 of my trip, I started the morning in downtown San Francisco, & by afternoon I found myself in majestic Yosemite Valley; I got there without a car!
I used Amtrak bus to Emeryville, Amtrak train to Merced, YARTS bus into Yosemite NP
What a beautiful place! I look forward to exploring it further

A bright yellow streetcar passes by in front of the San Francisco Ferry Terminal on a sunny afternoon

A colorful mural depicting workers together holding up a BART train sits on a wall behind a row of trees

The iconic Painted Ladies which are Queen Anne style houses I think - seen in late afternoon

Night streetscape in San Francisco’s Chinatown where a mural depicts Bruce Lee and a dragon as the adjacent street has zigzagging strings of lights with red paper lanterns hanging on them

Day 1 of my San Francisco & Yosemite trip is complete! It involved flying early from SeaTac Airport, toodling around downtown SF, stroll thru the Mission, sunset atop Alamo Square Park, dinner & dessert in Chinatown, & healthy dose of public transit. Tomorrow, I head to Yosemite for a few days.

April Ride Leader News from Bob Svercl Here's what I'm planning for group rides and more!

I've got some fun group rides coming up in May; all this and more in my April ride leader newsletter!

mailchi.mp/5945a046bbdb...

Selfie with my red facemask standing with my luggage on the pedestrian corridor from the SeaTac light rail station to the airport

Heading to San Francisco with a short trip to Yosemite National Park. See y’all next week, Seattle!

Illustrated poster from Seattle Parks & Recreation promoting “Bicycle Weekends 2026.” The scene shows a person riding a bike and another walking along a scenic path with mountains, trees, and flowers. Text reads: “Bike, walk, or roll with us on Lake Washington Blvd! No cars on select dates,” followed by dates in May through September.

Lake Washington Boulevard will be open to people and closed to car traffic every weekend this summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day!

The consistent schedule makes it easier to plan for, enjoy while walking or rolling, or to avoid while driving.

This is incredible news, and it wouldn’t happen without all the support from volunteers, neighbors, advocates like our Accessible Lake WA Blvd Committee, and more. We’ll see you on this wonderful park space this summer!

Millions of people ride bikes in the Netherlands every single day and it works because everyone follows a set of unspoken rules most visitors (and expats) don't know exist.

Fietshangar broke down the 4 rules that keep this cycling nation running smoothly: buff.ly/CMix9qo

The San Diego Velodrome has begun hosting bike races that exclude transgender women. This is despite a city policy prohibiting anti-trans discrimination at the racetrack.

One trans racer told me the change made her feel “disposable.”

Been working on this for a while, give it a read and share!

This week at @cascadiajournal.bsky.social I wrote about how the Trump regime killed the US Forest Service and why #Cascadia should take local control of federal lands in the #PNW

Shut it all down. Our taxes are funding this atrocity.

Complete Streets Tour Registration Form Thank you for your interest in joining us for Bellevue's first-ever Complete Streets Tour hosted by Complete Streets Bellevue! So that we can adequately prepare for the event, please submit all…

Our Complete Streets Tour will be a great time to connect w/ community, staff, & leaders to hear the safety & mobility benefits of complete streets!

Together we can imagine the Bellevue streets that can benefit from this infrastructure.

May 1st, 5:30-7:00 pm. RSVP here:

I disagree with your assertion (most ppl care more about self interest than safety). I think ppl are more likely to take initiative & use their own risk assessment when they feel a setup isn’t working for them like at 70th/176th. Wait time may be too long or might not feel safe during reg xing phase

I would say by building a temporary bridge, but that’s way too expensive to be possible. The best detour I could map out using local roads is 3.3 miles long with 500 feet of climbing. The only way is to climb up into the city of Samammish and come back down

I don’t know what the car detour will look like (I guess it will use 217th/218th Aves & SE 8th St), but quickly mapping out a potential detour for anyone walking/biking/rolling, they will need to travel about 3.3 miles with about 500 feet of climbing

In this case, drivers also have to deal with the road closures. The work being done requires a full closure around the area

Avoid the 1st Ave Bridge.
Still stuck. This is the side with the bike path.

/2 For context, this trail closure means that the only way one could bike between Issaquah and Redmond is around the west side of Lake Sammamish or climbing up into the city of Sammamish for most of the year

Email screenshot reading: Hi Robert,   King County Parks and the City of Sammamish are replacing old culverts and restoring George Davis Creek to improve fish passage and reduce flooding.  Because the creek flows through several damaged pipes under and near the trail, the work must be done together as one coordinated project.  Once complete, this will open about 2,000 feet of high‑quality salmon habitat and finish the last unbuilt section of the East Lake Sammamish Trail, including a new creek overlook.    Safety is our top priority.  A detour must safely support people walking, biking, and using mobility devices. With construction happening on the trail, Parkway, and Shore Lane at the same time, there is no safe, accessible detour option.  We know closures are disruptive and appreciate your patience as we complete this work as quickly as possible.    Updates will be posted on the East Lake Sammamish Trail webpage.  You can also sign up for the East Lake Sammamish Trail newsletter.

I received a response from King County Parks to my request for more information and to find a suitable detour regarding the upcoming East Lake Sammamish Trail closure from May through late fall. Unfortunately, it’s not looking good.
@seattlebikeblog.com

Cool! Well, if you ever want to do a King County Libraries tour (includes Seattle), let Ryan know; they visited all of the libraries in King County!