A boom in bike access at Sea-Tac Airport

By Andrea Clinkscales, AICP, PMP

Traveling by bicycle to Sea-Tac Airport? A number of new facilities are open for business to help support the boom in bicycle travel and tourism in Washington. These include an indoor repair station with tools, more storage options and a bicycle resources webpage.

The additions represent an impressive first step of a larger initiative by Sea-Tac to promote bike access. Washington recently ranked as the number one bike-friendly state in the US according to the League of American Bicyclists.

As a leader in sustainability, Sea-Tac is always looking for opportunities to reduce its environmental footprint and make traveling easier. In March 2013 when University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs professor, Daniel Carlson, had ideas to make bike travel easier, Sea-Tac’s sustainability team listened.

This sparked collaboration among the Port of Seattle, Cascade Bicycle Club, Washington Bikes, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and a University of Washington graduate studio project, which culminated in a draft “Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Bicycle Facilities Plan.”

Sea-Tac Environmental Specialist Steven Rybolt and a team of students led by Urban Design and Planning professor, Alon Bassok, set goals, objectives and actions to transform Sea-Tac with world-class bicycle facilities and amenities over the next 10 years.

So if you’re traveling with a bicycle to Sea-Tac Airport, look for the following new features to support your next big adventure:

• Located in Baggage Claim, a repair station that includes a work stand, tools and floor pump to fix, assemble or dissemble a bike.
• Near the repair area is Ken’s Baggage and Frozen Foods where bike boxes are available for packing.
• New indoor long-term bike storage options and new secure, no-scratch, and locally made short-term bike racks inside and outside the terminal.
• More visible wayfinding signs to help cyclists locate bike amenities, including those between Baggage Claim and the Link light rail Sea-Tac Airport Station.
• A bicycle resources page on the Port of Seattle website that includes current bike routes and map of bike facilities.

Cascade is thrilled to see these improvements. We look forward to details on improved access and an ongoing collaborative effort for more bike amenities at Sea-Tac.

The Airport is continually seeking feedback to improve its bicycle amenities and access.

Please contact Steven Rybolt (Rybolt.s@portseattle. org) with questions/comments.

In the meantime, we would like to extend our thanks to our partners: Port of Seattle, University of Washington and Washington Bikes. Together we can make Washington the most bike-friendly state.