We're #1! Our Biggest Bike Wins of 2024
- We pedaled hard and won big in our mission to grow and advance bicycling in 2024.
- Thanks to your support (and votes), we saved the Climate Commitment Act, expanded youth bike education, won historic Seattle investments, delivered world-class rides, and reclaimed the title "most bike-friendly state."
- Read our Year in Review to see the stories and photos that made us proud in 2024.
Paul Tolmé
We enter the new year on the tailwinds of some major victories for bicycling in 2024. Join us in celebrating the biggest wins for people who bike in Washington state in our 2024 Year in Review.
Advocating for Climate Action
Cascade Bicycle Club and our sister organization Washington Bikes supported the creation of the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which has raised billions of dollars for sustainability, equity, and resiliency initiatives. These include statewide bike education programs and trail projects like the 42-mile Eastrail.
Thanks to the overwhelming support of Washington state voters, we helped defeat an effort to repeal this powerful law that makes Washington state a leader on climate action and a beacon of hope. Learn more about the Climate Commitment Act and why we fought so hard to retain it.
Prop 1 Will Keep Seattle Moving by Bike
Bike advocacy is why Seattle's bike infrastructure continues to improve every year, and it's why our city continues to invest in better biking conditions that make our city safer for active transportation. In November, Seattle voters showed their support for better biking conditions by passing Proposition 1–the Keep Seattle Moving transportation levy.
Cascade was instrumental in boosting funding for the Seattle bike network in the transportation levy–and then helping to win passage of the law and its $133.5 million for bike infrastructure and programs. It was a historic achievement that came following months of hard work, lobbying, and coalition-building by Executive Director Lee Lambert, Seattle Policy Manager Tyler Vasquez, and the entire policy and community engagement team.
In coming years, everyone who bikes in Seattle will benefit from the new protected bike lanes and other bike programs that Prop 1 will create. Read our story, “Top Five Wins for Safer Bicycling in the Seattle Transportation Levy.”
Bringing the Joy of Bicycling to Youth Across WA
Among its many benefits, the Climate Commitment Act funds the School-Based Bicycle Safety Education program that Cascade is implementing statewide under contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation. This is the largest statewide youth bike education curriculum in the United States, making Washington state and Cascade national leaders in ensuring future generations enjoy the healthy benefits of bicycling and grow up with the skills to become lifelong riders.
It includes two programs: the Let’s Go-Across the State curriculum for elementary and middle school students, and the equity-based Youth Development program for older kids and high schoolers that is delivered after or out of school.
Mid-way through the 2024-25 school year, we are expanding the Let’s Go curriculum to 150-plus schools: from Spokane to Tacoma, Bellingham to Wenatchee, Everett to Vancouver and many more between. In coming years, we will expand to schools covering 90 percent of Washington state public school students. Let's Go!
The Youth Development program is modeled on Cascade’s Major Taylor Project which serves Black, Indigenous, and Youth of Color throughout King and Pierce Counties by teaching cycling techniques, leadership skills, and bike safety. We have partnered with multiple nonprofits and community organizations to deliver the curriculum, enabling Cascade to support a wide range of community organizations including: 2nd Cycle in Tacoma, Auburn Parks and Recreation, Bike Works in South Seattle, Children of the Valley in Skagit County, the Puyallup School District, the ReCyclery in Port Townsend, Sharing Wheels in Everett, Walk N Roll in Olympia, and Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition.
As we enter 2025 and think about all the families this programming has touched, we remember fondly the words of Maria Gomez, mother of an Orondo sixth-grader who got his first bike through the School-Based Bicycle Safety Education program. “I just hope this program continues growing,” Gomez said. “It shows kids how to ride a bike .… and it helps them feel free.”
Statewide Advocacy and Collaboration
Our sister organization Washington Bikes is the voice in Olympia for everyone who bikes, walks, and rolls in Washington state. In September, WA Bikes convened its biennial Bike, Walk, Roll Summit, which gathered hundreds of traffic engineers, bike advocates, elected officials, and concerned citizens to brainstorm and share successes.
Learn more and see photos from the event–and our evening rides around Tacoma–in our Summit Photo Album.
Giving Voice to Victims of Traffic Violence
One of the saddest aspects of our work is receiving news that another person on a bike has been killed by a motor vehicle. Just before Christmas in 2023, we learned that longtime Cascade ride leader Steve Hulsman had died after being struck by an SUV in West Seattle.
This tragedy, however, brought us together with Rita Hulsman, Steve’s wife for more than 40 years. Rita channeled her grief into action, becoming a powerful bike advocate and outspoken supporter of Proposition 1 in the hope of sparing other families the same pain.
Celebrating Our Big Rides
Cascade’s big rides are an opportunity for us to unite and celebrate, but they are also fundraisers that power Cascade’s mission and work. Everyone who participates can feel good knowing they are supporting our advocacy, education, and community initiatives like the Pedaling Relief Project.
In July, we brought together thousands of people from across the region, nation, and world to ride the 2024 Kaiser Permanente Seattle to Portland presented by Alaska Airlines. Relive the excitement by checking out our STP photo album, “The Beautiful Joy of Bicycling Together.”, and the amazing drone footage of STP riders crossing Seattle’s University Bridge.
About 1,600 people participated in our Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party supported by Western Washington Honda Dealers on Aug. 24 and 25. See the smiles of happy participants in our RSVP Photo Album.
Emerald City Ride
May 5 marked the return of a historic Cascade event: the Emerald City Ride. Last held in 2019, this iconic ride supported by Western WA Honda Dealers enabled 3,000 humans (and a dog named Sprout) to bike over the West Seattle Bridge car-free.
Tours
Our three-day Tours sell out fast for good reason: limited to 200 riders, they offer the chance for people to explore some of our state’s most scenic locations while fully supported with food, mechanical aid, and abundant post-ride socializing opportunities.
Enjoy the images of big skies, winding country roads, and Methow Valley views in our Winthrop Gravel Tour Photo Album.
Relive the excitement and beauty of southeastern Washington in the spring in our story Wheels in the Wheatlands about our Walla Walla Tour.
Inspiring People to Explore by Bike
People are hungry for information about new trails and bikeable destinations. That’s why we provide resources on places to explore, and why we share the cycling adventures of our staff, board, and community.
Last fall we went on a tour of Whidbey Island, where we did an organic farmstay and detailed efforts by bike advocates to create a 50-mile-long bike trail.
Lopez Island is the most bikeable of the San Juan Islands due to its low-traffic roads, ocean views and colorful farms. If you’ve never visited Lopez, perhaps our trip report from a summer bike glamping adventure will inspire you.
Many of us dream of bicycling across Washington state. In October, we brought you Cascade staff member Shannon Mangan’s emotional tale of biking (mostly) across Washington. “I want to inspire others to take wild bikepacking trips of their own,” Shannon says.
Cascade Board Member Marlene Druker has made a habit of biking home from Canada after participating in our Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party. Get Marlene’s tips, maps, and routes in our story, “Ferries, Buses, and Trails: Biking Home from RSVP.”
In August, Communications Director Sara Kiesler participated in Cycle Oregon’s JoyRide. It was a chance to explore Oregon’s canyons and valleys in the company and supportive community of other women and non-binary riders.
If that wasn’t cool enough, Kiesler celebrated her wedding anniversary in the Netherlands, where bike infrastructure is pervasive and cycling for transportation is a national pastime.
Celebrating Our Members and Volunteers
It’s no secret that bicycling can transform people’s lives. Wenmei Hill went from an STP rookie to a Ride Leader and STP Ambassador thanks to our Cascade Training Series. Learn why she recommends this training series to everyone who wants to get in shape for a century ride, and how it changed Wenmei's life for the better.
We love the many ways that people integrate bicycling into their lives, whether for sport and fitness, commuting, camaraderie, or even delivering the mail at University of Washington!
STP Ambassadors
Our STP Ambassadors represent an array of lifestyles, ethnicities, and backgrounds. But they are united behind one goal: to ride and share their stories about the community--and the stoke--of STP. If you’re on the fence about riding STP, or think it’s not for you, perhaps you’ll be inspired by Afro-Latino bike influencer Kevin Frias, below, or by our rainbow-flag-flying Canadian ambassador.
Or how about our vegan ambassador who rode STP meat-free? Or the 13-year-old one-day rider?
Want to be an STP Ambassador? Learn more and apply here.
Growing the Bike Community
Executive Director Lee Lambert calls STP “a celebration of friendship and achievement that brings the bike community together and creates belonging for people from all walks of life.” Cascade has made great strides in its effort to diversify the STP ridership, creating the STP Affinity Bike Clubs Partnerships.
Read about our partnerships with Ampersand Bikes Club, Asha for Education, the Foundation for Philippine Progress, Bike Works, and Gruppetto Cycling.
Family Cargo Biking
Cascade seeks ways to help more individuals and families live a car-free or car-lite lifestyle. That’s why we wrote about Davey Oil and the Wombi electric cargo bike subscription service, which enables people to get a high-quality e-bike for as little as $115 per month without the cost of ownership.
Scoring a Goal for Sustainability
We get a kick out of helping people avoid driving, which is why we expanded our complimentary bike parking to all 14 Seattle Sounders home games in 2024.
Building the Leafline Trails Coalition
Another aspect of Cascade’s advocacy includes building the Leafline Trails network. Learn more about this effort to connect the 900 miles of trails in King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in our stories about biking Tacoma’s trail network, and our efforts to close Shoreline’s Interurban Trail gap.
The Eastrail is one of the key segments of the Leafline Trails network. In July we explored some recently opened segments of Eastrail, and highlighted the $25 million in funding from the Biden administration that will help Bridge the I-90 Gap.
Swag Bag
It’s a funny fact that our gear reviews are some of the most-read stories that we post on Cascade News. Still looking for holiday gifts? Our Winter Biking Gear and Holiday Gift Guide, as well as our Summer Bike Gear for Cool Cycling may be of help!
Chilly Hilly is our first big ride of the year, but Cascade’s events season kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 8, with the Seattle Bike Swap and E-Bike Demo at Seattle Center. Check out all the happy shoppers who scored bonkers bargains and test-rode electric bikes at our 2024 Bike Swap.
Bike Everywhere Month and Day
May is Bike Everywhere Month. Thanks to our sponsor, Microsoft, we presented a full calendar of events including food rescues, trail rides, a bike documentary, and more to celebrate Bike Month 2024. See the pictures of happy folks who biked everywhere with us.
Hundreds of people pedaled to our Celebration Stations on Bike Everywhere Day. Read about how we turned that pedal power into political power by encouraging people to bike to Seattle City Hall to speak up for bike funding.
Inclusivity
With a goal of enabling more people to join our growing bicycling community, Cascade introduced sliding scale pricing in 2024 for maintenance and riding classes, the Ride for Major Taylor, and last year's fundraising auction. Learn more about how this new pricing method is promoting inclusivity.
Major Taylor Project
Named for the Black American cycling champion who broke down barriers at the turn of the 20th Century, Cascade’s Major Taylor Project creates after-school bike clubs in middle and high schools that have been historically marginalized due to systemic racial injustice. The historical context is heavy, but our MTP programming in King and Pierce counties is about spreading joy and creating opportunities.
As we enter 2025, we look forward to pedaling with all of you and pushing hard to advance progress in the most bike-friendly state in the nation. Let's ring in the new year by resolving to bike more, advocate more, and celebrate together more.
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