Cascade’s 2026 Bike Network Priorities

2025 has been quite the doozy! But one thing is certain: as federal bike funding is being slashed, Seattle has $133.5 million in funding for bike projects thanks to voter approval last November of the Seattle Transportation Levy. This positions Seattle well for progress in the coming years.

From 2026 to 2028, we’re doubling down on the values that guide our work – safety, equity, and connectivity – while pushing for the projects and policies that will shape Seattle’s bike future for people biking, whether you are a seasoned bike commuter or currently learning how to ride a bike.

Safety: Everyone deserves to get where they’re going safely, no matter how they travel or where they live. Every project we champion and every policy we support must move Seattle closer to Vision Zero.

Equity: Safe streets can’t be reserved for the neighborhoods with the loudest voices or the most political influence. We prioritize investments in South Seattle and communities that have faced underinvestment and unsafe conditions.

Connectivity: A bike network only works when it works everywhere – connecting homes to schools, transit to jobs, and neighborhoods to trails.

2026–2028 Bike Network Priorities

We will advocate for Complete Streets and Vision Zero requirements so that every repaving or maintenance project adds real safety improvements. This means completing the East Marginal Way and Rainier Valley bike connections to eliminate dangerous gaps.

Guided by our equity goals, we will:

• Prioritize South Seattle bike network projects.
• Push to complete missing links and fill gaps including between 14th and Director.
• Ensure community-driven, collaborative design.
• Advocate for a citywide network that links Seattle to neighboring municipalities.

Here are our Priority Projects:

East Marginal Way to South Park

Seattle’s bike community cut the ribbon on one mile of freshly built separated bike lanes near the Port of Seattle. While we celebrate this the completion of this world-class bike route, there is more work to do. The city must still connect this northern segment of East Marginal Way through SODO. This 2.4-mile connection will create a safer route to the recently opened South Park Trail and onward to the Green River Trail. 

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By prioritizing East Marginal Way, we are investing in and reconnecting the South Park and West Seattle communities with bike connections that will create a safer and more sustainable way to reach downtown Seattle.

Beacon Avenue (Middle & South Segments)

Can you imagine riding the ridge of Beacon Hill to restaurants, parks, and mass transit connections? Funded by the 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy, we look to prioritize this South Seattle bike connection by adding 3.75 miles to the Seattle Bike Network. 

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This will bring people on bikes safely to South Rainier Valley, Columbia City, and to Georgetown on separated bike paths.  

South Park Connection (14th Ave S & Director)

Let’s link the Green River Trail with the South Park–Georgetown Trail. This connection is less than a mile, but it links Tukwila and South King County to Seattle's expanding bike network. This corridor is a longtime freight corridor where people on bikes and people biking mix in a dangerous way. We see this corridor as a small but vital regional connection.  

Direct Rainier Valley Safe Bike Connection

Currently, Rainier Valley has a greenway that has around 17 turns. As more people turn to biking as a way to commute, especially to Columbia City, Beacon Hill, and Judkins Park, we have to look for a more contiguous route that does not take people on a scavenger hunt for the safe bike route. Our goal is a flat and direct route from South Henderson to I-90 and the future Judkins Park Link light rail station.

Watch bike advocate Bob Svercl's video about the Rainier Valley North-South Greenway.

Burke-Gilman Missing Link (Shilshole)

You guessed it! We are still prioritizing a safe and contiguous connection from the Burke-Gilman on Shilshole. This project has been in the works for over 30 years and we can’t stop now. Let's show special interest groups who have abused the courts to stall progress that bikes belong on Shilshole Ave NW. Build the 1.4 miles of bike lanes along Shilshole Avenue, which is a dangerous street for all users, including people driving.

130th Avenue North

Have you heard of the term “last mile connection?” The proposed 1.5-mile 130th Avenue N connection is an east to west route that will bring people on bikes from the Interurban Trail to the Pinehurst Link light rail station. 

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With your advocacy we can promote friendly competition between SDOT and Sound Transit and push SDOT to complete a fresh new bike lane before this long- awaited Light Rail station opens on 130th Ave N.

Aurora Avenue Bike Lanes

Our friends at Aurora Reimagined have been steadfast in their efforts to make sure that Aurora Ave is a safer for all. By making Aurora Avenue one of Cascade’s priorities, we can pair our efforts with our partners at Aurora Reimagined to transform this dangerous corridor by applying Complete Streets standards. This would create a flat, direct, North to South bike connection across multiple cities. Learn more on the Seattle Bike Blog.

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As we continue our advocacy, it's important to remember that Seattle has come a long way on its journey toward bikeability. It's easy to be disappointed by the slow pace of progress. However, as bike advocacy influencers including The Shifter have noted: Seattle is winning while other cities are losing momentum. It's time to bring safety, equity, and connectivity to improve our bike network and get people where they want to go.