The Mile That Broke My Arm—and Why I Advocate

The Seattle Fire Department responded to 39 bicycle crash injuries at one railroad crossing on the Burke-Gilman Trail between 2015 and 2020. I was one of them. My front tire caught an angled rail track on Shilshole Avenue NW, and I crashed in traffic, breaking my arm in the process.

As I fell, I hoped the oncoming cars would stop before hitting me. That crash is why I do this work: to make riding better and safer for everyone. Eleven years later, I'm Cascade's Policy and Advocacy Officer, inheriting the 30-year fight to make Shilshole safe for people biking.

The Burke-Gilman runs 21 miles from Golden Gardens to Bothell. It’s the kind of bike infrastructure that builds trust between a city and the people who ride it. It's the bike infrastructure that we rely on to be our safe life line as we travel through Seattle.

It’s in this “Missing Link” of 1.4 miles through Ballard, that trust runs out, and riders must share Shilshole Avenue NW with trucks, forklifts, and the same tracks that remain unfixed.

Why? Because of self-serving opposition by a handful of deep-pocketed special interests who oppose a safe bike lane. 

This summer the Washington State Court of Appeals upheld a finding that the city's design for a Shilshole bike path must go through a lengthy environmental review. This setback is disappointing because Shilshole is a failed street. People who bike there will continue to be harmed until it’s fixed. 

After 30 years of appeals, lawsuits, and delay, I understand that this is what bike safety advocates do: we push for safe streets for everyone despite irrational opposition. 

We’re determined to make Shilshole safer and are reviewing next steps. Cascade’s priority hasn't changed. Shilshole is the flattest, most direct route through Ballard, and it’s the route people biking will continue to use. 

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A Leary Way alternative is in the works too, but Shilshole remains our preferred route for closing the Missing Link. Ballard keeps growing, record numbers of people are biking in Seattle, and every neighbor needs a safe way through.

Every ride through the Missing Link reminds me this isn't abstract. People keep on crashing their bikes and it simply sucks to ride. Closing the Missing Link is the most effective way to make riding safer here. 

Cascade is not giving up on Shilshole. We might have seen a delay, but we are laser focused on delivering a safe route for people to bike through Ballard. The Missing Link belongs to Shilshole, and after 30 years of advocacy we are not backing down. 

The push to complete the Missing Link is one of Cascade’s priorities. Across Seattle, Cascade is pushing for safer streets, protected crossings, and connected trails, and every project needs the voice of people riding their bikes. 

I became a bike advocate to help other people bike safely. You can be an advocate for safe streets, too. Follow the cases, show up for public comment, add your voice to our action alerts. Public support and engaged citizens are what turn policy into pavement, citywide.