Seattle’s Bike Network#

Seattle is building a citywide network of protected bike lanes, neighborhood greenways, and trails designed for people of all ages and abilities. This guide covers the types of bike infrastructure, the history of the network, how the city plans and funds it, and where to find data.

Types of bike infrastructure#

Seattle’s bike network uses three main facility types that work together to create connected routes across the city.

Protected bike lanes#

Protected bike lanes (PBLs) are on-street lanes physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by concrete curbs, planters, parking lanes, or other barriers. They provide the safety of an off-street trail with the convenience of a bike lane. (SDOT Protected Bike Lanes)

Seattle has been replacing older “paint and post” flex-post barriers with hardened materials like concrete curbs (Toronto barriers), recycled rubber separators, and precast flat-top curbs through the Even Better Bike Lanes program. In 2024, SDOT replaced over 700 flex-posts with durable barriers, with a goal to upgrade 30% of the protected bike lane network. (SDOT Even Better Bike Lanes)

Neighborhood greenways#

Neighborhood greenways are low-traffic residential streets where walking and biking are the priority. They use traffic calming features to slow cars and discourage cut-through traffic while making it safer and more comfortable for people on foot and on bikes. (SDOT Greenways Program)

Typical greenway features include:

• Speed humps to reduce vehicle speeds
• Crossing improvements at busy intersections (flashing beacons, curb bulbs, new traffic signals)
• Wayfinding signs and pavement markings to guide riders along the route
• Stop signs for cross-streets to give greenway users priority
• Traffic diverters to block cut-through driving on some corridors

Greenways are organized into five geographic areas: Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southeast, and Southwest Seattle. Since 2012, Seattle has built over 40 miles of neighborhood greenways.

Trails and multi-use paths#

Seattle also has a system of off-street trails separated from roads entirely. Key trails include the Burke-Gilman Trail, Elliott Bay Trail, Ship Canal Trail, Mountains to Sound Trail, Interurban Trail, and the Duwamish Trail. These trails connect to on-street protected bike lanes and greenways to form longer routes.

History#

2007: First Bicycle Master Plan#

Seattle adopted its first comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan in 2007, a 10-year effort with an estimated cost of $240 million. Under that plan, the city created 38 miles of new bike lanes, 54 miles of sharrow lanes, and 29 miles of signed neighborhood routes. However, the plan focused on painted bike lanes and sharrows rather than physically protected facilities.

2012: First neighborhood greenways#

Seattle began piloting neighborhood greenways in 2012, starting with corridors on N 43rd/44th Streets in Wallingford and 39th Avenue NE in Wedgwood. The concept followed Portland, Oregon, which had been implementing similar “bike boulevard” corridors since the 1980s. (The Urbanist)

2014: Bicycle Master Plan update and first protected bike lane#

In April 2014, Seattle adopted an updated Bicycle Master Plan envisioning a connected network of 100 miles of protected bike lanes and 250 miles of neighborhood greenways, with every household within a quarter-mile of an all-ages-and-abilities facility.

That September, Seattle opened its first downtown protected bike lane on 2nd Avenue between Pike Street and Yesler Way. The two-way cycle track replaced a narrow painted bike lane on a street that had seen more than 60 crashes in four years. Mayor Ed Murray fast-tracked the project after a cyclist was killed on 2nd Avenue in August 2014. Ridership on the corridor jumped 400% after the protected lane was installed. (The Urbanist | Cascade Bicycle Club)

2015: Levy to Move Seattle#

Voters approved the 9-year, $930 million Levy to Move Seattle in November 2015, which committed to building approximately 50 miles of new protected bike lanes and 60 miles of neighborhood greenways, completing over half of the Bicycle Master Plan network. The levy also funded the Safe Routes to School program, which coordinates with greenway planning. (SDOT Levy Spotlight)

2018: 2nd Avenue extension completes downtown spine#

The 2nd Avenue protected bike lane was extended north from Pike Street to Denny Way, creating a continuous mile-long protected route through downtown connecting Belltown to Pioneer Square. The $5 million project was funded by a federal grant and the Move Seattle Levy. (SDOT Blog)

2020: Stay Healthy Streets#

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SDOT closed 25 miles of existing neighborhood greenways to pass-through vehicle traffic, rebranding them Stay Healthy Streets. The closures saw a 357% increase in walking and a 111% increase in biking. Mayor Durkan committed to making at least 20 miles permanent, and the program was later renamed Healthy Streets. (SDOT Blog | SDOT Healthy Streets)

2024: Seattle Transportation Plan and new levy#

Seattle adopted the Seattle Transportation Plan (STP), a 20-year multimodal plan that replaced the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan along with the pedestrian, transit, and freight master plans. Advocates raised concerns that the consolidated plan might deprioritize bike infrastructure.

Voters also approved the 8-year, $1.55 billion Seattle Transportation Levy, which includes $114 million for bike safety. The levy funds approximately 10 miles of new protected bike lanes and the Even Better Bike Lanes hardened-barrier upgrade program. (The Urbanist)

2025: Transformational year for the network#

SDOT added 9.17 miles of new protected bike lanes and upgraded 4.11 miles of existing lanes with hardened barriers in 2025. Key completions included:

• Waterfront trail: A continuous 3.26-mile route from Pioneer Square to the Elliott Bay Trail along Alaskan Way, completed for the first time in Seattle’s history (SDOT Blog)
• Georgetown to Downtown: A 3-mile protected route through SODO connecting south Seattle neighborhoods to the city center and light rail (SDOT Blog)
• Beacon Hill: 1.7 miles of protected bike lanes from Jose Rizal Bridge to Jefferson Park
• Roosevelt/Ravenna/U District: 1.25 miles of protected lanes on 11th and 12th Ave NE connecting to light rail
• Duwamish Valley: Over 3.5 miles of new routes connecting South Park, Georgetown, and SODO after 20 years of community advocacy

(Seattle Greenways 2025 Construction Highlights | Cascade Bicycle Club)

How the city plans and funds bike infrastructure#

Planning framework#

The Seattle Transportation Plan (adopted 2024) is the current guiding document for bike infrastructure. It replaced the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan and combines bike, pedestrian, transit, and freight planning into a single 20-year framework. (Seattle BMP Page)

The Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board advises SDOT on project prioritization, using criteria including safety, connectivity, equity, ridership, and livability.

Funding#

Bike infrastructure is funded primarily through voter-approved transportation levies:

• Levy to Move Seattle (2015-2024): $930 million total, funded 50+ miles of protected bike lanes and 60 miles of greenways
• Seattle Transportation Levy (2024-2032): $1.55 billion total, includes $114 million for bike safety programs

Additional funding comes from federal grants, the Neighborhood Street Fund, and Safe Routes to School grants.

Project selection#

SDOT prioritizes projects based on:

1. Safety: Crash history and proximity to high-injury corridors (Vision Zero network)
2. Equity: Serving historically underserved neighborhoods and communities with low car ownership
3. Connectivity: Closing gaps in the existing network to create continuous routes
4. Ridership: Potential demand based on destinations, transit connections, and population density

Advocacy organizations#

Several organizations advocate for expanding and improving Seattle’s bike network:

• Seattle Neighborhood Greenways: Grassroots organization that led the “UnGap the Map” campaign and pushed for Stay Healthy Streets. In 2016, they led a successful campaign to reduce speed limits on 2,500 miles of Seattle streets.
• Cascade Bicycle Club: The largest statewide bicycle organization in the U.S., based in Seattle. Advocates for bike infrastructure funding and policy at the city and state level.
• Central Seattle Greenways: Neighborhood-level advocacy for safe streets in the Central District and Capitol Hill.

Data and maps#

Seattle Bike Map#

SDOT publishes an official citywide bike map showing protected bike lanes, neighborhood greenways, trails, and signed bike routes. The 2025 edition is available as a PDF brochure and interactive web map.

Access the map: 2025 Seattle Bike Map (PDF) | Interactive Bike Map (ArcGIS)

Bike counter data#

SDOT operates automated bicycle counters on key corridors including the Fremont Bridge, Burke-Gilman Trail, 2nd Avenue, and Broadway. Count data is available through the Seattle Open Data Portal.

Access the data: Seattle Open Data Portal

Key statistics#

Sources: SDOT Even Better Bike Lanes | Seattle Greenways 2025 Highlights | SDOT Bicycle Master Plan

Related resources#

• Micro Mobility - E-scooters, bike share, and how they work in Seattle
• Vision Zero Seattle - City’s traffic safety initiative
• Transportation Glossary - Terms like “mode share,” “complete streets,” and “level of service”

Last updated: February 2026