The cities of Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace are working together to improve access to health and wellness choices within their communities by making bicycling safer and increasing connectivity by completing 11 critical missing links of the regional bicycle network. This collaboration, called Bike2Health, is funded by a grant from the Verdant Health Commission.
The community events and education portion of the Bike2Health program has many opportunities for learning about cycling in 2018.
A “Lights and Reflectors Class” is taking place Saturday, October 6, 2018 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Mountlake Terrace Community Senior Center, 23000 Lakeview Drive, Mountlake Terrace. This class covers the functionality and importance of lights and reflectors to ride safely in dark and low-visibility situations as well as the legal requirements for lights and reflectors in Washington State. Pre-registration is required at www.cascade.org/bike2health.
Topics include: How to be visible and conspicuous when you ride, Front and rear lights, Reflective clothing and bike accessories, and State law (RCW) as it relates to bicycle riders, lights and reflectors
Family Day Rides: The whole family is invited to participate in exploring local neighborhood routes and destinations. These rides emphasize safety, fun, and learning to be a predictable rider while navigating around common destinations. Mountlake Terrace Family Ride is October 21, 2018 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Meet at Ballinger Playfield located at 23000 Lakeview Dr, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. Pre-registration is required at www.cascade.org/bike2health.
Once complete, Bike2Health will create a regional bicycle network establishing several key north/south and east/west corridor routes and connecting major destinations (colleges, civic centers, employment centers, the Interurban Trail, etc.) and transit hubs (the Edmonds Ferry, the Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace transit centers, and Swift bus rapid transit stations). In total, roughly ten miles of bicycle network will be connected or improved by installing shared lane markings, bicycle route signage and about six miles of new bicycle lanes.
The City of Mountlake Terrace has also completed the installation of wayfinding and route signage throughout the Bike2Health network within the city. This will be key in helping commuter and recreational cyclists alike find their way to the city’s Town Center, Transit Center, Library, Recreation Pavilion, and the Interurban Trail, among other destinations.
To help encourage new cyclists to use the network, Bike2Health will also install bicycle wayfinding signs along the major bicycle routes to guide users to key destinations within Edmonds, Lynnwood, and Mountlake Terrace. In addition, new wayfinding and route signage will be installed along the Interurban Trail to help users navigate through missing segments and find the best routes from the trail to major destinations.
More information about Bike2Health is available at www.bike2health.org.
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