Bike Skills Area Construction Beginning Soon

Work is progressing on the Island's Bike Skills Area. The City's contractor, American Ramp Company, is ready to kick off construction this week to build the new Bike Skills Area at Deane’s Children’s Park. Islanders should be aware that parking areas at Deane’s and Island Crest Park will be impacted periodically throughout construction, and access to the playground areas at Deane’s is limited - please plan accordingly. You can learn more about this work and see the design for the new Bike Skills Area on Let’s Talk. Information about Mercer Islands Mountain Biking Team can be found here.

NIM At Sunday's Farmers" Market

Many Islanders stopped by NIM's information booth at the Mercer Island Farmers' Market on Sunday, October 1.  

One theme dominated our conversations: cycling, especially with e-bikes, is on the increase and the city needs to provide safer bike routes around the island.   Island Crest Way, particularly south of Island Park School, was a major concern for parents and those living on the south end.  

Many cyclists felt that clear directions and better signage were needed at revised intersections and the roundabout at the north end. 

My Bike Was Stolen! Now What?

The best way to deal with bike theft is to prevent it happening which means using a good lock. Other steps to protect your bike and what to do if it is stolen are concisely listed on the Cascade Bicycle Club's website.  You will find information about registering your bike in advance and who to contact to recover a stolen bike. 

MI Mountain Biking Team Season is Underway

Although the city's new bike skills area is still pending construction, and apparently will not open until late fall or spring of 2024, the Mercer Island Mountain Biking Team's season is underway.The MI MTB team has 29 athletes and 12 volunteer coaches for the fall 2023 season. The team practices 3 times per week including, practices on Mercer Island on Wednesday afternoons.

The team has competed in the first race of the season at Port Gamble on September 17th. The team had 3 top 10 finishes in this race, including a 3^rd place podium finish by June Bailey in the girls intermediate category. The team is now preparing for the final race at the Squilchuck State Forest on October 8th. 

An important part of mountain biking is learning about building trails. The team volunteers at local dig-day events and work with Mercer Island Parks and Rec to build and maintain trails. The team has volunteered over 150 hours in 2023 in trail projects!

E-Bikes - Defined and Categorized under Washington Law

The 2018 Washington E-bike divides e-bikes into three classes with differences in who can ride them and what trails they can use.  

What is an E-bike?   A bicycle with two or three wheels, a saddle, fully operative pedals for human propulsion, and an electric motor with fewer than 750 watts of power

How are E-bikes categorized?

1. Class 1: an e-bike that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 mph
2. Class 2: an e-bike where the motor may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle (without needing to pedal) and is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour
3. Class 3: an e-bike where the motor provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 mph; also equipped with a speedometer

How are these classes treated differently?

• Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are treated as traditional bikes, which means they are allowed on sidewalks, subject to local laws that restrict bicycle riding on sidewalks.
• Class 3 e-bikes are prohibited on sidewalks except when there is no other safe option for the bikes to travel (for example on a bridge without a trail or other safe place to bike).
• Class 3 e-bikes. Persons under 16 years of age may not ride a Class 3 e-bike, unless they are riding as a passenger.

I-90 Trail: Tree Removal in Mercer Island Begins Soon

King County is upgrading four miles of sewer pipeline across north Mercer Island and south Bellevue.  Tree removal needed for construction will begin at the North Mercer Pump Station as early as Friday, June 17. Tree removal along the I-90 trail starts as early as next week.

As a part of this project, King County will plant 600 new trees across Mercer Island to replace the nearly 400 trees we remove. King County is removing trees to make space for new infrastructure and equipment.  The project's tree plan can be found here.

900 Miles Of Trails: Washington Leafline Plan

Mercer Island sits in the middle of the Leafline trail network, which the state aims to one day connect more than 900 miles of trail across four counties: King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap.  More than 500 miles of trails are already completed. 

Multiple studies have quantified the benefits of regional trail investments in the state:

•  Active transportation provides more jobs per dollar than any other type of transportation;
• Trails in Washington provide $5.9 billion in environmental benefits per year;
• Trails cost less to maintain than roads and cause less air and noise pollution;
• Improving access to trails could help close the health gap in Washington.