Making our regional trails safe and accessible for everyone

Lynn on her recumbent e-bike. As her husband shared with me, "It was a joy to watch her be free to enjoy a beautiful day independently."

Last week, the King County Council passed a slate of updates to our parks rules, including to allow class 1 and 2 e-bikes on regional trails (as well as e-scooters where federal law permits them) and an amendment I sponsored to study the feasibility of expanding trail hours. These important rule updates bring us one step closer to realizing the potential of our growing network of regional trails as a practical and simple transportation option, empowering people to travel safely throughout our region on foot or by bike and to connect more easily to transit—an option that is healthier for people and our environment, more enjoyable, and helps relieve congestion on our roads. 

E-bikes are increasingly popular, allowing people to travel further by bike and they also play a key role in making bike travel accessible for people of varying physical abilities. I recently heard from a constituent whose wife, Lynn, a marathon runner, mountain climber, skier, and biker, was diagnosed with breast cancer. It spread to her spinal cord, taking away her ability to do all those outdoor physical activities she loved. Then she discovered the recumbent e-bike and, even with only partial use of her right leg, she was able to bike independently.

Sadly, Lynn passed away in 2021, but as her husband said, “Biking was the gateway to accessibility and reclaiming some of what cancer took away. People need to know not all e-bike riders are irresponsible and going too fast. For some it is one of the few ways to enjoy what most people take for granted, a beautiful day and a bike ride.”

Read The Seattle Times' coverage of our parks rules changes:

Celebrate Juneteenth across the Eastside

Photo: Eastside for All

On June 19, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved Black people in the Confederate States, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced that the enslaved people there were free. This day, when enslaved people in the furthest reaches of the Confederacy learned they were free, became known as Juneteenth and has long been celebrated in the Black community as an independence day.

This year, we can all join the celebration at a variety of events throughout East King County, featuring learning opportunities, live entertainment, black businesses and vendors, delicious food, community resources, and more!

• Saturday, June 15, 12:00 PM-5:00 PM: Eastside for All’s Eastside Honoring Juneteenth at Juanita High School (Kirkland)
• Saturday, June 15, 11:00 AM-5:30 PM: Eton School and The Little School’s Community Celebration at Crossroads Community Park (Bellevue)
• Saturday, June 15, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM: Highlands Council’s The Village Market Juneteenth Pop-up at Blakely Hall (Issaquah)
• Saturday, June 15, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM: King County Library System’s Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom at Renton Library (Renton)
• Wednesday, June 19, 12:00 PM-4:00 PM: Mercer Island High School Black Student Union’s Juneteenth Community Celebration at Mercerdale Park (Mercer Island)

June is Ride Transit Month!

June is Ride Transit Month! This year's theme is “We Ride for Washington” to highlight the importance of transit for our planet, human health, and shared future. As a regular transit rider myself, I can confirm that taking the bus, rail, or both is a great way to travel—whether you use it for your regular commute, to meet up with friends, to run errands, or to explore and enjoy everything our region has to offer!

You can join in the Ride Transit Month celebration by pledging to ride transit at least 5 times in June, showing off your transit selfies with #RideTransitMonth, and checking out fun upcoming transit events like Ride Transit Night at tomorrow’s Seattle Mariners game, Transit Trivia, and advocacy opportunities!

Learn more about Ride Transit Month from Transportation Choices:

Spread the word!

Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for King County residents.

Sincerely,

Claudia Balducci
King County Council District 6
www.kingcounty.gov/balducci