Thank you.
Mayor Bruce Harrell and partners of the Port of Seattle, Cascade Bike Club,
and all of you for being here today.
This day wouldn't have been possible
without our partnership with community advocates and local leadership.
Just last week, the City of Seattle unveiled
a brand new park and playground on pier 58.
It looks amazing.
And today we celebrate another significant occasion on the waterfront
with the Alaskan Way Safety Project now complete.
We can officially cut the ribbon on the new protected bike lane right behind me.
That closes a very critical gap on our bike network.
So just a little bit of housekeeping here.
our partners, Mayor Bruce Harrell and our partners.
If you could join me cutting a ribbon, we're asking we're going
to be asking all our cyclists to be in the bike lane.
Is that correct? Yes. Okay.
To do the, ceremonial quick turn around ride.
And just enjoying the new facility.
One. Two.
Three.
(Applause)
Good morning.
I'm really excited to share a few thoughts with you and listen to our speakers.
I want to ground this in a quote, and it's uh,
it's an interesting quote by a transportation advocate,
but I have to explain it because it sounds a little weird.
Bike lanes are not for cyclists.
They're for people who ride bikes.
They're for human beings.
And I put the human beings part on myself.
This is from Matt Penner, a transportation advocate.
But what I want to explain is when in Seattle,
when we think about, those who are riding bikes
or other modes of transportation, we shouldn't see them as those people.
They are human beings that deserve to be safe
part of our ecosystem.
Getting cars off the streets, helping us fight against climate change
and our obligation as a chartered city is to make sure everyone is protected.
And so it's an
honor to celebrate the completion of the Alaska Way
Safety Project, a milestone to reflects our commitment
to creating a safer, affordable and more welcoming travel options for everyone.
So this is a good day.
I just did our radio interview this morning
talking about a lot of the issues
we're grappling with in the city where there's affordability,
the homelessness crisis, the opioid crisis,
some of the toughest challenges
that major cities like Seattle face.
And I said, as you've heard me say before, we don't take victory laps.
The interviewer
said, but you need to take victory lap sometimes.
So I'm going to take a victory lap this morning.
A bicycle victory lap, because the protected
bike lane fills one of the remaining gaps in the Center City bike network.
And that network began, as many of you recall, a, a demonstration project
along Second Avenue from Pioneer Square to Pike Place Market.
But that began almost over ten years ago.
In 2014.
What we've tried to do
is create along this waterfront a beautiful, safe bike path
to make it easier to travel to destinations like Centennial Park,
Olympic sculpture Park, downtown and beyond.
Before this revitalization project,
the waterfront would have close to 6000 pedestrians and 2000 bikes.
Bicyclists traveling along Alaska Way on an average summer day.
And I will tell you, we are now positioned.
The data looks very promising.
We will blow past that, but as we blow past it.
Yes, let's let's let's clap on it as we blow past it.
We are doing it in a safe way and our city remains committed to your safety.
Bike and scooter share trips are up 90% in 2025 when compared to 2024.
You build it and you make it safe.
People will use it. It's as simple as that.
This is what One Seattle looks like when we say we will lead with safety,
we will lead with climate change. We will lead with unity.
We want residents and workers and everyone that comes down here.
And I told you my favorite kind of money
is tourist money.
They come here and they see what Seattle is like.
So let's talk about our residents and our business.
It's now easier for them to explore our parks and our trails and celebrate
our culture and our art and our restaurant and our shops for businesses,
a safer, more walkable waterfront.
It draws more foot traffic and customers, and a bike network
provides options for deliveries.
I've always said we wanted to be one of the safest and greatest
pedestrian experiences you can have when you come down here for our community,
but connected center City Bike Network draws people into the waterfront
and downtown without the cost of parking or time limits,
and certainly not with the stench of fossil fuels.
This is a good thing.
Yeah, the new.
I had a, the pleasure of meeting,
Toka Valu, who honors the richness of Tongan culture.
His artwork is inspired by the architecture of homes there.
And you will be able to walk in right past that.
And I believe, It's Toka.
Are you saying any words?
Toka? Are we just get to admire your way to Toka.
Where did Toka go?
Okay, we're just going to admire your art.
And I want everyone to go on Wikipedia and find out something about Tonga.
It's a beautiful country.
It's actually is.
Memory serves about 170 islands is not just one island.
I think only like 40 or 45 are actually inhabited.
So it's not just one island,
but it's a beautiful culture and beautiful expression.
Now you get to share that with us, and more importantly,
we get to learn about the beautiful Tongan culture.
Thank you very much. Yeah.
Okay.
I looked it up on Wikipedia before I came here.
I have to full disclosure here,
motifs of rafters and living spaces are woven into these bike
lanes, telling a story of family and tradition and community and identity,
a beautiful reminder that infrastructure can reflect
the diversity and creativity that defines Seattle.
I think many of you heard we launched a lawsuit
against the Trump administration because we believe in diversity.
We're proud of equity. We stand for that.
And so we continue to redefine ourselves in projects like this
artwork like this, and certainly in the in the judicial process.
So our public spaces are stronger
when they reflect our communities and our history.
And it's worth it.
It's worth it on days like this. So
everyone that's not
here that can hear my voice right now, hop on a bus or take a bike down here.
Come and walk. Ride or scooter down here.
Just get down here safely and enjoy this new Alaska Way viaduct.
Oh, did I say viaduct?
Did I just say that that that word just come out
my mouth?
Experience the new Alaskan Way for yourself
to see how it connects us and showcase the best of Seattle.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)
- Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mayor Harrell.
I cannot be so excited to see this important piece of puzzle in place
that allows people to move comfortably around Elliot Bay.
This extension of the Elliot B trail connection
coming from the elected, Olympics, I left.
Okay, let's start Olympic.
Olympic sculpture park, uptown, Belltown and Magnolia.
You can now ride a bike without leaving a bike lane
or shared path that deserves a class.
You? Yeah.
In the next few
months, the is East Marginal Way project on the south end of it will extend that,
creating a seamless route from Magnolia
to West Seattle.
And so yeah.
This project is more than a construction achievement.
It's a promise fulfilled to enhance safety, connect communities,
and support all modes of travel along
Seattle's iconic waterfront.
It wasn't easy, but with the help of our partners,
we're able to build a safe project
that caters to the needs of all travelers and helps support the economy
by maintaining access for visitors arriving
and departing on cruise lines.
Just a few highlights of the project.
We have introduced a continuous half mile, two way
protected bike lane on the west side of Alaskan Way, where we are,
and the
shared path on the east side is available on a on cruise
sailing days, people biking can cross the street seamlessly.
Detour.
While operations are underway,
we are also upgrading intersections, new traffic
signals, no turn on red restrictions and design changes
to help remove that traveler conflicts and keep people driving.
At this posted speed limit of 25mph
to ensure everyone, regardless of ability,
can comfortably navigate the waterfront.
Sidewalks were repaired, curb ramps upgraded
to be fully ADA accessible.
Now everyone have their own dedicated space,
providing more predictability.
People walking can enjoy wide accessible sidewalks,
people biking and scootering
have a separated route,
and people driving and delivering goods
continue to have access to loading zones.
This embodies our Vision Zero goal
by prioritizing smart,
safe, first transportation improvement.
We didn't do this by ourselves.
Took a lot of collaboration and partnership.
So without our partners, this wouldn't have happened.
SDOT worked very closely with the Port of Seattle, cruise operators,
bike community, local businesses and residents.
Their feedback and insight were invaluable.
Together, we ensure the integration
of key features and balanced functionality, safety
and the unique needs of business area like pier 66.
I must also thank the voters of Seattle.
This project is one of the handful of projects completed construction in 2026
that were funded by the 2015 levy to move Seattle,
and thanks to their trust, we look forward
to delivering many more successes with the new transportation
levy that passed last November.
So just looking ahead, what's coming down the pipeline?
Here's what's coming soon.
The Bell Street improvement projects will be complete, linking Bell Street Park
Healthy Streets to the bike connection on the new Elliot Bay
at First & Yesler
a new bike path will connect waterfront and Pioneer Square.
We're exploring possibly upgrading the intersections,
and our designers are engineers are navigating a very difficult
challenge us off with, the, challenges of the area way.
And we're going to continue to navigate that space to create that connectivity.
What I know it's certain that Pioneer Square
will soon be connected seamlessly to waterfront
as well.
The Alaskan Highway Safety Project
also marks the first of several exciting new bike
project collaboration planned in Southeast Seattle this summer.
Family friendly bike routes are about to emerge, connecting
Beacon Hill, Georgetown and West Seattle to downtown.
So SDOT is kicking off what we call
Hot Bike Summer Series. Yay!
We're inviting everyone
to explore Seattle by bike as we roll out new routes and the Hot Bike Summer
passport, stop by that table,
get your passport, get your stamp.
There will be prizes and drawing, and I just can't wait to see you guys
navigate the space and take the opportunity of all the built out facility.
I always say don't leave home without your Orca card and a helmet
as you explore all those, investments that SDOT is rolling out.
So now, please help me welcome Port Commissioner
Fred Felleman to share his remarks.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)
- OK, let's give it up for Adiam and the mayor
for helping us being here today.
All right.
Thank you for the introduction.
I will try to be short on behalf of the Port of Seattle
and our esteemed guests, welcome to pier 66.
This is one of the port of Seattle's premier assets.
and I also want to recognize that we're here on traditional Salish lands
that, I so I looked up where it's Bell come from.
Well, Bell was with, Arthur Denny and company and back in, what was it?
It was, 1852.
He was able to acquire 320 acres,
from that great Donation Land Claims Act.
And, needless to say, he wasn't fully welcomed by our indigenous friends.
And his house got burned down in 1856.
But good thing we have better relationships now.
And I appreciate, Toka’s reminding us of our greater Pacific Rim
connections and, our path forward is going to be far more collaborative.
So thanks for that.
(Applause)
However, since our founding in 1911,
the port has been integral to the waterfront story,
and it's a wonderful to celebrate yet another link in the connections
that we bring to that community so that we can have both
this generational transformation that preserves both the working
waterfront as well as community access to the to that waterfront.
And that was the original reason why the port was founded in 1911
by public initiative to be able to retain the public access,
which was monopolized by the railroads.
Little known fact.
however, it's
really important to remember Seattle isn't just the city with the port.
We're a port city, and it's critical
that, a reminder to the mayor and others that, we have a couple of names
that would remind us of that, like our sports teams, the Mariners,
the Seahawks, the Sounders, the Seawolves, the Kraken.
It's part of who we are.
And we're here to make sure it stays.
And our impact on the city goes seriously into the economics of the region.
We just released, an economic report.
Not only do I service the Port of Seattle
commissioner, I'm also a managing member with the Northwest Seaport Alliance,
which does the collaborative management of our cargo terminals.
But together, that's over $14 billion
into our region's economy and 52,000 jobs right here in Seattle.
(Applause)
And that doesn't even
include the airport, which is exceeds that by a lot.
All right.
So enough with the history lesson and, promotion of the Port of Seattle.
Let's get to, why we're here in the first place.
my colleagues in the commissioners
are committed to making sure we can have commerce and community coexist.
And this is just, the kind of balance that we're looking for.
I was pretty serious here with conversations the past two years
with the city, with the bicyclists, with the longshore,
to try to come up with something that, we could all be happy for.
And we're here to celebrate the fruits of that labor.
well, let's be clear.
These kind of complex situation don't occur
without everybody rolling up their sleeves and willing to collaborate.
And I think this is a great example of what happens when our intergovernmental
and public can get together and find a path forward.
So let's do that.
(Applause)
So let's just remind ourselves
the mayor, SDOT, terminal operators, labor.
And I think we had Matt Van Tozzi here from ILWU local 19 right there.
Now these are the guys that carry the cargo on
and off the vessels, including the people in Norwegian Cruise Line.
Vessel can handle over
3000 people that come and go in concentrated periods of time.
The ability to do that safely and swiftly,
hopefully this bike path is going to make it that much better.
But let's give it up for our working waterfront workers.
(Applause)
Almost there, I promise.
Okay, and like I said,
this is a working waterfront and their success is our success.
And we have to be really one of the things that's critical
is that in order to be a port in an industrial
and an industrial activity in a city that really is embedded
together, this is a lot of a lot of ports are off in the sticks.
We are a port city, so we have to retain
that social license to be able to do those economic benefits to the area.
And so we work that much harder to be good neighbors.
And I think we've made some serious investments.
And in fact, we talk about this whole area, this north part of the waterfront.
We were way ahead of the south end by a lot.
This whole area here, this used to be our headquarters.
This is the waterfront, Elliot Bay, the World Trade Center,
the condos in the Marriott, or we're on lands that we were involved
with going going south, pier 69 and supports facility.
And Centennial Park is connected to, Myrtle Edwards.
And you can continue right?
Right through 91. And that crazy little,
bridge to nowhere
in a cage that if you guys do that, that's coming down this year.
Finally.
(Applause)
It's only taken me three years, but I'm going to be there with the sawzall.
And then you can continue on to Fisherman's Terminal,
even to the Ballard Locks right along that way.
So the string of pearls continues and continues north.
We are very fortunate to have that.
So and obviously the Elliot Bay connector will only enhance it,
that much for further.
So looking forward to the grand opening September 6th,
when we can try to bring all these pieces together.
And then, of course, we'll have something to shine
for the global audience of FIFA and the World Cup.
The one thing I ask is that this is a new situation.
It's a great design, but the bicyclists have to know that this is how it's
going to be for the future, and it changes when the cruise ships are here.
You have to bounce back across
when and it's just during cruise hours, not during cruise days.
I'm really hoping that
I appreciate Cascade Bicycle Club willing to get the word out to your members, but
I really think we're going to need to have some active edu-forcement people
on the road to create that muscle memory so that we do it right in the future.
And I call on the city to help us with that effort.
So anyway, it is now my pleasure to introduce Lee
Lambert, executive director of the Cascade Bicycle Club.
And it should come as no surprise he came here by bike.
Thank you.
(Applause)
- Thank you commissioner.
so again, Lee Lambert, executive, Cascade Bicycle Club.
And we've heard a lot of wonderful things about this, path.
And it's a great day to celebrate.
but if you remember, you go back in the way back machine.
It wasn't supposed to look like this.
The first draft of this bike infrastructure had a permanent cross
365 days a year, and we,
as activists and our partners, at greenways, we sent letters.
We I know from Cascade,
we sent about 3000 letters, to the city saying we can find a better way.
and, to SDOT and the mayor and the ports, credit,
they listened.
And I really want to thank, the staff that sat in conference rooms with us, and.
Problem solved.
these are wonderful public servants for the poor in the city of Seattle.
And they often don't get to talk talk up here, but,
they spent a lot of time problem solving, and teaching me a lot about engineering.
So we can we thank the port staff and the staff, who are here.
(Applause)
Through our
efforts, we have this novel dual use facility around port 60, pier 66,
which, transforms during cruise hours, which is about 100 days a year.
And the rest of the year, we have a lovely West Side bike lane
that will be used by, commuters and tourists and, and like,
this really is a case study of what can happen
if we sit in a room and roll up our sleeves and problem solve together
and understand each other's needs.
This bike lane, might not have looked like this
without the hard work of, activist.
The staff.
And I want to thank our friends at, Seattle Greenways.
They really pushed towards the end to make sure
that this bike lane was wide enough.
in two directions.
They came down in, you know, I'll tell their story.
They came down here with escort staff
with cargo bikes and said, here's what we need to do
to make sure that this bike lane what we're serving.
But I just want to thank them for their hard work on that.
(Applause)
So we are proud to have played a role in, getting this bike lane built.
We're looking forward to, completing the rest of the Seattle bike network.
We're really focused on South Seattle. There's, this is wonderful.
This is there's a lot of room to grow, and I will see it
a few more openings, later in this year.
in hot bike summer, I guess.
(Applause)
Thank you.
- And that's a wrap.
Everyone, feel free to hang out.
Thank you so much again for coming out to celebrate the Alaskan Way
Safety Project opening with us.