Vote bike-friendly: McGinn for Mayor, Yes on King County Parks Levy

We all want a better world for our children, and that means creating communities where both an eight-year-old kid and an 80-year-old grandparent can safely and comfortably ride a bicycle.

Having the right leaders in office is essential to make this happen, and this year's primary election ballots started to arrive yesterday.

Please join the Cascade Bicycle Club in supporting the following ballot measure and candidates on the primary ballot:

- Yes on King County Parks Levy, Proposition 1

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- Seattle Mayor: Mike McGinn
- Seattle Council Position 2: Richard Conlin
- Seattle Council Position 8: Mike O'Brien
- King County Executive: Dow Constantine
- King County Council Position 1: Rod Dembowski
- Bellevue City Council Position 6:
+Lynne Robinson
+Vandana Slatter
- Mukilteo Mayor: Jennifer Gregorson

Be sure to turn your primary ballots in by August 6.

Yes on King County Parks Levy, Proposition 1

The Parks Levy is a renewal of two expiring levies supporting over 200 parks and 175 miles of regional trails that comprise the King County Parks system.

Proposition 1 will complete key missing links in the regional trail system, pay for critical repairs and maintenance, and keep our parks clean, open and safe.

As you know, our regional trails are some of the best places to ride with families and for recreation, as well as good connections to get to work, school and to shop.

Re-Elect
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

No other candidate for Seattle Mayor comes close to Mayor Mike McGinn’s commitment to creating a better community through bicycling.

Mayor McGinn has shown strong leadership in making Seattle a safer place for families to bike. He has pushed for more bike funding, championed a world-class Bike Master Plan Update and fought to fix the Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail. And under Mayor McGinn’s leadership, Seattle is building neighborhood greenways and separated, protected bicycle lanes across the city.

It’s leadership like this why the Sierra Club, UNITE HERE, Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, Seattle Transit Blog, The Stranger and national environmental leaders Van Jones, Michael Brune, Bill McKibben, and Bill Nye “The Science Guy” have all endorsed Mike McGinn.

With the Bicycle Master Plan update this year, an update to the City’s overall transportation plan next year and key transportation funding ballot measures expected over the next three years, Seattle needs a mayor who has the proven leadership to stand up for what he believes in and support safe streets for bicyclists and all users.

Seattle City Council Position 2:
Richard Conlin

Richard Conlin has long supported transportation choices, including Seattle’s complete streets law. He backed the Portage Bay Bridge bike lane and has championed bike-transit connections, including investing millions of dollars for bicycle infrastructure at Northgate such as the bicycle-pedestrian bridge across I-5.

Seattle City Council Position 8:
Mike O’Brien

While not riding the STP, Mike O’Brien has been a pro-bike leader on council, pushing forward-looking policies, helping secure funding for bike counters and advocating to bring bike sharing to Seattle.

King County Executive:
Dow Constantine

In his first term, Dow Constantine championed King County’s purchase of 20 miles of the BNSF rail corridor on the Eastside, to be converted into a trail route for pedestrians and bicyclists, with the possibility of commuter rail in the future. In addition, his administration has updated county plans to strengthen smart growth, safe routes to school, complete streets, and regional trail policies.

King County Council Position 1:
Rod Dembowski
Rod Dembowski believes in creating better communities through bicycling. He understands the importance of designing our streets to be safer for all users so tragedies like that on NE 75th Street can be avoided. As a recent appointee to the King County Council, he will continue his leadership in support of better regional transportation policies.

Bellevue City Council Position 6:
Lynne Robinson & Vandana Slatter

Cascade is making a dual-endorsement of Lynne Robinson and Vandana Slatter. Both candidates have been involved in recreational and competitive cycling for decades and want to expand our trail systems while also making our streets safer for all users. This will be a marked difference from incumbent Don Davidson who has long frustrated improving transportation choices. We look forward to either Lynne Robinson or Vandana Slatter, or both, moving onto the general election.

Mukilteo Mayor:
Jennifer Gregorson

As a Mukilteo city councilmember, Jennifer Gregorson has shown strong leadership in making Mukilteo a safer place for families to bike. She has worked to build support for building more bicycle trails to connect with the region, to build new bicycle lanes to make streets safer, and to to slow neighborhood streets through quality design.

She is literally a regional expert on creating great communities through bicycling, having graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters in Urban Planning & Design and having written the study on how to create a regional bike share program.

General Election Endorsements

To date, the Cascade Bicycle Club has also endorsed the following candidates for the General Election:

- Bainbridge Island City Council, South Ward: Roger Townsend
- Issaquah Mayor: Fred Butler
- Kirkland City Council Position 1: Jay Arnold
- Kirkland City Council Position 3: Penny Sweet
- Kirkland City Council Position 7: Doreen Marchione
- Seattle City Council Position 4: Sally Bagshaw
- Seattle City Council Position 6: Nick Licata

Volunteer

Getting these candidates elected takes more than a single vote, it takes people like you volunteering to educate folks. Sign up to volunteer with a candidate, and help build political power for the bicycling movement. Contact Emily Kathrein at emily.kathrein@cascadebicycleclub.org.