Wheels will roll again around Seattle's Green Lake

Wheels will be welcomed back to the path around Seattle's Green Lake by November after being banned at the park amid the pandemic.

Wheels — such as bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, etc. — were banned on Green Lake's lakeside pathway in 2021. The goal was to open up more outdoor space amid the pandemic, and wheels have been the source of a few complaints on the pathway, known as the "inner loop."

"We get a steady stream of people reporting near-collisions, or collisions, or just a feeling of unease with how much use there is on this path and how difficult it is for people to navigate it safely,” a Seattle Parks and Recreation spokesperson previously told KUOW.

During this time, the city continued to work on plans for a new path for bikes and wheels along Aurora Avenue and Green Lake Drive that will connect with existing protected bike lanes. This new path is called the "outer loop."

Parks and Recreation Department recently announced that the wheels are coming back to the lakeside path by Nov. 1. Motorized wheels, such as electric bikes and scooters, are still banned. The department says it received an immense amount of feedback about the inner loop during the wheel ban, including hundreds of emails and phone calls.

"The feedback was primarily about not feeling that the new outer loop would be appropriate to young kids on bikes or rollerbladers," a spokesperson told KUOW. "Though there was a whole spectrum of sentiments expressed, including many people now reaching out to say they liked the 'no wheels' rule."

Parks staff will present a plan for reintroducing wheels to the inner loop on Oct. 13.

According to a spokesperson, that implementation plan will include "improving signage and education to ensure all users stay in their lane and respect that the Inner Loop is a place for slow recreation. Our expectation is also that cyclists who wish to go faster will now use the Outer Loop options, thus reducing this potential conflict on the Inner Loop. Successful and safe recreation on this path will require all users to do their best to abide by the Courtesy Code."

Green Lake's courtesy code includes:

• Walkers/joggers on the inside lane; wheels on the outside lane.
• Max of 10 mph; warn people when passing; move slowly through crowded areas.
• Bikers and skaters yield to pedestrians.
• Dogs on short leashes.
• Don't walk with more than two people side-by-side.

Bike or skate in a line, not side-by-side.