• JoshHolland
• Dec. 18, 2025

One of the best things about Seattle Neighborhood Greenways is our volunteers.

We don’t just send emails or comment online — we show up. SNG and volunteers take to the streets, bring neighbors together, and turn advocacy into something you can see, feel, and participate in.

Alongside long-haul campaigns and major construction wins, 2025 was defined by people-powered street action: creative, joyful, and sometimes solemn moments that made our case for safer, more welcoming streets impossible to ignore.

Here are some standout moments from 2025 that sparked conversations and action!

1) Reconnect Ballard Block Party

In August, Ballard–Fremont Greenways partnered with local organizations to host the Reconnect Ballard Block Party, drawing more than 2,000 people into the street for a whole afternoon of food, music, games, and community celebration. The event marked the reopening of local business Take5 and celebrated hard-won pedestrian safety improvements coming to 8th Ave NW, including three new crossings at NW 51st, 53rd, and 70th. It was advocacy — with a BBQ.

2025 Reconnect the Block Party

2) A People-Protected Bike Lane Downtown

After a hit-and-run at 4th & Pine, Central Seattle Greenways didn’t wait quietly for action. Instead, they organized a people-protected bike lane, lining the street with their own bodies to demonstrate just how simple — and urgent — safer design could be. For a few powerful hours, the message was unmistakable: safety is not optional. SDOT fixed the gap within under 24 hours after this demonstration.

3) Painting Safety Into the Street: NW Greenwood Homezone

In August, NW Greenways and neighbors transformed three intersections in NE Greenwood with new and refreshed street murals as part of the community-led NE Greenwood Homezone. Over two days, nearly 40 volunteers at each site painted a koi pond mural at Linden Ave N & N 96th St, extended a floral design along Phinney Ave N (N 92nd–95th), and refreshed the Evanston P-Patch mural — contributing more than 240 volunteer hours. Beyond adding beauty, the murals help slow traffic, support safer walking and biking, and build neighborhood pride.

Adults and kids painting NW Evanston St

4) Honoring Lives Lost on Rainier Avenue

On Rainier Ave S, volunteers from Central Seattle Greenways organized a moving memorial and funeral-style public art action to honor people killed or seriously injured in traffic violence. The action transformed a dangerous corridor into a place for grief, remembrance, and resolve — centering the human cost of unsafe streets and the urgent need for change.

Memorial and funeral-style public art action

5) Bike Lines Take Shape

Across the city, volunteers from Ballard-Fremont Greenways and Downtown Greenways helped bring the idea of Bike Lines to life — showing how clear, legible bike routes can make cycling easier for everyone, from daily riders to first-timers. These on-the-ground demonstrations helped turn an abstract concept into something tangible and easy to imagine citywide.

Bike Line Map in Fremont

6) Celebrating a Safer Connection to West Seattle

At E Marginal Way S & S Hanford St, West Seattle Bike Connections, community advocates, SDOT, and neighbors gathered to celebrate the opening of a critical new bike connection between West Seattle and downtown. The ribbon cutting marked the completion of a safer, more comfortable route, featuring a new protected bike lane, more than 200 newly planted trees, and space for future public art. Riders rolled in together from West Seattle and downtown to help activate the new bike counter — showing in real time how people use safe, connected infrastructure when it’s built.

East Marginal Way Before and After

7) World Day of Remembrance in the Rainier Valley

The Rainier Ave Team and MLK Transportation Justice hosted a World Day of Remembrance vigil in November, featuring Black youth speakers alongside new City Councilmembers Eddie Lin and Dionne Foster. The gathering called attention to MLK Way S and Rainier Ave S — two of Seattle’s most dangerous streets — and underscored the need for leadership and urgency.

MLK Transportation Justice's World Day of Remembrance on MLK Jr. Way S

8) Race the L8

With Race the L8, volunteers from Central Seattle Greenways turned chronic bus delays into a vivid, public demonstration. By racing the bus by walking, leapfrogging, or line dancing, they showed — in real time — how much time riders lose every day. The result was equal parts humor and frustration, and a robust case for bus priority.

9) Lake Washington Boulevard: Helping Make Bicycle Weekends Safer

Rainier Valley Greenways kept the conversation going around making Lake Washington Boulevard safer and more welcoming for people walking, rolling, and biking this summer! They hosted tabling events during Bicycle Weekends, sharing information about plans to install “Swing Gates” to keep cars out of the Boulevard during events, and encouraging support for completing traffic calming improvements. This is a perfect example of how neighbors can step in to protect our shared streets and ensure fun, safe, and car-free spaces for everyone.

Group of People Biking on Lake Washington Boulevard

10) Ravenna Walking Audit & Candy Cane Lane Stroll

NE Seattle neighbors gathered for a festive and productive evening in December, combining hands-on safety advocacy with community connection. The night began with a walking audit at the Ravenna Boulevard & NE 54th St intersection, where participants identified safety challenges and potential solutions—helping ensure the community is ready to give informed feedback when SDOT shares design proposals in the new year.

After the audit, neighbors headed to Candy Cane Lane for a pedestrian-only stroll, enjoying a rare car-free evening filled with conversation, lights, and holiday cheer. The event highlighted how practical safety work and joyful public space can go hand in hand—and how community voices help shape safer, more welcoming streets.

Candy Cane Lane Stroll

What These Moments Have in Common

Creativity. Courage. Community.

These actions used art, joy, grief, and direct action to tell the truth about unsafe streets — and to model what a people-first city can look like. They also show the many ways to get involved:

• Talking to neighbors
• Showing up and taking space in the street
• Painting signs
• Setting up cones
• Speaking to the media
• Leading tours

One of the best things about Seattle Neighborhood Greenways isn’t just our vision — it’s the people who make it real. You can read more about some of our fantastic community leaders.

Join us in the new year for more activations and community building that help make all of Seattle a safe place to walk, bike, and roll!