Recreational bikers, skaters and scooters have long enjoyed the Green Lake inner loop path alongside walkers and others.  Covid-era restrictions temporarily excluded "other wheeled users" from the path, but these restrictions are no longer needed.  Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) Superintendent Christopher Williams can and should unilaterally order the removal of recently installed signs excluding "other wheeled users." Additionally, the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners can and should direct him to do so if he is unwilling to act on his own. 

Instead of excluding certain users from the path, we should begin an inclusive process to rewrite and clarify the Green Lake Usage Guidelines and Courtesy Code to make the path safe and welcoming for all users.

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Why are we launching this petition drive?

1.    The “wheels ban” is a solution to a problem that does not exist!  There is no data to show that wheels on the Green Lake path cause conflicts or accidents.

2.    The proposed solution of forcing recreational cyclists, skaters and scooters, of all ages and abilities, including children and families, into the commuter bike lane, adjacent to traffic is dangerous, and frankly, ludicrous.

3.    The temporary rule was adopted to promote Covid-19 related social distancing.  Covid restrictions are being relaxed all over the City, County and State, including inside of Seattle Parks facilities.  If the temporary exclusion ever made sense, it certainly does not now, and it is inappropriate to enshrine such a restriction for non-Covid reasons.

4.    Banning one group of users from a public park in favor of another group of users is arbitrary and discriminatory. We all pay for these parks, and we must all be allowed to enjoy them.

5.    Smooth flow of all users around the path can be encouraged by less exclusionary means, such as clearly assigning rights-of-way to different user groups, mandating a one-way flow and/or posting a speed limit.  Current usage rules are not intuitive and should be revised through a community process inclusive of all Green Lake path users.