Eastlake residents may find two events that will have an impact on traffic this weekend:

520 bridge closed: The 520 floating bridge will close at 11 p.m. tonight (Friday, July 13) and will reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, July 16, at the latest. This latest closure will allow work on the Eastside that is part of the project to replace the bridge. More information on the closure, as well as maps of alternate routes, are on the Washington State Department of Transportation's website.

STP riders: If you're up early on Saturday morning you might catch sight of 10,000 participants in the annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic as they ride through the north end of the neighborhood starting at little after 5 a.m. Riders will cross the University Bridge, then head down Fuhrman Avenue E. on their way out of town. More information is at the Cascade Bicycle Club's website.

See Jane Run Half Marathon: A women's half marathon runs through Eastlake on Sunday morning following the route of the Cheshiahud Loop down Fairview Ave.... (more)

Today (Friday, May 18) is Bike to Work Day and Eastlake Ave. is one of the major routes into downtown Seattle.

The event is sponsored by the Cascade Bicycle Club as a way to encourage people to get out of their cars and to invest in bicycling as a mode of transportation. 

There are commute stations all over the city where you can get souvenirs, enter drawings, get some juice and snacks and get a bike mechanic to look over your ride. REI is sponsoring the commute station in Eastlake at the south end of the University Bridge. They'll be there until 9 p.m. so hurry if you want to stop by.

Check the Bike to Work website for more info, including details on the After Party in Ballard this afternoon.

Police reports in Eastlake this week include a burglary, a bicycle theft and several disturbances:

• Feb. 22: Disturbance, 2000 block of Fairview Ave. E., 4:53 a.m.
• Feb. 23: Trespass, 1900 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 12:33 a.m.
• Feb. 23: Accident investigation, Eastlake E. and E. Edgar, 10:41 a.m.
• Feb. 24: Lewd conduct, 2200 block of Yale Ave. E., 12:48 p.m.
• Feb. 24: Theft, building, 1800 block of Fairview Ave. E., 4:20 p.m.
• Feb. 24: Accident investigation, University Bridge, 7:40 p.m.
• Feb. 24: Narcotics, 2200 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 9 p.m.
• Feb. 24: Disturbance, Harvard E. and Eastlake Ave. E., 11:27 p.m.
• Feb. 26: Bicycle theft, 200 block of E. Blaine, 3:48 p.m.
• Feb. 26: Noise disturbance, 2800 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 3:43 a.m.
• Feb. 27: Burglary, forced, residential, 2000 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 5:15 a.m.
• Feb. 28: Disturbance, 2900 block of Franklin Ave. E., 2:27 p.m.

See the map at 911Seattle.com.

Highlights from Seattle Police reports for Eastlake for the week include several car prowls and a bicycle theft:

• Sept. 28: Bicycle theft, 2000 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 10 p.m.
• Sept. 29: Fire, 2200 block of Fairview Ave. E., 5:41 p.m.
• Sept. 30: Disturbance, Franklin E. and E. Garfield, 8:41 p.m.
• Sept. 30: Narcotics, E. Garfield and Eastlake E., 9:01 p.m.
• Oct. 3: Car prowl, 2400 block of Boylston Ave. E., 3:45 p.m.
• Oct. 3: Noise disturbance, 2600 block of Boylston Ave. E., 8:16 p.m.
• Oct. 4: Property found, 2300 block of Fairview Ave. E., 10:39 p.m.
• Oct. 5: Car prowl, 2700 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 12:26 p.m.

See the complete map at 911seattle.com.

Notes from around Eastlake:

UPDATE: The Safe Streets Social memorial bike ride rode down Eastlake Ave. about 4:45 p.m. See the photos for a look.

Safe Streets Social: Bicyclists from around Seattle will gather today for a slow ride to honor fellow cyclists who have died recently in accidents.

Details come from Seattle Bike Blog. Cyclists are asked to gather at South Lake Union Park at 3 p.m. today (Saturday) and ride at 4 p.m. Riders will visit memorials for cyclists Mike Wang (on Dexter Avenue), Brian Fairbrother (Fairview Avenue N.) and Robert Townsend (University Way and Campus Parkway). The ride will be a slow one and no one will be left behind, according to Seattle Bike Blog.

Given the locations of the memorials, it's possible we'll be seeing a big group of cyclists moving up Eastlake Avenue in late afternoon. If you're driving at that time, please be careful and give the cyclists space to ride safely.

Read more about this event at Seattle Bike Blog.

UPDATE: Tom Fucoloro from Seattle Bike Blog says the memorial ride will go up Eastlake. He expects we might say bikes around 4:30 to 4:45 p.m.

ECC Fall Celebration: The Eastlake Community Council and Louisa's Cafe Bakery are sponsoring a Fall Celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, at Louisa's, 2379 Eastlake Ave. E. There will be small bites at no charge, $5 glasses of wine and $4 microbrews. Or, you can order off the special menu for dinner or other beverages. 

These community events are always a lot of fun and a great chance to meet old friends and neighbors or make new ones. Hope to see you there!

Romio's definitely closed: The owners of Romio's Pizza and Pasta have posted a reply to a previous story to say that they have definitely closed their Eastlake location at 3242 Eastlake Ave. E. A reader had noticed a sign in the window at the restaurant saying they were just on vacation and would reopen Oct. 3. The Romio's owners say it won't be them if the restaurant reopens.

Vanessa Ho is reporting on SeattlePI.com this morning that that City of Seattle had received a warning about a dangerous stairway before a cyclist crashed there on Aug. 30 and later died from his injuries.

Brian Fairbrother rode down the stairs at 1177 Fairview Ave. N. after missing that the bike path turns onto the street. He suffered head injuries. 

Seattle Department of Transportation spokesperson Rick Sheridan had been quoted last week in local media as saying that the city had never received a complaint about the path and stairs. The P-I is reporting that Michael Hoffman, a 31-year-old scientist at the University of Washington, wrote to the Parks Department in 2008 to complain that the stairs weren't safe for bikers.

According to the P-I article, Hoffman's Aug. 24, 2008, email said:

"It is not apparent until you are near the steps that they are actually steps rather than a ramp. I think this is dangerous currently. I would strongly recommend some warning signs here."

The P-I quotes... (more)

A memorial march from South Lake Union to Volunteer Park on Tuesday will honor a beloved barista who died after a bike crash in the Eastlake neighborhood.

Brian Fairbrother was found unconscious after crashing his bike down stairs near 1177 Fairview Ave. N. on Aug. 30. According to the Seattle Times, Fairbrother was breathing when medics arrived. He suffered brain injuries from a lack of oxygen before medics arrived. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center and died there on Sept. 8.

Fairbrother was general manager for Espresso Vivace's retail locations and directly managed the Alley 24 store at 227 Yale Ave. N., across from the entrance to REI. He started working at Vivace's coffee cart on Captiol Hill in 1989.

The memorial march will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Vivace's Alley 24 location and proceed to Volunteer Park where there will be a picnic at noon. Those attending are asked to bring flowers and twine.

According to news reports, Fairbrother was beloved of Vivace's other owners and customers alike. The Seattle Times quotes Geneva Sullivan, one of Vivace's three owners (the others were Fairbrother and David Schomer), as saying of Fairbrother: 

"He was so perfectly trustable. When Brian said something to you, it was a very kind honesty, but you knew you were getting the story. You never had to read between the lines with the man."

Fairbrother was apparently riding north on Fairview across from Zymogenetics at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30. He was at a point where the bike trail moves off the sidewalk and onto the street but, for unknown reasons, he continued straight ahead to where the sidewalk turns in to stairs that lead to a pedestrian walkway. That was where he crashed and was found. He was wearing a bike helmet.

Tom Fucoloro, writing on Seattle Bike Blog, calls this section of the bike trail a "somewhat infamous hazard." It can be difficult, he notes, especially in bad visual conditions, to tell which direction the bike trail goes. It is thought that the setting sun might have been in Fairbrother's eyes, causing him to miss the turn onto the street.

As you can see in the attached photos, someone has gone to the site and painted stop signs and arrows on the sidewalk to indicate to riders that they shouldn't go ahead but should turn onto the street bike lane instead. A white memorial bicycle with a Vivace coffee cup tucked into the frame hangs in a tree at the location.

Rick Sheridan, a spokesperson for the Seattle Department of Transportation, told the Seattle Times the city hadn't received complaints about the location or about previous accidents. He said the city will review the area to determine if more signage is needed.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Seattle Bike Blog: Long-time Vivace manager seriously injured in bicycle crash
• Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: Vivace general manager suffers brain injury in cycling crash
• Seattle Times: Seattle coffee scene loses beloved barista 
• Seattle Bike Blog: Nine days after bike wreck, Espresso Vivace Manager Brian Fairbrother dies
• KPLU: City mourns popular barista, questions bike path's safety
• The SunBreak: Did a bike path just kill a Seattle cyclist?
• Capitol Hill Seattle Blog: Fairbrother memorial will march from South Lake Union Vivace to Volunteer Park

Highlights of the Seattle Police reports for Eastlake for the week include numerous accidents and bicycle thefts:

• July 19: Auto theft, Eastlake E. and E. Lynn, 11:45 p.m.
• July 20: Disturbance, E. Boston and Boylston E., 12:02 a.m.
• July 20: Noise disturbance, 2000 block of Fairview Ave. E., 12:15 a.m.
• July 21: Bicycle theft, 1500 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 8 a.m.
• July 21: Residential burglary, bicycle theft, 2800 block of Franklin Ave. E., 9:11 a.m.: The victim reported that two bicycles were stolen from the lobby of the building where he lives. 
• July 21: Theft, 2300 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 1:22 p.m.
• July 21: Miscellaneous theft, 100 block of E. Allison, 5:09 p.m.
• July 21: Accident investigation, Franklin E. and E. Roanoke, 6:17 p.m.
• July 21: Bicycle theft, 1500 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 6:28 p.m.
• July 21: Theft, Eastlake E. and E. Lynn, 11:29 p.m.
• July 22: Accident investigation, 2200 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 2:26 a.m.
• July 22: Accident investigation, Boylston E. and E. Louisa, 12:22...

The theft of four very expensive bicycles highlights this week's Eastlake crime report:

• Sept. 7: Car prowl, 2900 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 1:03 p.m.
• Sept. 7: Accident investigation, 600 block of E. Lynn St., 8:52 p.m.
• Sept. 7: Noise disturbance, 100 block of E. Edgar, 10:23 p.m.
• Sept. 7: Car prowl, 2000 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 11:12 p.m.
• Sept. 8: Accident investigation, 200 block of E. Blaine St., 12:25 p.m.
• Sept. 8: Burglary, 1500 block of Eastlake Ave. E., 5:14 p.m. Four bicycles worth more than $14,000 were stolen from a secured parking garage. The bicycles were all men's bikes. Suspects may have entered through a cut fence. Surveillance video showed a white male in his 30s and a woman of unknown race and age walking around inside the garage and riding off on two of the bicycles.
• Sept. 8: Liquor violation - adult, 200 block of E. Boston St., 5:47 p.m.
• Sept. 9: Car prowl, 2600 block of Franklin Ave. E., 1 a.m.
• Sept. 11: Noise disturbance, 2300 block of Minor Ave. E., 3:42 a.m.
• Sept. 11: Car...

UPDATE: This post has been changed since it was first published. A llink to a Seattle Times story about the most dangerous places to ride your bike has been added.

Friday is Bike to Work Day and the Seattle Department of Transportation is expecting heavier than usual bicycle traffic on some city streets, including Eastlake Avenue E.

SDOT estimates that 10,000+ bike riders could take to the streets for the morning and afternoon commutes.

The Cascade Bicycle Club has more information about the event on its website.

There will be a number of Commute Stations on major routes in and out of town, including one sposored by REI at the south end of the University Bridge. That station and others will be operating between 6 and 9 a.m.

What can you get at the commute stations? Cascade Bike Club says:

"... Riders can stop by Commute Stations to pick up free schwag, snacks, city and county maps, bicycle commuting information and to have bikes checked for free by our fantastic bike shop station sponsors."...