If you’ve spent any time walking around Seattle lately, you’ve probably noticed the same thing many residents have: electric bikes and scooters scattered everywhere. They may be a convenient, accessible, and eco-friendly option but they can also be a hazard. Rental bikes and scooters are often left sprawled across sidewalks, blocking ramps, doorways, and pathways that people using wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers rely on.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is now at work on a solution. More than 200 new bike and scooter parking zones, or “corrals,” are being installed across the city.
These aren’t just any parking spots. Some will feature vibrant, eye-catching art—a creative way to make them stand out (and maybe even make parking look cool). In a statement about some recently-installed corrals, SDOT said:
Some will have vibrant art, like these by local artist Roy (Eroyn) Franklin, created in partnership with SDOT Signs & Markings, Seattle Symphony, Benaroya Hall, and the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle.”
You’ll start seeing these colorful corrals pop up downtown and in core neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, among others. When deciding where to put them, SDOT looked at a few key factors: areas with lots of foot traffic (think stadiums, hotels, and transit stations), and places where mis-parked bikes and scooters get ticketed most often. In other words, they’re focusing on the hotspots where parking problems are most noticeable.
And it’s not just about aesthetics—there’s solid data behind this move. According to SDOT, having two or more designated parking zones on a single block can cut the number of poorly parked bikes and scooters by at least 50%. That’s a big step toward clearer sidewalks and a more accessible city for everyone.
So next time you grab a rental e-bike or scooter, keep an eye out for those new painted corrals. A little bit of mindful parking can go a long way toward making Seattle’s sidewalks safer, smoother, and more enjoyable for everyone.