From the Cascade Bike Club website:
Seattle: Seattle Municipal Code 11.44.120 states: “Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic-control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.”

Bellevue: Bellevue Municipal Code 11.60.070 and 11.60.80 are essentially identical to the Seattle Municipal Code and generally allow riding on city sidewalks as long as it does not interfere with pedestrian traffic.


When you're on the sidewalk, you're generally less visible to drivers. They're looking to the sidewalk for pedestrian traffic (if they look that way at all before crossing a sidewalk.) Most of the main roadways in Bellevue are 2 lane, which means people have plenty of room to pass. I used to work late shift (5pm - 1am) in Bellevue and rode up 148th during evening rush hour from Redmond. Some people won't like that you make them deal with your presence on the roadway, but that happens everywhere. They can learn to make due.