Axios Seattle
June 05, 2026
1 big thing: Fatal crash highlights gaps
The intersection where a Seattle teacher died in a bicycle crash this week has long been identified as dangerous for cyclists — yet more ambitious plans to improve bike safety there were shelved years ago.
The big picture: The death of Christian Salyer, a 30-year-old teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, comes seven years after Seattle city officials dropped plans for a protected bike lane on a stretch of 12th Avenue South.
Catch up quick: The crash that killed Salyer — which involved a garbage truck — occurred Monday afternoon at the intersection of 12th Avenue South and East Yesler Way, the Seattle Police Department told Axios.
- Salyer died Tuesday morning from his injuries, according to an email from Julie Breidenbach, the principal at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School.
- An investigation is underway, Seattle police detective Brian Pritchard told Axios.
Flashback: City officials had planned to build a protected bike lane along 12th between King Street and Yesler by 2021, documents from 2017 show.
- But those blocks were removed from the city's plans in 2019, leaving the stretch of road with painted bike lanes — or in many places, none at all.
- In a 2021 project update, SDOT said extending the protected bike lane north of King Street would create transit delays and longer vehicle queues at Yesler, Boren Avenue and South Jackson Street.
- The agency said it was balancing "streetcar speed and reliability, transit needs, and bicycle safety" and would continue evaluating alternatives.
State of play: SDOT says the part of 12th Avenue between Yesler and King has "a high number of crashes, including serious ones."
- The city has made some upgrades — including adding low concrete barriers along part of Yesler near 12th to help shield cyclists from cars.
- It's not clear where in the intersection Salyer was biking when he was fatally struck.
What they're saying: "There have been more ambitious plans for 12th between King and Yesler that got pulled back, and certainly would have made the intersection safer," Kyle Jacobson, co-lead of the neighborhood group Central Seattle Streets for All, told Axios Thursday.
- While not all the facts of this week's crash are known right now, he said "the next crash is preventable."
2. 🥖 Bánh mì bracket: Behold the Final Four
We're down to the Final Four in our quest to find Seattle readers' favorite bánh mì!
- After two rounds of voting, Saigon Deli, Tammy's Bakery, Chu Minh Tofu and Q Bakery are the last sandwich shops standing.
Vote below to help decide which two of them end up going head to head in the championship round.
- This round closes at 2pm Monday.
3. Morning Buzz: 💰 $2.6M SPD settlement
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