A cyclist was struck and killed today by a garbage truck. The street where she was killed is on my commute; it could have been me.
JP Freire, the American Spectator's managing editor, writes:
There are four of us in the office that regularly bike. It's the easiest mode of transporation in this town, but the refrain in my explanation to others has always been that D.C. drivers are truly reckless. While it's not clear, based on this story, whose fault it is, I'm reminded of a number of situations in which I learned important lessons about life, death, and balancing the two on a two-wheeled, man-propelled vehicle. Chief among these is that no one seems to be aware of the need to yield to bikes. And cyclists don't realize how the drivers are unaware of this, thus taking their safety for granted.I don't think more bike lanes solve the problem, because they're usually not well-marked, and cars don't look for bikes in their rearviews. I'd suggest more signs around town reminding drivers to check their mirrors for cyclists.
The problem isn't that the bike lanes aren't easily marked; it's that drivers ignore them. If you want to make the streets safer, put in more bike lanes, and ticket drivers who drive in them. Yes, that means you, Mr "My passenger couldn't POSSIBLY cross the street so why don't I park in the bike lane for ten minutes while she gets out on the side she wants to be on?" I have an irrational, but strong, belief that these are the same people who write angry letters to the Washington Post complaining that bicyclists don't obey traffic rules.
And more signs? Do cyclists really want more signs to take people's eyes off the road? There was a whole article on that in the Atlantic this month actually.
Theres a reason why doctors call bikes donorcycles, and its not cause bicycle riders are nicer people.
And by not well-marked, I mean for D.C. drivers to notice their importance. I've been on numerous message boards where people complain that cyclists run stop signs, or turn without signaling, as though they're going the kind of speed where it should be really worrisome.
toxic: I've never heard that applied to bicycles -- I believe you're thinking of motorcycles. Total American cyclist deaths last year was somewhere in the neighborhood of 500. See also: http://pixdaus.com/single.php?id=37189&frm=krsn
I'm also skeptical that more signs will improve the situation. Things that will: traffic slowing; European-style bike lanes, where bicycle traffic is separated from traffic by a lane of parked cars; and, most importantly, more bicyclists. If there are enough of us, drivers will get used to us.
I'm not sure bike lanes make much sense in most settings. In urban areas it makes car drivers insist that bicycles stay in the bike lanes even when there are obstructions. Worse, they are often poorly positions on the outside of parked traffic, or covered by parked cars.
In suburban areas (I live in Raleigh, NC about as suburban as it gets) bike lanes become road pollution lanes as all the trash from the road accumulates there. In suburban areas wide (16 ft) outside lanes work the best, cars drive the whole lane and toss the pollution to the gutter/shoulder.
In both urban and suburban areas bike lanes at intersections are the best. This can provide dedicated space for bicyclist waiting for lights and a right turn lane so the bicycles don't get cut off by right turning cars.
Most bike car collisions occur at intersections with either the car or bike at fault. Car at faults are usually either right turns in front of a through intersection bicyclist, or right on red violations where the car does not come to a full stop and yield to a bicyclist (I've had a number of close calls of this nature, I always try to make eye contact with the driver, If I don't get I contact it is a good bet they haven't seen me).
Letters to the Editor are always full of "bicyclists don't obey traffic rules" complaints, there is some basis to that but it is also true that "automoblists don't obey traffic rules"
This got discussed a LOT on Yglesias' blog where Matt, having taken up biking, evidently thinks he can prescribe good bike commuting solutions. But one thing that certainly came up is that many of us who are long-time bike commuters really, really hate bike lanes: "more bike lanes" isn't a solution I want, thanks.
One solution is to put the parked cars between the bike lane and traffic as a buffer. I've ridden on these a few times and felt far safer than the usual configuration.
It does however make things worse when a car parks in the lane because it is harder to go around. However, it gives drivers less of a motive to do so.
Bike lanes and better signage aren't necessarily the best answer. What works best, I think, are bike routes which avoid major traffic areas. This can be tricky in big cities, of course, but is generally possible with only a modicum of creativity. Put bike lanes on the less heavily trafficked streets and look for ways where you can allow bike traffic through an area even where automobile traffic doesn't go. Unless you are as skilled, as bold, and as alert as a bicycle messenger you generally want to keep as far away from moving automobiles as you can. Unfortunately, in many cities poor urban planning results in only a few through roads being used by all traffic, often with no good alternate routes even for bicyclists.
I know the intersection of 20th and R. My guess is the garbage truck stopped at the stop sign, didn't see the bike flying down the street and proceeded through the intersection. The biker didn't stop at the stop sign and rode right into the truck's front right tire. Sad.
I'm pretty sure this is because the gun ban was lifted.
"it could have been me"
Which is why I would never bike on DC streets and don't understand why anyone does. If you really liked tofu, and there was a good chance it would make you demented ... uh ... well, that's true. Start over. If you really liked tofu, and there was a good chance it would kill you, would you eat it even if it was otherwise good for you? No.
I used to bike to work, and I always felt dangerously exposed. I live in Cleveland, where there are no bike lanes of any sort, but I could at least take back roads for most of the trip. One morning I took a nasty tumble when I had to stop short and found my self eating blacktop in the middle of a busy street. I have not ridden my bike since, because I will never again trust it to keep me safe, not as long as I need to share lanes with cars.
ostap-
Yes. Because when you are in a car, there is no way you can die.
OneEyedMan: "One solution is to put the parked cars between the bike lane and traffic as a buffer. I've ridden on these a few times and felt far safer than the usual configuration."
No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Car-bike accidents don't happen in between intersections. They happen *at* intersections, often because the driver didn't see the bicyclist. It's not clear what happened to this particular cyclist, but my money is on the right hook, with the right-turning garbage truck hitting the straight-through bicyclist.
OneEyedMan's "solution" would make things more dangerous for bicyclists. He might have felt safer in his separated bike lane, but in fact, he wasn't safer. How are drivers to safely make right turns if they can't even see if there are straight-through cyclists to their left? How are drivers to safely turn left if parked cars block them from seeing oncoming cyclists?
After two cyclists were killed this spring in right-hook accidents in Portland, Oregon, the city started installing the Bike Box. Unlike many supposed bike safety measures adopted by municipalities, this one has the enthusiastic support of local cyclists.
BottyGuy, it depends on the rules. Cars don't blatantly run red lights into or across oncoming traffic to the extend that bicyclists do. Nor do cars go the wrong way into oncoming traffic.
Bicyclists disobey the stop/go rules at their own peril. Take a look at the shit they pull in Manhattan.
Bicyclists cannot and should not pick and choose between pedestrian rules and vehicle rules whenever it's most convenient for them. Much moreso than jaywalking, bicyclists' failure to observe stop/go and directional indicators is dangerous to themselves and to others.
Megan, as someone who regularly drives disabled people to various appointments at somewhat incovenient destinations, your rant about people stopping in a bike lane to let someone out at the curb strikes me as unreasonable. AFAIK, in fact, there is no law in my jursidiction against it.
The solution to safer streets is more bikes, enabled by infrastructure improvements with them/us in mind. $8/gallon gas is coming. Dare to dream.
This is a weird reversal, but I think the answer here might be less regulation. The real problem seems to be the level of comfort and confidence drivers have in their own right of way, and their willingness to negotiate their path at speed. (And yes, I'm discounting the annoyance of having an idling car in your bike path.)
Imagine if we dispensed with most of the signs and the reversible lane designations and the specialized lanes and the parking (except for rush hour!) lanes. That kind of heavy regulation creates an illusion of safety that encourages recklessness--like the bumper lanes at a bowling alley. Strip all that fussy stuff out and leave only the bare essentials: Stoplights, stop signs, double yellow lines, and no parking signs (24/7) on thoroughfares. Crazy, right?
It could devolve into Mad Max anarchy. But what if taking away the training wheels spooked people so much that they actually started slowing down and paying attention to all the other vehicles on the road?
southpaw - Thanks a lot for the Mad Max reference. I have Tina Turner's "Beyond the Thunderdome" in my head now.
A lot of research supports southpaw's Libertarian/anarchist model of traffic control. Hans Monderman is the guru, and he calls it "shared streets".
The tricky part is getting through the transition period, when drivers still believe that all road space is their god-given right, and anyone else is an impediment.
A dozen years ago I was living/working across the river from you in Northern Virginia. I recall reading in the Post about a female cyclist, who was struck and killed by a car. This incident was followed by a number of letters to the editor basically saying that the woman had it coming and that cyclists should stay off the roads and on bike paths (as if such things exist in any quantity). Ironically in this instance, the woman may have been killed even if she had been in a car. The driver was underage and unlicensed and had crossed the center line in and was on the wrong side of the road.
I remember as a driver in the District that everyone coming up 7th Ave to New York crossed (if memory serves)a bike lane fairly indiscriminately, including myself. We really all should have gotten tickets. I slowed down at yellow lights after I was hit with my first camera ticket, so I'm guessing I would have been more cognizant of bike lanes if I had the same experience. Drivers can get lured into lax adherence to rules when everyone else on the road is violating them. I find bicycles to be a nuisance as much as every other overly-indulged driver, but there might be fewer violations on their part if there were guaranteed safe places for them to ride. With unencroachable bike lanes established, sure, fine bikes for riding on sidewalks, disregarding lights, etc.
Like most anarchist visions, I fear for the "interim period" of shared roads that may last indefinitely. I'll have tor read up on the concept.
Aaron
Why don't we solve two problems with one stone: No more street parking, make the parking area into a bike lane. What you say? Where will I park my car? Pay for it, and stop using the public subsidy of public street space that could be devoted to better uses, such as a bike lane.
Cardinal Fang,
Thanks for the link to the bike box that is an excellent way to prevent right hooks.
Manhattan Bicylists(sic) Suck,
The issues isn't normally cars going across the intersection the issue is cars turning right on red without stopping, when a car does this the driver is not looking for possible bicycles or motorcycles with the right of way (light green or stop sign for the car).
Bicyclist often do cross intersections without stopping, it seems to be worse when there are large groups (everyone wants to get across together and risk their lives to do it) I will not condone this. However this in generally not the way accidents occur at intersections the significant percentage of them involve right turns.
This comment deleted for personal attacks and profanity
The only bicyclist I almost killed was some kid riding as fast as he could go, against the flow of traffic, on the sidewalk who veered right in front of me while I was stopped at the end of my street. I had done the usual stop, look left, right, and left again routine and was just starting to step on the gas. If I was one second faster pulling out for my right turn, he'd be dead.
The guy who lives at the end of the street has a hedge that pretty much obscures the view to the right in the summer - at least from anything as low as a Honda Civic. It's a school zone, 25 mph max from 6 to 6 on school days, and it is uphill, so you can only see about 100 feet to the right, if you pull forward far enough see around the hedge. Even when you are making a left turn, it can be tough to see oncoming traffic.
I could possibly have been legally wrong had I run him over, but he still would have been dead. It's more probable his heirs could have sued. I don't need that on my conscience, so don't be stupid like this kid was. You can be dead right, but you're still dead.
I've had a similar problem. In the small city where I live, people can't drive worth a damn. I've nearly been hit on a few occasions, so whenever the street is busy I bike on the sidewalk. Some people think I'm nuts, but it's better than getting run over.
I remember very well the day I stopped walking home via Pennsylvania Avenue because people turning right on red consistently didn't see me.
As a city pedestrian, I'm intrigued by the "anarchist" approach to traffic but, having never experienced it, do not know how well it works.
In the meantime, maybe the best thing for walkers and bicyclists is choosing alternate routes that are less trafficked.