This is a letter to the editor of the Weekly cc'd to me by my friend Jan.
He publishes a magazine called Vintage Bicycle Quarterly. He and I are thorns in the side of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. I treat lights that do not change for me as defective and procede as though they were a flashing red. If a traffic light does not work for all vehicles on the road then it is indeed defective and in need of repair. In Portland, Oregon the city has installed special bike sensing devices in the pavement at intersections. They paint a little bike symbol on them so you know where to position your bike to trip the light cycle.
Dear Seattle Weekly,
Thank you for publishing the article "It's Gridlock vs. Bikelock" on bicycle commuting in Seattle in your latest issue. While more and more people commute by bicycle in Seattle, our city is becoming less friendly to cyclists on many fronts. The mentioned "opportunity-driven bike facilities" (that is, when a street is resurfaced, bike lanes can be added) unfortunately also work the other way: When there are competing interests, bicycles (and pedestrians) lose out. A recent example is the re-timing of lights to give arterials longer green cycles and the removal of crosswalks all over Seattle. Even after triggering the light, cyclists and pedestrians often have to wait 2 minutes or longer before they get a green light. This may help traffic flow on the arterials, but for cyclists, who usually ride on less busy sidestreets and have to cross numerous arterials, this can add up to 10 minutes to a 30 minute trip. At many lights, cyclists and pedestrians now have to wait through two light cycles before they are allowed to cross the street! And the city's guidelines require a ridiculous 190 pedestrians or cyclists per hour - more than 3 a minute - to install a crosswalk! Unfortunately, the Bicycle Alliance is silent on these issues - they are more concerned with "Share the Road" vanity license plates.
The League of American Bicyclists has a certification program for bicycle-friendly communities. Dozens of cities all over the U.S. have been certified, including our neighbors Redmond, Olympia, Vancouver (WA), Portland and Eugene, but also large cities like Chicago, Tucson, Orlando and Washington (DC). When asked about certification for Seattle recently, neither the Bicycle Alliance nor the City of Seattle even bothered to respond. I suspect this is because "opportunity-driven" bicycle planning (meaning cyclists are considered only if it does not cost anything and if there are no competing interests) would not be enough to obtain certification as a "bicycle-friendly community." If Orlando can do better, why can't we?
Jan Heine, Seattle
Editor/Publisher
Vintage Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C
Seattle WA 98122
206-297-1199
www.vintagebicyclepress.com
Torch
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:53 am
TerranceJoined: 24 Jul 2005Posts: 1637Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Unfortunately, the Bicycle Alliance is silent on these issues - they are more concerned with "Share the Road" vanity license plates
i totally LOL'd at that part. very well written.
_________________ "the only difference between me and a madman is that i am not mad."
- Salvador Dali
Aaron
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:09 am
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 4645
This is what they do:
Great news for anyone who rides a bicycle in Washington: thanks to the tireless efforts of advocates all across Washington three bills passed the 2005 legislature that will help make bicycling safer for all users. The bills include:
· HB 1108 which prohibits passing when bicyclists, pedestrians, law enforcement or farm equipment is in view and approaching from the opposite direction.
· HB 1254 creates a Share the Road license plate available for purchase in late '05 or early '06 with the funds to be used for bicycle and pedestrian education and safety programs; and
· SB 5186 calls for comprehensive plans to include an inventory of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
A BIG thank you to everyone who sent an email, called or wrote to their legislator. And MORE THANKS to the many legislators who sponsored these bills and voted to help make Washington a better and safer place to ride your bike.
Funding for bike routes and connections and safe routes to school is included in the Senate transportation budget. As of this writing, we're waiting to see how much is included in the House budget and how the two will be reconciled. Neither version will create the bigger revenue sources we were asking for but bicycling is getting recognized as an important transportation option.
Thanks,
Barbara
Barbara Culp
Executive Director
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
PO Box 2904
Seattle, WA 98111
206/224-9252
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Terrance
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Posts: 1637
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
