Ken Schram: Car wars or common sense?
Is it car wars or common sense?
The City of Seattle, which has already spent some $35 million on bicycle lanes over the past several years, is now beginning to install what are called bike tracks.
Picture something along the lines of a lane with an outside curb.
With a swath of roadway set aside for use by cyclists, there is also a strip of concrete that separates the lane from car traffic.
It gives the cyclist a clearly defined area to ride in while establishing a boundary for motorists.
Seattle is looking to spend about $5 million on these lanes over the course of the next couple of years.
Whenever the city sets out to make safety accommodations for cyclists, all sorts of dust is kicked up.
There are those who see the city as having already spent enough money on bike lanes and who resent the idea of spending more while reducing road capacity for vehicles.
But we've seen the tragedies; the deaths, and the injuries, that come with more people using bicycles as a primary means of commuting.
Bike tracks are planned along Broadway, South Lake Union and Westlake.
The city will also study putting in a bike track that cuts through downtown.
It's not a war against cars.
It's a sensible, simple way to provide a margin of safety for cyclists.
I wish we'd come up with it years ago.
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The City of Seattle, which has already spent some $35 million on bicycle lanes over the past several years, is now beginning to install what are called bike tracks.
Picture something along the lines of a lane with an outside curb.
With a swath of roadway set aside for use by cyclists, there is also a strip of concrete that separates the lane from car traffic.
It gives the cyclist a clearly defined area to ride in while establishing a boundary for motorists.
Seattle is looking to spend about $5 million on these lanes over the course of the next couple of years.
Whenever the city sets out to make safety accommodations for cyclists, all sorts of dust is kicked up.
There are those who see the city as having already spent enough money on bike lanes and who resent the idea of spending more while reducing road capacity for vehicles.
But we've seen the tragedies; the deaths, and the injuries, that come with more people using bicycles as a primary means of commuting.
Bike tracks are planned along Broadway, South Lake Union and Westlake.
The city will also study putting in a bike track that cuts through downtown.
It's not a war against cars.
It's a sensible, simple way to provide a margin of safety for cyclists.
I wish we'd come up with it years ago.
---
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also connect with Ken on Facebook.
Hopefully when Mayor McSchwine is voted out of office the next mayor will put an end to this nonsense.
Sorry Ken, but I completely miss yer point.
If we give the bikers a curb, would it not be the the equal respoinsibility of both parties to observe the 'curb'? Bikes and cars jump curbs. Bikers actually seem to enjoy it. Brings out the 'awesome' in them.
In case you're not aware Ken, we have laws that apply to motorists and cyclists as well. Ask yerself who breaks those laws. and who gets punished.Â
I have a better idea. Start punishing the cyclists for breaking the laws. Make them pay for a license and tax THEM for their grandiose egos. Â
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Or do they get whatever they whine about? At the taxpayers expense of course.
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Instead of bicycle LANES.... let's make bicycle TUBES!  You know, giant version of those hamster things!  Keep the bikes and cars from mixing.Â
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Should be illegal to flip somebody off from your bicycle, by the way.  You have to remove your hand from the handle bar to do it. It's a public safety issue.Â
Waste of money. The bicyclist wont use them anyway. They will be an obstacle in the roadway, I can imagine a motorcycle hitting one and going down.
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We need targeted enforcment against bicyclists law breakers.  Lane changes without signalling. Lane changes without yielding to the vehicle already in that lane. Running stop signs and red lights. Cutting off pedestrians in the cross walks.
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Not having lights or reflectors. Â
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The list is endless.  Bicyclists are the worst violators in traffic.
Wow! Riding a bike for 72 years in Seattle and still around, thats a story in its self to talk about..
If you go to you tube and look at the traffic videos the bikes and cars share the road. Take the money and hire more cops. Do not cater to one specific group.  P.S. been riding bikes for 65 years.
i agree smashquail... bike lane or not! they still don't use it! they flying down Seattle streets blow threw red lights and making me do 5 miles an hr as they weave in and out of traffic or the bike line. Seattle should start using some of the  polices force and start giving bicyclist tickets for blocking traffic or failing to obey traffic laws!Â
I wouldn't mind these curbs, because it would keep the damn bicyclists off the roads. Nothing ticks me off more than bicycle commuters....
I have biked all my  life and I still bike at age 72.  HOWEVER, I think spending MORE money on bike lanes is wasteful.  If you look at the number of riders who are bike commuting to WORK on a rainy day throughout our long Seattle rainy winters, you can see that putting more money into bike lanes is nothing but a waste of money.
What if cyclists that are eighteen and over had to license their bikes and pay a tax? We really have spent a lot of public money accommodating them. I don't ride, but I would have no problem paying my share if I was a cyclist.
 @getoveryourself Maybe they should tax based on the gross vehicle weight. $5 tax or something. Bicycles don't really do much damage to the road.
Ok, so you think the Bike lanes are good. Who pays for them? The Cars and Drivers pay gas tax, have a operators license and a license on their car, All of this supposedly goes some what to the roads and upkeep. The Bikes pay nothing... No license, No operatots license of which most need because the don't follow the laws of the road and no license on their bike to identify the fools breaking the law. So tell me this is a good idea. You need your own shrammy where the sun don't shine.
 @Richard I don't have any kids, but I pay a bunch of taxes for schools? Whats up with that?Â
@Stock Woodie @Richard Me too, I actually have to pay for my kids to go to private school because the public schools are full of politically correct people that don't deal with problem kids.
cause someone paid for YOUR education dude.  It's called paying it BACK.
 @newspuppy So my single education helps pay for families with multiple children? Same concept.
 @Richard "The Bikes pay nothing"
They pay nothing extra. We still pay the same taxes everyone else does.
@Hountoof @Richard No you don't, I agree, bicyclist should have to have license plates just like cars. It can pay for the barriers and the bicycle lanes plus you grab their license to report their irratic behavior.
 @justsayin  @Hountoof   I guess I should have made it clear that I drive a car as well. Most people I know who ride bikes also have cars.
@Hountoof @Richard no, you don't. you may pay other  taxes, but not the taxes motorvehicle owners and operators do.
 @Hountoof  @Richard Not for roads you don't !  Don't give us the baloney you have a car and also. If that is the case why do I have to pay for all my vehicles ?Â
Good grief! Wonder how long it will take before these bikers get their own interstate. That is if we don't start sharing I-5 with them. You would think this city has too much money.
most of the comments ive read dont realize that bikes do in fact hit a cars blind stop in and out quickly, so they simply arent seen, THAT DO the bikers CARE? it seems not. cars hitting a person on a bike, breaking the law is rather excusable.again did the bikers care ? it seems not again. yes a bike lane causes confusion at a rather slit second..my point... bikes cant do the speed limit, and there for cause hazards, if you cant do the speed limit, know you r being dangerous.when it comes to lives, lost because the usa cant afford bike lanes or bikers not paying attention? whos being stupid here? bikers have more control over their safety, no blind stops.what the heck is their excuse? i dont rely on my car lane to be safe. DO YOU? as walking along a busy road in a cell phone world, whats not to comprehend here? why would any one assume they r safe in traffic anywhere with any kind of lane?
 @maggie112 "whats not to comprehend here?"Your entire nonsensical message.  What a bunch of gibberish.
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As gas prices creep up and the obesity rates climb, it makes LOTS of sense to provide better options for those wanting to bike to and fro... the overall savings in health costs will likely offset any costs for the cement.
You are kiddingf right ??Â
Hopefully these curbs will also keep the bicycles from randomly diving into the traffic lanes. Â And before all of you curse me as a bike hater.... I work in Redmond, with tons of bikes and well defined bike lanes, yet at least once a week I have a bike just dive across into traffic, or ride outside the bike track with total disregard for cars. Â At the end of the day, believing you have the right of way by being on bike will not save your life when one of us unenlightened SUV drivers can't stop in time for your sudden left turn. Â These curbs should help the problem for both 2- and 4-wheel commuters. Â McGinn finally found some reasonable solutions.
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 @Steve J I will not justify the idiots who dive across the lanes at last minute. That is indeed reckless. I will, however, point out that there is no law requiring bicycles to use the bicycle lane. It may be downright rude (and it is when a lane is available), but it's perfectly legal, and vehicles are obligated to treat a bicycle as any other vehicle. Also, to make left turns, they are legally required to change lanes into the left turn lane like any other vehicle.
I agree with you, Ken. There are some things that define urban life. Being able to ditch the automobile is high on that list. Light rail, reliable bus service, safe bike lanes, good sidewalks, these are all part of the same equation -- park the car.
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I live in the sticks. I don't have these options. Wish I did.
Yet one more reason to avoid Seattle. This used to be a nice city...what happened?
 @ddrum If having safer options for cyclists is going to ruin a city for you, I don't think you will ever be satisfied.Â
 @ddrum McGinn became mayor and brought the Sierra club along.Â
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 @Andrew Bush I believe you mis spelled his name Andrew, I'm pretty sure it's spelled McSchwinn.
By the way, has anyone seen Ken out on his bike? Â Maybe he goes on ride alongs with McGinn. Â
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Bicyclists are the anarchists of our streets. Â Never follow the law. Â Always causing more dangerous situations for themselves and others.
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I thought those 15,000.00 green blocks were ridiculous and now they are going to squeeze cars even more for these lawbreakers on two wheels? Â
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 @Andrew Bush As a citizen who regularly commutes by bike and car, I can assure you that while there certainly are plenty of cyclists who disobey laws, the majority of the time motorists are far worse. I make a point out of following the laws while I ride my bike but I expect motorists to do the same. Sadly, I didn't know the majority of bike laws until I started riding a bike on the road and it is very apparent that most motorists do not know bike laws either and as a consequence, put my life and others in danger all the time. The fact that I am nearly killed as a result of motorists breaking laws almost weekly, it is hard for me to care about people whining about the "inconvenience" of bike lanes. They save lives.
 @Andrew Bush I don't think all bicyclist are anarchists.  There are some safe riders out there that do obey the laws.  I know there are, I've seen one or two. Â
 @I am in Tacoma  I have seen one or two too... a few years ago. Â
 @Joshua There is no argument.  Â
 @Andrew Bush  @I am in Tacoma Funny... Argument melted away with a comedic diversion...Â
 @I am in Tacoma  @Andrew Bush haha
 @Joshua probably caused by bicyclists who fled the scene. Â
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Stand up for Seattle. Â Put a bicyclist in jail today!!!
 @I am in Tacoma  @Andrew Bush I've seen some pretty tremendous car accidents in my time...
 @Andrew Bush Your right! Drivers don't constantly get pulled over for speeding, running red lights, talking/texting, DUI, you name it... That's the stuff that kills, my friend.
 @Joshua  When they are pulling over these reckless cyclists talk to me.  Â
 Joshua----------------YES--There at least two deaths in the Seattle
that are attributed to cyclist. One on the Burk Gilman Trail and one
in a downtown Seattle.
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The one in downtown occurred because the cyclist opted to jump
into the crosswalk to avoid having to stop at a red light. That
cyclist's impatience came at a high price as it cost a child's life.
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On the Burk Gilman Trail a cyclist hit and killed a senior citizen that
was just out walking. That death was attributed to excessive speed
by the cyclist.
 @Illuminati That kind of rhetoric will get you a long way in politics my man (or woman), you should try it out
 @Illuminati Exactly!? Nice spin.Â
 @Joshua Oh, didn't realize this was a competition. So you're saying it's okay for a cyclist to kill a pedestrian because cyclists have been killed by drivers?
 @I am in Tacoma  @Andrew Bush Fair enough. Now, how many cyclists, in non fault or negligence of their own, have been killed by drivers?
 @Joshua Just one example: http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2012/04/05/was-cyclist-who-killed-pedestrian-reckless
 @Joshua  @Andrew Bush A pedestrian was kill by a cyclist in San Francisco.
 @Joshua  @Andrew Bush Yes.Â
 @Joshua Yes... in the accidents caused when people were forced to slam on their brakes thanks to yet another bicyclist. Â
 @Andrew Bush  @Joshua Mid 70's.  My cousin got a speeding ticket for 60 MPH.  He wanted to see how fast he could get his bike going down Queen Ann Hill.  The officer admired him for his attempt and gave him the paper to prove it.
 @Andrew Bush Have you ever heard of anyone being killed by a reckless cyclist?