News Sep 14, 2011 at 4:00 am

Cyclists are dying, collisions are rising, and people who claim that there is a "War on Cars" are out of control—it's time for a reality check and an action plan.

James Yamasaki

Comments

103
#102, your complaint should be with The Stranger, which titled the article, "Okay, Fine, It's War." They are the ones calling for a "war on cars" by the idiot cyclistas. It's a phenomenally stupid idea, but then The Stranger has been racking up a pretty long list of especially stupid crap lately.
105
How about those elitist mother effing cyclists on the bike trails...no one talks about the damage and deaths(O yes!)those jerks get away with.
106
#105, I've talked about them. The Burke Gilman trail is chock full of homicidal maniacs on bicycles. It's a disaster waiting to happen.
107
The problem for Seattle is that it increased its density without adding a single new arterial.

Hence, for example, a neighborhood street like 45th in Wallingford is now the equivalent of State Route.

There are few if any East-West highways throughout the entire PNW region. There are none in Seattle proper other than the West Seattle bridge.

This results in huge numbers of cars pouring into neighborhood streets and making them virtual freeways but without any safeguards or separation between cars and bike-peds.

Contrast this with Portland, which has an abundant network of highways -- concentric rings of expressways and radial spokes. It's very easy to get to a highway entrance...jump on and jump off -- just like you'd expect in well planned city. However, in Seattle, just the opposite. People crawl through neighborhood after neighborhood. A journey of 15 miles around here can take an hour...even if there is no traffic...because you have to navigate through lights and stop signs.

Density is the culprit and lack of highways.

Want an answer. Look in the mirror...urbists.
108
#107, do spend any time in Portland? I do, and it's mayhem down there. Cyclists and drivers are at each others' throats, and congestion is off the charts because they're refused to build freeways while making the city streets harder and harder to drive on.

The end result: The city Portland's economic growth has stopped. Any new jobs down there are created in the suburbs, which coincidentally are not involved in this cyclista nonsense.
109
Contrast this with Portland, which has an abundant network of highways -- concentric rings of expressways and radial spokes. It's very easy to get to a highway entrance...jump on and jump off -- just like you'd expect in well planned city.

You obviously don't spend any time down there. The city of Portland is congested as hell, because they're refused to build freeways while at the same time making it harder to drive.

The result is that Portland's economy has stopped growing. Any new jobs in that region are created in the suburbs, which coincidentally are not part of the cyclista nonsense.
110
Incredibly idealistic and heartfelt, but where was the call to action?
111
Gee, Stranger, somehow your upfront message doesn't make me feel any safer. You call for war, when that's what we already have. How about a heartfelt call for truce? The data and the horror stories are useful, the implication of our superiority as biking humans not so much--you've spurred the same old venting. Nothing new going on here. I get from point A to point B safely on my own hyper-awareness and on the tenuous tolerance of my existence by people in big machines. You aren't helping.
112
The factual part of this is useful. Calling for our own war, not too damn helpful. You have spurred the same venting and belligerence we always get when these things happen and the blame game has to be rerun. I was encouraged to hear Mayor McGinn's plan to try to address this, but your article puts us back in the same paradigm. How about calling for a truce, with both sides getting their act together?
113
Great, so now the Stranger has decided to speak for all non motorists and sunk down to the other side's level in calling this a war. I don't know if you've noticed, but there are some psychos out there on the road who don't view cyclist's life as worth anything.

Public safety and transportation are issues that shouldn't be politicized. But unfortunately it looks like everything nowadays is devolving into an Us VS Them battle.
114
Richard Conlin is STILL IN OFFICE? That guy has been useless for years, how does he get re-elected so much? Oh right because he's like an "environmentalist" or some shit like that?

I haven't lived in Seattle for over 10 years- it's amazing how little has changed in the zombie-like political system up there.
115
#111, excellent point. If I were a cyclist, I'd really be uncomfortable with The Stranger's ludicrous article calling for the legions of people on 25-pound aluminum vehicles to declare war on the much larger legions of people in 2-ton steel vehicles.
116
Let's stop having "Wars" on things. It is not a very useful metaphor, and contributes to Us vs. Them thinking, which encourages divisive thinking generally.

I'm not at war with anyone. And yes, people on the roads should pay more attention and be generally more courteous to one another.
117
I'd like to see a pedestrian manifesto. Pedestrian needs are not the same as bicyclists needs. Every time I see a bicyclists not using bike infrastructure whizzing by pedestrians on the sidewalk, I get scared. Or when cyclists decide to use the crosswalk, instead of waiting at the light like a regular vehicle. I am happy to see cyclists lobbying, but we need to make sure people using their feet aren't handed the short end of the stick. We need bike infrastructural, safe cycling education for cyclists in urban areas, and pedestrian infrastructure.
118
This is why they should make all cars, truck and busses out of NERF.
119
Are there any statistics about bikes hitting cars or pedestrians? Seriously.
I ride a Vespa and have done so for almost 30(!) years. I've been hit four times. Twice by cars (both times when some asshole does a u-turn without looking) and twice by bicycles, both times then I was legally taking a right (with my turn light on) and them passing (or trying to)on MY right, which is an illegal move.

And I've got a GREAT idea on how to fund more bike lanes and such; start ticketing bicyclist for not wearing helmets or running red lights and stop signs and use the money for the bike projects. No bicyclist can argue with that. I've gotten tickets on my scoot for doing the same thing...
120
#119, you fail to understand that bicyclists are better than everyone else, and therefore are above mere laws.
121
DEAR FELLOW SEATTLE DRIVERS:

You will gain my respect when you are capable of parallel parking in fewer than 3 attempts.
122
When do you find time to ride your bicycles between hugging trees and smoking pot? You all should be a lot more mellow one would think.
123
When do you people find time to ride your bikes so much in between hugging trees and smoking pot? Which also begs the question, why aren't you more mellow?
124
@119:

Are you seriously suggesting that bicycles pull across a lane of motorized traffic and pass cars on the left? I don't think that the solution is to simply expect bicyclists to conform to a set of rules that were written for cars & trucks. What we need is some proper infrastructure (grade-separated lanes, bike-specific signals at crossings, etc) - then we can start talking about rules of the road.
125
Hooooooooooooooooooooo boy......
126
War weapon number 1: a handful of roofing nails. When a motorist honks, yells, or swerves at me I toss the nails, to universally positive results:
1) Occasionally some go under the wheels of the attacker. Win!
2) Some hit the hard parts of the attacker's car. Maybe they'll remember that sound the nails made while waiting for AAA to change their tires and know: that kitty had claws.
3) Some of those nails will flatten tires of other drivers. "Innocent" drivers. Innocent...
A) Anyone who sees how few homicides perpetrated by motorists ever lead to charges knows there's no such thing as an innocent driver.
B) Given how much of my property and income taxes go toward funding highways my bike is prohibited from using, or giving billion dollar tax brakes for oil companies, motorists paying for a tow truck or new tire is a small price to ask. They still have a huge subsidy to drive.

A few flat tires are simple, HARMLESS, collateral damage.

4) If I should run over one of my own nails, I'm patched and rolling within 10 minutes.

So hear ye, all cyclists. Roofing nails are just a couple dollars a pound. Keep a handful ready, and another handful in your pocket. With practice you won't even need to stop to "reload". Believe me, after a while, cars slow down and pass distantly, quietly, and as far as I can see, respectfully.
127
War weapon number 1: a handful of roofing nails. When a motorist honks, yells, or swerves at me I toss the nails, to universally positive results:
1) Occasionally some go under the wheels of the attacker. Win!
2) Some hit the hard parts of the attacker's car. Maybe they'll remember that sound while waiting for AAA to change their tires and know "this kitty has claws"
3) Some of those nails will flatten tires of other drivers. "Innocent" drivers. Innocent...
A) Anyone who sees how few homicides perpetrated by motorists ever lead to charges knows there's no such thing as an innocent driver.
B) Given how much of my property and income taxes go toward funding highways my bike is prohibited from using, or giving billion dollar tax brakes for oil companies, motorists paying for a tow truck or new tire is a small price to ask. They still have a huge subsidy to drive.

A few flat tires are simple, HARMLESS, collateral damage.

4) If I should run over one of my own nails, I'm patched and rolling within 10 minutes.

So hear ye, all cyclists. Roofing nails are just a couple dollars a pound. Keep a handful ready, and another handful in your pocket. With practice you won't even need to stop to "reload". Believe me, after a while, cars slow down and pass distantly, quietly, and as far as I can see, respectfully.
128
@119:

"[I was hit] twice by bicycles, both times then I was legally taking a right (with my turn light on) and them passing (or trying to) on MY right, which is an illegal move."

Ummmm, yeah. That's called a "right hook", and it comes from a motorist getting about 5 meters ahead of a cyclist, pretending that the cyclist no longer exists, then slowing and turning taking the turn right into the bike's path.

In the future, understand the cyclist doesn't just disappear the second s/he's slightly behind your peripheral vision. Unless you're prepared to take that right at 30 MPH, slow down, let the cyclist pass straight across the side street, then look in your side mirror, then turn. My bike and I are 0ve 300 lbs combined, you DO NOT want to right-cross me on a scooter!
129
@87:
"I'll support bikes and bike lanes when [they] have to have a plate on your bike) so that those who ignore traffic laws can be tracked down."

Really? So how are those license plates working out for the four American citizens killed every day by hit and run drivers? Not so well, huh.

I'll support license plates, registrations, taxes, etc. for cyclists when all cars have black boxes, GPS trackers, automatic-stop for red lights and speed governors controlled by speed-limit signs. You want to improve roadway safety, start with the vehicles proven to kill 100 people a day, every day for the last thirty years. Once you've solved that you can chase those terrorizing cyclists.

Oh and add to tha suite of safety tools, a beacon bikers/peds can carry that makes all cars slow to 20 MPH when within 50 feet. Oh and airbags on the outside of cars, to dampen the impact of car-on-people collisions.

How do you like them apples?
130
Roads have gotten a lot more dense and congested since I started riding in Seattle 25 years ago. It's not the same as when I used to Zip through red lights and ride against traffic for a block to make a short cut; more traffic, more risk. The Burk-gilman trail also seems to be a stupid magnet for bike riders, I won't use it anymore because of the congestion. As the simple act of travel becomes a source of frustration, war begins. Seattle drivers don't even know how to merge on the freeway, much less yield the right-of-way to bikes\peds. It's not personal, they just can't conceive of putting your need before theirs; an attitude born in happier days of fewer people, open roads. To help this transition of attitude I suggest this tactic: for every bicyclist wounded or killed by a car, a random act of violence be committed to a car by each bicyclist the next day. Nothing like a kryptonite to the taillight to get the point across, randomness is the key.
131
A major problem, only briefly mentioned, is that bicyclists are very unaware in Seattle. I grew up in Lafayette, Indiana, where EVERYONE drives. I learned at a very, very young age that I had to assume that NO CAR EVER SEES ME AS A BICYCLIST. Riding around, I made sure of a few things: 1. Always make eye-contact with a driver that may be crossing your path. 2. If you need to slow down and stop to get out of the way of a car that doesn't seem to be paying attention, SLOW YOUR ASS DOWN AND STOP. 3. The most dangerous situation you can be in is when you're on the right side of the road and a car is getting ready to turn either left or right in front of you. Again, ASSUME THAT THE CAR DOES NOT SEE YOU. I have avoided at least half a dozen near-collisions, by SEEING EVERY CAR AROUND ME, MAKING EYE CONTACT, AND SLOWING DOWN AND STOPPING, if need be. Obviously, motorists are to blame for a number of these accidents, and awareness of bicycles needs to go up. But, concurrently, bicyclists MUST REALIZE THAT CARS CAN KILL THEM. This is as simple as being in a SMALL SEDAN and recognizing that a semi-truck can't see you in most situations. You don't cut off a semi-truck, you don't cut off a car.
Also, has anyone ever taught pedestrians in seattle TO LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET? Or is that just, like, some quaint Midwestern custom?
132
also, SEATTLE MOTORISTS ARE SOME OF THE MOST SPACEY, OUT TO LUNCH, CLUELESS bunch of motorists in the country. I've driven in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Texas, Montana, California, Wyoming, New York state, and Washington. The only people who come close to being as clueless and spacey as seattle are drivers in Montana, and THERE ARE ABOUT AS MANY PEOPLE IN ALL OF MONTANA AS THE GREATER SEATTLE AREA. I mean, seriously: SEATTLE DRIVERS ARE STUPID, POORLY TRAINED, AND COMPLETELY OUT TO LUNCH.
Unfortunately, the pedestrians and bicyclists aren't a whole lot better
133
R127, keep it in mind next time you're riding on Dexter or University Avenue. They dead.
134
MattC, there are more of us than there are of you. And now that you've decided bicyclists will be throwing roofing nails, I'll feel a little less inclined to hit the brakes next time one of you fools zips through a stop sign in front of my car.
135
@pdonhaus:
You're an idiot. WHEN ARE RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE EVER THE ANSWER? Only in video games, my friend. YOU are a major part of the problem. Without open discourse, discussion, commitment, and responsibility, nothing will be gained between these two (not even really separate) groups. Cars need to be more aware; bicyclists need to be more aware; roads need to be better marked. But really the bottom line is this: CARS AND BICYCLISTS NEED TO BE MORE AWARE. Being pissed off at other people, in case you didn't know, actually makes you less aware of what's going on around you.
You're the typical head-in-the-sand, thumb-up-his-ass, entitled to the Nth degree Seattleite that doesn't know a damn thing about anything outside of Seattle. SEATTLE IS ONE OF THE MOST BIKE FRIENDLY CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, and we're STILL BITCHING?? Seriously, folks, travel around the country and see what it's like to ride a bike somewhere else. You would probably be dead within a few hours.
136
@MattC:
You're little "right hook" comment. I've been a cyclist for as long as I can remember (since I was crashing my bike in my driveway at age five). This is the type of situation where the bicyclist needs to follow my three steps above: BE AWARE OF CARS CROSSING YOUR PATH, MAKE EYE CONTACT, SLOW DOWN AND STOP IF NECESSARY. Sure, in an ideal world, the car would see you and adjust accordingly. But guess what? Not only IS A BICYCLIST FAR HARDER TO SEE THAN A CAR, but it's also FAR HARDER FOR A CAR TO ADJUST TO A BICYCLIST, than it is for a bicyclist to adjust for a car. All this situation needs is the following: The bicyclist recognizes the cars intentions, slows to allow the car to pass him, then, if necessary, stops to allow the car to pass safely in front of him. Why is this easier than the car slowing down? A car slowing down in an intersection in which a traffic signal has not required this slowing of pace creates a potential accident-situation involving other cars in the area; there is the chance of being rear-ended, for example, by another car expecting the first car to clear the intersection. If the bike slows down and stops? It's removing itself from the situation, and is not causing the potential for a dangerous situation.
It's not JUST THE BICYCLISTS, it's not JUST THE CARS, IT'S THE CARS AND THE BICYCLISTS.
Without open discourse and recognition of each side's shortcomings, this is not going to go anywhere.
137
It's pretty comical if not unimpressive that the "Stranger Staff" gets the byline on this cute slice of melodramatic quasi-journalistic turd. I understand. When you define cars as "four-wheeled instruments of death" and the modern car driver as "a privileged individual who is the beneficiary of a long course of subsidies, tax incentives, and wars for cheap oil" - what self-respecting writer would dare put his/her name on that?

When I start seeing more cyclists obeying traffic laws and cops treating them like motorists, riding in a far less cavalier and reckless fashion, paying some kind of registration, only then will I start taking your whiny rants seriously. Until then, keep yapping about this revolution and the car as a thing of the past, but don't forget that in 2011, a staggering 3% of Seattle commutes via bicycle. Three per cent. You drama queens really have me pissing in my pants.
138
Look, if you don't like the way things are, go to Olympia and change them. You don't have the gumption? Then get a fucking car.
139
@smitsmckey18, cut it out with the CAPS. It's obnoxious, and guarantees that no one will read what you write.
140
So, what about people who live outside the city that have to commute to work each day in order to keep what's left of the economy going? I am a good and responsible driver, but it still seems people waste their time hating people who would like to get to work in one hour as opposed to 3 or 4? Gosh, I wish I had the opportunity for my life to function on a less efficient level. Perhaps no one should support the economy anymore, that way no one will be able to afford cars, gas or road repair, etc. Then we can all eventually begin to live like an Amish society of bicyclists. I am curious to know if you would all be waging war on cars if they were made out of and run off of hemp, like Henry Ford originally intended back in 1906? I am sorry a few stupid people have given you such a demeanor, but not everyone in a car is against you or deserves punishment.
141
@Can I Get a Witness?
If I read your gibberish correctly, you can't handle a car sufficiently enough to pass a cyclist and are thus doomed to drive at 12-15 MPH. That slows you down, and the cars your car blocks. This is ruining the economy. Right? I recommend you get a bus pass, or a bike, and make the world a better place for everyone.

As a cyclist, I routinely have days where I pass about 50 more cars than pass me. Other days more cars pass me than I pass them. Overall we're a tie score I suppose, none slows the other down. I for one get to work faster by bike than be subway or car, so I ride.

In the end we all get to work on time, and because I'm on a bike, the motorists have one less car to wait behind at a light, and can park one space closer to town.

So when you learn to translate Jibberish to English, please do reply.
142
I'm betting that a majority of this year's dead bikers were following the law when they got hit, and that the majority of the drivers that hit them were breaking the law or being negligent.

I wonder what the ratio is of deaths caused by careless bikers to deaths caused by careless drivers.
143
yeah and 119's story about cutting off cyclists when turning right in front of them really stinks.
144
#136/ smitsmckey18:
Right Hook, 101:
From out of nowhere, a slowing car overtakes a bike, bangs a quick right, leaving the cyclist attempting a panic stop but often injured or killed.

Per your story, Clearly you're 6 years old and have a short memory.

Let me tell you about roads in the real world. Right hooks happen like this: I'm going down hill and with a tail wind, so my speed is nearly 20 MPH. I'm traveling straight on an arterial road. I'm riding as the law requires: "as far to the right as practicable". Blinky lights, day-glo shirt, I'm doing all I can to help Mr. Mcgoo behind the wheel of his killing machine see/avoid me.

The impatient motorist doing 35MPH wants to take the next right... that motorist, already braking, passes me at 25 MPH slowing to 15, gets just a littttttttle past me, then cuts his wheel hard right. What I see for about 1.5 seconds is nothing - then car to my left - then car in front of me. No time to react, just a wall of steel appearing from out of nowhere.

Four fat tires and 1.5 tons of downward acceleration has much more gripping power than my skinny tires and rim brakes at maximum squeeze. I hit that rusty Chrysler Cordoba at about 15 MPH, go over the roof and land on the road, where the next car - "thump, thump!" finishes the job.

I'm dead because some asshole can't wait less than 5 seconds to make the turn.

My "little" right hook comment is reality. If bikers stopped for every passing car we'd... well, we'd be stopped, all the time. Some motorists comit to the right hook before the cyclist can see or hear the car - so in effect, we're blind and deaf. Place responsibility for avoiding Right Hooks on the average cyclist? No sale. No soup for you! FAIL smitsmckey18

The overtaking car sees the cyclist. The cyclist - no headphones, only the sound of wind in the ears - knows nothing of the swiftly approaching killer.

Nay I say. The driver is 100% at fault. The driver has committed [attempted/] homicide. Do you realize, that if a car is going 30 MPH and a bike 15, it only takes 5 seconds to get 100 feet ahead of the biker? Concurrently, if the driver is not going at least 15 MPH faster than the bike for at least 100 feet, there's less than 5 seconds to make the turn.

145
#134/MassahG:
So, I threaten to litter the roads (with nails, or cigarette buts, or breakfast cereals, or fruit bats...) . You respond by expressing intent to commit homicide? Woah, talk about some m'n'f'n snakes-on-a-plane!

Please note I also drive a pickup truck. And since I'm in "bike mode" even when driving, I often toss me some roofin' nails out the driver side window... you know, into the Southbound lane when I knows I'm a drivin' Norh. The quession you gots'ta ask yourself is... You gonna ram every' F-150 you see with the drivers side winnow down? 'Cuz I gets a lots more roofin' nails-per-mile when in my truck than on my bike, see?

I also toss some nails under every bridge I cross. You know, for the Trolls and such.
146
What next, Terminator 4: Turf Wars? Grow up, people!!

This shit's something right out of Duel!
147
The driver is 100% at fault.

And the cyclista is 100% dead, because he failed to drive defensively.
148
Sorry, @91, but that bullshit doesn't cut it...when most traffic is moving just fine at 25 mph, then you come along and slow everyone down to 10 mph, YOU are causing ALL THOSE VEHICLES YOU'RE HOLDING UP to burn more fuel. On a rainy day in Seattle, a car gets me where I need to go a lot faster, and a lot drier. Plus, if I have to pick up a lot of things, I have the room to carry all of it.
149
MattC is another one of those self-righteous cyclists who think everyone should get out of THEIR way, and NO rules should EVER apply to them. Wasn't he one of the jerks involved in that holiday-time altercation with a motorist because a bunch of CriticalMassholes decided to block the ENTIRE roadway, and one of them got hit? His version of the story was quite different than the one the terrified motorist told the cops after he refused to stop because the cyclists were threatening him and trying to get him out of his vehicle. People like MattC need to be put somewhere that will make society safer without them.
150
'I'd like to report a truck driver that's been endangering my life....'

I wonder if the late, great Cary Loftin is rolling in his grave or laughing his ass off.
151
i was a bike courier for 3 years in seattle...the first thing the person training me said was "always assume no one knows how to drive" i took this to heart...i was never hit....the second thing he told me was "never ride in the bike lane" i rode right in the middle of the lanes downtown going at least the speed limit...and was hyper aware...if you decide to ride a bike be aware ...12 deaths in 9 years...how many car on car deaths have happened in that time period? i'm not trying to be insensitive to the loss of life but you take a risk every time you drive or ride your bike.....as for the "i hate drivers" "i hate cyclists" claptrap...please go see a therapist....you have serious problems
152
I drive around Seattle a decent amount, don't bike, and I have to say I'm failing to see the outrage. Treat a biker with respect and they give it back to you (usually).

I pay attention to the bikers and never pull the "right hook" (or was that the biker pulling the right hook? no matter). But sometimes I simply don't see the biker. A great example is turning right from N 34th onto Stone Way N.

The BG trail runs right behind the (always awesome) Gypsy Cafe and often, runners or bikers don't slow down or look for cars turning right on red. Yes, you have the right of way when the light is green. But we don't want to hit you either and we can't fucking see you.

So please, slow down at blind intersections and look out for douches cutting you off by turning in front of you. This "war" bs is nonsense. You don't want to die and we don't want to hurt you.
153
Glad to see the discourse has remained civil.
154
I hope you all kill yourselves.
155
@151 & @152: Well said!

@154: Why?
156
Wasn't he one of the jerks involved in that holiday-time altercation with a motorist because a bunch of CriticalMassholes decided to block the ENTIRE roadway, and one of them got hit? His version of the story was quite different than the one the terrified motorist told the cops after he refused to stop because the cyclists were threatening him and trying to get him out of his vehicle.

One of these days, a cyclista will pull that kind of stunt with the wrong driver.
157
Okay, You've all made your points.
What's the average cab fare in downtown Seattle nowadays?
158
@149/TrollyTroll:
"People like MattC need to be put somewhere that will make society safer without them."

Yes! Angry, intolerant, impatient people should not be allowed to pilot a 4000 lb vehicle down public roads at 60MPH!

Motorists kill 100 people a day on American roads. That's as many people the foreign terrorists killed on 9/11, once a month for the last 30 years.

Roads are much safer with you, me and Mister G on a bike, bus, or walking.

Embrace your epiphany and see you on that bus!
159
@158 Sorry, but bull .... while motorists are indeed a common link between many traffic fatalities, it's only a common link. Most causes are actually distractions or inebriation. If you want to make a case against alcohol sales, legal narcotics, cell phones, etc. you could with the traffic fatalities. As to who is safer, there is no clear picture.

But I digress, again, it's EVERYONE (bike, car, walk) who just needs to start obeying the laws better, no one is blameless. So back to your bickering, it's an awesome comedy of errors.
160
@RIGHT HOOK GUY
I've been riding my bicycle for 15 years. Most of the time was spent in Lafayette, Indiana, where no one rides their bikes. No one rides their bikes. I mean, NO ONE. I was ran off the road when I was 12 years old by a panel van. I was made fun of by passing cars and have objects thrown at me. Guess how many times I've almost been hit by a car doing a "right hook maneuver"? Um, never. Do you want to know why? Because I pay really, really close attention to all of the cars around me, if I'm traveling more than 15 mph, I make sure that I'm constantly looking over my shoulder, and I get the fuck out of the way if I have to.
I've been in very, very few dangerous situations on my bicycle involving other cars, and almost all of them took place in Indiana. Would you like to know why? Because I recognize that cars are way fucking bigger than me, way easier to see than me, and what harder to stop than I am (apparently you need new brakes if you actually think a car can stop better than you. Unless you're riding one of those stupid, pointless, completely unsafe bikes that don't have brakes.)
I mean, dude, I have bicyclists in Seattle do some ridiculously stupid things. I have seen motorists in Seattle do some ridiculously stupid things. When two groups of ridiculously stupid people come together, bad shit tends to happen.
I can't wait until I'm not living in this stupid fucking town anymore where everyone here seems to think that Seattle is the be-all and end-all of American Cities. Seattle kind of sucks for a lot of reasons: We have really stupid, convoluted politics, we have really stupid, ridiculously bad drivers, known of whom pay attention or seem to have ANY idea where they're going, we have a bunch of entitled youngsters who are for some reason "pissed off" that they live in one of the most affluent, well-put together, well-run societies in the history of the world, and we have a bunch of vicious, low-intellect bike riders who think that riding a bike is, like, a fucking lifestyle or something. It's a means of transportation, and, guess what, when cars are involved, a dangerous one. Because, guess what buddy, driving around in 1000 pound vehicles at 30 mph is dangerous. So until the fossil fuels run out and we plunge into the next dark age, GET USED TO IT
161
should read:
"Cars are way fucking bigger than me, way easier to see than me, and way harder to stop than I am"
162
I have never seen a group of people so oblivious to what's going on around them than pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists in this fair city. I have seen cars nearly t-bone each other at 30 mph, and the people just wave and go their merry ways. I mean, the level of stupidity and obliviousness in this city is appalling. I was taught, as a child, to look both directions when crossing a street, and to never step in front of a moving car. I've seen mothers pushing baby strollers step in front of moving busses in this city. Unless this is some sort of fucked up form of natural selection, people in Seattle need to get off their phones, turn off their ipods, and look around them a little bit when they are navigating the public transportation areas.
The simple answer to all of this is more awareness by everyone. Bicyclists need to be more aware when they are putting themselves in dangerous situations; there should probably be classes for it (for instance, before riding a motorcycle, the operator has to take an extensive safety course because it is universally recognized that motorcycles are hard to see. as a motorcyclist, you MUST assume that no cars see you. So why do bicyclists feel like they don't have to follow such simple safety protocols?). Drivers need to be more aware of bicyclists, and (this is crazy, I know) pedestrians need to look both ways before crossing the street.
My mantra when driving, walking or cycling is this: do everything that you can to make it so that no one else is effected by your actions. Never cut people off, never make people slow down, never step in front of moving cars. But, then, if everyone was as aware as me and as committed to not effecting people around them, the world would be a lot less fucked up of a place.
163
@160: shitsmonkey18:
Angry much? Go find someone who will give you a hug.

You can be paying really, really good attention walking and if I'm behind you I can still sneak up behind you and slap you in the melon. In fact I should, for all the BS you're trying to spread about how falling victim to a motorist committing right hook is the cyclist's fault. "Of course she was raped, did you see what she was wearing?"

Hooray for you and your rubber neck, all looking behind you and such. I for one keep my eyes front, to avoid cars, potholes, pedestrians and to be sure to stop at red lights. Right Hooks are pretty darn dangerous, and your recommended coping strategy can get cyclists killed (for those who want to see good web videos of safe biking I highly recommend you google "cycling savvy" and "Commute Orlando").

You can get all chest thumpin' n' schlitz about your bicycling experience, but at the end of the day you are clearly just a frustrated motorist who had to brake once for a cyclist when making a right turn, and now have a bigaz chip on your shoulder. You're scared, I know. And small minded people react strongly to fear (see above, RE: hug). But claiming that cyclists have to yield to the Almighty Automobile Under Every Circumstance Even When The Motor Vehicle Operator is Wrong and Reckless is simply dumb.

Dumb Douche! But with effort and study, you can overcome the 'dumb'.

The overtaking vehicle is responsible for safe interaction with the overtaken. End of story. When a driver floors his gas pedal to get 10 feet in front of the bike, only to slam his brakes and cut his wheel, that's not just reckless driving, it's attempted murder.

164
@159
KittenDiddler:
Wha? All people in car accidents are drunk or distracted? How about maybe half those people were drunk and distracted, and the other half were killed by people driving cars while drunk and distracted. Let's call that second group "collateral damage", just to be cute.

Before you call "bull" on something true that you don't believe because you-wish-it-wasn't-true: Do a little research. Today I used this thing called "google" that lead me to something called a "reference" to things called "facts": http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/09/19/st…
Wowzers. That was posted TODAY!

Now go use the google yourself. There's no telling what you might learn! You'll find out that the fact is that there is indeed a clear picture. Cars kill metric shit-tons of people, and cars are in turn driven by people. You want to change this fact, you have few choices:
1. Break the monopoly Cars have on transportation by:
A) Eliminating direct subsidies to cars from income and sales tax. Make motorists pay their fair share by funding highways strictly through fuel taxes.
B) Eliminate hidden subsidies. Fund all oil war efforts through fuel taxes. Fund subsidies to oil companies only through fuel taxes. The true cost of gasoline is more like $10 a gallon, look it up. As a sideline, look up how US income tax subsidized the export of refined gasoline to India and China when the recent recession was at its worst (Oh I just puked a little in my mouth).
2. Enforce strict liability for roadway deaths caused by motorists. I'm not talkin' an eye for an eye here, I'm only advocating lifetime loss of driving privileges for taking a life.
3. Fund non-motorized transportation sufficiently. Something Americans learned in the Nineteenth Century (then somehow forgot) is that monopolies are bad. Bad, bad. Let's break the monopoly automobiles have on American transportation, Kay?


166
For all this right hook business, the car people need to see the bike lane as another lane of travel (erm... which it... is).

If you were on a 3 lane road, and you were in the middle lane, and you needed to turn right, you would cross the far right lane by looking to make sure you don't hit anyone. Then you get into the turn lane. Same shit with the bike lane.

It's not fucking hard to look over your shoulder and you do it all the time for cars already. Yes it alters your routine somewhat. Deal.

For the record, I never bike around Seattle. I just know how to look out for other people.
167
Bikes scare me, feels like they are aiming at me when I drive, it is scary I just want to goto my Seattle appts and leave. Seattle drivers are so odd about road sharing, it makes something simple a huge stress.
168
Bicyclists are extremely annoying when they're
"driving" with cars, anyone who's in a vehicle can admit that. However I will say cyclists seem to obey the laws at all times.
So I say put in more bike lanes. But if you think we're going to approve shutting down "entire streets" and lowering the speed limits to 20mph, you've got another thing coming. Look at the traffic in this city.
169
I am a pedestrian, a bike rider, and a car driver. I also ride on the city bus sometimes. I just about equally use these forms of transportation on a weekly basis whether it's for work, shopping, entertainment or whatever. I've been living in Seattle (Capitol Hill) for almost a year now and what I've witnessed is that it's NOT about the mode of transportation but about the PERSON using that mode of transportation.

On a weekly basis I witness pedestrians jay walking or not obeying walk signals even in congested traffic, barely missing being hit by a car or cyclist. I see cyclists not giving a flying f*** about anybody and riding their bikes through intersections at red lights, stop signs or pedestrian yield signs! I also witness plenty of people driving their cars like a bat out of hell and simply not slowing down and paying attention to their surroundings, especially in the urban congested parts of town.

Look, we are ALL apart of this problem and until we can ALL be better commuters by respecting each other and paying attention on the streets, sidewalks, park trails, or wherever you may be - than nothing will change.
170
When a bike can run over a car and crush it killing all its occupants then car drivers will pay attention. Better start making way bigger bikes or stay the hell out of the way.
171
@157: Ahem.....so...cab fare in Seattle, like the real estate market, has become exorbitant?

@168 SaraJean: I no longer live in Seattle and haven't for over 14 years, now, but I have seen the traffic. That's why I'm asking.
172
168: actually devoting whole streets to bicycles has been seen to increase traffic flow, see Sydney or Copenhagen for examples. NYC is seeing dramatic gains from removing car surfaces as well.

counter intuitive but when you reduce car surface it can increase throughput. same for reduced speeds and higher parking rates :)

173
I take the lightrail to work everyday and I ride my bike to and from the gym at the end of every day from Beacon hill to Capitol hill. I drive my car when needed.

I have a lot more issue with bicycle riders than any. They don't abide by the rules of the road and then they are pricks to car drivers when they (the bike rider) break the law and almost get hit. They want more street trails and I can get on board with that. However, they don't want to pay for it. The car drivers do with licensing taxes. I have almost been hit by bicycles several times as a pedestrian and I think they should be licensed so they may be tracked for traffic violations and held accountable.

Then bike riders also feel the need to do the occasional protest and clog up city traffic. Do they honestly believe they are helping their situation? I am sure everysituation is unique and cars do need to be careful, but in my experiences on all ends of the issue, I am more disappointed with the cyclists.

174
I take the lightrail to work everyday and I ride my bike to and from the gym at the end of every day from Beacon hill to Capitol hill. I drive my car when needed.

I have a lot more issue with bicycle riders than any. They don't abide by the rules of the road and then they are pricks to car drivers when they (the bike rider) break the law and almost get hit. They want more street trails and I can get on board with that. However, they don't want to pay for it. The car drivers do with licensing taxes. I have almost been hit by bicycles several times as a pedestrian and I think they should be licensed so they may be tracked for traffic violations and held accountable.

Then bike riders also feel the need to do the occasional protest and clog up city traffic. Do they honestly believe they are helping their situation? I am sure everysituation is unique and cars do need to be careful, but in my experiences on all ends of the issue, I am more disappointed with the cyclists.

175
Thank you all for your rather disheartening information.
I will neither drive nor ride a bike through Seattle and take a cab during my next visit to The Emerald City.

I hope it all works out. Peace.
176
First, you bus riders are 80% subsidized. You are all freeloaders.

Second, when is the last time any of you saw a bicyclist stop for a stop sign?
177
You know, I just had a very evil thought, but one that would teach drivers to respect bicyclists. It would be very Draconian but I think sometimes that is the only way people learn.

It would be a proximity field setup around a bicycle and it's rider by a device. If the proximity field were violated, you could have a device that emits a short field EMP or microwave blast. That will disable a car that gets too close.

The capacitor banks and magnetron would probably take about 15 to 20lbs on a bike but it'd be oh so worth it.

178
AMEN! And thank you!
As a senior pedestrian and sometimes cyclists I ask where the heck has the Health Department been on all this, for decades in denial about the health aspects and the social costs: from drivein everythings, fast junk food, continous snacking from bags and boxes and slurping sugary drinks to coroners, emergency response, police surveillance courts, rehab, and 2 car garages that could house many people
What STUPID design to make us share passageways with automobiles. Really!
And all that exhaust goes straight into our little ones faces and lungs.
This is much worse than smoking.
And the NOISE, OMG!
179
Cars need to get some skin in the game before they can interact with bikes and peds as equals. The unspoken factor is that a car can ultimately kill a human powered commuter with impunity, lined in a steel cocoon with seat belts and huge sense of entitlement, a motorist feels none of this inequity. Changing the game by placing power in hands of cyclists via Critical Mass and Random Acts of Violence seems to be hugely threatening to readers of this thread (cyclists and motorists alike) which indicates it probably has real power to effect change of attitudes.
180
Changing the game by placing power in hands of cyclists via Critical Mass and Random Acts of Violence seems to be hugely threatening to readers of this thread (cyclists and motorists alike) which indicates it probably has real power to effect change of attitudes.

You really want to start a war with cars? Really? You'll lose that war, cyclista.
181
Kind of a weak article and perpetuating something that doesn't really exist.

We need to consider a few things:

1. Weather: it rains and is dark here 6 months out of the year. Go to any hot bike commuting route on July 15 and count the cyclists. There are mass. Go back to it September 15th and the numbers are dwindling. Now go back to it on November 15th and there is maybe one cyclist every fifteen minutes. To improve the city congestion the money needs to be thrown at the light rail to get cars off the roads. Making more bike lanes is a band-aid fix. The people who want to ride are going to ride and the people saying "I really want to ride but it's so dangerous" shouldn't do it, ever. You're either in or out. There's no room for any in-between wishy-washy Seattleness on this topic.

2. Physical Geography and Greed: Seattle isn't laid out properly for cycling. On top of that, the rampant development of the 1990's caught us all off guard while we drank in the bars and hid in our homes. Developers raped and pillaged property that needed to be destroyed to make more room for DEDICATED bike lanes (not those stupid share ways). The 1990's real-estate boom was the time to take action. It's now too late to take that land back from the folks who are profiting from it. For good cycling master plans I would turn to Denver and check them out (forget Amsterdam and all the places always mentioned, they have a completely different social and economic structure than the U.S. And Portland? Give me a break-it sucks for cycling except for the kick-ass dedicated mountain biking near town).

3. Don't wage a war on cars because that's what our capitalist economy is designed around and it can't be changed. You are then fucking with commerce as we know it and you may not be able to get your iphone repaired one day if the truck wasn't able to deliver parts on time. Don't have an iphone? Well then imagine it becoming harder to get bananas or diapers or whatever it is you need. You can't win a war against oil no matter how hard you try, it's what bike tires are made of!

I ride 4 to 5 times a week, 16 to 40 miles per day depending on my mood and the weather. All year long. I don't bitch about it and accept it for what it is. I have been hit by a car and hope that never happens again because it sucks. But the bottom line is that Seattle's climate, physical geography and economic greed (minority but strong) will never make it a decent cycling city, ever. There's a small, core group of people who are willing to ride here all year long but they are less risk-adverse than the majority of the population (face it: Seattle is no longer an "outdoor hotbed" as it once was, it's more known now for drawing introverted computer programers to the region to support the abundance of computer related companies. At least the Pruis' seems to be selling well.). The numbers speak for themselves: count the cyclists throughout the year and do the math on how important this issue really is.
182
As a pedestrian, I've nearly been hit by a bicyclist several times. It should be illegal to ride on the sidewalk.
183
I really don't know Seattle anymore.
Sigh.
184
I couldn't read this. I am an anti-car militant. When your car encroaches on my personal space in the cross walk, I raise my hand at you, or shout obscenities at you. If you are close enough for me to touch your precious car, you are too fucking close. If you continue to encroach after being warned, I put a dent in your precious car. If you get out of the car I will fight you.
185
I really appreciate this article and of course any bike or pedestrian accident that results in injury or death is horrible.

As someone who drives and bikes, I would like to ask that bikers also take responsibility for biking carefully - in the same way I drive carefully and respect other people on the road.

I live on Capitol Hill and when I see people with no helmets, no lights at night, and no brakes on their bikes it is incredibly frustrating.

It is okay to give up some of your "coolness" to be safe on the roads. Let's all do our part.
186
Not to sound insensitive, but roads were built for cars. We have paid for them dearly with our tax dollars. On my way to work yesterday morning, a cyclist blew through a stop sign at top speed, which is not the first time I have seen this. No hand signals when turning or going straight...blowing through stop signs and traffic signals. Where is the uproar when another driver gets hurt? There isn't....because roads and signals were put there for DRIVERS. You want to keep your right to "ride the road", you should be kept to the same laws of the road that the people they were built for have to abide by, or face the consequences, like we do. Pay better attention and obey traffic laws when riding your bike, or shut the fuck up!
187
I really appreciate this article and of course any bike or pedestrian accident that results in injury or death is horrible.

As someone who drives and bikes, I would like to ask that bikers also take responsibility for biking carefully - in the same way I drive carefully and respect other people on the road.

I live on Capitol Hill and when I see people with no helmets, no lights at night, and no brakes on their bikes it is incredibly frustrating.

It is okay to give up some of your "coolness" to be safe on the roads. Let's all do our part.
188
Hey Bobito #184, Scary shit! You will put up your hand, then you will dent my car, then you will fight me. Fucking terrifying!!
Then you will find out how much cool stuff I carry in my Hummer, and get to meet a couple of my cop buddies. Then you will get to cool your jets in a cold cell.
See you at the cross-walks asshole.
Vroom-vroom
189
@179-" Random Acts of Violence". Ohhh I like that. Any issue I disagree with or have no solution for should be met with a random act of violence. I like guns too so this should be fun!
190
@186/youresodumb
Not to sound insensitive, but roads were built for cars. "

That's the fundamental problem. Write your congressional representatives and demand Complete Streets". The 1% of federal transportation funds spent on sidewalks and bicycle facilities frankly makes driving easier on motorists.

"We have paid for them [roads] dearly with our tax dollars."

If you mean fuel taxes, no. Fuel taxes do not even cover the cost of federal highways, not by a long shot. Those roads are for motorists only. Meaning: that portion of sales, excise, income and property tax that goes for roads also goes for highways, where bikes, pedestrians and horseback riders cannot go. For the slow, this means that non-motorists actually subsidize motorists As a car-free taxpayer (and at my income, a very highly taxed taxpayer), I cordially invite you to check your facts and until then STFU.

As for cyclists rolling through stop signs: I do it all the time. Always slightly to the right of a car doing the same thing. While the car slows to 10-15 MPH, I pretty much don't even slow down, because 10 is my top speed. If that "California-roll car" were to hit someone, that's 4000lbs times 10 MPH. Me, it's 200lbs times 10 MPH. Do some math, dummy, the car is the killer.

191
....as a rusted out 1960 Peterbilt from Hell goes flying over the side of the doomed Alaskan Way Viaduct....

R.I.P., Cary Loftin.
192
I don't think the war on cars is a cars VS bikes thing. I think its just a broke ass city trying to find ways to tax people. And if the people are going to imagine some green energy jihad, they're going to miss the point. This is about expanding the city's responsibility towards buses and bikes during an economic time at which the city can't afford expanding.

The local economy has survived the financial crisis and I think we've forgotten how fragile the whole thing is. There are two kinds of people in Seattle: people who work for STBX/MSFT/AMZN and the people who serve them. Vast generalization I know, but there is not a lot of diversity in the money. So people are a bit uptight about their money because there is low security in it. STBX probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon but what if MSFT or AMZN were to take hits in the market place? That would effect everyone in Seattle. Not just restaurants but also non-profits and everyone who depends on the service industry.

Maybe I'm crazy. I don't know. I'm talking out of my ass but I think we need to step back from the cars VS bikes thing and be smart about this.
193
The wearing of a helmet is completely irrelevant in an automobile-bicycle collision. Having it on your head should not make it "more okay" for you to be present on the road.

How nonsensical would the conversation be if, in response to running over a bicyclist, a motorist rebukes, "She wasn't wearing a helmet!"
194
Next time, take the train!
A big bonus: it's got a bar on board!
195
I've definitely seen cyclists getting in the way, ignoring traffic laws and generally being irresponsible, but I see it more with cars. Why? Because more people drive cars in the USA and people in general are self-centered pricks that can't see the world outside their own head. Its a numbers game.

But actually hating cyclists?! Wishing for their death?! That's like hating grandmas and puppies and calling gardening an act of terrorism. -jeez.

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