improving lives through bicycling
2015 Annual Report p. 6-7
August 2016 / Vol. 46 No. 8
cascade.org
What if the trail just continued? By Shannon Koller, Senior Director of Education
they were able to share this feedback with the Seattle Department of Transportation directly — they are just everyday users of the trail who deserve to get where they are going safely — but they gave me permission to share their comments, which I did at the Missing Link Open House. Here’s what they had to say about riding on Shilshole Avenue: “It scared me.” “It’s such a busy road.” There’s no question that the Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail is a hazard. And there’s no question that we can do better.
As a Ballard parent who uses a bike as my primary form of transportation, I’ve ridden the Missing Link hundreds of times, and like many others, I’ve taken a spill and have been injured on the Missing Link. There’s no question that this area is a hazard. And there’s no question that we can do better. I also direct the education programs at Cascade Bicycle Club, which include summer bike camps
for kids. In July, we hosted a group of 12- to 14-year-olds. The kids got to choose their destinations and then instructors helped them find the safest — or the least worst — bike route to their destination. One day they chose to ride from Magnuson Park to the Ballard Locks, which put them on the Missing Link. I had a chance to debrief with them afterward and ask them about their experience. I really wish that
“What if there was a separate path for people walking and biking? What if the trail just continued?” - Summer Camper, age 12
“Cars were too close to me.” “It felt not very safe.” “Cars got way too close — that was kind of scary.”
(And because they were taking the lane as a group) “There was a big line of cars behind us — it was nerve-wracking.” This is unacceptable. It is unacceptable that the least worst way to their destination elicits this response from kids who are learning how to safely navigate their city. Then I asked them: “What would have made this better?” The overwhelming response: “A separated, marked bike lane.” “What if there was a separate path for people walking and biking?” proposed one camper. “What if the trail just continued?” And this was from a 12-year-old! The South Shilshole Alternative to complete the Missing Link maintains the integrity of the trail experience. Cascade Bicycle Club will continue working to ensure that the city completes a safe, simple and connected Burke-Gilman Trail for all ages and abilities. We can’t wait. Follow the conversation on social media and tag your posts with #WeCantWait.
We are traffic: Court says cities must maintain streets for bicyclists
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By Barb Chamberlain, Chief Strategic Officer
The ruling made headlines across the state as once again it was announced that bikes are traffic. Cities have a responsibility to maintain streets for bicycling, a Washington appeals court held in a recent ruling. Defining bicycling as “ordinary travel,” not a purely recreational activity, the judges wrote in O’Neill v. City of Port Orchard, “Bicycles are an integral part of Washington’s ‘statewide multimodal transportation plan.’” The ruling by the Washington State Appeals Court came in a lawsuit filed by Port Orchard rider Pamela O’Neill. Their ruling sends the case back to the lower court for further disposition of the original suit. The Washington State Supreme Court had already recognized that bicycles are a mode of transportation in Camicia v. Howard S. Wright Constr. Co. (2014) and Pudmaroff v. Allen (1999). The latter is the suit in which the Bicycle Alliance of Washington filed an amicus
brief arguing that a bicyclist in a crosswalk has the same rights, duties and obligations as a pedestrian. Washington cities have a clear duty to maintain roadways that are safe for bicycle travel. The court noted in its ruling, “Falling is an inherent and necessary risk of the activity of cycling, and O’Neill assumed the general risk that she would fall off her bicycle and injure herself. She did not, however, assume the enhanced risks associated with the city’s failure to repair an alleged defective roadway of which the city allegedly had constructive notice.” The ruling received extensive coverage across the state. A Walla Walla Union-Bulletin editorial noted, “Cities across Washington state should view the roads they maintain with bicycle riders in mind. In addition, they should expect growing bicycle traffic on their roads and should plan for maintenance accordingly. Bikes are an increasingly
popular mode of local transportation — for work, errands and recreation. In doing so, it will make roadways safer for all.” Report hazardous street conditions The Port Orchard public works director stated in his deposition that the city fixes roadways on a “complaint-based system” and the city had not received complaints about that stretch of road. We’re compiling a resource page on how you can contact your town’s street or public works department to report hazardous conditions. Take photos of defects and hazards and share them on social media. Tag your posts with #FoundItFixedIt. Email Barb at barbc@cascade.org with a link to the page with your town’s reporting process or app and we’ll add it to the list.