Thanks to Don Brubeck for the photo and tip. Unannounced, the work to get Wildwood Place in Fauntleroy ready for a protected bike lane – begun last Saturday – is continuing today. That might lead to delays, so plan accordingly.
Very sad and tragic that a death occurred but putting this bike lane in is a mistake and unreasonable.
Agreed. Why should we learn anything from a tragedy? Why should we take a single step to prevent it recurring? Unlimited free car storage on public streets matters more than any human life.
Can you elaborate on what about this is unreasonable? Aside from the fact that the bike lane won’t continue all the way to 35th and Barton and down beach drive to constellation park.
I’m a bike commuter. Bike lanes are great and useful in many places. Not here. This lane is just performative at that location. But there’s just no talking to the anti-car crowd – when you see phrases like “unlimited free car storage”, you pretty much know what you’re dealing with.
@wscommuter, you guys are freaking out about the loss of a dozen or so parking spaces and we’re the ones being unreasonable? Ugh
Wscommuter, can you explain why it’s performative? With the peekaboo car parking and the speed cars take that corner I’ve never felt comfortable coming up this section. Do you think it would be better with just parking removal? Or do you think this stretch of road is perfectly fine as is?
Performative? I strongly disagree. I ride this stretch all the time and a lane in the uphill direction is a huge improvement. I feel so much safer going up this stretch now.
Wouldn’t having a bike lane mean that bikers can use it going uphill on that stretch. This use of the bike lane would mean cyclists are less likely to take the ‘main’ lane, which would also mean cars are not ‘stuck’ behind said cyclists and more importantly, less likely to cause dangerous situations between cars and cyclists? I don’t understand how that’s performative.
have you ever been on this stretch of road? Because you are wrong. Come back in a couple weeks when the bike lane is in and see for yourself.
The road is to (sic) narrow for a bike lane? I drive this stretch every time I exit the ferry. I creep through it every time, for safety’s sake. I’ll tell you what it’s too narrow for. It’s too narrow to allow parking. Anything that separates bike traffic from auto traffic along this stretch is necessary. It won’t kill anybody to remove these few parking spaces, but, sad to say, we have lost a life already that could have been saved if we had done it earlier.
Too narrow for a bike lane, but it was wide enough for parking? I’m not following this, please explain.
What’s unreasonable? Drivers who can’t wait a few more seconds to safely pass a cyclist. Homeowners, businesses owners, and car owners who think the city owes them free vehicle storage. What’s not unreasonable? Bike lanes that don’t even take away existing lanes of car travel.
This issue could be solved by simply allowing vehicles to exit the ferry before bikes.
It could also be solved by riding on the sidewalk, which is allowed.
Adding bandaid restrictions and infrastructure for one accident that has not been adjudicated (when will the SPD findings be released?) is the wrong way to approach public safety.
Bikes are vehicles. And no, the “issue could be solved” if car drivers could just be a little more patient and respect that cyclists have just as much right to the road as they do.
Riding on sidewalks is a rude intrusion on pedestrians, allowed or not. Sidewalks are typically in worse shape than street pavement. They have obstacles to avoid. Many corners do not have curb cuts, so you either cannot get onto a sidewalk or you find yourself trapped on one. Crossing driveways is dangerous, particularly if riding opposite traffic (granted there are no driveways on this particular block). Sidewalks are a very poor and dangerous last resort.
| 18 COMMENTS