Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Alki Sidewalk "zoned" for bicycles?
- This topic has 10 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 10 months ago by KBear.
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June 15, 2016 at 8:02 am #847676
WSBKeymasterAccording to a reader note I have in queue to pursue as a story shortly, even the separated area of the trail is no longer intended to be separated – the reader had e-mailed SDOT to ask about them refreshing the pedestrian and bike markings, which as you probably know are mostly worn away, and the reply indicated both sides were for all, as long as you keep to the right. I need to get formal clarification and confirmation from SDOT but mentioning it here as you brought it up. – TR
June 15, 2016 at 10:45 am #847700
SunuvaParticipantThat is interesting, and seems to make sense for these sidewalks in general. I’ll look forward to seeing the formal clarification. Are they going to revamp the signage and paint to make it more clear also? I’m pretty sure bicycles are supposed to yield to pedestrians on sidewalks city-wide. It seemed like this particular bicyclist’s behavior was dangerous enough to warrant some sort of ticket if a police officer had witnessed it. A bicyclist who wants to ride that fast should use a designated bike lane and not go charging through a mixed-use sidewalk with pedestrians.
June 15, 2016 at 10:52 am #847701
ChemistParticipantSDOT still says the Harbor avenue section is shared but there’s no certification system that guarantees bicyclists have gone through any “rules of the road” training.
June 16, 2016 at 9:51 am #847802
clulessinwsParticipantWatch out for a shirtless guy on rollerblades too. He thinks the sidewalk is just for him and will intentionally move a into a dangerous position then act like it’s your fault. Seems wide enough for everyone.
Sunuva, sorry this happened to you. You and your family actually were more than kind and accommodating. I can’t stand this sort of behavior from cyclists and people in general in this so called wonderful community of nice caring people. We seem to be in the minority. I hope karma catches up to that cyclist soon.
June 19, 2016 at 10:03 pm #848151
AJPParticipantSidewalks and trails are almost never “zoned” exclusively for cyclists, unless it’s a protected bike lane, which would be very obvious. He was wrong. Like car drivers, there are some bad cyclists that do dumb things. As a cyclist myself, I’m sorry you had to have a run-in with this jerk.
June 20, 2016 at 2:34 pm #848234
PLSParticipant+1 for the OP. This is a stress point for my family, too. We were nearly run over the other day on the same sideWALK by a woman yelling “Pay attention!” as she zoomed by. My wife was on the right side, plenty of room for the bike to have passed safely on the left. How about a pleasant bell or “on your left” call as you approach. The vitriol and poor behavior reflects poorly on all riders and will, in the end, have a detrimental impact on all the privileges you’ve fought to win.
Bicyclists take note: even if a sideWALK is “zoned” for wheels you must SHARE the path. You don’t own it. Those on wheels should not be going so fast on the sideWALK. If you cannot safely navigate the ambulating population or if you want to go fast, use the freakin road – you can, you know! It’s right there and there IS a bike symbol on the road. So often there’s not even traffic – they’d have the road to themselves yet they choose to run rampant on a crowded sideWALK. We pedestrians have no choice – we are not allowed to walk in the street. Respect that and slow down.
Yeah, my CAPS are intentional and passive-aggressive but what are ya gonna do. Here’s GSV showing the bike lane, btw.
June 20, 2016 at 6:05 pm #848251
AJPParticipantI appreciate your point of view, PLS, but as a cyclist I have often encountered pedestrians who refuse to move over, even as I use my bell and my very polite “On your left, please” and I slow down quite a bit (and I’m slow to begin with). Pedestrians do come first, though! I often stop at crosswalks for pedestrians when I’m cycling. I totally agree that if a cyclist wants to go really fast they should use the road (especially the MAMILs–middle-aged-man-in-lycra). And then you get the people in cars complaining that there’s a perfectly good bike trail right over there…
June 21, 2016 at 12:47 pm #848329
on boardParticipantThis isn’t a sidewalk. It is a multi-use trail. It doesn’t mean someone should ride fast, or be rude and mean, but it means that you are sharing this with all the other users. Also, there is no “bike lane” on Harbor. When you use a multiuse trail, you need to look all ways and be aware of your surroundings in a way that you don’t expect or need to on a sidewalk.
June 21, 2016 at 1:42 pm #848336
PLSParticipantMy mistake. Sure looks like a sidewalk to most normal non-wheeled people. No separate bike lane but I guess the picture of the bike on the road confuses me, then?
From http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/urbantrails.htm
Bicyclists
– Yield to pedestrians.
– Give audible warning when passing pedestrians or other bicyclists.
– Ride at a safe speed. Slow down and form a single file in congested conditions, reduced visibility and other hazardous conditions.I think most riders along there seem to stop reading at the second bullet.
Not that the City would invest in signs but seems like some would be warranted there, similar to what is along Alki.
June 21, 2016 at 2:20 pm #848341
KBearParticipantThe painted bike on the Harbor Ave is a “sharrow”, not a dedicated bike lane. It’s supposed to indicate a preferred bike route and remind drivers to share the road with cyclists. It seems redundant to me, since ALL roads are supposed to be shared with cyclists, except where they’re expressly forbidden. To me it’s more of a feel-good measure put in place because it was cheaper than any real bike-oriented improvements.
- This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by KBear.
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