Cyclist killed at W. Burnside and 14th
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on October 11th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
[Updated 2:33 pm, 2:50 pm, 3:19 pm]
A cyclist was killed around 1:30 pm today in downtown Portland.
According to Portland Police Bureau Lieutenant Mark Kruger, 19 year-old PNCA student Tracey Sparling collided with a cement mixing truck at the corner of W Burnside and 14th (photos below - Google Map of location).
Here is what Lt. Kruger can report after an initial investigation:
The truck was headed northbound on SW 14th Ave. and it came to a stop at a red light on W. Burnside. When the truck’s light turned green, the truck began to turn right (eastbound) onto W. Burnside. At that point, somehow a bicycle collided with the truck.
Kruger said they cannot tell what type of movement (if any) the bicyclist was making before the collision. He said there were no skid marks from the bicycle tire.
Oregonian reporter Stuart Tomlinson used to ride through that same intersection. He reports that witnesses in the restaurant directly adjacent to the corner say both the truck and the cyclist were stopped, but when the light turned green the cyclist went straight and the truck turned right.
[*Warning: The photo of the crash scene (below) might be unsettling for some viewers.]
Lt. Kruger described the bicycle as a green singlespeed Nishiki “Citysport” road bike with front and rear brakes. The victim was reportedly a female. The Oregonian is also reporting that a witness said “she was very young and carrying books in a shoulder bag.”
Lt. Kruger and his team will continue their investigation and I will share more details as they come in.
Here is a photo of the scene taken about 30 minutes after the collision:
It’s hard to tell what happened from this photo alone and we should reserve coming to any conclusions until we know more from Police investigators.
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October 11th, 2007 14:11
Just walked past the scene. Streets are shut down in all directions. The victim is covered in a tarp in the street on the corner by Crystal Ballroom / Ringler's. The Truck itself appears to have been making a right hand turn (northbound) down the hill from 14th to Burnside (eastbound) when the accident occurred.
Be careful out there, folks, and ride defensively.
October 11th, 2007 14:16
That's what it looks like to me. Cyclist heading straight in the bike lane, truck turning right through the bike lane.
ugh.
October 11th, 2007 14:34
Do we know who it was yet?
October 11th, 2007 14:36
It looks like a classic right hook, driver failure to yield to a bike in the bike lane.
If that's what happened, I hope that the driver feel the full force of the law. I am willing to take action to demand justice if necessary.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victim.
October 11th, 2007 14:43
I hate stories like this espically considering I have friends that ride over there. Now I'm going go text them all.
October 11th, 2007 14:45
More information at Oregonlive:
How very, very sad.
October 11th, 2007 14:48
my wife just went down there, she works near by, and someone almost hit her with a group crossing the street on a walk sign, my wife spoke to the driver his rolled down window that they had the right of way and someone was just killed ( pointing toward the incident ) through driver inattention , and the guy told her to fuck off and stormed around the corner at high speed.
be careful out there guys and girls.
some drivers just do not care.
my condolences to the family of the victim,
i hope this diver, if guilty, is punished as he should be.
October 11th, 2007 14:51
This is horrible. According to a witness on this oregonian article, the cyclist was a young female, carrying books in a shoulder bag.
October 11th, 2007 15:07
Rest in peace.
October 11th, 2007 15:07
This is so horrible! I bike this way every day that I bike. It is really touch and go when cars are making right hand turns. I've had some close calls all along NW and SW 14th, going to Lovejoy and 14th. I feel like crying. Many many condolences to family and friends.
October 11th, 2007 15:11
This is devastating, absolutely devastating. Especially as a young female cyclist, this breaks my heart. It reinforces the notion that we MUST ride defensively.
Condolences to her family, friends, and all that knew her.
Please let this be a somewhat of flag to motorists that cyclists exist and you NEED to be aware of us as much as we are of you.
October 11th, 2007 15:20
This is very sad.
I would also just like to offer heartfelt condolences to friends and family
October 11th, 2007 15:20
I dunno, not sure I agree with the editorial decision to post the photo showing the poor girl lying under a tarp. I mean, I realize that sometimes you need photos to communicate the horror of the situation, but still... not sure I would have done that.
October 11th, 2007 15:23
NW 14th, between the approach to Burnside north to Lovejoy, is one of the most dangerous areas I have ever ridden.
How indescribably sad.
October 11th, 2007 15:25
i don't like the photo either, but i'm glad it's there. it really drives home the reality of this. that photo should be on a billboard.
October 11th, 2007 15:25
The picture is as powerful as you can get. I sure see that in my mind when I am sitting at an intersection. Be defensive.
Take care everyone.
October 11th, 2007 15:27
Folks:
For Goddess's sake, when proceeding straight through a light (or an exit) don't EVER let motorists execute right hand turns from the lane to your left! Get in the through traffic lane and either pass them on their left or wait behind them.
October 11th, 2007 15:28
I feel sick to my stomach.
This is just a nightmare for her poor family.
I agree with the other posters that the full force of the law needs to fall on this driver. Certainly he/she is probably devastated, but remorse should not be a mitigating factor.
If the facts are as they seem, the driver is at fault.
It is only when there are consistent consequences, regardless of intent, will drivers operate as if their lives at stake.
Don't let anyone call this an accident. This is a collision.
October 11th, 2007 15:28
This is so, so sad.
No matter what "conclusions" are taken, it's almost certain that nobody was doing anything extraordinary. I am crying because I know that, as long as we accept these horrible machines as a normal part of our lives, we have to expect fatalities just like these. The fact that it could be someone that I know infuriates and scares me.
Is this a war?
October 11th, 2007 15:28
Breaks my heart too, Jenn. I think everybody here probably feels pretty much the same about this.
October 11th, 2007 15:28
I almost collided with a small car turning right in front of me today. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened, either. I wonder if the driver even had their turn signal on...? It's bad enough when a vehicle turns into the bike lane when there's a cyclist there, but I bet the turn signal wasn't on. I think most of us have learned to look for turn signals and anticipate wether they are going to try and turn. This is really sad, my condolences to the friends and family.
October 11th, 2007 15:34
The same thing apparently happened to a couple of kids up here in Seattle about a month ago.
A dump truck driver didn't look/didn't see/didn't care, made a right turn in front of the kids and suddenly there was one less young mind in our world.
I feel horrible.
October 11th, 2007 15:35
Guys,
Please, before people get going, wait for the investigation.
With a truck that big and that high up, a bike can easily be in a blind spot. If you can't look at a driver in the eyes, they certainly can't see you.
Please take a lesson from this, pray for the family and save your rebuke until the driver is found to be negligent.
October 11th, 2007 15:35
"I am crying because I know that, as long as we accept these horrible machines as a normal part of our lives, we have to expect fatalities just like these."
I know. An Oregonian reporter just called me to get a comment. What can I say about something like this?! What is there to say?
I basically said, "the truck was so big there's a chance the driver never saw the cyclist...we try to share the road with vastly different sized vehicles..."
I agree with Tiago in that as long as we share space with huge, heavy vehicles this is something that can (and will) happen.
Is there anything we can do about it? (besides have a complete system of bike-only streets and physically separated lanes?)
October 11th, 2007 15:35
The photo's not uplifting, and it didn't feel that great seeing it for real a few minutes ago either...
October 11th, 2007 15:35
My condolences to the victim's family and friends.
I was hit by a car on NW 14th and Everett. Very nearby, and the same scenario--car making a right turn into the bike lane.
There are loads of bikes on 14th--let's be careful out there!
October 11th, 2007 15:37
Trucks are even more of a danger in these situations because the driver is up high and thus less likely to see a cyclist parked alongside him near the curb. (Not that they bother to look.) I've nearly been hit in the exact same circumstances several times, and it's always a truck. Nowadays I just always assume that trucks can't/don't see me, and give them a very wide berth.
October 11th, 2007 15:38
"I bet the turn signal wasn't on.."
The photo on the Oregonian's report shows that the truck's signal is on...when it was turned on we don't know... but in the photo it is on.
October 11th, 2007 15:38
"I am crying because I know that, as long as we accept these horrible machines as a normal part of our lives, we have to expect fatalities just like these. The fact that it could be someone that I know infuriates and scares me."
Welcome to life as a human being.
"Is this a war?"
No, I think it was a cement truck.
October 11th, 2007 15:39
it wasn't too long ago that a similar situation happened up in seattle....and the victim was also blamed. gotta love how Lt. Kruger is quoted saying: "SOMEHOW a BICYCLE collided with the truck."
bicycle travels straight, truck doesn't heed right of way, turns right, and runs over girl and kills her. don't say that "SOMEHOW a BICYCLE collided with the truck"....the driver ran her over and killed her! he even said there were no skid marks from the bicycle.
seriously, stop blaming the victim!
"Oregonian reporter Stuart Tomlinson used to ride through that same intersection. He reports that witnesses in the restaurant directly adjacent to the corner say both the truck and the cyclist were stopped, but when the light turned green the cyclist went straight and the truck turned right."
see, even the oregonian realizes who had the right of way.
October 11th, 2007 15:40
A lot of semis have a convex mirror mounted on the hood so they can see in that blind spot where the cyclist may have been. In the one photo of the truck involved in today's collision it appears as if that mirror is turned in.
October 11th, 2007 15:41
Just a note, b--Kruger HAS to say that because if he makes a public statement as to fault before the investigation is completed, the driver's attorney could claim bias at the trial.
October 11th, 2007 15:44
The Oregonian is currently calling this a "fatal bicycle accident."
Accident. That word does not apply. This is not a tree falling on someone.
October 11th, 2007 15:47
Sadly, even if the dump truck driver did look he may not have been able to see her. (A witness said they started at the same time, so the cyclist may have been directly next to the front right wheel.) I sent this story to many of my driving friends as a reminder to ALWAYS look for cyclists before turning right. As cyclists, we also have to remember to ride defensively. Not everyone will look and even some who do may not be able to say you. Such a tragedy. It just shakes my world.
October 11th, 2007 15:49
my condolences to the victim.
bike lanes and right turns don't mix, the city stripes these curb-side bike lanes everywhere and expects the motorists to pay attention/care. It will never work because the lane positions are counterintuitive and bad engineering is just bad engineering, folks, you can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.
October 11th, 2007 15:52
Jonathan wrote:
Is there anything we can do about it? (besides have a complete system of bike-only streets and physically separated lanes?)
I'm a biog fan of bike-only streets and physically-separated lanes for this reason.
Absent some equality in our road infrastructure, it is absolutely imperative that cyclists not ride to the right of motorists approaching an intersection, and to be especially careful of trucks, because they can't see you when you're next to them, and their wide turning radius means there's a good chance you will be crushed under their rear wheels if they turn into your path.
Like some said above, be careful out there.
October 11th, 2007 15:53
SIck to my stomach, I live RIGHT near this intersection and and ride through this same intersection once a day, 3-4 on the weekends. Today I walked (fearing rain) and on my way home I walked right through this mess. Sick to my stomach definitely. As soon as I saw the yellow tarp covering a body I felt faint. What time will the ghost bike be placed?
October 11th, 2007 16:00
I just talked to MJ and he would rather not have media there for the ghost bike placement, so please do not post the time here.
October 11th, 2007 16:01
The driver will probably get off with a $242 failure to yield ticket.
October 11th, 2007 16:01
I hate this "lets blame Kruger" thing man of you do on this site..the man is just doing his job in a terrible situation..his wording is canned and WILL NOT CHANGE NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU COMPLAIN....its the legality of the situation. a collision is a collision, it does not infer blame...jesus...
its a sad day, don't make it worse by bitching about everthing...
October 11th, 2007 16:02
Maybe it is time for oregon to look at legislation requiring these on any truck registered in Oregon:
http://respect.to/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Issues.TruckSideGuards
October 11th, 2007 16:04
The truck driver has not been cited.
October 11th, 2007 16:07
The wording (from the Police or writer not sure?) indicates the cyclist ran into the truck. How does a 120 lb cyclist get crushed by a couple of tons of cement truck when first hitting it?
My guess is that the Trucker never saw her. Just like on the freeway, stay in front or behind the big rigs. So, so sad.
Everybody please just keep looking one step ahead.
October 11th, 2007 16:11
you all speak about this driver, whom you do not know, like he or she is not human...I'd be willing to place $$ on the fact they feel damn right terrible at this very moment and wish they could take back the last few hours...this may very well be something that ruins their life as well.
if their passenger door was not outfitted with a lower window or the trucks mirror (they truck they were given to drive during work today) was not capable of seeing below itself, their turn signal was on....
what more do you want?
Do I blame the driver yet? NO..I won't go that far because I wasn't there and I don't know what happend. Accidents..collisions...whatever you want to call them are a part of life on a bike...its the risk we take for sharing the road with 3000+ pound vehicles at high speed. Blaming another human being who may have very well done everything they knew how to do behind the wheel of a their work truck is asinine...until you all drive a cement truck for a living and deal with the realities of that in an urban area, you all shouldn't be quite so quick to judge or persecute from the safety of your afternoon office chair or living rooms or coffee shops.
Does it scare me to share the road with these vehicles? Yes. Is it a reality I have to do with and a danger I have to avoid? absolutely.
October 11th, 2007 16:13
Bjorn...
damn good idea...thanks for bringing some proactive to the forum...that would be worthy of following up on..
October 11th, 2007 16:18
Bjorn...
damn good idea...thanks for bringing some proactive to the forum...that would be worthy of following up on..
Agreed.
October 11th, 2007 16:19
I have to agree about bike lanes and intersections not mixing. Personally, I *never* trust cars at intersections like this, turn signal or no. If I'm in the lane stopped next to them, unless they make eye contact w/ me I'm just not going near that right-cross area. I'll hang back. Usually, I try to never be in this spot.
Take the lane people!
I can't get over how many dangers there are riding in bike lanes. 1) right cross, 2) DOORS!, 3) Loading/Unloading parkers... to name a few...
October 11th, 2007 16:38
If the witness account is correct:
witnesses in the restaurant directly adjacent to the corner say both the truck and the cyclist were stopped, but when the light turned green the cyclist went straight and the truck turned right.
It seems to me like the bike box concept mentioned in this article about bike boulevards would help prevent this sort of thing. In a bike box you would be out in front of cars and trucks instead of in their blind spot.
I remember seeing these in Spain. I thought it was odd to have all the scooters (didn't see that many bikes when I was there a dozen years ago) squeezing to the front of the line at the intersections, but it made them visible before the light turned green.
October 11th, 2007 16:42
This is just awful, but I have to agree with the post above. I always try to move into the middle of the lane as I approach an intersection where I'm continuing straight for just this reason. In fact, downtown I can usually keep up with traffic so I take and keep the lane.
Whether you're on bike or a pedestrian, drivers just don't see you. They should, but the cyclist/pedestrian is always going to lose in this situation so we need to be constantly observant.
October 11th, 2007 16:46
Not only do we need to be constantly observant, we need to pass laws that severely punish this kind of lethal behavior.
October 11th, 2007 16:49
read our lips PDOT: NO MORE DOWNTOWN BIKE LANES
October 11th, 2007 16:51
The average tone of most of these comments is disturbing. Regardless of who was at fault (which at this point seems very much up in the air) the notion that someone else must make the roads safe for us is incredibly naive. I see many of us (cyclists) making stupid and thoughtless decisions everyday. Believing that just sticking your arm out means you can cut across multiple lanes or that just being inside a painted white line makes you invulnerable to other thoughtless idiots roaring along at high speed is completely mindless. We cannot expect that more paint and brighter lights and more rules will keep us out of harms way. It does no good to point fingers at the cement truck driver or the police. We don't need any more finger pointing. We need to fully engage in the world in which we live. Take responsibility for our own selves. When we ride we need total vigilance. We don't have auto-pilot and I don't want it. I've chosen to ride in order to slow the world down. My choice hasn't made much of an impact on the pace of life, except to my own. The cement trucks are still flying around along with thousands of other vehicles. Many driven by caring and intelligent people, many not. This horrible accident might well send some of us scurrying back to cars and keep the timid off of bikes. We need more cyclists. We can't lose any more of the ones we already have. Don't blame, don't condemn... engage, live, ride.
A couple of years ago I made my entry into the cyber-cycling world saying: "Ride like an ambassador for a new species." I still stand by that statement.
October 11th, 2007 16:54
a.o...what sort of "behavior" was that exactly?
if the driver didn't see the cyclist due to physical constraints of their vehicle..and the cyclist was intent on moving with traffic into the intersection, where a right turn by a vehicle is KNOWN hazard, what "behavior" would that be exactly? Your comment is reflective of the belief that the driver of a large truck in a small space did this on purpose...
October 11th, 2007 16:54
Hell, I have a bad enough problem trying not to get clipped in my CAR when a big truck goes rolling around a turn.
I think one possible solution with an increasing number of bikes and big rigs sharing the road is to implement more bike signals - let them be triggered by a pushbutton like walk signals. In fact, with so many pedestrians in the downtown core, that becomes a problem too, between right hooks and jaywalkers.
I remember years ago in Pasadena, the signals along the main drag was set up like this:
1) Full red in all directions at the intersection - ALL crosswalks are green. (Including diagonals allowed)
2) Then traffic proceeds with green sequences, ALL crosswalks red.
Wouldn't stop all potential for collisions, but it'll at least help with some of them. :(
Bjorn - I'd love to see side guards on trucks - but the lobby has proven their willingness to cry foul of features that enhance safety at a financial cost to them. One instance I remember is the old "cat whiskers" that they fought tooth and nail over. Now they aren't required, and not every time it rains it's a rolling fog bank behind every truck kicking up a wall of spray.
October 11th, 2007 16:59
I think one possible solution with an increasing number of bikes and big rigs sharing the road is to implement more bike signals - let them be triggered by a pushbutton like walk signals.
I would prefer to see a separate signal for bikes, that precedes the signal for cars, rather than having to push a button to get a signal. In the first example, we're equal (or even preferred) users of the road, in the second, we're second class citizens, an afterthought.
October 11th, 2007 17:01
Kathy Hiebel in Santa Rosa, CA died this same way. The recycling truck driver had seen her as they approached the red light. When the light turned green, she went straight and he ran her over. Months later he was cited as being at fault. The nearby security cameras were instrumental in that finding as I recall. This tiny url link will take you to the ABC news report.
http://tinyurl.com/yvbaxs
October 11th, 2007 17:18
There will be a slow ride up Burnside to the site of the accident tomorrow (Friday).
It will start from the west approach of the Burnside Bridge (where the Burnside is closed to motor vehicles).
Meet at 6pm.
Ride at 6:30.
Candles, flowers, notes...bring whatever you think is appropriate.
October 11th, 2007 17:18
Cement trucks are usually owned by larger companies.
What company owns this cement truck? Is it a local company (Ross Island Sand & Gravel, for example)?
Did anyone get the trucks' license-plate number?
With a little investigating, we should be able to find out who the truck driver is, and what his/her driving record looks like ...
October 11th, 2007 17:31
(Sorry to use the term "accident." It's so ingrained. My apologies.)
October 11th, 2007 17:34
There is a special Breakfast on Hawthorn Bridge tomorrow.
https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/shift/2007-10/msg00069.html
The sun won't rise until 7:23 tomorrow. I'm planning on bringing a light for that as well.
October 11th, 2007 17:40
how many of you self righteous
hippies have ever driven a cement truck?
how many?
raise hands.
none of you can even drive, thats why you ride bikes.
"the law needs to get him and such and such", oh yes, this will miraculously bring her back to life, and take away all the pain her family feels.
share the drugs people, we all want some.
WAKE UP!
THE LAWS OF PHYSICS WILL ALWAYS OUTWEIGH THE LAWS OF JUSTICE.
it doesn't matter how many asinine
crosswalk laws this city passes.
LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE YOU CROSS!
loss of life is tragic!
i saw the tears, shock,
and panic in the truck drivers face.
he didn't run her over because he didn't care.
she took off through the intersection because the law said she could.
she's an idiot.
did she deserve to die?
NO!
it was a tragic accident.
he will never forget it for the rest of his life.
every single one you tards posting here
has blasted through a 4 way stop
because no one was moving at that moment,
or you hold the diluted belief that you're untouchable and have an
exclusive right of way.
load up another crack rock in that pipe.
all it takes is less than a moment.
obviously.
had she waited 2 secs for the truck
to make his turn with the big fat turn signal blinking in her face, or wait to see if he saw her......
she'd still be alive!
man, i wish i could just throw on my shades and the ipod, turn off all that is going on around me and go hit the
streets in my car with no turnsigals or brake lights and just drive through red lights and stop signs whilst weaving aimlessly on whatever side of the street i feel like driving.
shucks, it sure would be nice.
lol.
90% of you riders are ignorant and just plain stupid!
and i mean DUMB, as in very low IQ.
lack of intelligence.
i think everyone in portland needs to see a short documentary of the
"portland cycle terrorists".
because that's all any of you are!
see you on the battlefield.
October 11th, 2007 17:44
As tragic and regrettable as this incident is, let's not rush to judgment until all the facts are known. If the cyclist rode up on the truck's right (as Channel 8 News just reported), then the cyclist was at fault. Stop blaming the truck driver.
C'mon, people! As bicyclists, we simply MUST assume some responsibility for our own safety. We MUST be aware of our surroundings at all times, and that includes not finding ourselves on the blind side of a truck at an intersection.
Should you be on a truck's blind side at an intersection--regardless of who got there first--stay out of, or get out of, the truck's turning radius. Don't forget that long trucks turn wide when turning, and that trailers "cheat."
October 11th, 2007 17:52
Just horrible. So freaking horrible. My heart is so heavy from this news. I am well aware of how vulnerable we are but this is tragic. Those dotted line bike lane crossovers are so very dangerous. I wouldn't have thought twice about being next to the cement truck if the light was red and we were both stopped. I love everyone on a bike and hope you're all safe.
October 11th, 2007 18:01
I just read some comments and I agree that there should be more bike signals at dangerous crossover spots. The signal by the rose garden when you come up off the esplanade is a good example or the one on the cross town route on 40th or so that you can push to cross burnside. These dotted line lanes are a glaring problem. Has anyone else had problems coming off the Hawthorne bridge??? I know I check and excercise caution there but it only takes one slip or error on either parties side.
October 11th, 2007 18:13
"the truck was so big there's a chance the driver never saw the cyclist...we try to share the road with vastly different sized vehicles..."
Jonathan, that is a very disappointing quote. It is not far removed from "accidents will happen." There is no such thing as an accident. There are inattentive, rude, and/or abusive drivers however. Which this cemet truck driver is we don't yet know. But in turning through a bike line, it was *his responsibility* to check the lane was clear!
October 11th, 2007 18:17
I am shocked and saddened by this, it's truly a tragedy. But that doesn't give us, the biking community, the right to pass judgment before we know the facts. When we are quick to blame, and then act upon our knee-jerk assignment of fault as if it were fact, it negates our credibility as a community. And it is divisive, fueling the flames of the 'us-against-them' mentality which rarely is productive.
I'm most proud of being a cyclist when we come together collaboratively and intelligently, not when people get an angry mob mentality and justify it because they ride a bike.
October 11th, 2007 18:27
I can't help but wonder if a "bike box" would have helped:
http://tinyurl.com/2yt9v2
Those bike lanes that put you in a right-turning driver's blind spot can be terrifying.
October 11th, 2007 18:50
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU PUTS TRUCKS ON THE STREETS.
Or do you think the food shows up magically at the store? The building materials in your home just fell into place? Your bikes miraculously evolved from twigs in your front yard?
This us vs. them mentality has got to stop. The VAST majority of cyclists AND drivers are decent people who try hard to avoid accidents. So far there is nothing in this story to suggest anything different here.
"Me" at #61 above, is obviously the other type: a violent psycopath who probably WOULD hurt a cyclist if given the chance. Fortunately jerks like this are the minority. Watch out for them.
Oh, and "Me"... before you go calling other people stupid you might want to run the spell check a few hundred times and watch for homonyms (words that sound the same but aren't, like "diluted" and "deluded") because your deluded ramblings diluted your message.
October 11th, 2007 20:07
it is important that as a bicyclist we stay alert. If you come upon a large truck or semi, wait behind them or in the bike lane behind them. If a large truck or semi comes along side you make sure you give yourself a way out.
October 11th, 2007 20:09
As mentioned above, a very similar event occured in Seattle, WA only a few weeks ago. The driver of a dump truck made a right turn into two bicyclist (who were both within a bike lane) and actually drug one of them for about 20 feet before noticing that he had hit someone (two someones, in fact). There was a fair deal of controversy over the article published in our "alternative press" publication, The Stranger, as it heavily indicated that the cause of the accident was related to the fact that the cyclist were riding fixed gear bicycles. The article erroneously states that the cyclists were riding brakeless (they did indeed have brakes and a correction/apology was later published)along with several other disputed "facts".
I feel incredible sorrow for the families in both of these accidents. I can't imagine how devastating it must be.
That being said, I would like to thank the people above who are also offering your sympathies for the driver. Yes, perhaps legally, this driver was at fault, as the bicycle did have the ride away, but we don't know that this driver didn't look. Perhaps they did. That is a VERY large vehicle and depending upon where the cyclist was, she may have been impossible to see. Now, I would never blame her, or say that she brought this upon herself, but what I will agree with people above who say to take the lane at intersections. I myself either do that, or in order to cruise to the front of a line in traffic, I will approach the stopped cars (only if they are in the right hand lane with multiple lanes) on their left side, that way I am sure that none of them are going to right turn into me and also because I am more visible to the driver on that side. The safest place to be in regards to a car or truck is IN FRONT of it.
RIDE SAFE.
October 11th, 2007 20:18
me:
She was on a bicycle in a bike lane. ORS requires motor vehicles to yield to bicycles going straight in the bike lane when the motor vehicle is turning.
I didn't know expecting motor vehicles to obey the law, especially when it can kill someone, is being a self-righteous hippie.
October 11th, 2007 20:19
@ 61 "me.
I'm a engine captain on wildfire crews. I drive a 3900 lb truck with 2000 gallons of water behind me through the forest without roads. Do not tell me that I cannot drive or that I do not understand. I choose not to drive because I care about the world and it's future.
Each and every bicyclist comes equipped with turn signals, some people don't use them but that is just the same as motorists who don't use them. I am not going to play into your game of blaming people.
I do however call into question your insults towards a girl who died, brutally. You are a coward for speaking this way and you should be ashamed of yourself.
She did nothing wrong, she followed the laws and was killed by someone making an illegal turn and yet he is not to blame?
Please quit making things about them and us, are you trying to say that you've never run a four-way in your car? Or you've never turned without a signal? Or you never listen to your car radio or talk on a phone? This is about someone dying because of illegal actions.
Come try your hand at driving on the fireline and you'll see driving that you cement jockeys can't even fathom.
October 11th, 2007 20:37
That picture is really shocking, it says so much!
I think accidents like that show that motor vehicle stop lines should always be a few feet behind those of cyclists!
October 11th, 2007 20:40
It's so stupid to play the "Blame game". It angers me to hear it on both sides. I am sure more things could have been done on both the cyclist's and driver's parts. I, for one, ride very defensively, as I've almost been hit numerous times by right turning drivers with and without turn signals. If the cyclist had been super cautious and not gotten right up next to the truck, she might still be alive. Then again, maybe the driver could have looked 3 more times before turning, or "assumed" there was a cyclist, if it was indeed in a blind spot.
I do however, think it's wrong he's not being cited. If someone runs over a pededstrian, the excuse "I didn't see him/her" doesn't normally fly. No matter who's to "blame" here, a person's life has been taken and there should be some repurcussions for that fact. It's so sad on all levels, for the cyclist and her family and freinds, and for the driver and the guilt he must have right now. Compassion, sympathy, and respect, not name calling and vitriol, are what are needed right now.
October 11th, 2007 21:03
The biker's loss of life is terrible, but this blame game is really a waste of time.
And what is even worse? Stupid bikers.
I commute & ride bike in Portland, and my most *favorite* sight is a fellow biker, with iPod in ears or talking on their cell phone (something we often accuse drivers of doing), and HELMET ATTACHED TO THEIR BACKPACK OR HANDLEBARS. As my boyfriend says, "Helmets only work if there's something to protect."
Cars and trucks are big and fast. Drivers are often distracted. We must be always alert and ride defensively, regardless of laws, lanes or right-of-way. I hurt my shoulder in a collision because I was not paying attention & hit a car. My promise to myself is to be always vigilant, and even that is no guarantee of safety.
See you at the memorial ride...
October 11th, 2007 21:09
The same thing happened up here in Seattle a few weeks ago. My condolences go out to the friends and family of this Portland cyclist.
October 11th, 2007 22:10
just theoretically, what if you took some of that really bright/permanent/reflective white ground spray paint, laid down the ghost bike where the bike box would go, and went nuts?
you'd kill two birds with one stone, making an impromptu bike box and painting your ghost bike at the same time.
October 11th, 2007 22:10
This is why bills like 299 (which is currently dead and waiting revision) need to be rewritten. People will take worse advantage of doing illegal things in bike lanes if given the green light to do so, and as we see, it is quite bad enough as it is. Where are the deterrents? Bike lanes are not safe. Take the lane, wear bright clothing, hand signal wildly, make eye contact and use a bell or horn profusely.
Hasten the Vehicular Homicide law for Oregon.
October 11th, 2007 22:49
Hi 'Me' and 'Leftcoaster',
Yes some of us bicyclists you complain about have driven trucks for a living...I drove a Mack dump truck long ago building state highways...among other equipment. (You do not have to drive a truck on some of our crammed streets to worry about hitting a bicyclist – like the Hawthorne.)
Given your line of discussion...how about the powerful freight coalitions, industry, and truck drivers helping us (your bicycling friends, neighbors, parents, and children) in getting PDOT (and similar agencies in other cities) to treat bicycles as full vehicles at intersections. Typically too many design compromises are made at these locations when compared to best practices (and design manuals of bike friendly countries).
Better bikeway facilities would reduce the cases where freight operators have to second-guess and hope that there is not a bicyclist (or pedestrian) in their blind spot, etc. And better bikeways breed bicyclists with more logical movements…vs. being forced into what is often illegal but safer movements (though unexpected from most motorists who do not bicycle).
So after all is studied and discussed regarding the design of this intersection and the human behaviors that have occurred...perhaps these mitigations will be installed:
- bike box
- no right turn on red
- fewer thru lanes (why are there 3 thru movement lanes towards 405 other than 1950s capacity considerations)
- bicycle lead interval (initial green light for stopped bikes, red for cars)
- a separate bike lane for every bike movement (to the right of each car lane), a left, thru, and right;
- remove the on-street car parking if more space is needed (may not be needed if the number of car lanes are reduced)
- reduce the complexity of the intersection and speed...to allow vehicle operators a better chance to correct errors before it is too late.
- etc.
-----------
And Sam, I call on you to reform our intersections to serve all street users…to support your staff in making these important upgrades in safety and fight the simple calls for capacity at all costs. In the end this is not an engineering problem but an engineer who was not ‘allowed’ to design the intersection well.
October 11th, 2007 22:58
Save all motorized Humans!
I will fight for Her, the unaware victim of correct assumption, and the protection of the poor guy that has to live with the the unintentional experience of killing, against his intention (uninformed victim as well).
She was correct to proceed, but assumed since she was following the rules, that he knew she could be there by law hence the bike lane in the first place. Doing what we assume... that he yielded to her....that everyone knows, that she might be there and yield to her by law.
She was trusting of the current laws to accept her as a motorist, cyclist, and thought he saw her...he did not.
I wish the drivers DMV test to get a license that would include cyclist laws and cyclists would have a certification test as well. I'm a cyclist and let's face it,we are moving faster than vehicles heavier than we are, with no protection. We are wrong if we think everyone knows the laws or has a license to show it.
I trust laws, do you??? (hah) let's make it so...
Let's fight for our right to not kill innocently without laws to make ourselves aware of it...
October 11th, 2007 22:59
This is the most dangerous traffic situation in my experience, and most likely to take out an inexperienced rider. Tragic.
RIP
October 11th, 2007 23:03
So, what are we going to do about this to make sure this death wasn't in vain? First, we need to vent our anger and express our sadness and condolences. Then we need to get all the facts in. And then we need to organize to get the city to take steps to reduce the chances of this kind of tragedy happening again.
If it turns out that this is something that a change in street and/ or bike lane configuration can prevent, then we need to figure out what the best change would be. For that, we need experts like those in the BTA, Roger Geller, and the rest to weigh in.
Personally, I'd like to see us go to a separated bike/ped lane system as I enjoyed during a visit to Holland this summer. But what about putting bike boxes at all major intersections -- how much would that cost? is that a reasonable solution? Better signs at intersection ("Yield to bikes in bike lane"?) A change in the traffic statutes? I don't know. We have to do what's politically and financially achievable, but we also have tragic evidence now that we may need to raise our standards.
Sam Adams is justifying a coming infrastructure repair plan on safety grounds, and we need to do the same with the upcoming bike infrastructure plan. Making Portland more bike friendly may have to do with lifestyle, with peak oil, with obesity, with cost efficiency, with global warming ... all of those and many others are great reasons to spend money improving bikeways. But now, tragically, we know for a fact that improving urban bike facilities is also literally a matter of life and death.
October 11th, 2007 23:05
my heart goes out for her family and her lost potential. i imagine the driver also feels terrible, but it looks likely that he fatally broke the law here.
the most important lesson to me in these crashes is that turn signals are a matter of life and death to cyclists. if this guy didn't signal until he was halfway through the turn (or after the crash), i hope the police make an example of him. unfortunately, i doubt anyone but the driver will truly ever know when that signal went on. it's not the sort of thing witnesses probably remember.
another huge problem is that, at least when i took driver's ed, they didn't teach us to look right when turning. i always do look, years after a driver threw on his signal at the last minute and illegally turned right in front of me and i limped for several months afterward. i wonder how drivers' ed can improve in this regard. heck, maybe they could even replace the question about the stripe color of deaf people's canes on the driving test with something about turning through bike lanes.
but until drivers are better-educated about bike lanes, i can't stress enough that *cyclists can almost never pass cars on the right safely*, bike lane or no, legal right of way or no. just hang back until you are sure it's safe. no, we shouldn't have to, but i know it's kept me out of a lot of accidents.
finally and inflammatorily, when a cement truck breaks the law and a cyclist is involved, maybe it would be (was?) no help, but i sadly suspect that this gal with her heartbreaking bag of books (near powell's...) wasn't protecting that precious head with a helmet. helmets have gone from nearly ubiquitous to nearly extinct in only a few short years (coincident with the rise of messenger chic). sacrificing smart to cool is neither, portland. c'mon.
October 11th, 2007 23:05
I have been hit bicycling by a car turning right, and I have to say, it was my fault. I was going faster than the car and passing him in the right lane when he turned his blinker on (albeit late) and turned right. Luckily, I only went over the hood and had a few bruises.
The driver was horrified. He felt awful. It was truly an accident. To assume that the cyclist is always is stupid.
I am not saying who is right as none of us actually know. I doubt that the driver who killed this cyclist is likely not feeling great right now either.
Condolences to all involved.
October 11th, 2007 23:07
Some years ago I was witness to a woman getting hit by a truck as I was following just a few feet behind her. We had a walk signal, and the truck had a green light for a left turn. I saw the truck, and assumed it would stop, but was just cautious enough to slow down slightly myself. She was conscious, but obviously had multiple broken bones. She was in agony, the truck driver was in agony, her family was in agony. I too felt bad. I hadn't yelled out to her. I hadn't tried to pull her out of the way. I watched all of these people offering to help in any way I could, and ended up only able to get my name listed by the police as a witness. They never called me. The traffic signal designer, the truck driver, the woman, and myself all could have potentially prevented it from happening. There are few things I have analyzed more in my head than this single event permanently burned into my memory. I decided that we were all at fault, and each of us need to do what we can in the situation we are in.
I think I understand the emotions people are going through, and their varied reactions to this. Four of my close family members died with only about 9 months from the first to the last of them. Most people don't know how to react to death until they have experienced far too much of it. Please forgive the people who post very reactively.
After work I rode up to the intersection, and I watched cars turn the corner for a while. I don't think this intersection is safe. From when the walk signal turns on till the don't walk signal turns on I would be hesitant to enter the crosswalk. Though I have also taken the 14th ave bike lane across Burnside, I have driven it, I have stood at it, and been a witness to people blissfully crossing it oblivious to it potential dangers, and I have decided that it's design was bad without doing anything to get it changed. I have had the potential to be any of the participants so I can sympathize with all of them. It is easy to blame, and much harder to take the responsibility to make a difference.
There are a few things that you can do.
Comfort the family and close friends of the girl who died. There usually isn't much to say that helps. Really being there for them does. This doesn't mean a token show of support now, and then disappearing. Grief takes a long time. They may still need your shoulder to cry on a year from now.
Support your community. A lot of people have a lot of emotions about this.
Work to prevent future tragedies. Be it intersection redesign, driver, or cyclist education there are things you can do, and they will probably make you feel a little better.
October 11th, 2007 23:27
" Most people don't know how to react to death until they have experienced far too much of it. Please forgive the people who post very reactively."
Too true.
October 11th, 2007 23:31
Dear Jami...if you check PDOTs recent bike counts the % of riders wearing helmets is no where near 'extinct'.
Most bike friendly cities in Europe have TBI rates lower than the US even though bike helmet use among adults in near zero. Design, education, enforcement, bikes with lights, etc.
October 11th, 2007 23:33
bike boxes at every signalized intersection.
my condolences.
October 11th, 2007 23:46
Could we please try to protect and respect all of us in agreement as a unified source to pass laws of agreement? Thomas Jefferson, all in agreement? As Innocent as those that assume we are all here to make it right and believe it so? The love of ourselves as a group of those who change the world for the rights of everyone who cares? ...
October 11th, 2007 23:55
Also someone asked where Rinker is...
they are everywhere...http://www.rinkermaterials.com/Locations/
Perhaps this truck came from their closest concrete plant: contact Mscott@rinker.com
Readymix - Foster Road R/M
6400 S.E. 101st Avenue
Portland, OR 97266
Phone 503-777-1660
Fax 503-777-1270
Contact Matt Scott 503 777-1372
Perhaps a memorial ride out to Rinker is in order?
October 11th, 2007 23:56
And to lay flowers out at their front gate for the sadness both families must be feeling this day.
October 12th, 2007 00:08
Folks, the fact in all of this is simple.. There was a story in The Oregonian today about the city of Portland's crumbling infrastructure and back log of repair work needed. Also, the more people that bike, the less people who are paying vehicle/road/gas taxes. Given those two facts, Do you really think the government is going to spend a bunch of money for bike boxes, lanes, new lighting systems?
If so.. get real! fixing every bad intersection in town for bikes would cost 10's of millions alone. Not to mention lost tax revenue.
October 12th, 2007 01:51
I work @ The Crystal Ballroom/Ringlers. This was scary just hearing about from people who saw it happen, or just walked past the body into work today. Deep condolences go out to the friends and family. This is a very real problem. We have at least 2 security guards outside on Burnside during "club" nights at Ringlers. The main reason being to keep the sidewalk clear enough so that people don't step out onto the street. I agree with the bike boulevards idea, and suggest as well possibly extra sensor lights letting large trucks and other vehicles know when there's a biker in the lane. The lines marking where the tires stopped will haunt me. Even as they fade, the memory of this incident will not. I'm not a biker...for now, but as a bike-courteous driver, and a pedestrian to and from my car (for the time being), I will now take extra time before taking that first step onto the street.
October 12th, 2007 03:49
I think that "me" has placed all cyclists into a box. We aren't all the same, We don't all ride for the same reasons. We don't all wear helmets, we don't all have bike lights. We aren't all perfect all the time. Some of us get drunk and ride. Some of us ring our bells, signal, toot our horns, take the full lane at same speeds as cars and scooch up into the ped. crosswalk to assure that a bus and/or large truck/semi- or anyone can see us.
I'm responsible 99 percent of the time, wear my goofy looking helmet, ride assertively/aggressively enough to forego heavy traffic, or WAIT IT OUT, even when I drove I always waited it out even if there was an impatient jerk behind me. Let them wait, let them honk, let them pass. Your life, or your time schedule? Everyone, I mean everyone is in a hurry these days.
Last year, as a pedestrian, a man in a pick up truck wasn't looking straight on but was still pulling up to the stop sign (the side street next to the paramont apartments) and I looked at him like "are you gonna stop or what?" and he started yelling at ME. I mentioned to him that he was pretty much driving blind and that there is a line that he should stop at. I say more tickets for this type of bx. Not only that, when he took off, *yes, passed through the bike lane as well luckily nobody was in it* he was looking back at me as he pulled out into broadway!!! I said "you're doing it again! You're gonna kill someone." I recently made a huge mistake and took williams all the way to weidler and made my turn from the wrong lane and a driver yelled at me (which, by the way not only startled and distracted me but took my eyes off the road) and I yelled back out of FEAR and ANGER of almost getting hit by a car f*** off! well, it was an inappropriate response and I knew the minute I made that turn it was a mistake! I will never take that road again and constantly look for safer/less trafficky areas to commute through. Yes, we need to adopt some of these European bike avenue/box ideas. If there wasn't so much red tape/legality involved we could change this mess right quick!!!!
my point is, we all make mistakes as drivers and cyclists and hopefully we get that second chance to learn from them. unfortunately the young lady who lost her life (my heart races just thinking of it)
will not get that chance. My sympathy and deepest regards to her family.
Let's ALL pay attention!!! Let's leave earlier, not be in a hurry so much, value lives whether they be in a car, truck, big wheel, on foot or on a bike. Be considerate of each other. I know most of us try our best most of the time. We aren't perfect, none of us are. I feel for both the woman's family and the driver. It's irreversible and haunting and I hope never to read another story like this again.
Peace
October 12th, 2007 07:34
I've always had misgivings about straight bike lanes crossed by right turning vehicles. Two reasons: bike "passing " on right depriving, in whole or in part, the driver of an opportunity to see the bicyclist. Second, large, tall trucks, the mirrors of which do not allow an adequate view of the area right next to the engine and cab of teh truck. The area occupied by bicyclists at a stop in situations like that pictured, waiting to travel straight ahead, into the path of a potentially right turning vehicle.
I wonder if the truck was signalling, and if the witness account regarding both being stiopped at the red light is accurate.
Sad.
October 12th, 2007 07:39
People, have some respect and do not turn this into a pro-helmet crusade. Contrary to what you may believe, a fully loaded cement truck would crush a helmet much like a human would crush a fly. Anyone who says a helmet would have prevented her death is just being self righteous at this point.
A helmet is not the answer, DRIVER AWARENESS IS. End of story.
October 12th, 2007 08:07
"Tiago
October 11th, 2007 15:28
19
This is so, so sad.
No matter what "conclusions" are taken, it's almost certain that nobody was doing anything extraordinary. I am crying because I know that, as long as we accept these horrible machines as a normal part of our lives, we have to expect fatalities just like these. The fact that it could be someone that I know infuriates and scares me.
Is this a war?"
Really? Let's be reasonable here. I am as upset as any but do you really believe vehicles are evil and that we are at war with them? I would love to see a lot less of them but most goods we use and enjoy, including bikes that get delivered to bike shops, are delivered using vehicles. Are vehicles really horrible machines? The biggest change needed is attitudes. We are going to be sharing the road with motor vehicles for our lifetime, so changing peoples attitudes about sharing the road with bikes is, for me, a more achievable goal. Taking the attitude that they are horrible machines is the same as drivers saying bicyclists are a nuisance. It is an extreme position that does not allow for understanding or change. It just polarizes, and don't we have enough of that in our country today?!
October 12th, 2007 09:04
I just need to say, that this young girl was a student where I go to school. I did not know her well, but she was going to be part of a small group of design students that are going to Tokyo in 2 weeks. Last week I struck up a conversation with her about the trip and she was so excited and I was looking forward to spending time with her there.
This senseless tragedy has made me really sad. I am not a bike commuter, but we drive down the Broadway Bridge into the Pearl everyday. My husband and I constantly talk about how scared we are that we might have a collision with a aijou. Checking mirrors, looking back, making sure that no one is coming. On many occasions we have had to slam on our brakes because a cyclist shoots out with out slowing, this is after we have checked and both have made sure that it is clear and have proceeded to turn. I enjoy that we live in a city that has such a huge bike population, and 99% of riders follow the rules of the road. It is that last 1% that I worry about. On the other hand I know that cyclists also have the exact same worry about drivers. What is the answer? In the meantime keep this young bright girl and her family in your prayers.
October 12th, 2007 09:31
In response to Klixi re bike helmets not being the answer. Yes, is true that it is not always the answer, but sometimes it is as a Salem native learned in an encounter with a truck http://www.active.com/story.cfmCHECKSSO=1&RESET=0&STORY_ID=14067.
Isn't sometimes the answer enough?
October 12th, 2007 09:47
I have to say people making hostile posts like "me" are truly out of line. Horrible tragedies occur and to speak without intimate knowledge of the actual state of affairs (i.e. first hand experience of the situation) is ignorant. Attempt to be solemn and reflective rather than employing the chest pounding, loudest opinion is correct strategy favored by mouth breathers. This occasional contemplation could prove valuable in many situations. My best to the family and friends of this rider and to everyone in our community, including the driver.
October 12th, 2007 10:07
This sad circumstance should be another call for us two-wheel travelers to pay attention to what is going on around them and to be proactive in their own defense. The death is unfortunate to say the least, but us bike riders really need to pay attention and try to avoid these sorts of situations and not let our ego's get the best of us.
October 12th, 2007 10:11
"I am crying because I know that, as long as we accept these horrible machines as a normal part of our lives, we have to expect fatalities just like these. The fact that it could be someone that I know infuriates and scares me."
Ya, those horrible machines that make modern life possible and bring the very bikes that all of you ride to market. I suppose you think bikes are farmed locally and organically in a sustainable manner.
Clearly this is an unfortunate accident. That's right, accident. You have no evidence that the driver did this intentionally or even negligently. But obviously cars and trucks should be banned and bikes should rule the streets. Only then can we live in harmony consuming nothing but clean air to sustain our biological functions.
October 12th, 2007 10:14
From Klixi:
"A helmet is not the answer, DRIVER AWARENESS IS. End of story."
Dear Klixi, you are responsible for your own safety. The expectation that others should change their behavior so you don't have to change your is immature, entirely unrealisitic and hypocritical.
Since different types of users are on the street, they share the reponsibility of being aware of the other.
Regarding helmet use: There is zero harm to the rider from wearing a helmet....and citing one circumstance where a helmet would not have helped does not obviate all the situations where they can/do help. The exception you point out is irrelevant to the rule of common sense. There is no valid reason that a cyclist should not wear a helmet.
In my opinion, selfish cyclists with a "me" attitude only continue and exacerbate the problems.
October 12th, 2007 10:25
The only time I take my helmet off is when I ride up Johnson to Pittok Mansion. I only feel comfortable doing that because I'm riding slow enough through basically zero traffic. Other than that it is stupid to ride without a helmet through the city. But I also believe it is everyone's right to be stupid.
October 12th, 2007 10:35
I plan to send the following letter to _The Oregonian_ in a couple hours. While I won’t have time between now and then to do more than tweak the letter, I would greatly appreciate any feedback. Thanks.
==========
(To the editor: This letter concerns Thursday’s collision at NW 14th & Burnside. Since it doesn’t identify the collision, it would need to be printed in sequence after another letter that does identify the collision.)
I’m sure the truck driver feels awful about what happened, and we need to honor that, but we can’t let it get in the way of our speaking frankly about how the accident happened and what we can do to prevent future deaths.
How the accident appears to have happened: In violation of ORS 811.050, a motorist turned into a bicycle lane without yielding. We can also speculate as to other causes: Is the truck’s blind spot too big? Does the trucking company impose an unreasonable schedule on its drivers? Speculations like these should be considered and perhaps investigated.
What we can do to prevent future deaths will depend on how it happened. Options include: Give trucks more and better mirrors. Give truck drivers more training. Give truck drivers looser schedules. Paint cyclist advance boxes like at SE 39th & Clinton. And find other ways to guide traffic flow so that a normally responsible citizen’s brief lapse doesn’t cause a death.
October 12th, 2007 10:42
OK. I have to respond to 'me', though he/she will probably never read it.
Geez! How can you make any assumptions about anyone posting here?
I'm raising my hand! I've never driven a cement truck, but I did drive a 27' straight truck for years, all over this country, including NYC! I KNOW what it is to drive urban areas with heavy traffic, including pedestrians and bicycles. I also know that this 'accident' was not an accident because there is no such thing! Both the driver and the cyclist made decisions that led to this. No blame on either side. It is awful. That poor girl is dead because of bad decisions by both people. That girl wasn't an idiot, and I would guess that the driver isn't either. She's been 'punished' for her decisions, and the driver is being punished, too, regardless of what the law decides.
OH, and btw 'me', are you a perfect driver who has never, ever, ever, rolled a stop sign? Blow a light? Failed to signal? Nope, you aren't. No one is, whatever they're driving.
Mourn for that girl, mourn for the driver, just get off your friggin' high horse and stop being combative and insulting.
Justice is simply another word for revenge, sanctioned by 'law'.
October 12th, 2007 10:52
Tracey worked for us as a designer. He dad just called to let us know the news. We are all so broken up over this terrible tragedy. She was planning on taking a trip to Japan at the end of the month and her excitment was contagious. We are really going to miss her bright-eyed innocence which seemed to be so intoxicating to us old people in the office.
Eric
October 12th, 2007 11:08
I live with a commuting cylist and many of my friends do long rides on the weekends and I ride around on my bike, too. So I'm cycle-saavy. Yet every time I have to make a right hand turn with my car across a bike lane, I tighten up. I've had some close calls with cyclists and I'm gun shy. So I signal, I slow down, I crane over my shoulder a half dozen times, and then I go. But I've had it happen where a cyclist was just flying along, and came up on me even as I was turning. You can only see so far behind you and you have to look into your turn as you make it, so someone coming very fast can be upon you even although you have exercised supreme caution. Possibly this isn't what happened in the case of yesterday tragic fatality, but it points to the problem of having one lane on the right with a supposed right of way adjacent to the lane where, since time immemorial, or at least since the invention of the automobile, drivers of machines are accustomed to taking their "free right turn." I don't know what the solution is, but I do know many, many drivers don't have a clue who has the right of way in this situation, not because they are careless, indifferent SOBs, but because they are programmed by years and years and years of driving to think of a righthand turn as "free." Knowing this, when I'm riding my bike, I don't come up and wait in the blind spot of drivers sitting in the right hand lane at an intersection who may or may not have signaled their intention to turn, although most cyclists do this. I sit back behind the car that's first in the lane so that I am not in their way whatever they do, and so that I'm in full view of the driver behind me. Think about it. Bike lanes are so new that the majority of drivers haven't learned about them in drivers ed, and if they are covered in the drivers manual, I wouldn't know--I took my last drivers test thirty years ago. I'm unintentionally out of date about the law. I'm all for bikes on the street, I just don't think putting in bike lanes willy nilly is the total answer. We've also got to educate the public about how to drive and how to ride with each other. It may feel good to disparage drivers, especially when one of them is technically at fault, but this doesn't save lives.
October 12th, 2007 11:38
but until drivers are better-educated about bike lanes, i can't stress enough that *cyclists can almost never pass cars on the right safely*, bike lane or no, legal right of way or no. just hang back until you are sure it's safe. no, we shouldn't have to, but i know it's kept me out of a lot of accidents.
That's exactly what we have to do. The law allows us to proceed on the light; aafety requires us to not place ourselves where we won't be seen. The law allows us to wear whatever we want; safety requires us to wear bright colors. The law allows us to use almost any light at night; safety requires us to use the brightest lights we can.
It's all about being seen.
The law is a floor, below which we are not allowed to venture. For our own safety, we need to set a higher bar for ourselves than what the law allows, or requires.
October 12th, 2007 11:39
There's over 100 comments here and no one has pointed out that the bike lane is between two car lanes: The truck was in a straight ahead lane and crossed over the bike lane!
The car-lane to the right of the bike-lane is left-turn only.
It's not surprising the bicyclist assumed the truck wouldn't turn...
October 12th, 2007 11:46
Oh oops-- My previous post is wrong about the lanes (and left-turn)-- I'm just cranky...
October 12th, 2007 11:50
180mm Crank, How can the left turn lane be to the far right of the road? Surely you mean the right turn lane?
If that is the case-- that there is a right turn lane to the right of the bike lane, then this driver not only failed to yield, but he was making a turn from an improper lane.
Anybody know this intesection better than me? (I walk through there a couple times a month, and it is a dangerous intersection for peds, but I just don't recall the lane layout).
October 12th, 2007 11:51
@ 180mm Crank:
Actually the truck was in a straight/right turn lane and she was in a bike lane just to the right. You can see it here.
October 12th, 2007 11:53
Oops - sorry for the bad link. But if you look at the street view of the intersection on google maps you can see exactly how awkward the intersection is.
October 12th, 2007 12:05
Sorry again people for my rant-- is the internet making us any smarter? not me...
October 12th, 2007 12:09
I was devastated when I heard the news, for both parties involved. If you bikers should be blaming anyone, it should be the City of Portland and the engineers who carelessly draw up striping plans for the bike lanes downtown. It's absolutely ridiculous that they put a bike lane on the right side of a vehicle that is allowed to turn right. Where is the common sense in that?? How could the truck driver possibly see a bicycle and for that matter, the bicycle probably couldn't see the trucks blinker either. My condolences to all those involved in this tragedy.
October 12th, 2007 12:35
I was there on the curb right after the event, before the emergency crews arrived, and believe I saw Tracey leave this earth. This tragedy will make me very sad for a very long time. I mourn for this woman I never met and for her loss, and feel for her family and friends and for the truck driver.
And I mourn for the fact that this might not have happened. Both Tracey and the driver of the truck apparently made fatally poor choices. Tracey trusted that the law and the professionalism of the driver, rather than extra caution, would protect her; the driver seems to have made the foolish and fatal assumption that there was no one to his right, and he didn’t check.
Unfortunately, the driver's poor choice was also illegal, and he is absolutely liable to pay the consequences. It is disgraceful that he won’t be cited. He didn’t run Tracey over intentionally, of course, but carelessness that results in death is criminal, period. I do feel for the guy, who will probably feel awful for a long time, but driving any motor vehicle (let alone a 10-ton truck) on city streets with pedestrians and bicycles is a serious act that requires and deserves very careful attention. How many of us have been threatened (or worse) by bus drivers? Bigger, blinder vehicles need to be held to account even more stringently, not excused because of it. There are a lot of drivers out there, so-called professionals or otherwise, who unfortunately need the reminder that this kind of negligence can have horrible consequences, and that there are very harsh penalties that they will be held to. Sometimes deterrents make the difference.
And as for the rest of us cyclists, who still live, here is a wake-up call: there are just too many of us out there with our heads completely up our a**es, with no lights or helmets at night, who give pathetic or no lane change signals, who leap up and down curbs, weave through moving traffic, run red lights, and so forth. Some are just oblivious and can’t be helped, but many others seem to believe in their arrogance that rules and courtesy and common sense somehow are not expected them. You know who you are.
To them I say: you jerks bear responsibility in part for these awful fatalities, for making it tougher with your antics for the rest of us to co-exist reasonably with motor vehicles, by making it tougher for the rest of us to earn and maintain the margin of respect that just might save some of our lives one day.
The rest of us who ride need to speak out on both sides of the issue, by pressing for all drivers to take (or be made to take) responsibility for their actions, and for all cyclists to do the same.