[The story was written by contributor Michael Andersen.]

As Vancouver reels from the death of an 11-year-old boy who was crushed by a C-Tran bus while riding his bike through the intersection of Main and 27th on Saturday, some have noted a common thread it shares with other recent local tragedies:

Buses turning left.

Vancouver's transit agency, C-Tran, has launched an investigation into Saturday's collision; and they haven't yet finished investigating their previous fatality. In December Margaret McCluskey, 88, was killed in a downtown Vancouver crosswalk by a left-turning bus whose driver was preparing for a quick shuffle across three lanes of traffic to reach a stop one block away.

In TriMet's most recent bus fatality, in 2010, a left-turning TriMet bus killed two young people who were walking in an Old Town crosswalk. A few months later, a man riding a bike up Portland's transit mall was nearly killed by a left-turning bus on the northeast corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square.

These circumstances vary – for example, investigators haven't announced whether Saturday's victim, Benjamin Fulwiler, had been riding his bike on the sidewalk or in the shoulder facing traffic. But all incidents happened in well-trafficked urban areas, three of them in broad daylight.

This isn't a fluke. Left-turn fatalities are twice as common between buses and pedestrians as right-turn fatalities, a 2008 federal study found.

As The Oregonian reported in 2010, Des Moines's transit agency removed all left turns from its system after seven consecutive left-turn collisions.

Part of the problem is geometric.

"When buses turn, they pivot on the rear axle, moving forward and then sweeping an arc as the bus follows through the turn," the federal study wrote, quoted by Oregonian writer Joseph Rose. "At first glance, it may appear to a pedestrian that the bus is moving straight forward through the intersection when in fact the operator is initiating a left turn."

Inspired by transit agencies elsewhere, TriMet experimented in 2011 with a system that automatically announced "Pedestrians, bus is turning" in English and Spanish. It didn't work; announcements either triggered too late, or when they weren't supposed to. TriMet pulled the plug after three months.

Replacing all of TriMet's 40,000 daily left turns with three right turns would be impossible, TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch said in 2010, in part because of downtown Portland's grid of one-way streets.

C-Tran spokesman Scott Patterson said Monday that assessing the agency's policy on left turns is "certainly something we're already doing as part of our process."

The bus was coming south on Main and was
turning left on 27th as the boy was crossing 27th.

Meanwhile, everyone involved in Saturday's fatal collision is grappling with the tragedy. KATU reported that it unfolded as Fulwiler's mother watched.

Eric Giacchino of Vancouver, president of the year-old bicycle education group Bike Clark County, said that whatever the circumstances around Saturday's crash, the busy corridor has no great north-south bike route.

Vancouver's bike network directs riders onto Columbia Street, two blocks west. But Giacchino said Columbia lacks either sharrows or a bike lane, in part because residents have resisted removing free auto parking from Columbia to make room.

Vancouver's 2004 bike plan calls for both Main and Columbia to get bike lanes eventually.

Giacchino said he hopes Bike Clark County's two-week bicycle education course, now offered in several Vancouver middle schools, will help improve the whole community's appreciation for bicycling safely.

"We're going to expand one school a year every year, until we cover the whole county," Giacchino said. "That's my dream."

This guest post is by Michael Andersen of Portland Afoot, PDX's 10-minute newsmagazine and wiki for transit commuters.

Already known internationally for its top-notch website and pioneering use of open data, Portland's transit agency is about to take another leap toward making low-car life easy and intuitive.

With the launch of its new Regional Trip Planner – that's the link to the latest version, which will go live on TriMet's website tomorrow – TriMet will be the first American transit agency whose website uses open-source software to plan trips the way low-car humans do: by figuring out the best combination of bike, train, bus, foot and even, eventually (gasp) automobile.

"Multimodal functionality is a highly requested feature that not even Google can offer," said Bibiana McHugh, the TriMet data specialist who led TriMet's three-year effort, at a presentation Friday.

Using the interesting new "bicycle triangle" tool developed by TriMet's team, you'll be able to choose a balance among speed, safety and elevation changes, letting you customize the trip to your preferences and energy level.

Carolyn Young, TriMet's outgoing executive director for marketing and communications, predicted that the new planner "is going to be the envy of the transit industry."

Last week, Jonathan laid out the basic functions of the new planner, which was funded by two grants from Metro and executed by a team of in-house developers and interns and a contract with Open Plans (a nonprofit you might also know as the publisher of Streetsblog). Some new nuggets we learned Friday:

• The trip planner will soon include bike parking: TriMet bike and rides, city bike corrals and even bike staples.
• It already features Zipcar locations right on the map, and might eventually be able to tell you whether a particular Zipcar is available. To find this, click "carshare" in the lower left of the new map.
• Within the next year to 18 months, partnerships with nearby agencies C-Tran, SMART and CHERRIOTS will let you plan transit and bike trips all the way from Battle Ground, Wash., down to Salem.
• In two years or so, you'll even be able to build an auto trip to the nearest park-and-ride into your trip plan. TriMet is in talks with the Portland Police Bureau about gathering data on street directionality, speed limits and other necessary details.
• Third-party applications – the sort that could, for example, let you use your mobile phone to calculate the flattest bike route over Alameda Ridge – can't yet plug into the system. That's one of the many features that McHugh said will be introduced in the coming months, with new features every couple weeks.

The new trip planner won't immediately replace TriMet's familiar, proprietary version; TriMet expects to run them both in parallel for "three to six months," McHugh said.

In the meantime, McHugh's eager for input from early users. Have at it.

Portland Afoot's October issue visited Silicon Valley to reveal seven secrets about the future of carsharing. BikePortland readers can subscribe for $10 a year with discount code BIKEPORTLAND.

In a major update to our story from last week, the Portland Police Bureau has issued a citation to TriMet bus operator John Nations in a crash that occurred August 12th at SW 6th and Morrison in downtown Portland.

According to TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch, the bus operator, 39 year-old John Nations from Beaverton, has been cited in violation of ORS 811.335, "Unlawful or unsignaled turn." Here's more from Fetsch:

"Police described the turn as unlawful because it was made from the center lane. The operator had moved into the center lane from the travel lane in order to make a wide turn to clear the light rail vehicle at Pioneer Square North station."

TriMet says that 37 year-old Richard Krebs, who was hit by Nations as he turned left from the transit mall onto SW Morrison, was also given a citation. Krebs, who was on his bicycle, suffered a broken clavicle and required skin graft surgeries on his leg.

Jug handle vs button hook turns.
(ODOT Manual)

TriMet initially told the public that the bus operator had performed a "button hook" turn, which is a recommended maneuver for creating more space during a left turn because it does not lead the bus into the adjacent lane (see graphic at right). However, after being questioned about the incident, TriMet operations spokesperson Josh Collins acknowledged that the type of turn Nations actually made was closer to a "jug-handle" turn. Jug handles are specifically not recommended in the ODOT Commercial Drivers Manual because they result in a swerve into the adjacent lane prior to the turn (the exact type of movement that likely had something to do with this collision).

There are still many unanswered questions about this incident. There is still no word about the on-board video from the incident. With citation decisions made, I expect it would be released soon. The video might be able to answer remaining questions about whether or not Krebs ran a yellow light (which I have finally confirmed he has been cited for), and which lane the bus operator was traveling in prior to the left turn.

Read our full coverage of this story here.

UPDATE, 5:10 pm: A story in The Oregonian says that the bus operator was "assaulted". Reporter Joseph Rose says TriMet told him John Nations is currently out on worker's comp due to the alleged "assault". I asked TriMet's Mary Fetsch to clarify. She said via email that Nations was assaulted by a bystander at the scene and that there were minor injuries and no arrests. There is no record of assault anywhere in the police report. There are two mentions of what Fetsch might be referring to in the police report.

The first is from Nations' statement to responding officer Kent Scott. According to the police report, when Nations' bus came to rest atop Krebs' leg, people began screaming and telling him to put it in reverse. Here's what Officer Scott wrote in the report after that: "He [Nations] opened the window and stuck his head out when someone "clobbered" me."

That "someone" is likely a witness named J. Smith. Here's an excerpt from Smith's witness statement: "Smith said the driver seemed confused so he clapped his hands in front of the driver's face."

Krebs himself told me he vaguely remembers "someone coming up and putting their hands on his face, but certainly didn't punch him."

It's reasonable to assume that Nations' memory of being "clobbered" is clouded by the fact that it happened in an extremely tense moment (someone under the wheel of his bus, with crowds of screaming people nearby). It's also worth remembering that TriMet got their information that Nations was "assaulted" in the same way they got information that Krebs had been given a citation (when he hadn't), that Nations made a legal turn (when he hadn't) and that Krebs was riding at a "high rate of speed" (when he wasn't).

Last Thursday, a TriMet bus operator made a left turn from SW 6th Avenue onto Morrison and came into contact with a man's bicycle (it's not clear whether he was riding or walking). The wheel of the bus rolled into 36-year old Richard Krebs and he suffered serious injuries. As of yesterday (8/19) Krebs is still at OHSU in fair condition (his nurse didn't release any other information about him, but couldn't resist telling me that "He's the nicest person in the world!").

As TriMet investigates what happened, I thought it'd be helpful to clarify a few things and bring everyone up to speed with what we know (or think we know) so far.

A witness on the scene of collision told KGW-TV that the "Bus hit him about mid-track, pushed him over on the road. Bus driver was stopping but kinda skid to a halt on his leg." The investigation into the crash is ongoing, but the Portland Police Bureau has already told KGW that there was "no major fault one way or another."

TriMet has yet to release on-board video from the bus. Back in June, when a man on a bike collided with a bus on SE Hawthorne, the video -- which fully exonerated the bus operator and refuted the bike rider's version of the story -- was released two days after the incident.

I asked TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch why the video of this collision is taking longer to release. "If an incident is still under investigation, no video is released. Video is generally released between 4-7 days. In rare incidents, it's faster than that, especially if there is no investigation necessary, as in the Hawthorne incident. It all depends on when the incident happens, when the video can be pulled and viewed, and if an investigation is under way, etc."

As for how this collision occurred, judging from photos taken at the scene (see above), it looks like the bus was in the center of three lanes on the transit mall. To go left on Morrison, the bus operator would have had to turn across the left-most vehicle lane (which is shared by bus, car, and bike traffic) to get onto Morrison.

It's also important to remember that the bus was on a temporary shuttle route because MAX trains had been stopped due to a suicide jumper on the bridge. A commenter pointed out that there were not any detour signs posted to alert people that buses would be taking an alternate route that day. The commenter wrote, "So, anyone familiar with TriMet bus routes would not have expected this."

Fetsch says that during a shuttle bus operation, TriMet "typically has pre-determined routes for bus shuttles." "What can be variable," she added, "are routes that bus might take to begin shuttle service. They are often pulled from other lines, so getting to the start of the shuttle is often unpredictable." Fetsch also says that it is not TriMet policy to put out special signage during "short-term bus bridge events."

I'm waiting for more information from TriMet and will post an update as soon as it's released. In the meantime, if you saw this collision occur and have more information to add, feel free to leave a comment or call our tipline at (503) 706-8804.

At the end of last month, TriMet bus operator Dan Christensen published a shocking essay on his personal blog. The essay was titled "PORTLAND! KILL THIS BICYCLIST!" It went into detail about how Christensen was so frustrated with a man riding a bike in front of his bus on SE Hawthorne Blvd that he pleaded with someone to kill him and he himself wanted to "exercise the death option." The post also included a photo of the man on the bike's face that was taken by one of Christensen's passengers.

Once the blog post (read it here) came to their attention, TriMet immediately placed Christensen on leave. He pulled the story down hours later, but not before it was picked up by the AP wire. After the dust had settled, Christensen was back to work a week later.

Christensen, a well-liked driver with a clean record, was obviously shaken up by what he saw, but the specifics of what the guy on the bike did to set him off have remain unknown. Until now. Below is a Q & A I had via email with Paul Higgins, the man who inspired Dan Christensen's blog post.

What do you remember from that day?

"I remember approaching the light on SE 30th and Hawthorne in the right lane. The bus was in front of me and was just beginning to accelerate after the light turned green. I was going significantly faster and decided I could pass the bus without impeding traffic. I increased speed and moved onto the striped white line dividing the two eastbound lanes, passing both the bus and another car in the left lane. Once clear of the bus I moved back into the right lane so I wouldn't impede faster-moving traffic in the left. I don't remember hearing Christensen honk or anything like that. Neither do I recall pulling any other stunts on my way to work, though I may have blown through a light. (I always at least slow down and look and listen. I don't believe that traffic control devices are responsible for my safety on the road, it is my ability to identify and respond to threats and danger that keep me safe.) When I arrived at work and was locking up he stopped the bus, opened the doors and shouted "Hey that was some fancy drivin'!" I didn't turn around, I just said thanks and finished locking up and went inside. I really don't like it when motorists yell at me."

Where you surprised to read Dan Christensen's account of what happened?

"What account? He claimed to have taken "extreme measures" to avoid hitting me; that "it was so bad and lasted for blocks," yet said nothing of what actually happened. He mentioned vaguely that he may have had to brake violently and "throw people around my bus." As I stated earlier, I was going faster than he was, that is what necessitated me passing him. The only reason I can come up with which would cause him to brake is if I surprised and scared him. It makes sense. I mean, I passed him on an unexpected side, out of a blind spot, in a maneuver that many would deem unsafe. But that's conjecture. I have no way of knowing his account of what happened. One could only make assumptions based upon his poorly written, emotional tirade.

I was surprised at the length of time it took him to write about the incident, and to still be so filled with venom about it a month later is just ridiculous. After some consideration I can see that his blog was cathartic, and I'm glad he has a place where he can air out his demons. However, it may have been a better choice for him to have kept this particular writing exercise private. I mean, my mom almost cried when she heard about it, and he almost lost his job."

Where you surprised at what a big deal this turned into?

"Incredibly. I was in front of that bus for less than five minutes. Let's boil it down: A bus driver got mad at a cyclist and a month later posted a blog about it and then felt a bit better. Literally at the end of the blog he states, "Wow I feel better now." It should have ended there."

What kind of rider would you say you are?

"Fearful. I feel a bit like a mouse. I leave my tiny little home to try and scrape up some cheddar, and instead of snakes, cats, mousetraps and housewives with brooms; I have potholes, cars, pedestrians, other cyclists, cops, road debris and equipment failure that can all potentially kill or maim me. I deal with that by making myself a real presence on the road. When making my way through heavy traffic I'm big, aggressive, and loud. I get quite an attitude much of the time. Don't get me wrong, I love riding. I get a thrill out of it. I like knowing that I reached my destination by burning calories instead of gas. I like that my legs and ass are fucking statuesque. I like that I don't pollute, that it's inexpensive, that it's healthy, that I get to experience the elements, that every time I ride I overcome a challenge and am bettering myself."

Has this experience changed how you think about bike/bus interactions and your own riding style?

"I'm on the watch for Dan. I want to shake his hand and tell him I'm sorry about the trouble I caused him. I don't want to be responsible for making people feel the way I made Christensen feel. It's wrong and no one deserves to be scared or bullied on the road. What's tough is figuring out what's my fault and what is just him overreacting.

I'm much more mindful of the way I ride now. I think about how my actions will affect others around me, and if my actions are in line with my ideal. My goal in life is to just be a good dude, I won't achieve that if I ride like an asshole. My solution is rational, compassionate response to the people I share the road with, rather than a knee-jerk, fear-based reaction to people I perceive as threats."

I'm grateful for Paul's willingness to answer my questions candidly and thoughtfully. It's clear he takes his role in this incident seriously. I hope this episode has been an opportunity for all of us -- whether operating a vehicle with or without a motor -- to learn that doing so comes with a lot of emotions how we behave can have an impact way beyond ourselves.

Yesterday, with notable transportation officials from around the region in attendance, TriMet officially cut the ribbon on their new 'Bike & Ride' facility at the Sunset Transit Center in Beaverton. With secure parking for 74 bikes, TriMet hopes the new service will make it easier for people to make the bike-transit connection.

A good sign.

In a statement about the opening, TriMet's new General Manager Neil McFarlane said, "We chose Sunset Transit Center for our first Bike & Ride because it's one of the most popular destinations for cyclists to connect to transit, since the West Hills are a barrier to riding a bike into downtown."

The 74 bike racks are in a space previously occupied by just eight car parking spaces (630 car spaces remain at the site). TriMet has made the facility secure by adding surveillance cameras and by requiring the use of a BikeLink keycard to gain access. Keycards cost $20 and last for about 10 weeks of daily parking at any TriMet Bike & Ride.

Looks pretty darn secure to me.

Since TriMet doesn't charge to park cars at this transit center, you might wonder why bike parking comes with a fee. TriMet's bike planner Colin Maher says it's not about making money. Rather, there's a practical reason: To discourage people from using the Bike & Ride as their personal garage or storage unit. "Experience has shown that bike stations fill with unused bikes if parking is completely free. This isn’t a problem for car parking, partly because the owners would incur hefty towing and impound fees (which aren’t practical to charge for bikes) if their cars were left for more than 24 hours."

Maher points out that if you don't want to pay for bike parking, you can use the standard bike racks that are also available.

Do you plan on using this new Bike & Ride? Have you already used it? We'd love to hear how it's working for you. For more information on TriMet's Bike & Rides, and to purchase a BikeLink card, check out their new website at TriMet.org/bikeandride.

The issue surfaced after I published a video statement by bus operator Al Marguiles. In the comments of that story, Marguiles (posting as "Al M") engaged other readers and encouraged them to visit his blog to watch videos about people who bike and about BikePortland.

After watching those and other videos on the "Rantings of a TriMet Bus Driver" blog, several people complained to TriMet that they were concerned Marguiles was driving distracted. In some videos he was operating a video recorder and having a conversation with a passenger while driving.

One of the people who filed a formal complaint was frequent BikePortland commenter and contributor Marcus Griffith, although he spoke only for himself and was not acting as an official representative of BikePortland.

The issue received widespread media attention and was featured on KATU and KGW TV as well as on the blogs of the Portland Mercury and The Oregonian.

TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch says their current policy restricts use of "handheld personal devices, such as cell phones, video cameras and other devices while operating a TriMet vehicle" but it does not "expressly restrict an operator from having someone else record them with such devices while operating a vehicle." In light of the Al Marguiles situation, Fetsch explained the following policy change:

"We are making changes to the policy this week to restrict creating personal communications via audio or video device, such as for a blog, while operating a vehicle."

Look for this sign coming soon to Sunset Transit Center and other locations.

The new Bike & Ride will have 74 secure bike parking spaces, taking up space formerly used for eight motor vehicles (if you drive, don't worry, the Sunset Transit Center still has 630 car parking spaces).

Here's a snip from TriMet:

"With tremendous growth in bicycling in the region, there are limited options for commuters to bring bikes onto the transit system during rush hour. TriMet is following the model of bicycle capitals around the world, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, that rely on bike parking facilities to make the connection to transit work on a reliable basis."

As contributor Michael Anderson shared last month, the Bike & Ride will have keycard access and security cameras to keep your ride safe from thieves. Keycards will cost $20, which TriMet says should last about 10 weeks.

TriMet planner and resident bike guy Colin Maher was kind enough to send over some construction drawing (below) along with an explanation:

"... there is one row of 2-tier racks, one row of staple racks, a railing for locking “cargo” bikes, an ADA-accessible bike rack, a repair stand/floor pump, and a bike information/map display case. Security cameras, lighting, and electrical not shown."

TriMet says they chose the Sunset location for this facility because it's "one of the most popular stations for riders connecting by bike since the West Hills are a barrier to riding downtown."

The facility was funded through a $1.1 million federal stimulus grant and is part of a larger "regional Bike & Ride system." TriMet also has plans for a 100-space facility at Beaverton Transit Center and a 30-space facility in Gresham.

Colin Maher of TriMet.
(Photo: Michael Andersen)

Three years into a quest to go beyond bike lockers, TriMet is about to build what it hopes will be the next generation of 24-hour bike storage at the Sunset Transit Center in Beaverton.

Yesterday, TriMet bicycle planner Colin Maher told a small crowd at PBOT's Bicycle Brown Bag discussion that, "Bike lockers are great, if you have one. And that's the trouble."

TriMet's solution, modeled on the Berkeley-based BikeLink system, is to set up a card-based, pay-to-park system for commuters who want to keep their bikes safe without committing to a six-month, $25 locker rental.

This is all part of the regional transit agency's effort –- kicked off during the 2008 gas price spike – to cut the crush of bikes on rush-hour MAX trains. They've almost doubled the number of bike lockers since, but the number of renters hasn't risen. Last month, TriMet's Citizen Advisory Committee said the agency should "invest less in park and ride lots and more in bike storage" to free up room on trains, especially for wheelchairs.

Secure bike parking at Sunset Transit Center's new 75-bike cage, Maher said, will cost 3 cents an hour during the day, 1 cent an hour on nights and weekends. (Yep, that'd be about $2.50 for one week straight.)

The $185,000 project at Sunset TC comes from last year's federal stimulus act. Construction starts mid-June; it's supposed to be ready to use in mid-July.

Maher said the daytime rate might rise if the cage gets too crowded, but he expects overnight bike parking to remain inexpensive. "We'd like to use the pricing to encourage people to leave bikes overnight, which is what about 15 percent of bike-locker renters are doing right now," Maher said.

Riders will pay for use of the cages with a new "smart card" system: Each renter will get a personalized card that checks his or her bike in or out of the facility and tracks the time their vehicle spent inside.

(Photo: Todd Boulanger)

Renters get their cards at an ATM-like machine in the transit center. After that, adding cash to the cards will be fully automated (check these videos from BikeLink for more on how it will work).

Riders don't have to use the cage if they don't want to pay – or if they're annoyed, as city planner Ellen Vanderslice seemed to be during Thursday's meeting, that the park-and-ride will remain free for cars.

"The reason you're charging for bikes is you've got a security system here – you're paying for that support," Maher said. "If you don't want to pay, there's always bike racks outside."

TriMet's new bike parking cards will also be used in two other new bike-parking facilities: Beaverton Transit Center's new 100-bike garage and another cage at Gresham Central Transit Center.

Both of those are due to start and finish construction this September, Maher said.

So, is this the future of the suburban park and ride? Could it be the future of the urban parking garage?

Well, it sure is cheap – especially if it convinces a few dozen people who live within a mile or two of the park-and-ride to leave their cars at home. That's because free auto parking is really, really expensive to taxpayers. The Sunset TC bike cage will replace eight auto spaces with 75 bike spaces, so if it fills up, it'll have cost just $2,500 per person to build. That's one-third of the $7,500 the public has to pay for a car-sized space in a parking lot, one-sixth of the $15,000 we pay for a car-sized space in a parking garage.

The catch, of course, will be filling up the bike cage. If 500 Beaverton car users roll past a nearly-empty bike cage while searching for parking spots of their own every morning, they'll start to clamor to reclaim some of those eight spots.

Maher is confident that easy-pay bike parking is something Washington County wants. "I think the timing is right on this to get it full by the end of the summer," Maher said. "The bike racks we have right now are full, so we don't know how much demand is out there."

The Oregonian reported last night that TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen has decided to resign from the agency. Hansen has been TriMet's GM since 1998.

In light of Hansen riding the MAX into the sunset, I checked the BikePortland archives and found that his name popped up several times.

The first time was back in 2007, when he signed his name onto a set of rules that were handed out to Zoobombers during one of their weekly rides. Among them: "No part of a bicycle may block the stairwells or aisles" and "Bicycles must be reasonably clean."

The next time Hansen figured prominently on these pages was March 2007, when Portlander Sharon Fekety informed me of a horrible crash she had while crossing a set of MAX tracks. Ms. Fekety, an experienced rider, fell and broke her arm on what she alleged were greasy tracks.

Hansen admitted they use lubricant on tracks, but he denied that it was placed at the location where Fekety fell. Either way, the incident led Hansen to officially amend TriMet bike safety policy so that it encouraged people on bicycles to walk their bikes across some intersections.

On a much more somber note, also during Hansen's tenure was the collision that claimed the life of 15-year old Beaverton high school student Austin Miller. Miller was riding home from school when he collided with a TriMet bus whose operator was pulling into a stop.

A TriMet investigation cleared the bus operator of any wrongdoing and Miller's family sued TriMet for $2 million. A year later TriMet settled the case for $200,000, an amount that Stephanie Miller (Austin's mom) said, “proves that Austin’s death was the result of a bus driver’s carelessness.”

In the wake of the Austin Miller tragedy, Hansen announced a slew of bus/bike safety initiatives. He actively sought out the partnership of the BTA and the fruits of that collaboration led to the green bikeways and other bike safety improvements to the Rose Quarter Transit Center.

Read more about Hansen and his departure in The Oregonian.