Reporting a car in the bike lane.

[jr98664]

Last night, I was riding home from Camas, and I took a nice residential street with bike lanes. This street has constant problems with cars parking in the bike lanes. When talking to one resident, they even said that the homeowner's association told them that it was okay. To prove how bad it really is, there is even a car parked in the bike lane on Google Maps Street View (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.594417,-122.481959&spn=0.01072,0.017424&z=16&layer=c&cbll=45.59179,-122.48183&panoid=dpX8y9E8uPO2VH9KQfrgrg&cbp=1,190.30637575398322,,0,10.700067763138069).

On this very same street last night, heading west, there was a car parked in the bike lane. Naturally, I pulled over and called Vancouver's Parking Enforcement offices (360.619.1284 Portland's line is 503.823.5195). Just as soon as I was about to leave a message detailing the incident, a lady drives up with her window down. I ask her if she's lost or anything, and she rudely asks what I am doing. I tell her that I am reporting this illegally parked car to the proper authorities and she just begins yelling at me.

First of all, she yells that it's pathetic that I can't afford a car, and other general carheaded bigotry. I politely inform her of why I choose to ride a bike, namely that it is good for you, your wallet, and the environment. She won't hear any of it, she just keeps yelling at me. She then starts complaining about how she got a ticket because she parked where "supposedly, there's a bike lane in front of [her] house." I tell her that there is a number to call in these sorts of problems, and she continues to yell her head off. At this point, she starts complaining how it took her $500 to remove a warning about parking in the bike lane from her window.

I was about to tell her that she could have just used that money to buy a bike, but she sped off.

[JeffW]

I've always found that area to be a meandering mess. I'm not sure I even knew there was a way through. I have always find it easier to take the lane on 34th between 192nd and 176th. I'm usually going West on that stretch anyway, so the hill gets me most of the way past HP at a decent speed.

It's too bad the Street View pic of that car isn't clearer or I'd post it to http://portland.mybikelane.com.

[jr98664]

I find it just as easy to take the lane on 34th, but at least this road is better lit. Half of the reason I continue to go down this road is to check up on the bike lane and report illegally parked cars. Since I brought up Google Maps before, take a look at this image (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.595663,-122.48771&spn=0.01072,0.017424&z=16&layer=c&cbll=45.590281,-122.488681&panoid=a8WlRM7QTlNBg5ddRvbQ3g&cbp=2,70.76114261457508,,0,14.180190628574055). A huge driveway and they still park in the bike lane.

And I would have to agree with you about the meandering bit. If you didn't know your way around, you could easily get lost. This bike lane also strikes me as a bit odd, as it isn't yet shown on the Vancouver Bike Maps, and there is one point that the road curves from 42nd to 180th, with a bike lane just around the curve. It starts right before it and ends right after it. Cars even park here, and I find it too tight for the speeds that I am sometimes going. To make the street even odder, it would appear that they've slurried a small stretch of the road and have yet to repaint the bike lanes. If they're not there soon, I'll call and complain, but it at least strikes me as odd.

[Cruizer]

Very interesting encounter, jr. Does the homeowners' association have regular meetings? Maybe someone from Vancouver's Parking Enforcement Office could attend one and explain about the bike lanes. Or maybe they could do informational mailings to that neighborhood.

It's amusing how incensed the resident was about getting a ticket for parking in the bike lane yet she hasn't figured out that the way to avoid the ticket is to not park there.

Keep up the good work!

[jr98664]

Next time I see someone, I will try my best to find out about the homeowner's association. I think that would probably be the best route through which to go. They could certainly get the word out.