Accident - Broadway + Williams 4:45pm

[heavyj]

Anyone see it? I rode by as they were helping the cyclist onto a stretcher. She looked to be OK. Cyclist was heading westbound on Broadway. Truck was turning right from the middle lane across the blue marked section of the bike lane. Certainly, by the letter of the law, the cyclist had the right of way. That said, we all need to assume that we are invisible. Hope she's OK.

[djasonpenney]

I see that intersection as a choice of either a) following the law, or b) using common sense.

I always hop over into the rightmost through lane and queue up between the cars when I go through there. The striping at that intersection seems to be designed to kill cyclists.

I think they should restripe it so that all vehicles with three or more axles have to turn right across the path of the regular automobiles. Hey, that makes sense, right....NOT!

Please guys. The civil authorities really want to help us cyclists out, but sometimes, like when they striped Williams & Broadway, they are just totally clueless.

This is one place where you just need to step out of your Facilities Cyclist self-pity and "take the lane" like a Vehicular Cyclist. I'm not a rabid John Forester devotee, but this is one example of when he happens to be right.

Originally Posted by heavyj

Anyone see it? I rode by as they were helping the cyclist onto a stretcher. She looked to be OK. Cyclist was heading westbound on Broadway. Truck was turning right from the middle lane across the blue marked section of the bike lane. Certainly, by the letter of the law, the cyclist had the right of way. That said, we all need to assume that we are invisible. Hope she's OK.

[Attornatus_Oregonensis]

What Jason said. Glad she seemed OK - hopefully Jonathan will have more on this.

[ME 2]

I have a similar riding philosophy as you Jason when it comes to taking the lane, but it can be downright impossible to do so if you're riding that stretch during the morning rush hour. There are many examples with our biking infrastructure where we cyclists can say what were they thinking, but that intersection is on a whole other level.

Traffic in the 2 lanes to the left of the bike lane is usually bumper to bumper 2 to 3 blocks before that ugly intersection. It takes nerves of steel to make the switch from the time the bike lane disappears into the right car lane and into the bike lane and a lot of concentration considering the stop and go nature of the traffic there.

Once you're in that bike lane you have to be aware because the vehicle on your right is likely completly oblivous to the switch in the bike lane and they're driving in your lane. This makes it a bit of a challenge to shoulder check and signal into that left vehicle lane.

My approach when I used to take it during the morning rush hour was to get in the bike lane watch for cars on my right that are hugging or in the bike lane, look for ques from the driver in front of me like a turn signal, and hold back until I can cross the lane with a gap between cars.

[Tait]

Wow... that's the type of (terrible) design typical of California, not Oregon. I'm with Jason, I'd take the lane if I had to, but I'd rather just avoid the area altogether. Is there any other way around I-5 there (besides the Rose Quarter)?