There has been a lot of talk this summer about the amount of cyclists killed on Portland’s roadways. In my opinion no amount of infrastructure, bike lanes, signs, or clever engineering can truly make cyclists safe on the streets. Let’s be honest, we’re 100% vulnerable to cars whenever we’re out there.
That being said, I think the most important thing we can do is spend more effort and money on education to change behaviors on both sides of the equation (no, not all cyclists are innocent). If both cyclists and drivers had a good grasp of the laws, a heightened awareness of each other, and more mutual respect and consideration, we would all be safer.
For some authoritative opinions on the subject, check out the recent post on the new Portland Transport Blog.