As if the I-5 Bridge needed any more safety issues, yesterday’s job fair hosted by Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler at the Red Lion Hotel turned the biking and walking bridge crossing route into a parking lot…
(Photo: Marcus Griffith)
According to Red Lion staff, the field adjacent to the I-5 Bridge is an over flow parking lot for the hotel. Apparently, the hotel staff assigned to help guide visitors into parking spots in the field saw no problem with motor vehicles parking on and driving along the shared path to the bridge.
Although yesterday’s incident may have been minor, using a shared path as overflow parking for motor vehicles reflects poorly on Vancouver’s commitment to active transportation.
I brought the issue to the attention to the front desk at the hotel yesterday afternoon and asked for comment. I was told the issue would be referred to the hotel manager. The hotel manager did not return a message seeking comment.
Motor vehicles were parked on the shared path from approximately 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., which meant the cars were parked on the path during peak commute hours.
North Portland resident Karen Patrick was one of the people affected by the cars blocking the path.
“It wasn’t too much of an inconvenience, but I don’t see why [the hotel staff] didn’t keep the bike path clear or at least put up some caution cones to warn the cyclists about the cars,” she said.
Vancouver resident Matt Lambert was “annoyed” when he came across the parked cars on a return trip from Portland.
“I don’t ride the east side of the bridge because I am sick of illegally parked cars blocking the bike path.. its [crap] that I have to [explit] deal with parked cars on the west side [of the bridge],” he said.
Cyclists can legally use either side of the bridge to cross in either direction, although it is widely encouraged for north bound cyclists to use the east side of the bridge and south bound cyclists to use the west side.
A call to the Vancouver city parking enforcement office was not returned seeking comment if the cars parked on the shared path were legally parked or if they were subject to citations or towing.
Although yesterday’s incident may have been minor, using a shared path as overflow parking for motor vehicles reflects poorly on Vancouver’s commitment to active transportation.