Archive: December, 2011

Waterfront Cycle Track Candlesticks Knocked Over

I’ve noticed that a number of the waterfront cycle track candlesticks* have been knocked over. If I had to guess, it’s 5-10% of them. After seeing this happen, I read over at Bike Portland that a similar thing is happening to a bike lane where candlesticks were only just installed to keep drivers from driving in the bike lane.

What does this say about the quality of driver on the road when devices designed to constrain drivers and protect vulnerable road users are knocked over or destroyed with regularity?

The photos below are from 29th and Liberty where after we asked the city to do something about the crosswalk there they installed yield signs that were subsequently destroyed in short order.

Found it down the street
Good thing it wasn't a person

* Candlesticks create a barrier between auto and bike traffic and they prevent people from driving cars inside the bike lane

Merry Christmas road rage!

I am riding on Maple Ave — a 15mph road — about to turn on to Brinton Rd, my arm outstretched signaling that I am making a left turn. The woman behind me decides that I am taking too long and floors it to pass me as I am starting to turn. Now this is not the sort of intersection where you would do this sort of thing, not that there is any intersection that it would be ok, but for this road in particular it is really, really dangerous.


I would have been right about where the turning car is when she started to pass me. – View Larger Map

Drivers are coming off of 376 and a Ardmore Blvd and they are normally going pretty fast right until the stop sign. Well she floors it into the oncoming lane with a car approaching her but she wouldn’t have known that because you can’t see around the corner. Like I said, this isn’t the sort of road where this sort of thing might be reasonably safe.

I would guess she was going around 55 mph by the time she made it back into her own lane.

Merry Christmas lady! Hope you got to where you were going in one piece.