Update: See pictures and story from protest ride
Seattle bicycle riders have no desire for more streetcar tracks in the curb lanes where they ride.
The newly laid tracks of a streetcar line along Westlake Avenue linking Westlake Center to the Hutch Cancer Center have caused numerous accidents already when bike tires get stuck in the groove, causing the rider to loose balance and fall.
Seattle Likes Bikes has scheduled a bicycling protest starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Denny Park to call attention to the problem and get the city to install warning signs and to paint sharrows in lanes where bicyclists must ride now that they can't use the curb lanes.
The problem
Organizers say the protest, named “Taming the S.L.U.T.” (South Lake Union Trolley), will be called off if the city takes action before the streetcar line opens on Wednesday. (Here's a link to the poster [.pdf].)
Primarily Seattle Likes Bikes wants sharrows painted in the left, non-track, lanes to remind motorists to share the road. Also, post “bicycle falling” warning signs (above).
The only thing the city has promised so far is that bike lanes will be added to a parallel street in late 2008 or 2009. Not exactly the fast track. Here's a letter from the city regarding that.
Odd stance
According to the Seattle Times, the streetcar tracks took the curb lane to make it easier for passengers to board and to reduce the cost of putting the 1.3-mile line in the median. Neighborhood businessmen, like Microsoft founder Paul Allen, are paying half the cost of the streetcar line.
I'm surprised at the city's lack of response to the issue. Seattle Likes Bikes spokesman Michael Snyder told the Times that he's heard of eight or nine accidents, and streetcar drivers say they're aware of the problem of cyclists falling.
Given the fact that Seattle endorsed a much bally-hooed Bicycle Master Plan last month, you'd think it would do more to ensure bicyclists' safety.
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