The turf battle for bicyclists using Mercer Island's roads and trails has made it to City Hall.
The island's councilmembers are looking for ways to deal with cyclists who use the island's narrow, winding loop road and sometimes scare pedestrians on the cross-island bike-hike trail.
Mercer Island is both a popular destination and thoroughfare for cyclists. A narrow loop road offers scenic views of Lake Washington, and it's in the path of the I-90 bike-hike trail over the bridges between Seattle and Bellevue.
They're voting to install bike lanes? No. In fact, the Mercer Island City Council has voted against plans by the area transit agency to paint bike lanes in an area where the cross-island bike-hike trail passes right past a busy bus shelter.
The Seattle Times reports that the councilmembers on Monday will discuss a city staff report that recommends enforcing laws that require bikes or cars to pull over when they block five or more vehicles, restricting street parking on curves and hills, and educating users about safety. Also being considered is a law requiring bicyclists to ride single file on island roads. State law allows cyclists to ride side-by-side.
This might sound severe, but it's nothing compared to earlier proposals that would require large groups to register at City Hall and ban cyclists from using the cross-island bike-hike trail (it follows the I-90 corridor and was built with federal funds).
These turf wars between bicyclists and motorists are going to get more common, says the Seattle Times in its article about the Mercer Island conflict.
As urban areas continue to grow and roads get more crowded, the battle for space will only get more keen, said Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, a national advocacy group.
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