[B’ Spokes: Note this could happen here if the Red Line goes in.]
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As the tracks of the South Lake Union Transit have been laid, numerous reports of bicycle accidents have turned up in these areas, particularly at the Fairview-Valley intersection, where left-turning bicyclists are hard-pressed to approach the tracks at a 90-degree angle.
In addition to the streetcars themselves, cyclists must take care to avoid the streetcar tracks, which can easily ensnare the average city bike tire.
Joe Pomerleau, a bicycle commuter, learned about this new safety hazard the hard way.
“I was biking to work downtown heading towards Mercer Street,” Pomerleau wrote in an e-mail. “I crossed over the rail line and my back tire got caught and threw me off my bike, shattering my left elbow. I probably will not have full functionality of my left arm again because of this.”
Unfortunately, Pomerleau is not alone.
On Dec. 6, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported another streetcar related accident along Westlake. Additionally, many online blogs and message boards, run by groups such as Seattle Likes Bikes, turn up many instances of accidents and injuries related to the new tracks.
“We like the idea of the streetcar and support expanding the network,” said David Hiller, advocacy director for the Cascade Bicycle Club, which has received at least nine reports of severe injuries from cyclists.
A 2005 technical report prepared for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) by Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc. alludes to the potential hazards at intersections such as Fairview-Valley and the need for alternate routes along some of the main stretches of track.
“Unfortunately, the Seattle Department of Transportation ignored the safety concerns and decided it was better to get the streetcar built quickly, rather than correctly,” Hiller said.
https://dailyuw.com/2008/1/15/riding-slut-streetcar-presents-danger-cyclists/oldId.20100603161850625
Biking in Baltimore