The Chainlink

She was doing all the right things in the morning commute, traveling in the
bike lane, wearing a helmet, following the rules of the road. In an instant,
Sher Kung — new mother, brilliant attorney, avid cyclist — was struck and
killed by a vehicle making a turn in downtown Seattle last month.
At the scene, the truck driver wept and swore he never saw her.

Death on a Bike http://nyti.ms/1r5nWiw

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Our biggest nightmare as a community.  *headdesk*

Andy Moss 9.5 said:

NYC, and especially its police, have now forgotten all about Ms. Kung (and the nearly 5,000 pedestrians killed and nearly 50,000 pedestrians injured by motor vehicles in the US each year), because this (I won't link to the NY Post):

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2014/09/sorry-we-have-important-thi...

If what is being reported about this guy is true, he's a massive dick, and the media will hold all cyclists responsible for his behavior.  I also have no doubt the police, the insurance companies and the courts will have little trouble finding liability, even though he "did not intend to do it."

It's sad but if that road has the nickname of "the road of death" I would be extra cautious and even avoid it unless there's no alternative.

I've been on a bike for 10+ years (car free) and when I owned a car would ride around NYC, Detroit and 1st,2nd ring Suburbs.

Being an avid or even an expert cyclist can never prepare you for someone making a sudden move next to you or in front.

 

A Seattle newspaper story on the S Kung death said she was riding in a bike lane on the left side of a one way street and it was called 'the lane of death'. Why do transportation planners think this is a good idea? People are creatures of habit. Cars in the left (road) lane on a one way street ASSUME they're in the left lane and can turn. They're not going to think another vehicle is coming from behind. This is less of a problem on the right side because cars park on the right, and a motorist would be aware that a car could be coming up behind them, so they check. This is all commonly anticipated behavior, which a left bike lane goes against. You can say it's the motorist's fault all day & night, but it doesn't change anything. Then Chicago puts in a 2-way bike lane on a one way street (Dearborn) on the left side. How can that not cause problems? They had the decency to give priority to bikes (green northbound at Wacker before cars), but as soon as you cross the bridge there are many cars/taxis that turn left right into the hotel! Have fun (not) biking there.

Tricolor said:

Particularly the nasty stretch of Dearborn north of the river with a left side bike lane and lots of left turning traffic.  When's State Street going to be finished, by the way?  I really don't like going in to work down Wabash in the morning.

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