Dangerous Places to Bicycle FYI

[Robert Sheasby]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-most-dangerous-place-to-bicycle-in-america-1537867800

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Robert H. Sheasby Sr.

2720 NW Lemhi Pass Dr.

Bend, Oregon 97703

541.771.7717

[ssca...@peoplepc.com]

A few years ago, I got in a discussion with a guy running a cycling blog here (can't recall his name).  He surprised me when he said that Bend has one of the higher rates of cyclist-involved traffic crashes in the U.S.  I never verified his claim.  He said it was based on the relatively small number of daily commuters vis a vis the number of crashes.

[Lucas Freeman]

" Pedestrians and bicyclists make up 35% of traffic fatalities in Bend, which is twice the state's average." 

https://www.bendbikes.org/better-bikeways-are-missing-in-bends-transportation-goals/

[ssca...@peoplepc.com]

and would you believe that today the City decided to eliminate the bike lane at Butt Mkt and Purcell and make it a shared lane 'because it wouldn't make it any less safe anyway'?  This town is just clueless.

[David Welton]

> and would you believe that today the City decided to eliminate the bike lane at Butt Mkt and Purcell and make it a shared lane 'because it wouldn't make it any less safe anyway'? This town is just clueless.

The upcoming election is going to matter quite a bit, at a local level
(mayor & city council) in terms of what transportation priorities get
funded or even considered. This probably isn't the place to get into
specifics, but I encourage everyone to do their own research and
please - vote!

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David N. Welton

[Lucas Freeman]

How'd you hear they were removing that bike lane?

[Rick Johnson]

https://www.ktvz.com/news/traffic-changes-coming-to-busy-ne-bend-intersection/799550847

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[Lucas Freeman]

Thanks all for the heads up.  I've got an email into Sinclair Burr (the engineering lead mentioned in the article), and will let you know what I learn.

On Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 6:14:02 AM UTC-7, Robert Sheasby wrote:

[durtsurf]

It sounds like the city is thinking this through fairly well to me. They are juggling a lot if stuff out there. I don't equate bike Lanes with bike safety. I've been having a lot of problems with vehicles turning right while I'm passing them in the bike lane on Reed market. Some of these vehicles are going very slow or hardly moving at all. If there was no bike lane I might not pass as much and it might be safer in the car lane. I don't know really but I think a lot of things need to be considered...

[Ben]

There's research that backs up what you are saying, David - bike lanes next to traffic have a mixed blessing.  There seems to be broad consensus that the best way to improve cycling safety is to separate cyclists from vehicles, as we are seeing in more places now ... including Portland.

[Lucas Freeman]

Here's what I learned from Sinclair Burr <sb...@bendoregon.gov> who's the Project Engineer in charge.  Looks like this will be a temporary change.

Hi Lucas,
 
Yes, a one-block section of bike lane was removed last night on the west side of Purcell between Butler Market Road and Purser Lane.  The bike lane was removed to allow for the installation of a left turn lane on the north and south approaches to the Purcell/Butler Market intersection.
 
This was completed in conjunction with the Empire Corridor Improvements project and the bike lane will be reinstated with the next phase of this project.
 
Let me know if you have any other questions.  Thanks.

On Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 6:14:02 AM UTC-7, Robert Sheasby wrote:

[Steve Westberg]

This cracks me up. There used to be turn lanes there instead of bike lanes. Then they took the turn lanes out to put in bike lanes.

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Steve

[Rick Johnson]

That's Nuevo Bend for ya...