[SDCBC] 10news.com Teenager Killed In Carmel Valley Bike Crash

[Danette Hoffert]

You can pass this along if you like.

I believe that (not confirmed or I know for sure) this is illegal.  I see
this as much as twice a day when I ride.  Landscapers park their trucks in
the lane or on the curb in order to have access to tools.

 Are they to blame for the death?  I doubt it.   Could they be held liable?
 I think so.  Would ticketing them for illegal parking provide an easy
revenue stream and better environment.  Yes.
The org that probably hires the landscapers is a HOA.  Their next HOA
meeting may be interesting.

from my husband who commutes to work in the area


On 11/1/07, Serge Issakov <serge at issakov.org> wrote:
>
> This is a terrible tragedy.  What can be learned from it?
>
> I don't think whether parking is legal in that bike lane is very
> important.  Even if parking is illegal, if the truck was parked there
> because it broke down there, it's understandable and should not be
> unexpected.  Parking at the curb in a bike lane marked "no parking" is akin
> to parking in a red curb zone, or double parking on a surface street - at
> worst it's a minor infraction and not considered a serious safety hazard.
> Nor should it be.  Bike lanes should not be thought of as guaranteed safe
> and clear space for cyclists, and it's dangerous to assume as much.  As
> tempting as the comparison may be, blocking a bike lane is nothing like
> parking in a freeway traffic lane.
>
> My bias against bike lanes is well-known on this list, and this tragedy
> exemplifies one of my main objections to them: that they instill a false
> sense of security in cyclists, that they induce a
> cycling-nirvana-mindlessness that might be appropriate on an empty bike path
> or maybe even a very quiet country road, but not on a surface street shared
> with motor vehicles.  I think less experienced cyclists, perhaps like 15
> year old Nigel Clarke, are particularly prone to this effect.  Can a cyclist
> be blamed for going too fast around a blind curve only a few feet from the
> curb where he could reasonably believe he was legally obligated to be: in
> the bike lane?  My heart goes out to Nigel's family and friends.
>
> If you're a supporter of bike lanes, I urge you to remember Nigel, and
> think of his family, the next time you express favor for bike lanes on the
> basis of safety for cyclists.  There is little if any evidence that supports
> that view, and tragedies like this, which are all too common, suggest the
> opposite may well be true: bike lanes make cycling less safe, arguably even
> deadly.
>
> Serge
>
> --
> NOTE: Any opinions expressed above are mine and not necessarily shared by
> any organization in which I am involved.
>
>
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-- 
Danette M. Hoffert's email
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