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

[trevorspoke at cox.net]

In a message dated 11/3/07 8:20:38 PM Pacific Standard Time, hollenbeck2001 at yahoo.com writes:

So if a tree fell in the bike lane and a rider crashed into it, who would be liable? 
And would anyone hear it?

This very thing did happen on Mira Mesa Blvd several years back. Like the road on which this boy died, MM lanes are quite wide and there is really no reason to be riding so far to the right, but someone apparently did run into the tree.

If there is a hazard that the City or property owner has been notified of, they could be held liable if they have not taken action. For example, if the tree was down, someone reported it, and it still hadn't been removed a week later?

Please, when you see a hazard, including unsafe incorrect traffic engineering such as on the road we discussed, report it. That lane configuration is not according to Caltrans standards that require the bike lane to parallel the other travel lanes, rather than the sidewalk.

-- Trevor