Woman Hit by Cyclist on Four Mile Run

[baiskeli]

I think we need to stop saying “on your left” to pedestrians, period.

Many peds don’t know what that means, and instinctively move TO the left when they hear it.

We also need to slow down when passing.

I often say “bike passing” to peds.

[rcannon100]

And please call your passes further back. If someone is going to turn and say “what?” when you have signaled further back, you will have more time to react. If the sequence is (a) signal (b) unanticipated response from pedestrian (c) collision, then you are calling too close. You call needs to far enough back that when the pedestrian “reacts,” you can respond appropriately.

Note that the article describes the incident as on 4MR, not W&OD, and on a hill. If that is accurate, I know that spot. Very dangerous and hard to maneuver. I was using 4MR to bypass the traffic lights on W&OD, but have since decided that it puts me too close to pedestrians.

This is very sad news.

[PotomacCyclist]

I hope the woman can recover.

I usually say “passing on your left” instead of just “on your left.” But even then, I slow up because I know some people will still get confused. If they move suddenly to the left or even the right, I will be prepared to avoid a collision. Having to slow up for a few seconds does not bother me. Colliding with someone would bother me, regardless of who is at fault. (This doesn’t change my statements on the jaywalking thread, though.)

[jabberwocky]

The thing is, no matter how careful you are or how slow you pass, there isn’t really a defense for someone doing something totally unexpected. Thats why we have rules (paths and roads), so that everyone can use them safely. Disobey the rules (through ignorance, inattention or deliberately) and bad things can happen, as this lady found out. *shrug*

[txgoonie]

@rcannon100 21868 wrote:

Note that the article describes the incident as on 4MR, not W&OD, and on a hill.

The section that goes under Columbia Pike? I see people on bikes dismount there b/c they’re freaked out by the steepness (and narrowness and the wall at the bottom). Unfortunately, this is a situation where it’s not a place to pass going really fast OR to move in any direction suddenly. I’m really careful there with people walking toward me b/c they’re usually looking at their feet, not up the hill.

[consularrider]

I was through that section about 7:25, saw the police, fire, and ambulance and someone standing on the access trail coming down from 4 Mile Run Drive to the 4 Mile Run Trail. No sign of the injured parties. As usual the comments to the Arlnow.com article assume all kinds of things not in evidence and need to be taken with several grains of salt. I ride the 4MRT just about every weekday morning at about this time and there are generally very few trail users at all. The downhill here is steep with a pair of sharp turns if you are coming from the 4MRT (one before the slab bridge and one after) or just the one after the slab if you are coming down from 4 Mile Run Drive. In either case you really need to be riding your breaks in the first place and shouldn’t be going very fast.

I still prefer this route heading east to playing stoplight roullette on the W&OD from Columbia Pike to Shirlington Road where you have to deal with many more times the number of pedestrians and riders plus the auto red light runners. This time of year it’s especially pleasent to be in the shade on a 90°F day.

[MCL1981]

This is why I use a bell. It can be heard from MUCH further away. It does not require understanding or translation. It is a universal sound that means bicycle approaching. I can ding it with enough distance that even if some confused soul pulls a Crazy Ivan, I will have more than enough distance to weave or dump the brakes.

In order for someone to hear and understand you saying “on your left”, you have to be too close to them for it to be worth it anyway. And when they don’t hear or understand you, they will just do exactly what happened today. You’re essentially sneaking up on them and speaking. Of course they turn around say “huh?”.

From the sounds of it, the cyclist was not acting recklessly and was in fact being responsible. It is just a terrible accident that probably could not have been prevented (other than using a bell instead). The speed of the cyclist could have been 10, 15, or 20 and the result would have been the same. You can not stop a bike going down a hill in that short amount of time and even a low speed hit is going to knock down a 70yr old woman.

[KLizotte]

Another example of why we should follow the Dutch example and segregate the bike trails from pedestrian trails and the streets. “Like with like” I say.

[Mark Blacknell]

@KLizotte 21889 wrote:

Another example of why we should follow the Dutch example and segregate the bike trails from pedestrian trails and the streets. “Like with like” I say.

And how will we manage that, in practical terms? Will there be a segregated bike path leading to every destination? If not, how do people on bikes get there?

[DismalScientist]

This is the one place you could do it. Make the W&OD bikes only and FMR pedestrians only.

[KLizotte]

@Mark Blacknell 21890 wrote:

And how will we manage that, in practical terms? Will there be a segregated bike path leading to every destination? If not, how do people on bikes get there?

Again, like they do in Denmark, the Netherlands, Munich, etc. Stripe the sidewalks to segregate traffic when required, take out curbside parking to create bike lanes, build trails, ban some streets to cars, change building codes to foster density, etc. In Denmark they have “bike highways” to facilitate commuters and high speed bike traffic. I’ve been to both places and never felt like I never had any place safe or convenient to walk (or bike).

This is a fantastic blog on the subject from a guy who actually lives in the Netherlands:

http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/

From the blog:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1183[/ATTACH]
Explaining why a 30 km/h street in Assen has a wide cycle-path next to it. This is not uncommon and arises where the cycle-route is more important than the driving route. [Note the pedestrian sidewalk next to the bike path – KL]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1184[/ATTACH]

[Mark Blacknell]

@KLizotte 21895 wrote:

Stripe the sidewalks to segregate traffic when required, take out curbside parking to create bike lanes, build trails, ban some streets to cars, change building codes to foster density, etc.

Perhaps I lack imagination, but I really can’t imagine a United States in which this is a politically viable solution.

Lets take a super bike-friendly jurisdiction and high bike traffic route as an example. The Clarendon and Wilson Boulevard pair in Arlington. A few miles of prime east-west corridor real estate. How would you segregate traffic along there, and what are the chances of that plan being adopted within the next 20 years?

(FWIW, I’ve been to (and lived in some of) the places you mention. I’ve also lived here for a good long while now.)

[mstone]

@KLizotte 21895 wrote:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1183[/ATTACH]
Explaining why a 30 km/h street in Assen has a wide cycle-path next to it. This is not uncommon and arises where the cycle-route is more important than the driving route. [Note the pedestrian sidewalk next to the bike path – KL]

I’m somewhat amused that they’re parked all over the sidewalk and the bike lane.

[KLizotte]

@Mark Blacknell 21896 wrote:

Perhaps I lack imagination, but I really can’t imagine a United States in which this is a politically viable solution.

Lets take a super bike-friendly jurisdiction and high bike traffic route as an example. The Clarendon and Wilson Boulevard pair in Arlington. A few miles of prime east-west corridor real estate. How would you segregate traffic along there, and what are the chances of that plan being adopted within the next 20 years?

(FWIW, I’ve been to (and lived in some of) the places you mention. I’ve also lived here for a good long while now.)

In my ideal world, I would remove on-street parking and put in a barrier separated bike lane for each road. Whether you keep one side of the road available to on-street parking depends on whether you want one or two lanes of through traffic. Even if I were not interested in promoting biking, as a transportation economist I am against on-street parking, in most instances, on economic grounds.

But anyway, your point seems to be that American citizens lack the willpower and desire to create this kind of bike friendly environment. I agree with you on that point. It’s sad since the technology exists and the infrastructure can be built in most places. Unfortunately I think a lack of support is due to ignorance of existing alternatives that are alive and well (but CaBi should help in this regard).

I used to work for Amtrak so I know how hard it is to turn the tide. Patience, patience… That said, Arlington is 10x better than most American cities and I’m thankful for that. Go Arlington!

[KLizotte]

@mstone 21899 wrote:

I’m somewhat amused that they’re parked all over the sidewalk and the bike lane.

True, not the best example of good behavior but it is because the pic is from a study group outing and they were stopping to listen to the lecturer.

[Author]

Posts