Seattle is looking at ways to make bike lanes safer, specifically how to avoid right hooks.
"Right-hook" collisions, as riders call them, are among the most common risks of urban cycling. A bike enters an intersection going straight and gets hit by a right-turning car
In response to right-hook crashes, cities are trying to move bicyclists away from the curb at busy crossings
And they're trying a few different strategies. Dotted lines like we have here:
The federal government's street-design manual encourages cities to replace a solid bike-lane stripe with a dotted line where bikes and cars are likely to cross paths. A dotted line warns cyclists that cars will be turning right, and it invites cyclists to move left into general traffic, said Rich Meredith, city traffic engineer in Shoreline.
Seattle is gingerly trying out new designs to see if they reduce conflicts between bicyclists and motorists turning at intersections.
Last year, parts of Stone Way North were repainted with new bike lanes that include dotted lines at several crossings.
Warning signs for drivers
At each end of the Fremont Bridge, road signs tell car drivers to yield to bikes -- southbound motorists turning right toward Seattle Pacific University will wait for the bicyclists pedaling straight, toward the Dexter Avenue North bike route. On a recent morning, many drivers were looking over their shoulders toward the bike lane, before making the turn.
and painted lanes like in New York (and Peoria too)
This spring, Seattle will paint green bicycle lanes at four busy intersections
Portland has used blue-colored bike lanes since the 1990s and is adding 13 similar lanes this year, to be painted green. City officials videotaped traffic and found that motorists yielded far more often to bikes in marked blue lanes -- and that cyclists glanced at cars less often, a problem.
The article gives some standard advice
Be visible. State law requires a headlight and rear reflector after dark, but riders should add a solid or blinking rear light. Wear bright or reflective clothes and reflective leg bands. A flag is good for short or recumbent cycles.
Use a rearview mirror. It can be mounted on a helmet or handlebar. It will be easier to gauge whether you can move out into the roadway, and whether approaching drivers are likely to pass you at a safe distance.
Avoid blind spots. Bicyclists on sidewalks, or who pass cars on the right, become virtually invisible to drivers.
Be predictable. Stake out a clear position. Don't weave frequently between the main roadway and the curb.
Use residential streets that run parallel to traffic-heavy corridors.
"Take the lane" when it's safer than being squeezed to the right, especially riding downhill.
Educate yourself. Two good online articles are "How to Not Get Hit by Cars" at bicyclesafe.com, and "Avoid the Suicide Slot" on Kent's Bike Blog.
Boston meanwhile is adding bike lanes
One aim of the city’s 6-month-old Boston Bikes program has been to incorporate bicycle lanes, similar to those along Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, into the Boston infrastructure.
All of this would help if drivers respected the bike lane more.
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