Ah yes, the sidewalk. Now there's a safe and efficient place to ride a bike. Pedestrians will really appreciate that too.

On the other hand, is it so unreasonable to expect drivers to check their mirrors before crossing a lane of traffic?

Yep. On the east side, on busy streets where there's lots of traffic and few pedestrians, the sidewalk is the place to be. North Interstate Avenue is a perfect example.

My close encounter with a right-turning pickup on Broadway during the Portland Century cured me of any interest in riding downtown. I had the driver's eye and the right-of-way and he turned in front of me anyway. The memory still induces tachycardia. My prayers are with the victim, family, and friends. Let's take care out there.

The sidewalk is legal and safe except in the downtown (including the Pearl) area. Of course, in the hierarchy of the vulnerable, cyclists on the sidewalk (our honorable blogmeister no doubt excepted) do put pedestrians in peril. It is a shame that cyclists and drivers exhibit so little judgment or skill and waste lives in this fashion. It's easy to see fault with both the driver and the cyclist -- but it is the cyclist who has the most compelling interest in protecting himself, whether or not he is in the right. By coincidence I got an e-mail from the Northwest Bicycle Safety Council this morning. Its mission is to make cyclists safer.

Is speed a factor in this case?

Photos here.

Having the right of way, and the moral high ground does not exempt you from the laws of physics.

Just because you are doing your part to save the world, does not mean that thousands of pounds of metal will not hurt when it hits you.

I speak from personal experience. A hit and run, to boot.

the road has a bikelane, which has the right of way over the vehicle turning right across the bike lane( traffic must yield to the cycling lane just as it were a car lane, they are both traffic lanes )

sidewalks are not acceptable places for bicycles, the road is the correct and legal spot for them.

the driver did not yield the right of way to the cyclist, and most likely did not take the time to check his mirrors properly.
when a car passes a cyclist, they should never assume, that once they pass them the bikes disappear, as they are most likely traveling at a similar pace as the car, especially on a hill.

cars need to be extra careful, as they are driving one tons weapons, and need to look for all people sharing the roads with them, be it cyclist or pedestrian.

but lets please not blame the victim.
the cyclist was hit by an inattentive driver who broke the law by not yielding the right of way.
if that truck had cut across a car lane and killed someone, i am sure no one would question that the truck driver was at fault.
"i did not see them" is not a justifiable excuse, and could be attributed to complacency and laziness.

try to be human and think about these things objectively.

"Having the right of way, and the moral high ground does not exempt you from the laws of physics.

Just because you are doing your part to save the world, does not mean that thousands of pounds of metal will not hurt when it hits you.

I speak from personal experience. A hit and run, to boot."

the same could be said about a stray bullet.
the person handling the gun would still be negligent.
would it be the victims fault for going outside?
is that moral high ground?

i have been hit by a car as well.
blaming the victim is idiotic.
people handling dangerous weapons need to be careful.

the road is the correct and legal spot for them.

Both are legal. The road is a death wish in many places in Portland.

Jack,

Last time this happened you didn’t have comments. That was the right decision. Next week, when the facts are clearer, let’s have a chat about it.

try to be human and think about these things objectively.

We don't write like that here. If you persist, we will continue the conversation without you.

Last time this happened you didn’t have comments. That was the right decision.

We don't do reviews here, either -- remember?

I believe the law is such that cyclists may use the sidewalk if they are moving at a speed that is comensurate with a walking pace.

If you use the sidewalk, you have to go slow, and sometimes pedestrians show up and you actually have to stop. I know stopping is a dirty word for many cyclists in Portland, but it's a great way to stay alive.

Bigger is better. It's also the law (see physics comment above).

Just this last week:

-Motorcycle hits deer....both died. (Hwy 20 East of Bend)

-Semi truck sideswipes another Semi truck, which then bounces into stopped motorhome, killing that passenger. (Shaniko)

-Various Bicycle related deaths (PDX)

Again, since bigger always wins (law of physics), it is better to be safe than dead. Let the vehicles turn right in front of your instead of over the top of you.

AS someone who has bicycled for 50 years and motorcycled for 40, I simply apply the common sense of who is bigger and who is manuverable.

In this case, the bicyclist was well behind the truck, so the truck had the right of way to turn. The truck driver misjudged the speed of the bicyclist.

The bicyclist was in the bike lane, going down that long steep hill. He misjudged how much the cement truck was going to slow down to make the turn.

So they were both right, and the bicylist gets crushed. Could he have swerved left around the truck? I don't know, I wasn't there. But skid marks from the bike indicate a lack of attention on his part to what was happening right in front of him.

Now, I'm not blaming the bicyclist. People make mistakes every day that are not fatal. These mistakes were fatal.

I drive my truck a lot for work, and I see drivers I wouldn't want to ride near, and I see bicyclists flout the traffic laws everywhere I go. It's a potentially deadly mix.

Just ride like everyone is out to kill you. That is what a wise man told me in my youth, and I apply that rule all the time.

And I think riding on the sidewalk is a lot more hazardous than the street. Too many variables.

Frankly, I'm surprised that more bicyclists aren't injured or killed, given the attitude that many of them pack.

I haven't seen an automobile consciously blow through a stop light or sign in ages. I see bicyclists do this on an exceedingly regular basis. Despite the disproportionate number of auto drivers, compared to bicyclists, I'm sure that a far greater proportion of bicyclists violate the rules of the road and engage in unsafe behavior than do auto drivers. I see it all the time on the designated bicycle path that runs past my house.

Riding on 39th Avenue, in the street, shows me that the bicyclist has no sense, yet I see it regularly. Riding on the sidewalk makes superlative sense in those kinds of circumstances. Riding on sidewalks downtown, which are often crowded with pedestrians, makes no sense when there is plenty of room in the street and traffic moves fairly slowly. Yes, it is legal, but requires that the bicyclist ride at walking speed past pedestrians and warn pedestrians they approach from behind with that legally required bell, or horn, that most of them don't have.

Just because there is a bicycle lane, does not mean that a motor vehicle which has passed a bicyclist and signalled their turn has to wait for the bicyclist to pass them. To consider the bicycle lane another full traffic lane seems...ridiculous; it would mean that every time a motor vehicle turns across a bicycle lane, they would be violating state traffic laws every time.

Maybe we ought to rethink the whole "share the road" strategy. A five inch strip of paint is not much protection against a big rig or cement mixer, and their blind spots are huge.

Add to that the invincibility of youth meme, and a sprinkling of moral authority, and you get the formula m + v = db.

Mass + velocity = dead bikers.

I haven't seen an automobile consciously blow through a stop light or sign in ages.

To make that statement truthfully, you'd have to be confined indoors or remarkably inattentive. Beyond that, brushing up on the law is usually a good practice before pontificating about it.

Here's a thoughtful piece on the mix of traffic and the level of skill and judgment used in driving where we live.

Having been told by Portland Police to "get off that sidewalk" while cycling (in SE and downtown), I've stuck to the road. I'm waiting to get hit (again) ...

Police don't care about cyclists, they just like to harass them (in my experience). I've seen too many stupid drivers do criminally dangerous things and endanger cyclists in full view of the police with no response to have any faith in the police enforcing traffic laws to protect cyclists. I understand they have better things to do (tri-met based robbery and meth, for example), but that's why drivers don't look ... no penalties for them. "Investigation progressing" for the killer driving the truck ... but, if this has been a two-car accident, it'd be done and done and the citation would already have been issued.

This whole situation is incredibly frustrating. OR traffic&bike laws are based on the twin premises of (1) bikes to the right (getting them out of the way of traffic), and (2) drivers checking the right for bikes (keeping bikes safely on the right). Seems like whenever the cyclists uphold their part of this bargain, they get killed. Next time I ride center-lane and get an irate motorist on my rear, I'm going to accept that as the price of them being at least AWARE that I'm also a road-user.

And, if you're behind me, "sorry." But, I can't trust you [generic driver] to uphold your side of the bargain when I ride right.

PS - And bikers blowing 4-ways with no traffic isn't an excuse for cutting them off or driving over them.

My experience over 10 years of steady bike commuting is that the vast majority of Portland drivers are very courteous and conscientious. In fact, the situation I most often run into is a driver who has the right of way stopping for me at an intersection, while I stop and wait for the driver to go and it becomes and Alphonse and Gaston routine.

Nevertheless, I've considered getting a concealed carry permit and a nifty little pistol I can carry in that velcroed pocket of my shoulder bag. Just for the jerks who cut me off on right turns without even looking, too engrossed in their cell phone conversation.

Oh, not really. Just a little fantasy.

As for sidewalks vs streets, the stats say stay on the streets most of the time. The main reason is that about every 200 feet on a sidewalk, you have to enter the street and the motorist may not see you. When you are on the street, and riding properly at the right side of the right lane, drivers can see you and they expect you there. There are busy and fast strets, like 39th, Powell and MLK, where you have to ride on the sidewalk.

Finally, about rear view mirrors. I had an old 3/4 ton pickup for towing a trailer and it had wide mirrors and embedded in them were rounded mirrors that gave you a wide angle look at what was behind and to the side of the truck. So they can install mirrors that allow the truck drivers to see bicycles on their right. As it is now, that driver and the garbage company is looking at a major lawsuit by the family of the deceased.

No one should by cycling on 39th--41st is right there and is the bike boulevard.

But I'd never stay on the sidewalks on 39th. Death trap. Tight driveways, blind exits and entrances, uneven pavement.

And if you think a car might not see you if you're on the street, try the sidewalk.

as a pedestrian my entire life, i'm tired of bicycles on sidewalks, particularly given that this narrow strip of cement is about the last place in an urban environment humans have to walk unmolested by fast-traveling vehicles of all kinds.

know what i'd like to see? more walking rights. i've seen pedestrians on sidewalks hit/grazed by bicyclists four times in the past two weeks, one seriously.

and, has anybody noticed that many accidents involving motorized vehicles and bikes involved bikes sitting in the blind spot of a truck?

when i took my driver's test, i was required to know the concept of a "blind spot". isn't this equally (or more) important for a bicyclist?

Seeing where the bike hit the tires, the truck was just about finished with his turn. If the rider were under the front tires, I would think there might be some exposure for the truck driver. It seems to me the cyclist was at fault. When I ride my bike I assume no one sees me unless they give me a nod.

Having been told by Portland Police to "get off that sidewalk" while cycling (in SE and downtown), I've stuck to the road. I'm waiting to get hit (again) ...

Downtown, the cops are correct. In Southeast, they are not.

If it's Officer Humphreys, do as he says anyway.

If Portland really wants to become a platinum bike city, it had better start raising awareness among motorists about the rules and responsibilities regarding bikes.

That means cops. And probably tickets.

"Nevertheless, I've considered getting a concealed carry permit and a nifty little pistol I can carry in that velcroed pocket of my shoulder bag."
------

Don't let it be a fantasy, I like this idea. It neutralizes the law of physics. Just make sure you can pull it out in time to shoot the tires out before they roll over you. And make sure you have a large caliber...no wimpy 9mms for this job, better a 45. Better yet, go for a long barrel sawed-off. Maybe you can disguise it as a bike pump, and hang it under your bike frame?

Downtown, the cops are correct. In Southeast, they are not.

Technically incorrect ... still going to listen to 'em.

In the same vein as the numerous comments that its the cyclists' fault for messing with the larger vehicle, I humbly submit I'm not going to argue legalities with an officer (they have handcuffs, a taser, and a side-arm). Better to avoid confrontation, IMO.

Plus, there's the added danger of pedestrians, drive-ways, intersections and curbs (my road bike just ain't designed for the handicap unfriendly 4-6 inch curbs).

As I say, I do sidewalks only when I find myself on streets like Powell or Fremont, where you don't want to be on the road at all. And really, there's seldom any reason to be on those streets for any distance. Bikers should take the side streets whenever possible. If that's not fast and convenient enough for them, they need to buy a car.

One person's terror is another's thrill. I've logged well over 30,000 miles on Portland streets, in every corner, and almost always through the center of the city to wherever I'm traveling from my home in SW, usually at maximum speed. The rhythm of traffic feels like surfing did to me when I frequented southern California beaches as a kid. At the corner of 14th/Burnside, where Tracey Sparling, God bless her, was killed, I stop up the bike path several car lengths and drop into traffic to proceed north when the light turns green. I anticipate every right turn, similarly, by moving into traffic behind the vehicle in front of me, and like Dennis Dixon handles the Oregon option attack, I make my call on the spot: I drop back into the bike lane, like it's a wave, if the car goes straight, and around it, if it turns. Signaling mean nothing to me; drivers are unreliable. I don't feel at all unsafe in the thickest of traffic, which makes all the difference. I feel like part of the ebb and flow.

Lots of excellent points made in this post. Happy to see quite a few from you Jack :)

I've rode motorcycles for 7 years now. I know they're not the same, but motorcyclists have the same problem with drivers not seeing them. My Team Oregon instructor told me something that I'll never forget, which applies to everyone on two wheels:

"There are old riders, and there are bold riders; which one are you?"

If it's Officer Humphreys, do as he says anyway.

As sick as it sounds, that actually got a laugh out of me. Good, thought-provoking, and terribly sad thread, this. I've had friends who were run down and killed on bikes, and I've narrowly avoided running our scofflaw cyclists down on Portland's streets, myself.

And just because the jab at Untersturmführer Humphreys is funny, does not mean that I won't be all "yes sir" "no sir" with that guy, should he ever darken my path. Yep.

I Drive A semi For a living There are several blind spots In the Mirrors . That being said I see on occasion Some really stupid people out there and for some reason they are in the I consider myself in the"Elite" Crowd. It is mostly BMW,Lexus,Mercedes and bicycles that cut you off. My Truck weighs between 96,000 to 104,000 pounds on a normal basis and is not easy to stop. I have Over 750,000 miles without an accident for this company and over 750,000 miles without an accident with the last company. If The Elites would learn to share maybe we wouldn't have all these Accidents .

My Truck weighs between 96,000 to 104,000 pounds on a normal basis and is not easy to stop.

A road bike under the rear wheels (along with the rider) seems to help.

the road has a bikelane, which has the right of way over the vehicle turning right across the bike lane( traffic must yield to the cycling lane just as it were a car lane, they are both traffic lanes )

Thats the problem right there. Physics dicates that the bike rider should yield.
Please show me one place where a car can legally make a right turn from the left lane. There isnt one, because its dangerous and stupid.

I Drive A semi For a living There are several blind spots In the Mirrors .

Thats why every time a truck comes up on my left on the freeway I speed up or slow down to get out of the way. (Although trucks should never be on your left, as they are supposed to stay in the far right lane by law, right?)

Signaling mean nothing to me; drivers are unreliable. I don't feel at all unsafe in the thickest of traffic, which makes all the difference.

Good point.
Maybe if bike riders want to ride in traffic they should take the same skill test motorcycle riders have to take to get a license. They might learn something about riding in traffic that keeps them alive.

Just think of it as evolution in action. Smart cyclists live, stupid ones die. Cyclist are not morally superior to anyone and they need to pull their heads out.

I think biking is great, and I do it for pleasure around my neighborhood and occasionally into downtown. However, I have been hit and nearly taken down a number of times (walking) downtown by the bike messengers who DO blow through those red lights. The last time I was nearly in the middle of the street crossing on the green when a woman behind me pulled my jacket back. I didn't even see the guy coming (very fast) and had he hit me, it would have done some serious damage to us both.

I have been hit and nearly taken down a number of times (walking) downtown by the bike messengers who DO blow through those red lights.

They do that to me almost every day...on the sidewalks. They are always using the sidewalks to go the wrong way on one-way streets. (Although I do see them riding on the street the wrong way a lot too.)

I don't mind the Lance-Armstrongers who like to commute in skin tight shorts and ignore the bike routes in favor of zipping down Hawthorne to downtown.

I don't mind the 35-year-old mouthbreathers on a BMX bike, peddling with their knees above their heads, riding on the sidewalk and cheerfully ignoring all traffic signals.

I don't mind slowing to 18MPH in a 35 to accommodate a biker.

However, slowing to 18 in a 55, or the mouthbreather on Burnside at 5:15pm going uphill on a BMX, or the Lance-Armstonger that zips in and out of the traffic lane, parking lane and sidewalk in a perfect display of Brownian motion, or the fool in a black hoodie biking down 39th in the shadows of the trees at 8:30pm w/o reflectors or lights--- these are all regular aggravations.

We need more enforcement. This will prevent the 1-2% of idiots from poisoning the rep of all bikers. Also more enforcement on the driver's side when they hit a bike in a bike lane or against the right-of-way. This should be the same as hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk, no questions asked just cite the driver.

"My Truck weighs between 96,000 to 104,000 pounds on a normal basis and is not easy to stop.

A road bike under the rear wheels (along with the rider) seems to help.
"

Come on man, that was in really bad taste on multiple levels.

This should be the same as hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk, no questions asked just cite the driver.

Do they cite a bike rider when he/she runs a light and hits a car or pedestrian? I have seen it happen downtown. Once with a pedestrian, twice with a car.

I don't mind slowing to 18MPH in a 35 to accommodate a biker.

I do...it causes more congestion.

What if a bicyclist riding in bike lane upon seeing a vehicle ahead signaling a right turn just stopped until the turn was made? That would seem to make it a little safer.

"Do they cite a bike rider when he/she runs a light and hits a car or pedestrian? I have seen it happen downtown. Once with a pedestrian, twice with a car."

Yes, bicycle riders do get issued tickets. The next time a truck is hit by a bicycle and the truck driver is killed in Portland, it will probably be in the news.

bicyclists hit and kill (and injure) pedestrians all over the country. a cursory glance at Google provided examples.

blaming auto drivers for the perils of bike riding is a red herring, too. about as many bike accidents occur due to bicyclist error as to driver error:

http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/matrix/list.cfm

the problem is manifold. roads in the US are built for cars, period. bike lanes are a band-aid effort. speed variation amongst vehicles is a critical factor. both bicyclists and drivers can be lazy, make mistakes, break the rules.

drivers going the speed limit can't always see bikers darting in and out of traffic or hugging the parking lane. bicyclists often hug the parking lane--effectively taking up the entire lane when traffic is busy--or they pass on the right, which is dangerous and illegal. a bike going uphill can go 5-10mph, perhaps, while the speed limit might be 25-30.

who is the speed limit for?

a possible solution? start by changing the entire paradigm. require equivalent licenses for all vehicles sharing roadways. require "driver's ed" and testing for bicyclists. require retesting every few years for *all* drivers. reduce speed limits.

and so on. regardless of how good or thoughtful a driver the truck operator in both deaths was, they cannot see in the blind spot. the bicyclists in both cases were in the blind spot, acting as if the driver could see them. they could not.

as sad as it is, maybe both auto drivers and bicyclists will be extra cautious. for now, at least.

I’ve seen many bizarre statements on this blog but: “I haven't seen an automobile consciously blow through a stop light or sign in ages” is a new high. On the other hand “just ride like everyone is out to kill you” is one of the wisest statements I’ve read. That’s how I ride and how I drive. That’s also why I own Volvos, even though they suck on maintenance.

For those of you who instantly blamed the biker this wee factoid may be of interest: “the driver had a string of run-ins with police, including 25 convictions for speeding, driving without a license and other traffic violations.”

The thing that frosts me is the response of the police traffic enforcement officer. He wants the law changed. I thought the police were supposed to enforce the laws and the legislature was supposed to write them. In both cases the truck drivers broke the law because the failed to yeild to a bicycle in the bike lane. They should be cited. PERIOD! The reason they failed to yeild is something for them to explain to the judge. The police should not be arguing the law in the press, while also not citing drivers for deadly infractions like these because it sends the message to the rest of the driving public that it is ok to kill cyclists in this fashion. "You won't get cited because we, the police, think the law's wrong and should be changed." Imagine if we were talking about a statutory rape and the chief enforcement officer for the rape unit said he or she thought the age of consent should be 14, so he's not going to cite the perpetrator. Everyone would be outraged. I have sympathy for the drivers as well, but they get to wake up tomorrow.

As a driver, bicyclist and walker I can understand the point of view from all three sides. However, the fact is when you are to the right of a very large, motorized, vehicle and you do know what the term "blind spot" means wouldn't that trigger something in your brain to say wait and see what the very big behemoth to your left is about to do at a stop?

As a pedestrian, even with a sidewalk and the sign encouraging me to walk, I never step off the sidewalk until I know for sure that I'm not about to become a people pizza if I do. The same applies when bicycling and using the bike lane or even on the freeway with my little car next to a big truck.

To be blunt - I'd rather be cautious and alive then making sure I was within my rights and dead.