WCCO now has a story on the cyclist death on Summit. The woman’s husband is looking for better striping for the bike lane at the point his wife died:
Bowar’s concern is that the bike lane his wife was riding in ends abruptly, right in front of the frontage road. He said it doesn’t resume for another 30 yards down the street. Bowar would like to see some kind of indication that the bike lane continues, for both the safety of bikers and motorists.
This is certainly a reasonable request, although it is an imperfect approach to a wretched event. Fundamentally, whether striped or not, bicycles are traffic. Per Minnesota statute, bicycles are welcome on almost all roads, whether striped with bicycle lanes or not. In my opinion, the striping often gives some cyclists a false sense of security. They can also promote a notion in motorist minds that cyclists belong only in lanes, and not on all streets.
Mr. Bower also recognizes the root cause of the tragedy, however:
…he also thinks his wife’s death could have been prevented if the driver had given Heuer his full attention.
Greater intentional design – creating streets designed for use by pedestrians, transit, cyclists, and autos – coupled with education are essential components of a long-term strategy for urban livability and sustainability.
