Comments for Seattle Bike Blog

Comment on Taiwanese Association offers $6K reward for information about hit-and-run that killed Wang by JAT

JAT — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:21:47 +0000

Okay, a little thought experiment: if ten months ago when this case was fresh (and fairly well publicized) someone came into some information that might lead to the arrest of the driver, for instance a passenger, a guy who runs an underground body shop out of his garage, a best friend… Is $6,000 going to be enough to rat your boy out? And how long after that does the sheriff call you up about conspiracy and aiding and abetting charges?

Comment on Bike to “The Kid with a Bike” at SIFF Cinema and save $$ by mm

mm — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:50:29 +0000

gosh, thanks, sb!

if you see an ashkenazi guy with long dreds on a bronze brompton, that’s me, say hi!

my couchsurfing host recommended the belmont route, so i’ll give it a shot on my way to the gala tomorrow + check the timing! i remember last year taking denny down, riding my breaks (on a much jankier bike), and thinking “piece of cake” (it was rush hour so the cars were all gridlocked… suckers!)… but it was only when i tried to just “follow the space needle” that i ran into the trouble with aurora.

if you go down denny, after the hill, do you just “take the lane”? riding the sidewalk is probably inappropriate, but shoulder/door-lane is probably unsafe. how do seattle motorists respond to “full use of right lane”? I believe it’s legal in WA, right? But where I live (tri-cities), the motorists sure get mad at me.

i just reviewed my wishful-thinking film schedule; the close calls are going to be:
–18 min from Egyptian to Uptown (Daas >> Tey, 5/18)
(this is the big test, really; if I miss Tey, then I can do Trishna which starts 30 min later)
– 16 min from Uptown to Egyptian (Goodbye >> Rose, 5/20) (this is a bit iffy… i might have say bye to “goodbye” and leave early!)
– 16 minutes from Pacific Place to Harvard Exit (Starry Starry Night >> Mosquita y Mari, 5/20)
– 29 minutes from Harvard Exit to Uptown (Mosquita y Mari >> Breathing, 5/20) (*really don’t want to be late for this one, but that’s probably enough time!)

my host suggested to just barrel up Denny when going from Uptown to either the Harvard Exit or Egyptian… do you agree? we’ll see…

i do enjoy the thrill of rushing, SIFF is an adventure to begin with!!

Comment on What do you think of Seattle Center’s bike parking squid? by More miles than I bargained for (twice) « Family Ride

More miles than I bargained for (twice) « Family Ride — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:08:31 +0000

[...] for the Menstrual Monday ride. I was running late, but I had to pause and take a shot of the new parking squid. It’s on the east side of the Seattle Center, by the big film strips. I wouldn’t [...]

Comment on Bike to “The Kid with a Bike” at SIFF Cinema and save $$ by sb

sb — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:30:01 +0000

Some of my best SIFF memories involve leaving a movie at the Harvard Exit, hopping on my bike, and then heading towards SIFF Cinema (back when it was still in McCaw Hall), with not a lot of minutes to spare between showings. I took the fast but I suppose slightly more dangerous route of just bombing down Denny and then making a right on 5th to near Mercer. I would lock up right in front of the entrance and it all worked smoothly. It actually seemed faster than when I biked from between Pacific Place and SIFF Cinema.

I suppose I would take a similar route to the Uptown or SIFF Center, although turning at 1st (instead of 5th). And I don’t know how stable the foldy bike is you have – I was always a bit nervous heading down Denny.

And I don’t think I ever did the Belmont/Eastlake/Republican route via SIFF, but I suppose that uses the intersection you asked about.

Can’t help you with the Mercer/Aurora question as I tend to avoid that intersection. There is definitely Mercer construction, but I don’t follow all the details. I sometimes head up 9th and cross Mercer and slightly deal with some construction, but it’s not too bad.

Comment on Tacoma and Snohomish named Bicycle Friendly Communities, Port Townsend moves up list by merlin

merlin — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:21:21 +0000

Good point, Al. If it were the International League of Bicyclists, we would be getting a smiley-face for effort.

Comment on Bike to “The Kid with a Bike” at SIFF Cinema and save $$ by mm

mm — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:47:33 +0000

i’m coming from out of town for SIFF, i brought my foldy bike last year to zip between theaters, but didn’t need to trek to lower queen anne. if i’m switching from harvard exit to the uptown or SIFF center, is it really going to be fastest to go thru downtown? and what’s the up-to-date status on trying to cross aurora near mercer? i remember it was scary-but-doable last year, but elsewhere on this blog i read that it’s under construction!

Comment on Tacoma and Snohomish named Bicycle Friendly Communities, Port Townsend moves up list by Al Dimond

Al Dimond — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:43:54 +0000

Well, it is the American League of Bicyclists. Our level of competition is sadly low.

Comment on County repaving section of Burke-Gilman Trail near Log Boom Park by Scooter McScooter

Scooter McScooter — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:46:00 +0000

While this improvement is welcome, it doesn’t really begin to address the condition of the rest of the Gilman Trail, as well as the Sammamish River Trail. Both have root bumps that can crash you out if you’re not paying attention, and I’ve seen many users take dangerous detours into “my” side of the trail to take the cleaner lines. I use both of these trails as a last resort – better pavement to be had on surface streets, and I think it’s just as safe if you ride predictably.

Comment on Bike News Roundup: How a Bicycle Is Made by Mike H

Mike H — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:31:03 +0000

I’m probably not alone in this but I’ve seen quite a few vehicles use that buffered lane, intentional or not, since it was installed. At first it bothered me tremendously but now with the degraded paint, it looks like an extra lane and I can’t fault them. That being said, I would like to see SDOT remove the right turn lanes and instead install curb bulbs at the intersections. This would provide the driver with the visual cue that the right most pavement area is for parking and the area next to it is for bikes. It’s a pricier solution than paint but I think from the recent experience, it is the best option.

Comment on Bike News Roundup: How a Bicycle Is Made by Al Dimond

Al Dimond — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:34 +0000

The article on why there’s “no war” between cars and bikes in the Netherlands focuses entirely on education, and education is important. But it doesn’t mention that the Netherlands did have such a war. After the post-WWII freeway-building boom major roads did serious damage to walking and biking. Then the country made a conscious decision to focus on making biking safe again. It removed many urban roads and limited auto access to many places in order to do so. It’s not that they don’t need a war because their people are so well-educated on safety. They don’t need a war because they already fought it and won.

In the US, like the Netherlands, the war was started by the car as it took over streets and built towering new ones, destroying neighborhoods and dooming new ones to auto-dependence. The Netherlands fought back sooner. Education is one thing, but it’s not the only thing. I’m surely as well educated on safe cycling (and driving, for that matter) as your average Dutch citizen. And that doesn’t make me a whit less convinced that we need to do all the other stuff they did, too. Which is largely the stuff that the Seattle Times interprets as a war.