posted 07/27/10 03:31 PM | updated 07/27/10 05:29 PM
Views: 1636 | Comments : 10 | News, etc.

Bike boxes coming to two Capitol Hill intersections

By jseattle
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The Seattle PI has a report from a briefing at this morning's City Council transportation committee meeting where the locations for the city's newest bike-friendly addition to the roadscape were announced:


Bike Box Originally uploaded by itdp

Bike boxes are painted behind crosswalks at signalized intersections. They're about 12 to 14 feet wide and sit in front of traffic, giving bicyclists a place pull in front of vehicles while waiting for the light. Since cars must wait behind cyclists, it increases the cyclist's visibility and reduces the risk of the driver hooking right and striking them.

 To start, SDOT will install bike boxes in the International District at Seventh Avenue South and Dearborn Street; and on Capitol Hill at East Pine Street and 12th AvenueSouth (sic) and East Pine Street and 12th AvenueEast Madison Street where it meets 12th Avenue and East Madison Street where it meets 12th Avenue and Union Street, according to Charles Bookman SDOT's director of traffic management.

There's no such thing as an intersection of E Pine and 12th Ave South so we're assuming they mean the intersection that the East Precinct and the state liquor store call home.

Add the planned bicycle features on Broadway, and our growing number of on-street bike parking stalls and you have the makings for a nice place for a ride.

UPDATE: Added a new and improved illustration of a bike box from flickr and left the original one from SDOT materials on the post (in shame).

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visibility
Nice! Bike visibility is key, and the few times I've encountered these lanes they seemed to function reasonably well. (I was hit by a car that was 'hooking right' when I was teenager so I live in fear of these situations.)

In other good just-off-the-hill bike news, the sharrows that were recently put down on Jefferson (b/w 19th and Harborview) were moved over several feet. When they were first painted, the sharrows were placed so close to the parking line (sometimes even touching) that they were begging for bike/door collisions. Miraculously on Monday they had been moved further out in the street. Thanks SDOT!
Comment by final answer
July 27, 2010
that's not bike box
this is
Comment by wes kirkman
July 27, 2010
RE: that's not bike box
agreed, it's shittiest illustration of the concept but only one I found from seattle.gov in first digging. Will update. and then your comment will just be confusing!
Comment by jseattle
July 27, 2010
RE: that's not bike box
Hah, only slightly confusing. Thanks Justin.
Comment by wes kirkman
August 02, 2010
Directionals? What directionals?
This is nothing new as far as getting directionals wrong. People are under the impression that there's nothing except Broadway East. Everyday Music was advertising for a while that the new location for them was on 10th Avenue East!
Comment by weekilter
July 27, 2010
you go
You go SDOT!
Comment by ptissell
July 27, 2010
Watch out Pine commuters
I was recently pulled over on 8th and Pine at 8:30 in the morning by the infamous Officer Mulkey for not wearing a helmet. The previous morning I saw Officer Mulkey pulling over two commuters in the same spot around the same time. I saw him again patrolling 8th yesterday. He sits and hides on 7th and 8th in between Pike and Pine pulling over the morning commuters coming down Pine all morning long. I wish Mulkey would do something more constructive with his time besides pulling over TAX PAYING citizens on the way to work who pay these officer's salaries. Here's an idea...serve and protect your citizens instead of reducing them to dollar signs. More specifically he could move a little further down the street to 2nd and Pine and help prevent real criminal activity. Instead he chooses to waste our taxpayer money and time as a glorified meter maid. I think Mulkey needs to grow a pair and focus on criminal activity instead of civil infractions and bothering us! Please spread the word...

ps. This is not a post debating whether or not you should wear a helmet, just a warning to those who don't and ride down Pine in the AM.
Comment by RidinPine
July 28, 2010
RE: Watch out Pine commuters
in theory natural selection would take care of people who aren't intelligent enough to wear helmets, right? so why bother writing tickets to them and putting that money back into the city and funding things like road repair :)
Comment by V
July 28, 2010
RE: Watch out Pine commuters
I just received my FIFTH ticket from officer Mulkey. I agree on both things: Yes, I probably should be wearing a helmet. However, I'm over 18 and I'm not hurting ANYBODY ELSE. And, I also agree that our tax dollars should be spent on preventing crime that inflicts harm on others. The funny thing is after all these tickets & all the arguments I've had with Mulkey, he never remembers me.
Comment by Bike Frustration
September 17, 2010
Google Map: Please list where and when you were pulled over. Help people avoid tickets!
This map locates and describes where Seattle bicycle riders have been pulled over and issued tickets. Please add your own information and help us establish any patterns we can. Time, date, location and Police officer's name are all helpful.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=1041
Comment by tomagotchi
July 29, 2010