Solar-powered Stop Signs
The intersection of the Burke-Gilman Trail and Pend Oreille Road on the UW campus has always been a Through-the-Looking-Glass transit node: despite the stop sign for bikers and pedestrians, and the right-of-way for cars, what happens is the opposite. Bikers often whiz across the heavily-trafficked road to the UW, while cars (if not always Metro Busses) often slow down to a near stop in order to make sure they don’t commit vehicular homicide.
Sometime in the last few months, the situation improved a bit with the installation of new, grab-your-attention stop and “Stop Ahead” signs on the Trail. These signs, which I haven’t seen anywhere else in Seattle yet, feature blinking high-intensity LEDs on their circumference, which shine 24 hours a day to warn trail travelers to stop at the intersection.
Powering this technology is a small solar cell attached to each sign. Apparently LEDs’ low power usage makes this setup workable, even in Seattle and even under the partial shade of the trees above. I don’t know if any big accident caused this new setup to be installed, or if it’s had any effect on traffic patterns one way or the other. For those of you who do bike the Burke-Gilman, what do you usually do: come to a stop or slow down, or speed through this intersection if it looks like it’s clear?
Speed through if it looks clear. Sorry, I know I shouldn’t, but it takes a lot of work to slow down from 20MPH and then get back up to that speed again. I’d rather see a traffic light for trail travelers and a traffic light for caged traffic… I’d be happy to stop for a real traffic light if it meant I get a green to whiz through once in a while.
From this biker’s perspective it’s better if the cars just blast through, because then I know what to expect and can adjust my trajectory and braking accordingly. I don’t mind slowing down and manuvering around the back of a crossing car, but it’s that full-stop “you go–no you go–no, I’m not going when you’re creeping forward like that” dance that is frustrating.
It’s assholes like V and Manuel that give bicyclists a bad rap. You are on a goddamn vehicle, behave like it morons! It’s jackasses like these two that have pretty much made me hate just about every bicyclist I see and not feel very bad when I read about an accident because I figure it was most likely their own damn fault. Follow the rules of the goddamn road or get off of it!
Tony B’s commenting style is a tad inflammatory, but he’s got a bit of a point about bicyclists and the law. I’m a cager and a motorcyclist, and often being a two-wheeled vehicle, am VERY aware of safety and law on the road. Auto drivers are bad enough flouters of safety, but many, many cyclists are either ignorant of the law or simply can’t be bothered (as V says he often is)
Whoa, I had no idea this was a touchy subject. For what it’s worth, I do see cyclists speed through quite often, and as a “cager” (do convertibles count?) I always slow to a rolling stop on Pend Oreille because, regardless of right-of-way, I don’t want to hit anybody. I wonder if installing speed bumps on Pend Oreille on both sides of the Trail would encourage drivers to slow down at that intersection?
How about a 4-way stop? Or a traffic light? Overpass? Or, even better, how about enforcing the existing traffic controls and laws currently in place?
Also, I doubt that it would be considered vehicular homicide (which requires negligence or recklessness). Regardless, I believe that the signs are a good idea.