Seattle DOT suddenly okay with bicyclists riding in dangerous parking lots

It seems rather remarkable that the Seattle Department of Transportation wants bicyclists to ride their bikes in busy parking lots given that would seem to be rather dangerous.

It’s even more remarkable that they hold this position for a parking lot that will be directly adjacent a $3.6 million dollar protected bike lane.

It’s yet even more remarkable (and almost unbelievable) that they hold this position even though one of the main reasons behind the multi-million dollar protected lane was to give bicyclists a safe spot to ride their bikes so that they wouldn’t have to ride in a busy, dangerous parking lot.

Yet, it is the position of SDOT that bicyclists may continue to ride in a busy and dangerous parking lot, should they chose to safely do so.

As I explained here, SDOT is moving forward with a redundant protected bike lane project that will kill parking spots in an already busy lot.

They stated that one of the main reasons for this project was safety; to “create a safer, more comfortable place for drivers, walkers and bicyclists.” They said there was “no dedicated space for bicycles” on the stretch and even provided photos of dangerous-look scenarios of bicyclists almost coming into contact with cars in the parking lot, like this one courtesy of SDOT.

And everyone seems to acknowledge this was driven by safety.

Thomas Goldstein, government affairs and policy director of the Cascade Bicycle Club, was in favor of the protected bike lane because, as the Seattle Times describes his comments, it “would prevent cyclists from having to choose whether to ride on the sidewalk, through a parking lot or in the street.”

In a positive editorial for the project, the Seattle Times wrote, “The city’s interest is clear: In exchange for parking, it gains a safer waterfront biking route for commuters, recreational riders and tourists.”

If they created this project to ensure bicyclists can avoid the busy and dangerous parking lot, why not support a ban on riding bicycles in the parking lot? They’ve acknowledged it’s dangerous and can be deadly. They pushed this project through because of how dangerous riding a bike in a parking lot is? Not only is SDOT refusing to condemn the dangerous act, their traffic engineer seems to endorse the act if you’re willing to do it safely.

Related: Oppose Seattle transportation plans? You want people dead

I specifically asked whether SDOT has a position on an idea posed by an activist fighting the plan’s implementation to impose or support a rule that prohibits bicyclists from riding through the parking lot. I asked for their thoughts on the idea and whether or not SDOT believes it’s safe to ride through parking lots. They ignored both questions and provided me a more revealing and shocking statement from Dongho Chang, the city’s traffic engineer:

Everyone using the public right of way must follow the rules of the road and travel with care. Bicycle riders are permitted to ride in the public traveled way, which includes city street and parking areas. Although Westlake cycletrack will provide a more comfortable path for people of all ages and abilities, some people may feel more comfortable riding in street or in the parking area. We want everyone using the parking area, whether they are driving, on a motorcycle, or riding a bicycle, to look out for people walking and for each other.

More people feel comfortable riding in a busy and dangerous parking lot; so dangerous, you used that fear to push through a $3.6 million dollar project? People feel more comfortable riding without a helmet but we’re not getting rid of the helmet law.

Was this really about safety or was this about pushing your bicycle hobby on everyone? Was this about safety or spending millions of tax payer dollars on infrastructure for you and your fellow 3.1% of bicycle commuters to use, as the expense of drivers, buses and pedestrians?

SDOT disingenuously pushed this as a project about safety – meeting their Vision Zero pledge to end accidents between cars and pedestrians. But now they say they “want everyone using the parking area” including bicyclists, so long as they do so safely. What a joke.