Last week I posted about the "War On Cars" and how there wasn't much of a battleground here in Spokane. Today, Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw had a guest post on Slog, offering a few steps to recovery.

Check it out:

War is about destruction and chaos. It’s an easy metaphor to use when we’re discussing transportation, but not a particularly productive one.  The transportation system in Seattle is pretty simple, really. We’re all trying to go from here to there, from point A to point B, without getting banged up, dented, or killed. 



After the recent spate of pedestrian and bicycle tragedies on our streets, it is time we all stop being jerks on the road, put down our middle fingers, and strive for peace.

Here are some actions we can collectively take to promote détente:

-Follow the Rule of “Soft over Hard”: Rule 1. Pedestrians have priority in the crosswalks, but pedestrians must stay on the sidewalk when the Don’t Walk signal is flashing. Rule 2. Bicyclists give way to pedestrians on sidewalks and obey the traffic rules. Rule 3. Drivers must remember that they aren’t the only ones on the roads.  Watch out for cyclists and pedestrians, and pay attention to the stop lights.  Pretty easy.

It's a great post. One of my favorite steps is "create a system:" Like Portland and Copenhagen, we can build a system that safely separates bikes and cars to and through our neighborhoods and downtown. This will provide safe and predictable places for “willing but wary” bicyclists like me to cycle. Providing designated lanes or cycle-tracks for bicycles provides predictability for bicyclists, reduces the number of drivers on our roads, and leaves space for those who must drive into and through downtown.

Read the full story HERE.

 

---

---