Injured Cyclists Team Up to Fund Fix for Heavy Accident Area

An accident-prone section of bike path in Seattle has prompted dozens of lawsuits and resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to injured cyclists. Now the cyclists themselves are trying to fix the infrastructural problem.

1 minute read

July 2, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


A group of seven cyclists who have won rewards are pooling some money to pay a traffic engineer to address the problem.

"[A] bicyclist falls there daily. That's the estimate of Cliff Valentine, of AMC Cliffv's Marine Service, whose office looks out on the tracks. Bike wrecks are so constant he keeps a first-aid kit at his front door.

Most of the falls are minor. But lawyers suing the city found that 66 times in the past decade the injuries were bad enough to call out the Fire Department.

Still, the city hasn't done much beyond striping the pavement to encourage cyclists to cross the tracks at a right angle (the roadway meets them at a 20-degree angle.)"

Thursday, June 30, 2011 in The Seattle Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Canadian flag in foreground with blurred Canadian Parliament building in background in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Has President Trump Met His Match?

Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

March 11, 2025 - Toronto Star

Light rail train passing under apartments in Pasadena, California

California Bill Aims to Boost TOD

A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.

3 hours ago - Streetsblog California

People walking at Pike Place Market, Seattle.

Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free

According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.

3 hours ago - Seattle Bike Blog

Snow geese at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways

Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.

5 hours ago - CALmatters

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.