City Hall
McGinn to Convene Road Safety Summit, Emphasize Education and Enforcement
In the wake of three recent deadly collisions between cars and cyclists, Mayor Mike McGinn announced yesterday that he would be "convening a summit of community leaders, experts and elected officials to determine how best we can encourage an attitude of responsibility and empathy on the roads, and make it safer for all users."
At least a dozen cyclists have died this year across Washington State, nine of them in collisions with cars. In July, 44-year-old cyclist Michael Wang was struck and killed by a speeding SUV driver who turned into Wang's path at the intersection of Dexter Ave. and Thomas St. and sped away. Earlier this month, Vivace Espresso barista Brian Fairbrother was killed when he ran off a bike path into a poorly marked set of stairs. And this past weekend, Jimmy John's delivery cyclist Robert Townsend was struck and killed on University Way NE when a car turned into his path.
McGinn also said he would work to increase education efforts for both cyclists and drivers, improve enforcement by both the Seattle Department of Transportation (of unsafe road and path conditions) and the Seattle Police Department (of behaviors like speeding and failure to yield that lead to collisions), and to continue traffic-calming measures like so-called "road diets," which add lanes for cyclists and turning lanes for cars while reducing car speeds by lowering the number of general travel lanes.
At least a dozen cyclists have died this year across Washington State, nine of them in collisions with cars. In July, 44-year-old cyclist Michael Wang was struck and killed by a speeding SUV driver who turned into Wang's path at the intersection of Dexter Ave. and Thomas St. and sped away. Earlier this month, Vivace Espresso barista Brian Fairbrother was killed when he ran off a bike path into a poorly marked set of stairs. And this past weekend, Jimmy John's delivery cyclist Robert Townsend was struck and killed on University Way NE when a car turned into his path.
McGinn also said he would work to increase education efforts for both cyclists and drivers, improve enforcement by both the Seattle Department of Transportation (of unsafe road and path conditions) and the Seattle Police Department (of behaviors like speeding and failure to yield that lead to collisions), and to continue traffic-calming measures like so-called "road diets," which add lanes for cyclists and turning lanes for cars while reducing car speeds by lowering the number of general travel lanes.
