Comments on: The Facts of Alice Swanson’s Death http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:05:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: JoAnne http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-49012 JoAnne Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:59:26 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-49012 Garbage trucks are so dangerous. I was dragged 60 feet by one when I was a little girl. My heart goes out to the family who lost her. I m lucky to be alive. I just happened on this article. I guess until tonight I thought what happened to me was isolated. i was on my bike on the sidewalk. The truck ran over the stop sign and caught me between the tires. Garbage trucks are so dangerous. I was dragged 60 feet by one when I was a little girl. My heart goes out to the family who lost her. I m lucky to be alive. I just happened on this article. I guess until tonight I thought what happened to me was isolated. i was on my bike on the sidewalk. The truck ran over the stop sign and caught me between the tires.

]]> By: MB http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48313 MB Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:33:46 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48313 That's an excellent question, Vic. I nominate 16th St. Personally, I've moved from being an advocate of bike lanes to a lukewarm ally (at best). Roads *are* bike lanes. That’s an excellent question, Vic. I nominate 16th St.

Personally, I’ve moved from being an advocate of bike lanes to a lukewarm ally (at best). Roads *are* bike lanes.

]]> By: Vic http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48311 Vic Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:59:16 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48311 When I bicycled to work from Adams-Morgan to near the White House, one rule of thumb was never to be on the same side of a vehicle as a one-way street that you were approaching. But that is specifically where the bike lane put her. We need to investigate the value of bike lanes in terms of both their values and their costs. Why can't an experiment be conducted for rush hour, which dedicates a city street as bicycle one-way only in morning rush, and another the other way in evening rush. We do it for cars; why can't we do it for bikes? When I bicycled to work from Adams-Morgan to near the White House, one rule of thumb was never to be on the same side of a vehicle as a one-way street that you were approaching.

But that is specifically where the bike lane put her.

We need to investigate the value of bike lanes in terms of both their values and their costs. Why can’t an experiment be conducted for rush hour, which dedicates a city street as bicycle one-way only in morning rush, and another the other way in evening rush.

We do it for cars; why can’t we do it for bikes?

]]> By: Blacknell.net » Update on Alice Swanson and Prabhdeep Ranahawa Investigations http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48277 Blacknell.net » Update on Alice Swanson and Prabhdeep Ranahawa Investigations Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:13:12 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48277 [...] month, two cyclists in the greater DC area were killed. The public reactions were very different - Alice Swanson’s death garnered much attention, while Prabhdeep Ranahawa’s received almost none. [...] [...] month, two cyclists in the greater DC area were killed. The public reactions were very different - Alice Swanson’s death garnered much attention, while Prabhdeep Ranahawa’s received almost none. [...]

]]> By: Blacknell.net » RIP: Prabhdeep Ranahawa, 13, Cyclist http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48203 Blacknell.net » RIP: Prabhdeep Ranahawa, 13, Cyclist Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:01:36 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48203 [...] WTOP.com, and InsideNova.com), all rewrites of the same few sentences.  Why did I hear about Alice Swanson within hours, and Prabhdeep just now?   There are many reasons, I’m guessing.  Some [...] [...] WTOP.com, and InsideNova.com), all rewrites of the same few sentences.  Why did I hear about Alice Swanson within hours, and Prabhdeep just now?   There are many reasons, I’m guessing.  Some [...]

]]> By: Vic Miller http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48120 Vic Miller Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:10:06 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48120 I live in D.C. I have noticed that--especially since the price of fuel has skyrocketed--that heavy trucks like garbage trucks do everything they can not to lose momentum. Like stopping at stop signs. Like stopping and looking at turns. I live in D.C. I have noticed that–especially since the price of fuel has skyrocketed–that heavy trucks like garbage trucks do everything they can not to lose momentum.

Like stopping at stop signs. Like stopping and looking at turns.

]]> By: Mike http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48084 Mike Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:39:43 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48084 There is a video of the ghost bike memorial for Alice at http://bicyclespokesman.com/a-ghost-bike-memorial-for-alice-swanson/ There is a video of the ghost bike memorial for Alice at http://bicyclespokesman.com/a-ghost-bike-memorial-for-alice-swanson/

]]> By: David http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48066 David Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:35:37 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48066 Itadaki, et al. Your sentiment: "Almost everything I know about biking is wrong," is not uncommon. That you and I know how to ride bikes does not at all suggest that we know how to drive bicycles safely and effectively. A little education would go a long way, but most people never get that education. The League of American Bicyclists, a non-profit membership organization based right here on K Street, promotes bicycle education through local advocacy groups around the country, has developed a strong curriculum, and certifies bicycle educators. Their curriculum, called BikeED, addresses user-groups with age-appropriate subject matter and effective teaching styles. Pedestrian and bicycle safety could easily be a required part of elementary school curriculum. It's a good idea, if you ask me. By the way, BikeED includes significant focus on the "Right-Hook" and other preventable yet common crashes. If you took a bicycling safety class and didn't learn about it, something is wrong with that class. Take a look at The League's website for additional resources: http://www.bikeleague.org (The site you found is good too, and there are many others.) Ride safe, David Itadaki, et al.

Your sentiment: “Almost everything I know about biking is wrong,” is not uncommon. That you and I know how to ride bikes does not at all suggest that we know how to drive bicycles safely and effectively. A little education would go a long way, but most people never get that education. The League of American Bicyclists, a non-profit membership organization based right here on K Street, promotes bicycle education through local advocacy groups around the country, has developed a strong curriculum, and certifies bicycle educators.

Their curriculum, called BikeED, addresses user-groups with age-appropriate subject matter and effective teaching styles. Pedestrian and bicycle safety could easily be a required part of elementary school curriculum. It’s a good idea, if you ask me.

By the way, BikeED includes significant focus on the “Right-Hook” and other preventable yet common crashes. If you took a bicycling safety class and didn’t learn about it, something is wrong with that class.

Take a look at The League’s website for additional resources:
http://www.bikeleague.org
(The site you found is good too, and there are many others.)

Ride safe, David

]]> By: MB http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48062 MB Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:07:26 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48062 Karen - I'm pretty sure that the 20 fatalities figure (as put out by the Examiner) was for all traffic fatalities in DC. I'm pretty sure that this was the first bicycle fatality in the District this year. ~ Liz - they handle it with a lot more public awareness, significant fines for motorists endangering cyclists, and (probably) a much wider perspective on urban transportation. Not a paradise, to be sure, but I hope we can get there someday, too. Karen - I’m pretty sure that the 20 fatalities figure (as put out by the Examiner) was for all traffic fatalities in DC. I’m pretty sure that this was the first bicycle fatality in the District this year.

~

Liz - they handle it with a lot more public awareness, significant fines for motorists endangering cyclists, and (probably) a much wider perspective on urban transportation. Not a paradise, to be sure, but I hope we can get there someday, too.

]]> By: Liz http://blacknell.net/dynamic/2008/07/09/the-facts-of-alice-swansons-death/#comment-48058 Liz Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:51:46 +0000 http://blacknell.net/dynamic/?p=1012#comment-48058 This is so sad and shocking. The truck can't have even been going that fast if it was on R. My heart goes out to Alice's family and friends. And I will be thinking twice about staying to the side when angry drivers start honking at me. Surely something can be done to make the city safer for cyclists... How do they handle it in Amsterdam where everyone bikes? This is so sad and shocking. The truck can’t have even been going that fast if it was on R. My heart goes out to Alice’s family and friends. And I will be thinking twice about staying to the side when angry drivers start honking at me. Surely something can be done to make the city safer for cyclists… How do they handle it in Amsterdam where everyone bikes?

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