By Paul S
As a year round bicycle commuter on Vashon, I found Dave B’s opinion piece (Bicycles Rule! Really? – August 7) a little disturbing. His stated concern for bicyclists reads more like annoyance with having to share the road with us.
Although most drivers on Vashon are courteous and respectful of bicyclists, there seems to be a misunderstanding about the meaning of “Sharing the Road.” It does not mean “Sharing the Lane.”
According to Washington state law (RCW 46.61.110), “The driver of a vehicle approaching an individual who is walking or cycling … on the right-hand shoulder or bicycle lane of the roadway, shall pass safely. The driver shall … reduce speed to a safe speed for passing and pass at a safe distance, where practicable of at least three feet, before passing and until safely clear of the individual …”
This “3-foot rule” applies to the outer extremities of both “vehicles,” including side-view mirrors, handlebars, saddle bags, etc. Even if one is bicycling a reasonable 1 foot from the edge of the road, to safely pass them, a motorist would need to drive partially in the opposing lane. It is not okay to share the lane with a bicyclist, even if momentarily inconvenienced by oncoming traffic, a blind curve, or a hill. I have had more than a few scary moments on Vashon when impatient drivers have decided it was okay to do this.
Of course, there’s one situation on Vashon where I wouldn’t dream of riding my bike at the edge of the road with heavy traffic. That’s when a full ferry is unloading at the end of the workday. No driver in the right lane is following the 3-foot rule and the bicyclists that do this are crazy. Even if someone gets run over, I don’t expect this will change.
Otherwise, I am truly grateful for the majority of Vashon drivers who appreciate the vulnerability of bicyclists and follow the 3-foot rule – most of the time. At the end of Dave B’s opinion piece, he writes “Let’s just play nice on the Island … Say hi as I drive by in my old Ford truck. I promise if you wave, I will move over… so wave.”
I’d like to think that my waving isn’t a pre-condition for Dave B’s “playing nice” and moving over, but if someone were to safely pass me in their old Ford truck, waving as they went by, I would guess that would be Dave B and I would wave back.
