11th/sandy/burnside obv

The intersection of 18th/19th & W Burnside/Alder scares the crap out of me, regardless of whether I'm walking or riding.

The mess where Burnside hits the end of Sandy.

Sandy at the westbound 84 ramp.

2nd and Alder/Washington, where cars are getting on and off the Morrison bridge.

14th and Burnside.

Thanks, guys. Keep 'em coming.

SW 14th between Alder & Washington, where the bike lane suddenly jumps across 3 lanes of traffic from the left side to the right side of the road.

I'm not that into that bit where you have to merge through major traffic to get on the broadway bridge westbound.

NE Broadway westbound at Williams, where if you're going straight on a bike you're trapped to the right of a lane where cars are permitted to turn right onto the freeway...and they're always in high-speed freeway mentality already when they do this. My brother was almost killed here. There's a blue bike lane but it's not enough.

map here

The merge from Eastbound Greeley to Southbound Interstate. You have to cross the I-5 Southbound on-ramp. It's a death trap.

I'd have to agree with comments 1 and 3.

The intersection of SE Harrison & 26th Ave. is a fucking trip to the trauma center, especially at night. There the City of Portland has installed a "traffic-calming device", a curb extension, that extends virtually the entire way across the westbound lane of SE Harrison, which --ironically!-- is a designated bike boulevard.

There is a yellow sign with a big "left" arrow, intended to incourage motorists to turn left on SE 26th and get over to Division, leaving SE Harrison more free of cars so that bicyclists will be safer on it. HOWEVER, at night this "traffic-calming" curb extension is virtually invisible, and so is the stop sign at the intersection. The result is that at least four people have gone flying into that intersection, not seen the curb extension in time, and crashed HARD! I know because I'm one of them. I broke my left scapula, fractured my facial bones in four places, ripped open my scalp above my left eye, suffered a serious concussion, and spent the night--unconscious--in the Legacy Emmanual Trauma center.

I woke up the next morning wondering where I was and how I got there.

The neighbors who found me laying out in the street at 10 p.m., bleeding and unconscious, say that when they found me I was having trouble breathing. (Yes, I had been wearing a helmet, which is why I was still alive.) The neighbors say that if they hadn't found me in time, I probably would have died there that night.

I understand and sincerely appreciate the City's efforts to divert automobile traffic away from designated bike boulevards, however, this particular intersection has the worst and most dangerous traffic-calming device (for cyclists), that I have ever encountered. Sadly, I'm just one of several cyclists who discovered this the hard way.

Yeah, Burnside/sandy/12th really sucks, it used to be my commute everyday. One of those situations where you NEED to leave the bike lane and move over into the left traffic lane. (going south on 12th/11th)

Even though the vancouver/williams bike lanes were voted the best in the city, it really sucks trying to get to/from the broadway bridge to them. There is all different types of traffic going every which way, really confusing especially if you're not used to it.

All of w burnside sucks. Avoid it and go up glisan or something, eastbound isn't bad, just follow the traffic signals and TAKE A LANE.

For some reason most of my close calls have happened @ belmont & 11th, heading south on 11th. Cars just really like to side swipe me there, but I can't figure out what makes it especially bad.

I remember a recent report showing that a large # of bike/car crashes happen at various powell crossings. Don't really see why except there is a lot of people trying to drive fast in/out of the city. If you TAKE A LANE and follow the traffic signals you should be fine.

NE Broadway and the cross street where a scooter ran into me last week!

No damage done and I was able to somehow not superman over the bars, but it freaked me out the same and was totally the scooter's fault (I hate when driver's on multi lane roads waive folks on cross streets across).

Seriously though, the confluence of Broadway / 405 off ramp / Barbur / road to Ross Island Bridge just north of PSU is a nightmare at afternoon rush hour if you want to get to Barbur.

I'm not convinced the "traffic calming" devices, as mentioned above, are all that effective.They create a pinch point with the other vehicles on the road. I'm thinking in particular of the one on SE Grand AV and Clay St, but I've had narrow brushes with cars on otherwise mellow streets like SE Harold between 52nd and 72nd because the road gets real skinny, real quick.
Northbound Grand Av and the I-84 on-ramp sucks too.
An old roomate was friends with the gal who was killed on Sandy Blvd and 37th at the I-84 West on-ramp, hands down god-awful.

Crossing Grand Avenue anywhere is scary. I would say, though, that Burnside and MLK are especially scary.

Additionally, downtown on Madison, coming up to the Hawthorne Bridge is scary due to all the drunk yuppies piling on out of the VQ or some other place and heading back up to their gawdforsaken Hawthorne condo.

Anywhere on the west side is scary. Think 185th avenue.

Any intersection on Broadway, southbound after Burnside-particularly in the morning--car doors opening, cabs pulling in and out of the bike lane, people driving while on the cell phone, drinking coffee and looking for parking...
and also on Greeley where the Swan Island merging traffic has the right of way across the bike lane.

Eastbound bike lane on NW Everett and NW 16th

Southbound bike lane on SW Broadway between Burnside and PSU

Westbound bike lane on NE Broadway between Grand/MLK and Broadway Bridge

Right on, Jessica.  You read my mind.  (See comment #7.)

NE Broadway westbound at Williams is a death trap.  The blue marking on the road is virtually worthless, as drivers seem to salivate at the upcoming opportunity to accelerate into the I-5 entrance ramp.  I know someone who was thrown onto the hood of a car there.

Heading E. on NW Lovejoy, arriving at the B-Way Bridge intersection where cars can either turn right (across the bike lane) to coninue on NW Broadway, or they can turn left to cross the bridge E. bound. This is a perfect location to introduce a signal for cyclists to have a head start passage (as offered in many bike-savy European cities...).

I'm with Aaron (#5), "SW 14th between Alder & Washington, where the bike lane suddenly jumps across 3 lanes of traffic from the left side to the right side of the road." I was damned near on Burnside, looking at the freeway entrance, the first time I rode this bike lane. I missed the jump completely.

Also where the northbound Barbur Blvd lane ends just after you cross the freeway. There's a curb on your right, with a freeway exit ramp on the other side of the curb, so you're suddenly and completely in traffic where the bike lane just ends. No warning, no signs.

Surprised to not see this mentioned yet: any of the intersections within a 1/4 mile radius of the Main post office located at NW Hoyt (between Broadway and 9th). Speeding heavy mail truck traffic and time-crunched Pearl District socialites in this area up / down Lovejoy, Broadway, Hoyt, and 9th along with the messy bike / motor vehicle interactions that unfold at the west end of the Broadway bridge at the top of Lovejoy... a lot going on with very minimal infrastructure to keep things sane for the variety of modes.

Another dangerous intersection is 60th and Division.  Bicyclists are often forced to go through it, as they try to travel north or south, while navigating around Mount Tabor.

The problem is that Division has no provision for bicycles whatsoever (unless the city has changed the street since I escaped from Portland last year), and drivers treat the four lanes as a highway.

The best solution would be to narrow Division to only two or three lanes, and use the remaining right-of-way for a separated bicycle/pedestrian trail.

Fat chance, I know.  But watch what happens when gasoline is $10 per gallon.

Rotaries are horrible, and the one at 39th and Glisan is no exception.

21st and Division is an elongated, 5-way intersection that I always found to be dangerous.  Even though it's on a major bicycle route, the traffic lights seem to be timed only for motor vehicles.  So the light changes before a northbound bicyclist can reach Ladd.

I wouldn't be surprised to read about an impatient westbound driver on Division who jumps the light and creams a bicyclist, while going downhill above the speed limit.

60th and Divison? Bikes shouldn't be on Division at that intersection in the first place. Lincoln or Clinton are way safer riding east/west. But yeah, that intersection is kind of hairy as well.

All intersections are bad for bikes because they are for MOTOR VEHICLES! Until you bikeys start having to get a bike operator license, bike license, and paying a bike road tax STOP WHINING!

ONE LESS BIKE!

i agree with everyone especially 3, 7, 11, 12(parked cars make it hard for crossing traffic to see bikers in bike lanes), 17, 18, 20 but not with hmmm (25) cause i like to whine... NE broadway heading west to the bridge - the bike lane moves and in heavy traffic/rain it can be scary. i hate SE sandy & ankeny during rush hour.

NE Killingsworth and Columbia Blvd--trying to turn onto or from Columbia is a nightmare. No pedestrian crossing, weird curb in one lane, 45mph speed limit, hard to see the lights when you're facing east in the morning and the sun is behind them, have to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get into the turning lane to turn onto Columbia, etc etc etc...

1. SE 37th and Hawthorne. and extend it about 2 blocks north and south of that intersection (up and down 37th). my roommate and i swear that this is one of the more overlooked dangerous intersections of portland. most of our close calls take place here. and the only time i've been hit by a car (and went down) was at SE 37th and Market. this intersection is NOTORIOUS for motorists stopping where there is no stop sign and blowing them when there is one, every intersection and going in both directions. i swear its like a gauntlet for pedestrians and cyclists alike. 37th is horrible to begin due to 2 way traffic AND parking on both sides of that narrow street (mainly on the 2 blocks north of hawthorne).
but the factor that makes it the most dangerous is how everyone is so concerned with finding a parking space, so they don't pay attention to who else is on the road and/or has the right of way. and in some cases, its hard to see around the parked cars.
and lastly, lets not forget about the pedestrians darting across the street (mainly east and west on the north side of hawthorne). many of them don't care who has the signal, or look to see if anything is coming....they just view it as a gap in the sidewalk.
and of course, it just gets 10 times worse on the weekends.

2. trying to cross glisan on the 205 bike path. i commuted through this intersection for 1.5 years and nearly EVERY time i crossed it, i had people almost run me over...even when i CLEARLY had the cross signal. if they were coming off (or going on) 205, they would take a right on red (across the crosswalk) without even slowing down. if i wasn't expecting it to happen every time, i would have been hit on multiple occasions.
and of course, it gets 10 times worse during "rush hour".

I got hit at the NE 39th & Glisan circle when I was a kid.
I had the crosswalk and the driver was looking left for cars, didn't bother to look in front of them before they hit the gas.

RE comment #25 by "Hmmmm" - ah, the anonymous blog comment post, the favorite forum for cowards. Anyway to the question:

1. For me it'd be N Greeley southbound, where you have to cross the motor vehicle lane to continue up to Interstate (same as Comment #8).

2. Next it would be coming off the Broadway bridge heading south in to downtown on W Broadway right at NW Hoyt. I was right hooked here last year and broke my arm.

3. - 15. And then pretty much all intersection along SW Broadway in Downtown where bikes are relegated to the ghetto of the bike lane.

I can only tell the ones that I encounter personally, although I am sure there are many more.

Southbound Interstate where it breaks off into Broadway Bridge Traffic and Steel Bridge Traffic.

Westbound Broadway, the two places where the bike lane moves over a lane of traffic (I-5 ramp and the one right before the Broadway Bridge).

NW Everett at 16th Ave, cars turning on to the freeway reguarly DON"T use their turn signals and turn right across the bike lane.

NW 19th Southbound when the bike lane disappears and one must merge into traffic.

SW Broadway (all of it,but mostly where is crosses Glisan and there's no actual bike lane and cars cut across to turn right).

And when I lived in SE, the crossing of Lincon/Harrison and SE 20th (right before Ladd's circle) was annoying, as cars never looked left/right because there's no motor traffic allowed. I got hit once by a jeep as I was crossing that intersection. Luckily we were both going very slowly.

The westbound onramp to the 84 at 37th and NE sandy. A bike lane appears out of no where, is dashed for 2/3 of its length, and the auto lane to the right is not really wide enough for a car causing traffic to drive in the bike lane. The lane should just be removed, 90% of sandy has cyclists riding out in the middle of the right hand lane of traffic to avoid being doored by cars parked on sandy so having them move to the right to enter a 200 yard long bike lane only to have to merge back into the traffic lane doesn't seem safer to me.

Tasha: Re: NW Everett/16th

There is supposed to be a new blue bike lane installed here (the first in a long time), along with a reconfigured bike lane that gets you out of the conflict zone with turning cars earlier. Scan this article for more info: http://bikeportland.org/2006/12/19/whats-up-with-the-blue-bike-lanes/

Do you think this would help?

However, I've been hearing this for such a long time I sort of wonder why it hasn't happened yet.

I don't know why so many are mentioning SW Broadway, or all of downtown for that matter. Sure, it's not safe - but if you bike smartly and somewhat aggressively, you can go just about as fast as the vehicle traffic. Take a full lane if there is no bike lane. It's an urban city for crying out loud. I personally love biking downtown.

Now the east side is different - less traffic lights, higher speeds, and confusing intersections make for unsafe conditions. Definitely the Sandy/Burnside intersection and pretty much anywhere around the Rose Garden: bus lanes, max tracks, on-ramps to I-5 - it's a mind fuck if you don't know the city well.

N Broadway. I can't remember the cross street, but a block east of N Vancouver (just before the Shell station), the bike lane switches from the left curb to in between two lanes. It's pretty tricky make the switch in rush hour traffic when poof the lane just disappears and is continued several feet over to your left. Once you make the lane change you now have cars to your left that have the option to do a right hook turn to get onto I-5 or N Vancouver. It makes jumpy every time I have to ride through it on my morning commute.

Bjorn, fixing the dangerous 37th/Sandy intersection for bikes was one of the goals of the Sandy Boulevard Resurfacing and Streetscape Project. The City of Portland finalized the plan in 2005 and has been implementing recommendations since then. I sat on the citizen advisory committee for the BTA during that process.

Major reconfigurations were included to change everything about the 37th/Sandy intersection, including how people get on the freeway, allowed and prohibited vehicle turns, and bicycle circulation. Take a look at the drawing for more info.

I don't actually know if they've redone that specific intersection yet, because I avoid Sandy like the plague, but I know that many of the lower Sandy intersections have been vastly improved. Check out the bioswales and contraflow, bike-only crossing at NE 22nd for just one example.

#13 I'm not sure why they built those curb extensions at SE Grand and Clay either, but they are getting ready to build more of these curb extensions at SE 12th and Clay now, it's going to create another pinch point for cyclists on a very heavily used bike route. Just plain stupid engineering.

Because we're geeks like that, we've started a Google Spreadsheet to organize all of these comments and collect more. We're hoping it will be a rich set of data, both for the people who have the power to fix these problems, and for cyclists who want to educate themselves on existing hazards.

Please add to it, edit it, spread the word, etc. This link will let you jump in:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pIPW-xK3f5ulJ81IvmNFaZA&inv=amy@portlandmercury.com&t=4965587299324458639&guest

i whole heartily agree with #35

Turning left off Interstate northbound can be interesting. I did it recently, had no problem moving to the left turn lane, was first in line when the turn signal came on, but then there are two sets of train tracks to cross. To cross those safely, have to both go slow, and swing sort of wide out to the right, so you can cross at near ninety degrees. Cars behind get impatient and try to pass mid-intersection, especially if you're turning onto a two-lane road. Scary!

The whole of Broadway and Weidler between the East end of the Broadway Bridge and NE MLK is a disaster area. And it's very heavily used. Surely the #1 priority.

Going Westbound along Broadway, you have to deal with cars speeding up to get onto I5 and crossing your lane (maybe the bike lane could move over to the left a bit earlier, before the cars have started speeding up?); then you have to deal with traffic coming off I5 and Interstate joining on your right and crossing the bike lane (even just some flashing signs telling drivers to look out for bikes would help).

Going Eastbound on Weidler, there's more lanes crossing, and more I5 traffic; but worst of all, the bit at NE 3rd Ave where the lane of traffic turning right onto MLK and the bike lane swap places with no warning.

I agree especially with 1, 6, & 7.

Also, trying to cross I84 on SE 12th. It's always busy & no bike lane whatsoever, & there are tons of pedestrians so sidewalking isn't an option either. But where else to try? not 99E, surely, & don't want to go too far east out of the way...

it's not the worst, but it sucks: SE ankeny & sandy & 11th. PLEASE IMPROVE IT PDOT!

another wish i have is for a safe way to go east from the Broadway Bridge, and safely cross Weidler, as in this map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=45.534769,-122.669059&spn=0.002574,0.006089&t=h&z=18&om=1&msid=110678468973110985700.00043d589ecc823d934f6

Any ODOT ramp crossing the bikeway/ trail along north I-5 on Hayden Island and Delta Park.

There are over 500 bicyclists (CRC) a day using the bikeway facilities up in north Portland but the existing ramps poor sight lines and design facilitate drivers speeding at conflict points where bicyclists and pedestrians are forced to cross.

Hmmmm (#25): First and foremost, many bikers own cars, and pay the taxes of which you speak. Secondly, roads are not maintained solely through the taxes you mention. Next, even if this WERE the case, the law provides cyclists with rights equal to those of motorists, and charges them with equal responsibility. Finally, the taxes (road and otherwise) all even out. For example, judging from the level of reasoning evidenced in your post, if you were to have a child, he or she would soon find himself or herself significantly behind his or her peers in terms of cognitive development (probably for more reasons than may be immediately apparent here.) This would place a financial burden on the school system in which he or she were enrolled, as he or she would need remediation, which of course is far from cheap. Fortunately for you, this cost would be borne by all taxpayers--not just you. So, you win some, you lose some. It all evens out in the end.

As far as dangerous intersections, I live "over the hill" to the west... so I won't poison your vote. I'm just looking to see where you all think they are so I can be extra cautious out there. I don't have too many problems where I go, but that is for the most part in NW. Anywhere in SW can be a bad intersection, as bikes and cars alike like to blow stop signs.

N Flint. Ave and N Broadway heading to the broadway bridge. Cars always turn right on N Wheeler Ave.

I usually blow the stop sign if the coast is clear so I'm not around that intersection any longer than nessasary.

My morning takes me thru NE Broadway starting 21st, the gas stations thru Williams, Vancouver, turns to PPS. I avoid a right hook crash once a week. Drivers cutting two lanes to make a last minute gas stop or frustrated with traffic a non-signal turn down a side street to speed thru neighborhoods.
My ride home is down SW 14th jumping 3 lanes at alder as afore mentioned ( i just ride the lane), but also washington, couch and davis. Hey boys in blue how about a stop sign sting there. The cars never stop. thousands $$$ to be made in tickets.

Going east on Hawthorne and having to merge left (north) to get on 7th (9th?).
Same for situation to get on 13th (yes, I know its not a bike route)

SW 1st & Main (coming off the Hawthorne Bridge westbound)

The I-205 bikepath crossing at Division is my pick for a very dangerous crossing. You have traffic in the near lane stopping, but the fast lane doesn't. Or, the two near lanes stop, but the far two don't. There needs to be a light at this intersection - or a bridge like over Powell...

Sorry - need to post again after reading others'. The reason 60th /Division keeps coming up as a truly bad intersection is because there's no good way to go north/south on the west side of the volcano. One post is correct to use Clinton or Harrison, but that's east/west. There's just no clean way to get from Division to Stark from 39th to 60th.

To add to #51: Going East/West along Clinton is fine (although you have to be VERY careful of cars crossing using it as a high speed short-cut between Powell and Division), but along Harrison as soon as you cross 60th you have to go up and over Mt Tabor - I can easily understand why people want to avoid doing that!

I spent two years living between Division and Tabor on 70th, and I found the best way to get downtown was to ride the sidewalk along Division, using the pedestrian crossing signal to get over 60th before heading up to Harrison.

I, along with many others, commute out of downtown to Tigard along Barbur. In both directions there are at least 4 bridges or other areas where the bike lane is interrupted.

Barbur is pretty scary as it stands with having to ride alongside high-speed traffic, cars turning right onto Barbur or left from the oncoming lane. Having to merge into that traffic repeatedly just makes it worse.

If I had to pick one notably dangerous spot, it would be northbound on Barbur where it intersects Huber. During commute times there is always a line of cars itchy to turn left onto Huber across the bike/bus lane. I've been nearly hit there a couple of times.

N. Lombard and N. Denver, going North on Denver. The way the street curves there, drivers going south on Denver often turn left on to East bound Lombard right infront of people -- not to mention cars driving North on Denver, in some kind of CRAZY hurry to turn right into the 7-11 on the NE corner. This intersection is 2 blocks from my house, and I dread approaching it, even though it's so close to home.

I-205 bike path crossing SE Division is quite bad.

SE Clinton heading west crossing SE 12th and then turning left onto SE 11th/SE Milwaukie is a nightmare during commuting hours. (There is a way to do this more safely, but I'd prefer to have the problem addressed as not all riders are aware of the safer, but still not safe, way to make this crossing and turn.

SE Clinton at SE 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, and 26th. For a bike boulevard these intersections have gotten surprisingly bad in the last 2 years...largely in part from a significant increase in all modes of traffic (cars, bikes, & pedestrians) and a lot of very poor cycling etiquette.

first off. Time to all work together to make the streets safe. Both bikers and drivers need to do their part.

I agree on the Broadway west-bound @ I-5. The crossing traffic is ruthless, I almost saw someone get side-swiped last week....driver on their cell.

More signage across town to remind those in cars that bikers are around would be great.

I also dread NW 14th, coming off of Burnside towards Everett, where the 26 ramp comes in. People come off the ramp hot and immediately swing right to head down everett, I don't know that they are aware of merging bike traffic.

Also, this isn't exactly an urban area, or a specific intersection, but it's still Portland and see's a TON of bike traffic. NW Skyline. Any chance on a bike lane? Bikers (including me) get buzzed all the time by frustrated drivers.

Agree with #34 on riding defensively. Keep your heads up!!

peace.

Skyline is bad, as is NW Cornell and NW Thompson. Bike lanes would help a lot on those roads.

Going south on Interstate when you cross Going St is a favorite for right hooks, (and I think Sam Adams would agree.)

I agree with #8, and I think it is actually very fixable, although it might be expensive. Just build a path along the outside of the I-5 ramp, (similar to how the Interstate to Westbound Greeley bike connection works,) and connect it to Interstate a little bit past the intersection. If they really wanted to make it great, they could make the path level, so that it would follow the railroad tracks and rejoin with Interstate at Russel.

Ive found my two leave favorite intersections frequently are Powell and 423rd/42nd. Its a dog legged intersection on a hill, and there is no way to trip to sensor with your bike (my bike a steel frame, and ive placed it on about every inch of the pavement in attempts to trigger the light). You either have go over to hit cross walk button (which is a sketchy part of the curb), but then the cross walk is pretty low visibilty to cars. Or you can wait for a car to eventually come trip the signal. Since it has bike lanes on both sides and the majority of the time you must stop since powell is the street with heavier traffic, a button cyclists can hit (like the HAWK on burnside) would be amazing.

21st and Division (AKA seven corners) is interesting. Im glad the lights are on a timer, though I have had issues with getting a green light when coming out of ladds. A bike box could be good for coming out of ladds, as often cyclists line up next to cars or buses, and through that intersection there is no way to go straight so everyone is veering around trying not to hit one another. Ive found that the lights have a logical order everytime, and once you know them you can basically watch for when cars are finished going and you can safely run the red. And Im not the only one to have figured this out I bet. So maybe if it were designed better people would not consider running a light (that sometimes wont even turn green if we tried).

Thanks for reading and offering a public place for discourse about problematic intersections.

SE Hawthorne E-bnd after Grand Ave where the bus crashes the bike lane (sometimes without checking for occupants) to stop at 6th.

A little further along Hawthorne where right turners onto 11th hook across the bike lane.

Broadway/Weidler between MLK and 24th. Both of these streets are ripe for right hooks at every one of the myriad intersections and driveways. Also doorings and other conflicts from all the parallel parked cars (Bdwy only).

Like others have said, going west on NE Broadway at Williams is terrible; any time bike lanes are criss-crossing with right turning lanes you seem to have trouble. It's hard for drivers to adequately assess whether or not the lane is clear before turning there, I think.

A similar situation exists going east on Rosa Parks Way (Portland Blvd) & Greeley, where the right turn lane cuts across the bike lane. People (drivers) are generally courteous there but I think if that street got more traffic it could be very dangerous, just like Broadway.

I need to second Ron's comment about northbound N Denver at Lombard, too. It's a shame that intersection is so dangerous, due to the cars turning left onto eastbound Lombard, because Denver (which has a bike lane) is otherwise a great street to bike. I haven't noticed the mad rush to the 7-11, myself. But I don't bike through there every day.

In SE, coming from the river on Salmon/Taylor (designated bike blvd) and heading east, most of the major intersections:

MLK
Grand
7th
12th

Also, up by Tabor turning from Salmon and heading North on 53rd (again, designated bike blvd) crossing:

Belmont
Stark
Burnside

I ride this every day - 2 days a week with a child in a trailer. I recommend bike lanes as you approach an intersection (close-in) and striping or special traffic lights for crossings.

Thanks.

The intersection of Greeley Ave & the onramp from N Going Street for traffic going south towards Interstate Ave is horrible. So dangerous.

My commute takes me from Benson High across the Steel Bridge.

A lot of us, I included, seem to cross the NE 12th Ave bridge (over the Banfield) northbound and then sneak into the right edge of the left lane to avoid the long line of cars turning left. But these cars are allowed to go straight (into some office building) and occasionally do. That's a conflict.

Then, after the left turn onto Lloyd Blvd, there is a gauntlet of several right hooks on the way down to Grand Ave.

Finally, pick your poison: You can expose yourself in the left lane for a few blocks, or you can stay right for a few blocks, then negotiate a few lanes of busy car traffic to cross left to the sidewalk at the last minute.

Northbound across NE Broadway at NE 7th and NE 15th. 15th gets more cars but 7th is actually more dangerous for bikes.

You might wonder why anyone would ride these streets if they are so dangerous. The answer is simple - there are no good alternatives for going N from the E/W MAX line (or for people traveling into the NE from the Esplanade, or from Lloyd Center). Bike lanes are in place on NE 7th and 15th, but they suddenly vanish as you get into the heavy traffic at NE Broadway.

Rick Martell, do you know the identity of the NE 37th/Sandy victim? I was surprised that I couldn't find it when Googling, for the database for the Ghost Bike website.

Brady beat me to the response to "Hmmm" and it was very exquisite. I'd add that cyclists pay taxes which are used for the various subsidies (military protection for oil infrastructure, health care due to pollution...) and a lot of infrastructure which we don't use (freeways, highways most of the time, parking lots...). Cyclists cause negligible wear to pavement, and take up a lot less room. Bike racks cost a lot less than parking garages, which are usually at least partially funded by tax money. I looked at a study which showed that the average cyclist subsidized the transportation cost of the average motorist. Motorists should pay their way, dammitt!

My votes: 12th/Sandy/Burnside, tied w/ the freak show at I-405 & Glisan/Everett, and anywhere in the Rose Quarter. I'm sure a lot of the W side is worse, but I don't much bike there.

The light on 41st (a bike route) when crossing SE Powell only turns green for a matter of seconds, even though bicyclists are going up hill. Bicyclists are usually climbing this hill from a standstill because the light stays red for minutes. While riding to work in the dark in the early morning a few weeks ago, I saw someone almost get hit because the light on Powell had turned green and cars had started westbound before the cyclist on 41st could even get across the street.

Every overpass, on & off-ramp from 14/16th and Burnside north, including Burnside, Couch, Everett, and Glisan.

Those intersections just terrorize everyone - drivers, peds, and cyclists!

Flat-out suicide is what that area is. Hell, half the time cars going north on 15th are already going 55 before they even get to Glisan (to get onto the freeway onramp). 55 mph traffic in a "pedestrian zone" just doesn't work.

Can't wait for the new Burnside plan to convert Couch to a logical intersection with cycle lanes.

"another wish i have is for a safe way to go east from the Broadway Bridge, and safely cross Weidler, as in this map:"

Why the heck would you turn onto 11th?

Just turn left 2 blocks up onto Williams, or turn right onto Williams, wait for the signal to turn green, then continue up along the actual bike lane.

The E side of the Hawthorne bridge is bad where there's the blue lane. It's better than nothing, but not good. It's a angle so drivers don't really know that you're going straight. The bike lane should be totally straight there so that drivers can see you.

Westbound NE Broadway where the single lane (with it's own light) merges just before the Broadway Bridge. I've almost been hit several times by cars running the red light in a hurry to get on the bridge, totally oblivious to the bike lane they are crossing.

Barbur Blvd heading South where Capitol Highway branches off, cutting across the bike lane.

I would say Powell is the worst in Southeast. So 12th and Powell (which is the only access to Brooklyn.
Also 52nd and Powell where it merges with Southeast Foster

Since the tragedy last week, I have completely avoided Interstate Avenue. I strongly believe that Vancouver is the safer option now. To the list of dangerous intersections, I would like to add Southbound Interstate at Going. I had a bad wreck there in Sept. when a vehicle turned right without looking for riders in the bike lane. I now longer assume that any vehicle will look for me. But the prevalence of trucks and idiots on Interstate makes the whole street suspect in my opinion. Last week's accident solidified this for me.

Since the tragedy last week, I have completely avoided Interstate Avenue. I strongly believe that Vancouver is the safer option now. To the list of dangerous intersections, I would like to add Southbound Interstate at Going. I had a bad wreck there in Sept. when a vehicle turned right without looking for riders in the bike lane. I now longer assume that any vehicle will look for me. But the prevalence of trucks and idiots on Interstate makes the whole street suspect in my opinion. Last week's accident solidified this for me.

I live in SW PDX where bike laneage is spotty at best. Bad spots on my commute include:

NB Barbur, where it splits right onto Naito. (Signage suggests you dismount and cross four lanes of 45mph traffic on foot. Otherwise you have to cross two lanes to get back into the bike lane.)

The two bridges on Barbur between Terwilliger and Naito are a little sketchy, and so is the SB offramp to Capitol.

All of SR 43 is BAD (narrow lanes, no bike lanes, often no sidewalk)

I've narrowly missed many right hooks at SB Terwilliger @ Taylor's Fy and SB SW Broadway @ Clay

And just try to turn left from SB Barbur onto SB Terwilliger at rush hour...

Southbound SE 7th Avenue between Stark and Belmont:

In this roughly 500 foot section of road there are 2 side streets and one gas station that allow right turns from the roadway. from the roadway on a steep downhill that is not unlike Interstate at Greeley. If you do somehow manage to make it through to Belmont, you'll find that the traffic flow places braking cars directly in the bike lane as they make a right turn onto Belmont.

Possible solution: Belmont goes across the Morrison bridge, and a great number of cars turn right at this intersection, putting bicycles at risk. This intersection has the blue paint in the bike lane, and I have to say it does help. I think painting the entire stretch of bike lane blue (or even better, red; Blue tends to fade into the background in the rain and at night) could do quite a bit to bring drivers' attention to the danger.

Southbound SE 7th Ave between Belmont and Madison:

The bike lane on this road is well maintained, but it places you directly next to a solid quarter mile of on-street parking. Among the list of hazards: People pulling into/out of parking spaces, doors opening, trucks parked blocking the bike lane. The cross streets are also very hazardous. Because the parking extends for the entire length of the block, motor vehicles are parked within inches of the cross street intersections, the drivers entering 7th ave have _no_ visibility of the bikers coming down the road.

Possible solution: place no parking areas within 50 feet of the intersections to improve driver visibility.

Westbound SW Main and First:

As you come off of the Hawthorne bridge, you'll find the bike lane turns into a melee as cars and buses jockey to turn right on 2nd Ave. After 2nd ave, the lane disappears entirely.

Possible Solution: Continue the bike lane all the way through. This doesn't help with the merge issue, however. I avoid the problem by moving to the left lane of traffic as soon as I exit the bridge.

Westbound W Burnside and 2nd Ave:

After you cross the Burnside bridge, the bike lane takes you directly to 2nd Ave, and then disappears entirely. Vehicle traffic is then merged onto what little shoulder remains, and bikes like myself are left wondering which way to go.

Possible solution: continue the bike lane on Northbound 2nd ave, with a westbound exit. It would be nice to have a defined route to get bicycles off of Burnside, which is simply not designed to be shared.