In other news . . .

Last week a Washington State Court of Appeals ruled that bicycling is not only a recreational activity, but a "means of ordinary travel" and "an integral part of Washington's multimodal transportation plan." In a case against the City of Port Orchard, the court affirmed that city transportation authorities must provide safe roadways for bicycles. (See http://wabikes.org/2016/07/06/traffic-court-says-cities-must-maintain-streets-bicyclists/.) This wording is still open to plenty of argument, of course, but the case in Port Orchard will require better maintenance of streets. And the decision supports the idea that safe alternate routes for bicycles should be created, along with development of automobile roads.

Local bicycle activists have told me that in Bellingham and Whatcom County, safety improvements to streets and roadways are "complaint driven". They say local governments usually won't put up money for projects until there is a history of complaints, usually involving property damage, injury or even fatalities. Roundabouts built recently on major truck routes may be an exception, but they are needed to speed commercial traffic to and from the border crossings. And the City of Bellingham has made a lot of progress toward its goal of becoming a recognized "Bicycle Friendly City".

But road improvements still often seem to be trial-and-error projects, subject to compromise and politics.

Pole Road, by Raspberry Ridge Golf Course

On an after-dinner bike ride last week, I discovered that a rumble strip has been added to a section of Pole Road, near Hannegan. Traffic lanes here are narrow, and there is only a 12-18 inch strip of pavement next to the loose gravel shoulder. This doesn't allow enough room for the grooved strips to be cut at the edge of the car lanes, so the road crew (county or state, I'm not sure who is in charge here) just cut a single rumble strip down the middle of the road. Which is a great way to wake up drunk or distracted drivers who drift across the center line, but any driver who moves to the left to allow three feet of space to pass a bicyclist, will also hit the rumble strip. And I could hear every car that came rumbling up behind me, even though I tried to hug the edge of the pavement.

Cherry Street, Ferndale

Another peculiar improvement project is on Cherry Street in Ferndale, on the block between the Boys and Girls Club, and the elementary school play fields. There is a wide paved shoulder with "no parking" signs, but it isn't marked as a bike lane, and it is often used as a parking lane when parents are picking up kids, or during school or club events.

In the past few months, on at least three occasions when I was passing by, city or county police had stopped and arrested youngish males in sporty cars. Since this is a school zone the offenders may have run afoul of either speed limits or special restrictions against drug activity near areas where children are present. It's probably also happened at other times when I didn't happen to be around.

Anyhow, either to prevent loitering or to clear up traffic back-ups on the street, someone (the City of Ferndale, probably) installed these orange plastic pole-barriers straight down the middle of the lane. They are placed about one-and-a-half bike lengths apart, which makes sort of a fun slalom course along the street, and there is still plenty of room to bike or walk on either side. It just looks odd.