Matthew Newell, Hit but OK
On Tuesday September 29th, cyclist Matthew Newell of Charlotte was involved in a bicycle-car collision. According to the police report, he was not administered any medical aid. He was riding on Camden just after dusk. He stopped and proceeded through the Park Ave. intersection where he was hit by the car. The responding officer reported statements from 2 witnesses, plus Matthew and the 76 year-old female driver from Derita. It seems the officer got 4 different stories.
Camden and Park Ave is a 4-way stop with one of those yellow flashing traffic lights. The new Charlotte bike map (Charlotte Cycling Guide) highlights Camden as an Off-Street Path, but the Camden section is really more of a sidewalk compared to the wide Tremont to Clanton path. Most cyclists ride on the street on Camden; it is a popular route connecting Southend and Uptown that avoids South Boulevard. Thanks to Larry, who was eating at Phat Burrito, for the tip.
Correction: I heard from CDOT about Camden, the bike map actually shows a green line for the “Off-Street Path” AND a yellow line that designates Camden as a “Suggested Bike Route”. I am color blind and could not distinguish the yellow line; my bad. Thanks Ben.
October 5, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Policy Retained From Previous Plan
3.1 The City will consider bicycle accommodations in the planning, design and
development of all rapid transit corridors, station areas and transit hubs.
Policy Retained From Previous Plan
7.1 The City should continue to provide bicycle racks at major destinations and
provide bicycle racks and lockers at major transit connections.
These are the only two references to Transit Facilities in the “greenway update” of the 1998 MBP. This new MBP update should have included a whole series of comments about continuous linear facilities for bikes and outline the minimum design standards for same, documenting the ineffectiveness for transportation cyclists to regularly use these facilities.
If you are interested in true change, accident prevention, useful, safe and cost effective facilities you must look closely at the ‘greenway update’ medium range projects and start screaming. Please look long range to the Independence transit and road plans and note that there will be no real chance to parallel this major arterial for bikes. Look to the North east corridor and know that no continuous linear facility is planned at this point for bikes. These two projects will receive huge amounts of CMAQ and bike monies and there are no hard plans at this critical time of project design submission and air quality deadlines that are fast approaching.
Let’s not make folks jump on and off sidewalks to cross interstate moats to get to uptown or out if it, give us continuos on road or off road facilities.
As for the Gaston DUI, as published in the Charlotte Observer, ‘no driver has ever been killed by a cyclist.’
October 6, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Thanks