Most of you have probably read or heard about the recent incident where a bus passenger disembarked and assaulted Randy Albright, a local cyclist, and then got back on the bus. Randy has filed a lawsuit against TriMet.

I wasn’t at the scene of the incident, but the video (available on the Oregonian's web site) seems pretty disturbing.

From the video, a 30 thousand pound bus appears to pass a 180-pound bicyclist with little room to spare. You can understand why that would make Randy feel unsafe, and drivers should learn to give bicyclists some room. Other places have looked at laws requiring a 3-foot passing buffer when passing a cyclist, and the BTA is looking at proposing such a law for the 2007 Legislature.

Furthermore, if the driver helped someone who has just assaulted a cyclist leave the scene, instead of calling the police, it’s completely unacceptable.

That said, TriMet has had an open door to hear the needs of the cycling community, and I think they are making a good faith effort to be good partners. The BTA's genesis was back in 1990, and we were advocating for having bike racks on all our buses. TriMet heard that concern and responded.

Finally, the incident is a reminder that as drivers and bicyclists, we aren’t always open to direct feedback when on the road – especially if it’s delivered when we’re stressed out and late. Loud confrontations don’t tend to be the best way to open minds, and blocking a bus from moving isn't recommended. The BTA has worked on our Easy to Share website to deliver a message that people can hear.

After-thought edit:
For more on this, check out BikePortland.org's coverage — Jonathan Maus, after all, broke the story four days before the Oregonian.

Let's stay safe out there.

P.S. Yes, the Blog is not yet accepting comments — sorry about that. But you can discuss this at BikePortland.org

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