View from the Driver's Seat
Posted by: StephanieJun 01 2009, 3:41 pm
Ever wonder what if would feel like to be in the driver's seat of that big truck towering next to you as you cruise down the bike lane? As part of the Eye to Eye campaign, the Portland Water Bureau wants to give you that opportunity.
Come join the Water Bureau and the BTA on Saturday, June 6th, 11am- 2pm at the Safeway at SE 162nd and Division (map). You'll have the opportunity to climb into the driver's seat of a big Water Bureau dump truck and gain a first-hand understanding of where the blind spots are- where you don't want to be when you're on your bike.
We'll also have bike maps and other information on hand as well as our new, reflective Eye to Eye stickers, because this event is really all about visibility.
The BTA and Portland Water Bureau are both partners in the Eye to Eye campaign, a campaign that aims to raise the awareness of all road users of what they can do to keep themselves and each other safe on our community's shared paths and roadways. This is the second public bike-truck safety event.
Starting this summer, the Portland Water Bureau will begin construction on its second underground drinking water reservoir at Powell Butte Nature Park. It's anticipated that during the site excavation phase, there will be one dump truck exiting the park every 2 to 4 minutes.
This means an estimated 100 truck trips per day for approximately 30,000 trips to and from Powell Butte over six to eight months. The trucks will travel on SE 162nd Avenue and SE Division Street to deposit the soil at a local quarry. Bike safety will be especially important to riders who choose to use these streets in outer southeast Portland.
If you want information about this project, e-mail me at timh@ci.portland.or.us. Thank you.
As a bicyclist AND a driver I would like to see more events, advertisements, public notices etc on SHARING the Road. It's very easy for cyclists to develop a rather self righteous attitude. It gives us all a bad name when folk don't pay attention to traffic signals, stop signs etc. If we want respect from the drivers we need to give a level of respect in return. Obeying the traffic laws works both ways. I think that this event is a great way of helping both sides understand.