03/21/2007: "Bad Roads + Bicycles= Bad Policy"

Councilman Gene Knapp wants to know: "Why spend money to attract bicyclists". With a little spare time on their hands in-between public hearings on Tuesday, the County Council returned to the subject of electric cars, and the 35 mph speed limit necessary to allow them full access to county roads; and before the subject had progressed very far, Councilman Gene Knapp told the council that "our roads are not safe for bicyclists, and I have a concern about County liability due to encouraging of bicycle riders to come here".

Councilman Myhr said 700 bicyclists will come to Lopez in April for an annual tour, and that on Lopez "we encourage them to come". Knapp -who also worked as an attorney in a Seattle law firm, and was counsel in many insurance related cases- asked "why advertise, when we know the roads are dangerous for bicyclists?".

Councilman Rosenfeld said "We have aggressive drivers out there with respect to bicyclists", and that "people are in a hurry to save 30 seconds -not to catch a ferry- but just driving around..going home..". Returning to the original discussion, Rosenfeld said that lowering the speed limit to 30 mph would, according to state law, also apply to emergency vehicles.

It was pointed out that while the County does not advertise, the SJI Visitors Bureau does advertise to attract bicyclists. Knapp responded that the Council funds the Visitors Bureau, and so in terms of County liability, if the Bureau did not invite bicyclists, "that would solve the problem".

Councilman Rich Peterson suggested the Council talk to the Trails Committee about looking into obtaining grants to build bicycle and walking lanes on some county roads. Myhr observed that "The islands belong to a lot of people, not just -in a sense- to only those who live here", and that the council may want to educate and include the issue when "we do our visioning for the future".

Knapp drove his point home by recalling that there had already been one accident that took a life on San Juan Island.

At this point Councilman Alan Lichter agreed with Knapp, stating that this is an "accident waiting to happen".

The time came for the next public hearing, and so the discussion came to an end. Some on the Council have suggested that the contract with the SJI Visitors Bureau be closely looked at when it comes up for renewal, and that funding for the bureau should perhaps be tied to some directives from the Council, as to what some of the priorities should be for the bureau..