Ord 1997-003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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With its flat terrain and a developed street system, the most constraining element may be the heavy traffic on the major arterials. Major east -west connectors such as Davis Street, Marina Boulevard, Lewelling Boulevard, and Estudillo Avenue; and north -south connectors such as Doolittle Drive, San Leandro Boulevard, East 14th Street, Bancroft Avenue, Hesperian Boulevard, and Washington Avenue all contain many major intersections and carry high traffic volumes (10,000 to 45,000 per day) not conducive to a friendly bicycle environment. In addition to busy streets, other constraints unique to San Leandro include numerous railroad crossings, several industrial zones (railroad crossing and on- street trailer parking), and the overpasses over Interstate 880 and Interstate 580. Typically, narrow streets present problems for bicycles; however, the City is primarily comprised of a grid street system where alternative routes could usually be found to bypass streets with insufficient widths for bicycles. 1.8 Safety On -street bicycle riding is commonly perceived as unsafe because it exposes a lightweight, two - wheeled vehicle to heavier and faster- moving automobiles, trucks, and buses. However, • accident statistics show that, based on number of users and miles travelled, bicyclists face only a marginally higher degree of sustaining an injury than a motorist (Bicycle Federation of America). Death rates are essentially the same for bicycle and automobile accidents. The majority of reported bicycle accidents show the bicyclist to be at fault. National studies show that approximately 54% of bicycle - related accidents are caused by bicyclists. Generally, accidents involve younger bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the street or being hit broadside by a vehicle at an intersection or driveway. A total of 127 bicycle accidents were recorded by the City of San Leandro between 1992 and 1995. Bicyclists were considered to be at fault 54% of the time (same as national percentage). The most common cause for bicyclist- caused accidents was riding on the wrong side of the street, followed by riding in illegal areas (such as crosswalks), and failure to yield to autos. Some bicyclists believe that in the absence of bike lanes, they are more visible to motorists if they ride against the flow of automobile traffic; however, this practice results in turning 10