Gone Bikin’: E Marginal Way truck backups make protected bike lanes even more urgent

Seattle Bike Blog Editor Tom Fucoloro has Gone Bikin' until Labor Day. In the meantime, we will be periodically posting short news bits and excerpts from good reads floating around the web.

E Marginal Way is a key bike route to West Seattle. When the Port is not working, the bike route is fine. When the Port is working smoothly and without truck backups, it can be a little stressful. But when trucks get backed up waiting to get into Port Terminals along the street, things can get really dangerous.

Two different readers sent us photos of this problem last week (below). West Seattle Bike Connections even wrote a Facebook post about it, so I'll let them take it away:

Drivers illegally using the bike lane to get around slow truck traffic on East Marginal Way S at S Hanford St at 8 this morning. These violations of traffic laws and common sense are very dangerous to people on bikes. If you see it, SPD will come enforce if you call 9-1-1 on the spot. You can also call SPD Traffic Unit at 206-684-8757 [0] to let them know of the need for enforcement. It's a "follow the leader" thing, and it's getting worse. We don't need another ghost bike here. Time for SPD and Port of Seattle Police to step in.

Photos from West Seattle Bike Connections:

Photos from reader Ted:

Yeah, this isn't working. Somebody (else) is going to get hurt if the Port and the city don't take action.