Seattle Organization Raises Bicyclist Accident Awareness (10/12/09)

According to their website (http://www.ghostcycle.org/), the organization known as GhostCycle is dedicated to raising awareness for everyone regarding bicyclists on the streets of Seattle. 

The group states on their website that "[o]ur city is one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America, but things can always improve.  We began to use this website to collect data from cyclists in the Seattle area who have been involved in an accident while bicycling...[w]e, the GhostCycle team, are all familiar with bad roads, poor traffic conditions, and dangerous intersections.  We have to contend with them every day, but this project isn't about just our group of cyclists.  It's about all cyclists in Seattle, and they are speaking for us through the reports they have submitted.  It's their information, experiences, and (unfortunately) their accidents that reveal the areas in need of improvement in Seattle.  This project would not have been possible without their help, and we thank them all.  

Marybeth Turner, a spokesperson for the Seattle Department of Transportation, told the Seattle Times that Seattle is consistently rated one op five cities for bicycle safety, and she applauds the group's efforts to make a statement. 

About 300 bicycle-car accidents are reported annually in Seattle, and one to three cyclists are killed here every year, Turner said.

Nationwide, 622 bicyclists were killed in 2003, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Those numbers are significantly down from the 816 fatalities reported in 1993, and exemplify a shift in the nation's attitudes toward transportation and safety, said Craig Raborn, program manager at the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center in North Carolina.

Stricter guidelines for the construction of roads, better driver education and awareness, and continued funding for roadway improvements have helped reduce the numbers, Raborn said.

Congress has approved $612 million over five years for the Safe Routes to School initiative, which provides safer access for young bicyclists or pedestrians on their way to and from class, Raborn said.