# Got mowed down by car on Tunnel Road Today



## ucancallmejoe (May 17, 2006)

Anyone want to guess what part of Tunnel Road this was?

Map courtesy of my 305 edge 

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:...kml?episodePkValues=3457001&ie=UTF8&z=14&om=1

my former bike: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/doublecentury/BikeVsCarTunnelRoadBerkeley

At this part of tunnel road you are forced to cut across fifty mph traffic in order to make it over to the bike lane. Today I was lucky - no traffic at the moment you have to lunge to the left. If you get caught, you have to wait on a shoulderless road for traffic to die down. 

But, as I said, this time I was able to cross the lane with no car in sight. Then, after I was already fifty yards safe and snug in the bike lane, I was rear ended by a car who also decided to occupy the bike lane -dead center like a missile. I was rear ended and flung off my bike. I landed a few inches from speeding traffic in the next lane. 

I was only half pissed at the lady who hit me since this intersection is a death trap by design. 

My poor litespeed has some bent seatstays. I am wondering if it is worth repairing. Or if it is possible. 

My rear wheel might need some truing too.....

I couldn't find my roadie gloves today so I sported my carbon fiber knuckle unabomber fox gloves. Good timing. The rest of me is banged up but the vino is controlling the pain. 

Almost died today. If I rolled one more foot to the right, I would have been road kill.


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## DasMud (Jun 8, 2003)

ouch. I think I heard about your accident on the radio today. What time did you get hit?


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

yikes!


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

So you're on the right shoulder then have to move left into the bike path, while traffic turning right is going from their lane, through the bike lane, to turn right?

Sound nasty...glad you made it out alright.


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## ucancallmejoe (May 17, 2006)

This bike lane is sandwiched dead center between two lanes of 40-55mph traffic. Often the driver realizes they made a mistake so they will veer through the bike lane to get into the other lane. Very dangerous. A member of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition happened by shortly thereafter and, voila!, I am getting contacted by a bicycle lawyer and this incident will be rubbed in Caltrans face. The driver should be very grateful I am allergic to lawyers. 

But as for Berkeley and Caltrans, they will be hearing from me and possibly a lawyer. I am not a critical mass activist but I feel they should not funnel bicycles into an obvious death trap.


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## stealthman_1 (May 2, 2004)

Good luck on trueing that wheel...maybe ebay it? Glad to hear you are ok in the relative sense. Getting hit sucks.


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## hdnoise (Apr 18, 2003)

Go up Broadway via Chabot or Shafter ... MUCH safer.... Then all you have to do is survive the motorcycles on Griz and Skyline!

Given the traffic on Tunnel at your accident location I'm not sure what CalTrans can do other than make you use crosswalks on foot.

You are lucky. Hope they buy you a new bike...


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## tron (Jul 18, 2004)

Why not file a claim with the insurance company from the car that hit you? Despite your dislike for lawyers, if the accident was not your fault you should be compensated for lost time at work and for the damage to your bike. That is why she has insurance.


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## Jaji (Nov 26, 2001)

that area of berkeley is a total death trap - so many cars going in and out of town to the freeway and campus. you got old ladies who live in the hills, drunk students from cal... all kinds of trouble. glad to hear you made it out ok.


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## CrankyMonkey (Jul 8, 2007)

I don't think I will be riding there... Isn't Berkley suppose to be bike friendly?


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## mytorelli (Dec 19, 2004)

Hope your OK, im assuming you caught the driver?

when I first opened this thread I thought you got hit going up tunnel to skyline (which is what I ride almost daily). luckily for me I go to tunnel through Lake Temescal and don't have to go through that section, although I have done it before and it is scary, but in doing that section Im always with a group so the cars can see me. When I first did that section I was confused and wondered if I was in the right place because of where the lane is positioned. They should put some sort of speed trap there (bots dots, speed bumps.. anything)


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## ucancallmejoe (May 17, 2006)

Hey all,

After I started telling some of my friends about this, I am finding out that a very substantial portion of the bicycling cadre out here in the Bay Area are getting hit by cars. This is making me furious. I do apologize about the flippant lawyer remark. I do think we have to have a litigeous (sp?) attitude or else we are just going to be ignored and the casualites will mount. 

At trips for kids in san rafael I learned that I am the third volunteer there that has been injured in a bike versus car accident in the past month. Is it getting worse?

Also, search the craigslist bike forum thread. I swear there was a bicyclist riding near Temescal park that was hit by a truck posted in that forum.

I am still not ready for the critical mass, but I am became very pissed off when my insurance company said they were still investigating who was at fault. Good thing I have some witnesses who saw the car driving in the bike lane....


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## tron (Jul 18, 2004)

Why are you going through your own insurance co? Did you get a police report? you can still have one made I believe. Also, I agree there have been too many bicycle/car related accidents in the bay area this year. However, you are lucky there have been too many deaths and its scary. I think in the Palo ALto/ Redwood City area we have a similar bike lane to where you got hit. Essentially cars are going by you on both sides at 55+ mph. Plus you can expect a strong headwind coming in from the coast.


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## Adam_SF (May 12, 2007)

ucancallmejoe said:


> Hey all,
> 
> After I started telling some of my friends about this, I am finding out that a very substantial portion of the bicycling cadre out here in the Bay Area are getting hit by cars. This is making me furious. I do apologize about the flippant lawyer remark. I do think we have to have a litigeous (sp?) attitude or else we are just going to be ignored and the casualites will mount.
> 
> ...


It's unreal this year. I've been reading various forums and the number of people getting hit is really scary. In a so-called "bike friendly" part of the country.

I was hit two weeks ago in Sausalito by a guy who made a right turn off of Bridgeway, without signaling. Luckily we were going slowly and I more or less bounced off his passenger-side door (taking his side-view mirror off with my left arm). But I'm annoyed, to say the least, that the driver's insurance claim rep is still in the "determining liability" stage of the investigation. Both police officers who came to the scene stated the driver was at fault, but whatever, I guess that's not enough. We'll see. I really don't want to be the "I'm gonna sue you" guy. Especially since the damage to the bike can be repaired easily enough (new bars, stem, headset, fork, front wheel).

And a couple months ago, I got doored in SF by a tourist. I don't know, maybe I'm just noticing accidents more, since I've had two this year...


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## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

I just started to ride road and it's pretty scary. My usual route is pretty rural but sometimes seems like a deathtrap because of where the sun is when I get to ride. I can seriously imagine being hit from behind... fingers crossed!


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## rockridge (Nov 17, 2004)

*Ed Weiss died after moto collision*

Check out the thread titled "Memorial to Fallen Rider", It really adds another level to the concerned posts here.


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## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

I'm sure just about everybody knows a Cal team rider was killed near Mt. Diablo this year, too...


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## brownhunter (Feb 17, 2004)

*Were you going southbound on Tunnel?*

Just to get the story straight...

You were going southbound on tunnel, and needed to cut over to the bike lane to turn left to climb up old tunnel road (or similar once past the fire memorial?)

So, basically, you moved over to the bike lane and the traffic on your right would be the Highway 13 thru traffic? (I ride through there too, but always North bound, to climb up Claremont -- I live in Montclair...) going the southbond direction indeed would scare the heck out of me. Going northbound on that fast stretch is scary enough, but i'm glad it's slightly downhill.

Yah that is a shitty intersection and I'm glad you're okay joe!!

-Hunter


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## ucancallmejoe (May 17, 2006)

Turns out my wrist is broken. I contacted the lawyer who is probably going to sue Caltrans over this particular patch of road. I think I mentioned this, but he told them repeatedly that this intersection was a deathtrap. 

Check this photo the lawyer gave me. This is what happened to me, at the exact same spot, except I was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of the car. I am sure if you show this to most drivers, they would not know what is wrong. Most drivers understand that driving on sidewalks is illegal but they do not have a clue about driving in or through bike lanes. 

Maybe I can outrun the suckers when I get my System Six!


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## Chef Tony (Mar 2, 2004)

*A dangerous intersection that needs fixing!*

I'm sure hundreds of cyclists go through this intersection every week,and we all cringe when we have to negotiate the turn; Let's lend our voice to fix this dangerous situation. 

It is under the jurisdiction of CalTrans, since it is State Highway 13, but Oakland and Berkeley officials maybe can help. Here is some contact info I have gathered: 

--The intersection is listed as a "proposed Class 2 On Street striped lane" in the 1999 map of Oaklands proposed bikeway network, by the city Economic Development Agency. 

http://www.oaklandpw.com/Asset119.aspx

--Jane Brunner is the Oakland District 1 Representative

http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/council/coun_mem/brunner/noprojects.html

--This is in Caltrans District 4:

Lauren Wonder 
Public Affairs Office Chief
510-286-6120
[email protected]

Brigetta Smith 
Public Information Officer, Alameda County & Santa Clara County 
510-286-5820
[email protected]

I have sent info on the this RBR thread to members of the NorCal HS Mountain Bike League, and staff at Left Coast Cyclery and Missing Link. They passed it on to Jennifer Stanley, Oakland's Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Coordinator ([email protected]) and Robert Raburn of the EBBC, who is on the Caltrans District 4 Bicycle Advisory Committee ([email protected]).


Joe, if you already have a contact with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition have him contact me and I'll try and link him up with others who want to be involved. We all want to help.

All of us on RBR can contact the officials above to voice our concern, and tell your cycling friends to do the same. This is not just one person's accident, but a matter of public safety for all cyclists


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## velocipede (Feb 10, 2005)

That intersection and the A-hole motorcyclists (as in the motorcyclists who are a-holes) are the only things I don't miss about riding East Bay hills.

Nice work Chef!


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Any updates? The road has not changed.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

tron said:


> Why not file a claim with the insurance company from the car that hit you? Despite your dislike for lawyers, if the accident was not your fault you should be compensated for lost time at work and for the damage to your bike. That is why she has insurance.


Wow, didn't notice the date on the OP. Hope everything worked out for him.


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