The below is in response to comments received by city staff regarding the recent Master Bike Plan open house. Comments have been edited to make more sense in the context of this blog.

First, one could understand how attendees at the open house might come to the conclusion that, "the only participants are bicyclists." The people in attendance often represent those most enthusiastic about bicycling. However, over the course of the last 14 months, numerous comments have come from those who do not bicycle. The MBP workgroup (where the majority of the work has been done) consisted of representatives from the Police Department, the Street Department, Neighborhood Councils, Spokane Regional Transportation Council, Parks Department, Engineering Services Department, Spokane Transit Authority and more. Many non-cyclists were in that workgroup and provided input that shaped the plan.

Second, it was stated that "the staff assigned to this project are all avid bicyclists, I would even call them activists." Some of the city planning staff involved are avid supporters of multi-modal transportation. They drive, walk, ride bikes and take the bus to get to work, the store and reach recreational activities. Although there were two representatives from the City of Spokane at the open house, by no means did they make up the entire city staff working on this project. Staff from the Street Department and Engineering Services, Parks Department, Economic Development, have all worked closely on this project. Many of those people would not consider themselves "bike advocates" or "avid bicyclists."

One of the consistent concerns voiced by cyclists regards aggressive and dangerous drivers. BTW Spokane hopes to initiate a way to effectively collect information to share with the necessary authorities as we work to make cycling safer in Spokane, but that project is in very early stages of development. Below are a number of options for making sure your views as part of the public record. If you suffer an accident or dangerous/aggressive driving, you can report it via the below avenues.

But first, don't cry wolf. Be polite but assertive, and insist on what you believe is a proper response for the particular incident. Honking and yelling is annoying but usually does not warrant police action. Vehicular assault or the threatening of such does warrant action. As a citizen if you have a license plate you should be able to file a complaint and initiate legal action even if the police refuse to assist. Obviously this takes time and effort, and you may not be able to prove the registered owner was behind the wheel, but it may help get the point across and brings attention to the issue.

Spokane Police

• If you've been in an accident, 911 is your best bet. If there is a threat to life and/or limb due to a dangerous driver (whether aggressive, drunk, inattentive or what have you) , 911 is appropriate.
• Crime Reporting Center: 509-532-9266; you can file a police report or they can probably connect you with a better number.
• Traffic concerns can also be submitted online: http://www.spokanepolice.org/contactus/default.aspx. If there is urgency, but not an emergency, a phone call may be the better choice.
• This website is for bike lane violations: http://spokane.mybikelane.com

Traffic accidents and issues occur all the time, but the police and the public need to take into account the vulnerable roadway status of cyclists when addressing concerns. The more issues reported, the better. The more cyclists out there on the road, the better, as we become a more frequent and more expected part of traffic.

Thanks to Chad Schraufnagel for providing this information.