The Chainlink

Northwestern student bicyclist killed this afternoon on Sheridan Road

Very sad and particularly upsetting to the Northwestern community:   details are still sketchy this evening, but the Northwestern student newspaper is reporting an 18-year student was killed in a accident this afternoon with a cement truck on Sheridan Road bordering campus.

http://dailynorthwestern.com/2016/09/22/campus/northwestern-student...

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin on September 26, 2016 at 9:37am

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, please don't take it the wrong way. I take no issue with anything you've said regarding helmets because you are absolutely spot-on. In truck vs bike, the helmet is completely and utterly irrelevant. I was more taking issue with Filka's statement that assuming whether or not the cyclist did or did not yield is blaming the victim. It's an assessment of fault. If a crash is your fault, then it's your fault no matter how much sympathy I have for you.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 26, 2016 at 10:41am
https://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/truck-side-guards-resource-page

I believe it's time for this country to begin mandating truck side guards. Truck side guards are vehicle-based safety devices designed to keep pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists from being run over by a large trucks rear wheels in a side-impact collision. They are widely used in the U.K.
Permalink Reply by Maurice on September 26, 2016 at 11:28am

Were there witnesses confirming that the truck had the green light, or is that just what the driver said?

 

In one of the previous 2016 crashes, early stories said that a bus had a green light.  We only learned later that impartial witnesses on the scene saw the bus turn right through a red.

Permalink Reply by David P. on September 26, 2016 at 10:20am

Filka,

I am familiar with that section of Sheridan (there is a light at Foster and another light a couple of blocks north - I think that's Garrett - and no light at Library Place). I am not clear on exactly where the collision took place - at Garrett? At Library?  in between? I am not sure how you can cross the street on a bike between those two streets without hopping the curbs. I am not sure whether there is a crosswalk (whether marked or unmarked) at Library, but I don't think there is. I know there's a crosswalk at Foster. If the collision took place at a signaled intersection and the truck had the green then it does have the right of way and crossing traffic must yield. If this is what happened, then yes, the victim is at fault. The only details I know, however, are what I have read in the two linked articles, which do suggest that the truck had the right of way.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 25, 2016 at 3:47pm

I was having a conversation about this crash today with a friend who is involved with a Northwestern-affiliated organization. She raised a point that I hadn't considered. Are foreign students used to traffic behavior that is very different from Chicago traffic behavior at higher risk for crashes? Their expectations as to how other drivers will respond may be VERY different from ours. Food for thought....

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on September 25, 2016 at 8:49pm
Anne, I saw this comment on Streetsblog as well. When I was at UIC in the 90's I was involved with the orientation program for new students, and I bet those would be a good venue for some of this info. (Back then we were more concerned with date-rape awareness, but since that problem's been eliminated...). Most schools have cycling clubs as well, which could be a good resource for administrators.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 26, 2016 at 9:14am

I think it would be a smart, pro-active thing to include in orientation information.

Permalink Reply by Jeremy on September 26, 2016 at 11:26am

You are correct that people from different countries/cultures may not expect American drivers to behave the way they do.

Last year I was in Madrid, and the crosswalks are set back from the corners by a few feet.  This gives cars a bit of road to turn before getting to the crosswalk.  While walking, I would have the green walk signal and cars turning right would approach me from the left.  They always stopped before the crosswalk, but I was always nervous because I am used to American drivers.  I only saw one driver (out of hundreds) encroach on a crosswalk, and that was because the front bumper was overhanging the paint by a couple of inches.

Permalink Reply by Bob T on September 26, 2016 at 1:38pm

Northwestern students start a petition for the City of Evanston to lower the speed limit on Sheridan Road adjoining campus.

http://dailynorthwestern.com/2016/09/25/city/northwestern-senior-cr...

I haven't heard any direct evidence that the cement truck's speed played a role in the death last week of Chuyuan "Chu" Qiu.    But it's good, IMO, to see discussion taking place on how to make for safer bike travel on and near Sheridan Road.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on September 26, 2016 at 1:44pm

I would be in favor of the way Wilmette modified their stretch of Sheridan Road several years ago. It used to be four lanes, with no center turn lane. It's now two lanes with a center turn lane and marked bike lane on each side. I'm not aware that there has been any detrimental effect on throughput as a result of this change.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 26, 2016 at 4:27pm

Traffic behavior on the Wilmette section of Sheridan has been MUCH better since the reconfiguration. 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 26, 2016 at 4:28pm

Yes, it's very encouraging that Northwestern students pushing for safer conditions on Sheridan.

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