Translation: Remove Panniers and Duck!

More so than the rest of Bellevue, downtown has almost no bike facilities. However, on 106th Avenue between 4th and 2nd something resembling a bike lane can be found! Something unique in downtown. But, like so many of the other bike lanes I’ve been talking about, I think this one was another “accidental” bike lane: there was extra space on the pavement so they painted lines which resemble bike lanes and lull us into a false sense of security, for we shall soon be disappointed.

In this case, what starts as a nice bike lane slowly loses about 1 foot of it’s width, with the narrowest being right where a tree encroaches onto the street. The tree has been pruned in an odd structure, which ensures that car drivers will pass unmolested, but cyclists will need to duck at the moment traffic is forced closest.