Street roots., April 01, 2012, Page 10, Image 10

street roots
April 1, 2012
Cycling accident caused by cities
new installed signal
cycle-pedestrian crash at the
corner of North Williams Avenue
and Fremont Street on Thursday
resulted in the city’s first bike accident
caused directly by gentrification.
A white male, described by onlookers as
a “hipster-like” was rushed to Legacy
Emmanuel Hospital on North Vancouver
Avenue after six commuter cyclists crashed
into him. The man had minor injuroes and
walked away shaken up, but unscathed.
The man was crossing Williams Avenue
during rush hour at the site of the city’s
first Diversity Inclusive crosswalk signal,
installed earlier in the day by the Office of
Equity. The light which depicts a human,
pansexual form of color crossing the street,
is an attempt by the city’s newest office to
rectify the fact that all crosswalk signs in
the city depict white men crossing.
“We wanted to bring in a reflection of
diversity into a neighborhood that has
experienced so much pain as a result of
the city’s continuous disinvestment over
the past five decades,” said a
representative of the Office of Equity. “We
thought that a person of color on the
crosswalk signal was, really, the least we
could do for the least amount of cost to the
city.”
The bicycle commuters involved in the
accident feel differently. “It’s impossible to
see that sign lit up,” one commuter said.
“He must have thought it was OK for him
to cross even though it was not. He was
also texting on his iPhone, so I doubt he
even looked. He didn’t stand a chance
against us. We were just coming too fast
and everything was changing so quickly.”
A
R E U T E R S /R IC K W IL K IN G '
Delivering promises
Tyler Manning, right, looks on as Republican presidential candidate M itt Romney hands out children at a recent rally in Loveland,
Colo.. In all, 40 toddlers were given to women who could produce signed consent forms from their husbands. “There will be plenty more
where that came from if I ’m elected,” Romney promised the audience. This oneyear-old, by Romney’s estimation, went to M anning’s wife,
Heather.
Bicyclist runs stop sign, grandson scolds violator
BY TWO-WHEELED FANATIC
“She didn’t even signal,” he added,
demonstrating a proper stopping signal with
67-year-old bicyclist remains alive
his left arm.
today after a flagrant traffic
Jordan is a graduate of the Bicycle
violation on North Bryant Street.
Transportation Alliance’s 10-hour in class
There was no other traffic present on Bike Safety Education program at nearby
Tuesday evening when Julia Bates, a retired
Humbolt School and, according to family
accountant and Piedmont neighborhood
members, has been a nonstop annoyance
resident approached a stop sign. Bates was
ever since.
cycling home from Peninsula Park with her
“I was just riding the way I drive,” said
10-year-old grandson, Jordan Wallace.
Bates, “but he even tells me how to drive
Wallace who is also still alive, reports that
now. He’s only 10!”
his grandmother slowed down, but failed to
Wallace is glad that his grandmother is
cease all forward motion at the traffic
still alive, but has serious concerns about
control device as is required by ORS
her and the rest of his family, who refuse to
811.265.
wear helmets on the bus and in the family
B IC Y L E T R A N S P O R T A T IO N E M P IR E
A
car, as he does.
“Honestly, if it doesn’t stop, I’m going to
stop eating my vegatables and demand my
family take some basic safety classes to
ensure that their children are actually safe
when riding any kind of vehicle,” says the
10-year old. “I’m kind of embarrassed over
the whole ordeal. They make me do things I
honestly don’t want to do. I think the least
they could do is follow the law.”
Family members declined to comment
saying that Wallace was now doing his
homework and wasn’t allowed to talk to
reporters until he was at least 13 years old.
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