I’m sure you’ve noticed how the mix of vehicles using bike lanes has changed in recent years. And I’m not talking about cars. I’m talking about all the different types of electric bikes, e-motos, gas-powered mini-bikes, one-wheels, electric unicycles (EUCs), and so on.
What I hear about these vehicles are usually complaints and concerns about the dangers (and annoyances) they pose to more traditional bike riders. Fortunately I haven’t heard about any bike (or e-bike) riders getting seriously hurt (or worse) in collisions with them. Unfortunately there was a fatal collision between a mini-moto rider and an e-scooter rider earlier this month. And while it didn’t involve a bike rider, it did happen in a bike lane and it speaks to the growing number of non-bike vehicles that use them.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, 66-year-old Stephen W. Hicks was riding what officers referred to as a, “gasoline powered mini motorcycle” northbound in the SE 122nd Avenue bike lane. Around the intersection with SE Tibbetts, another man riding an e-scooter was headed southbound (against traffic) in the same bike lane. The two riders collided and Hicks died at the scene. The e-scooter rider sustained non life-threatening injuries. (Both men were wearing helmets.)…