After Fauntleroy tragedy, a call for care

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Such a tragic misfortune to lose a bicyclist in the recent accident near the Fauntleroy dock.

Tragic for the life lost and for those who love her, and tragic for the truck driver whose life is also changed forever. It’s also unfortunate for the local trucking company whose services islanders rely on.

I’m a cyclist and the loss resonates. I happen to work by bicycle and pull a trailer behind me, so I’m slow on the road. I take note of drivers who safely pass me — thank you sincerely. Three feet is the legal minimum distance when passing “vulnerable users,” whether pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, scooters or anyone without the armor of a vehicle. But I appreciate when drivers give me a full lane if there are sightlines to safely do so. I need to say that I have numerous recollections of Vashon Trucking passing me, and they have always given me a full lane of room.

So even with attentive care, such an accident could happen to any of us who accept the risks of cycling or get behind the wheel of a vehicle. The question is: How can we mitigate those risks?

I often navigate the same SW Wildwood quagmire where the cyclist died. I sometimes use the sidewalk, yielding to pedestrians, or I detour south on Fauntleroy then east toward Endolyne Joe’s. Even with experience and different route selections, who knows when perfect storms will strike. I’m sure SDOT is looking carefully at that stretch, hopefully repealing the constitutional right to park private vehicles on public right of ways.

There is an industry truism that for every 10 close calls, there is an “accident.” Heed the hint or call it an “expectation.” I had a close call pulling a load up Vashon Highway from the north end ferry. I was too heavy to ride up “parking lot hill,” so I waited for the ferry traffic to pass because I hate vehicle exhaust. But I didn’t realize another ferry was close behind. Motorcyclists offload before cars, so one speedster hugging corners had to swerve into the opposing lane to miss me. I trust we both have heeded that close call.

I’ve contacted the local road department a number of times, asking them to put up a “Cyclists on Blind Curves!” sign, or at least a Bike Route sign up 103rd. It would be ideal to have one car lane and one bike lane up Vashon Highway, then a passing lane after the blind corners. But road departments are underfunded.

Safety is also my own responsibility. I use a good mirror, reflective vest, taillight and non-flashing headlight. I get off the road when I’m holding up traffic on a hill or blind corner. It’s generally not safe to pull off the pavement into gravel, but I’m traveling slow and anticipate driveways as pullouts.

In 40 years of almost exclusive riding, I average a minor spill every five years, and sometimes my head bounces off the pavement. I’ve used a helmet since my youth, thanks to sage advice from an elder who regarded helmetless riders as self-selecting population control.

Know that three of four accidents happen on sunny days. Taking a bus is dozens of times safer than driving per mile, while biking is 10 to 30 times more dangerous than driving. We in the cycling community all have our own reasons we continue to ride.

Steven Richmond is an islander, avid cyclist and founder of Garden Cycles LLC.