Gritty bike lanes

I rarely have much trouble with cars when I bike commute, but for some reason the last few days I've had several cars just not giving me enough room. Most of the time I ride as far right as safely possible in bike lanes; however, if you've ever taken the time to stroll along a bike lane (and if you haven't, you should!), you'll notice how they're littered with glass, debris, rocks, gravel, and all sorts of nasty things. Having room to maneuver around is a must!

The bike lanes right now are in especially bad condition due to all the recent storms and snow. There's so much sand, gravel, grit, and debris that really the only clear part is about a foot wide and right next to the road. Too many cars buzzed by way too close on Rainier Ave this morning. I had a guy nearly hit me with his side mirror. There's tons of room there to slide a few feet left and give us the benefit of the doubt.

If you think some bikers are riding a little too close to the road, the debris in the bike lanes is probably the reason. We're not doing it on purpose, it's just that riding in sand isn't so much fun.