Typically I ride my bicycle every day. I often ride anywhere from 3 miles to 10 miles a day in Corvallis. Too often I have witnessed drivers not paying much attention to those of us on a bicycle in one of the many miles of bicycle lanes in Corvallis. Most times I traverse the side streets just to avoid major thoroughfares such as Ninth St, Harrison, VanBuren, Kings Blvd. Etc. Today, Saturday July 11th, I made my usual bicycle ride to the Saturday Corvallis Farmers Market. On my return ride home I did use the less traveled side streets. I made a left turn onto Buchanan near Corvallis High School and Taylor Field. I noticed a vehicle in the "parking" lane on the north side of Buchanan heading West towards Kings Blvd. I was in the bicycle lane. I sensed the driver did not see me nor did the driver look prior to moving into the lane of traffic. Had I not stopped my progress I would have been hit by that vehicle. My point here is bicycle riders should anticipate that many drivers either do not take the extra second or so to look or are otherwise distracted, cell phones, and just proceed without looking for riders in the bicycle lanes. So, the thinking is bicycle riders in Corvallis must perform "due diligence" and be responsible for their own safetey. They should not rely on drivers paying attention to the fact that there may be a bicycle in the bicycle lane!
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