Follow the dotted line

Photo from Google Earth

By Diane Hettrick

This is a test.

You are in your vehicle on the NE 185th freeway overpass. You are pointed east to the North City neighborhood. The house on the left is going to be torn down for the North Shoreline Sound Transit Station (185th).

The next street, on your right, is 5th NE and you are going to turn right.

Here's the 50 point question: where will your vehicle be when you make the turn?

Here's the good news. There's no one parked on the overpass. Folks attending events in the Shoreline stadium (just over your left shoulder) have finally stopped doing that. Someone must have given them the word.

The 25 point question: where are the bicyclists?

And the answer is:

Keep your vehicle between the double yellow lines and the dotted white line all the way to the corner and then turn.

Bicyclists are to stay between the dotted lines.

The roadway between the dotted line and the sidewalk is just extra - and allows room for the bus to stop to pick up passengers.

The bus is the only vehicle that should cross the dotted lines.

The dotted lines are a signal to bicyclists that they are approaching a cross street and vehicles may be turning in front of them.

Drivers need to watch for bicyclists when they make turns.

How did you do? If you got the points, congratulations, you will not be the cause of an accident. If you didn't, well you know what to do now.

And we'll all be a little safer.