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Portland cyclist sues for $21 million over skinny bike lane

Published  June 12, 2015 7:03am PDT
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A North Portland bicyclist whose spine was broken when a pickup driver struck him and then drove off is suing the city, TriMet and the Oregon Department of Transportation for $21.4 million.

The Oregonian reports that Michael Cooley's lawsuit claims that a roughly mile-long stretch of North Interstate Avenue is so dangerously designed that it's contributed to at least one cyclist's death and nine cyclists' injuries in the past 12 years.

According to the suit, the city's Bicycle Master Plan states that the care lane and bicycle lane where Cooley was struck are too narrow.

The city declined to comment about the lawsuit, citing the pending litigation. TriMet said it couldn't offer immediate comment and ODOT didn't return a call for comment.