Avoidable accident on Page Mill Road

No matter how it played out, there's no reason why Jeffrey Donnelly, age 52, should have been killed while riding his bike on Page Mill Road around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

I’ve taken Old Page Mill Road to Page Mill Road dozens of times and I can only imagine what happened. The 19-year-old Palo Alto motorist driving a 2014 VW Golf was probably headed for the Interstate 280 northbound on-ramp. Without a doubt, Donnelly was continuing straight, westbound, on Page Mill Road.

He may have been moving left to access the bike lane, which is positioned on the far left side of Page Mill. It’s an awkward situation but one that is hard to avoid with the double right-turn lanes for Interstate 280 just ahead.

While I believe that the motorist is ultimately more responsible in almost every bike-car collision, Santa Clara County and Palo Alto have some responsibility.

There should be a dashed-lane transition between Old Page Mill and the bike lane. Throw in some green paint for good measure.

It’s common knowledge that Old Page Mill Road is a favorite route for cyclists.

I’m not saying it would guarantee no further accidents, but I’m sure these markings, used everywhere in Santa Clara Valley, will help reduce the chance of an accident. The motorist would have seen the dashed lines and have known that bikes are moving left to reach the bike lane.

Many motorists don’t ride bikes and may not be aware that’s how cyclists ride through the 280 freeway interchange.

This fatal bicycle-car accident once again reminds us that the autonomous car will be the best thing that could ever happen to make cycling safer. Unfortunately, Jeffrey Donnelly will not live to see the day.

Below is a video of the scene of the accident. I encountered a car coming from behind on Page Mill. I looked back twice as the car slowed dramatically. It was only then that I continued left over to the bike lane.