“Just go around!” is a common refrain from double-parking motorists. The problem with just going around for a cyclist is that it increases their chances of getting doored, being hit from behind by an inattentive driver, or colliding with a motorist who emerges from the blind spot created in front of the double-parked car or truck. Perhaps one of the most tragic examples of this occurred in Chicago in 2023. Lily Shambrook, 3, was riding on the back of her mother’s bike. Her mom tried to go around an illegally parked utility truck when they were hit by a second truck. The child died in the crash.

Last Friday, a cyclist lost their leg at 7th and Irving in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco. My son’s preschool is half a block from the site of the horrific crash, which occurred right around the time the kids take their afternoon walk. I was at the dentist when I got the text about an incident at that intersection. My heart hit the floor until I got word the kids were ok. I bike him through that intersection every day. 

I have a major concern that the U.S. Foods delivery truck that was double-parked has not been discussed as having a role in the incident. But from the photos I took of the crime scene, the collision appears to have happened right where the delivery truck was blocking the road.

A look at the scene. Note the relative positions of the illegally parked U.S. Foods truck, the bicycle, and the dump truck that hit the cyclist. Video: Jen Nossokoff

I have heard no mention that the delivery truck was cited, nor have I heard about the position being marked (the dump truck that ran over the woman’s leg had tire markings on the cement). It appears the delivery truck driver was allowed to leave the crime scene before it was cleared, based on later photos showing the truck no longer there.

The driver of this truck drove over a cyclist on Friday on Irving Street, crushing her leg. The double-parked US Food truck driver, who almost certainly contributed to the crash, was allowed to leave. Photo posted on Reddit by FoxCrenshaw

Double parking and parking in bike lanes is rampant in the city and is not a minor inconvenience or a victimless “cost of doing business.” But the city basically never cites violations or tows double-parked vehicles.

As I understand state law, double-parking means their obstruction of the travel lane could carry significant fault allocation, especially if the cyclist had no safe alternative route around them.

This is another reason protected bike lanes must become the default in street design. This is especially true on a street with train tracks, such as Irving, which compounds the hazard of “just going around” for cyclists. If a cyclist is physically protected, double parking may still happen, but the dangers are essentially eliminated.

Protected bike lanes on Irving and elsewhere are a must. But in the meantime, the city must enforce double-parking and loading zones. And delivery companies must be compelled to follow the law and act in a safe way. It’s up to the city to make sure that happens.

***

Jen Nossokoff is a parent in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond with a background in medicine. She is a traffic violence prevention advocate who ran for District 1 Supervisor in 2024.