Seattle gets 'bike box' to make street safer for cyclists

What may look to some like a green crosswalk at East Pine Street and 12th Avenue will actually be the city's first bike box.

The box, which was to be installed Tuesday night by the Seattle Department of Transportation, will be the first of four of its kind in the city, according to a city news release. The transportation department is installing them to prevent bicycle and vehicle collisions by increasing visibility of cyclists and helping cyclists make safer intersection crossings.

Signs at the intersection will help motorists and cyclists know how to use the new bike box, the news release said. Basically, when the light is red, motorists will stop before the box and cyclists will enter it. The cyclists will go first when the light turns green, and motorists will continue after them.

Other bike boxes will be installed at East Madison Street eastbound and westbound at 12th Avenue, and Seventh Avenue South northbound at South Dearborn Street.

Bike boxes are already used in other cities such as Portland, New York City, Baltimore and Minneapolis.