Emily Robinson is suing Seattle and the Ballard Terminal Railroad Company over a 2020 bicycle crash at the Ballard Bridge that left her with permanent facial scarring and forced her to abandon cycling.
Robinson was riding along Shilshole Avenue in May 2020 when her tire became trapped in railroad tracks under the Ballard Bridge, causing her to flip over the handlebars and land face-first. The crash left her with a chipped tooth, knee injuries, and a permanent scar on her lip.
The lawsuit alleges negligence by both defendants, claiming they knew about dangerous conditions at the railroad crossing yet failed to implement adequate safety measures. Robinson said she was unaware of the area’s crash history as a new Seattle resident. “It is a highly dangerous area, and there have been a lot of bike crashes since, and the city of Seattle is responsible for that,” Robinson said. The incident was so traumatic that she left Seattle and has been unable to ride a bike since. “The effects from my bike crash are something I have to stare at and face in the mirror every single day.”
Robinson’s attorney, Catherine Fleming, argues that the tracks’ shallow crossing angle creates dangerous conditions for cyclists, compounded by poor signage and visibility. “That’s why we have this long history of crashes there. Emily was certainly not the first, and she wasn’t the last, unfortunately,” Fleming said.
The crash site is part of the Burke-Gilman Trail’s “Missing Link,” a 1.4-mile gap through Ballard that separates existing trail segments between Golden Gardens and Bothell. The Cascade Bicycle Club has advocated for completion of this stretch for decades due to safety concerns.
Vicky Clarke, Executive Director of the Cascade Bicycle Club, said business interests and litigation have delayed necessary improvements. “Until the Missing Link is completed, needless injuries, or worse, will continue,” she warned. The city has since paved over the tracks, but Robinson and her attorney argue that only permanent solutions eliminating railroad-bicycle conflicts will prevent future injuries. “I was ready to build my forever life there. Really loved Seattle, and the bike crash just took that all away from me,” Robinson said.
