The more people walk and bike, the safer walking and biking become for everyone.

This counter-intuitive result has been reported various places including a post on the Sightline Institute blog.

The theory is that as bike/ped numbers increase so do drivers’ expectation of encountering them. If drivers are used to seeing people on bikes or walking then they more automatically look out for them.

I like to think that not only do drivers become more cautious of walkers and bikers, they also become more likely to leave their cars parked for short errands adding further to the number of people on the streets and making it even safer for us all.

So when you get around Issaquah under your own power your example makes it both safer and easier for others to do the same.