Bike lane, no support

[ctg492]

Our backwards town finally got a bike lane. It really is in a bad spot and goes no where. It was put there as the advice was to get the first one where it will not "bother" motorists. So the 3 mile stretch had no road parking already since it could not be approved if it affected road parking. BUT the city lowered the speed limit from 30 to 25 even though the normal speed was closer to 40. That probably peed many off.

Last weekend was the opening day ride. Suppose to have a police escort and the paper to take a picture, this would bring attention to the locals. 10-12 riders showed, me one of them. No police or reporter showed up, we waited. Our little 3 mile ride did happen. I thought to myself that the drivers had no idea what to do or how to treat a bike lane. A few passed in the center lane to avoid us. That was clearly not understanding how a lane worked. Two toots and revving engines in perhaps anger. A few slowing down.

I doubt if I will use the lane as it is on the other side of town, but still my sad remark is When will the first biker be hit by a right hand turn by a motorist? As clearly there was no interest in learning how the lane works. The paper should have had an article and rules for using it. Sad over all is how I felt about the event and figure no time in my life here will there be more lanes.

[Tammy]

The only bike lanes that I find useful are ones that are built as a protected bike lane. The USA in general does poorly in this regard.

[Miss Cellane]

My town just re-did one of the major streets into the center of town (a very long 3 year project). There is a bike lane. I have no idea what the rules are for it. Could anyone post a link? Or explain what drivers should do, especially for making a right-hand turn, as mentioned above?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have not yet seen anyone riding in the bike lane. Which is odd, as people ride their bikes all over town.

[Tammy]

The rules are the same as for a lane beside you for another car. Lots of bikers don't feel safe on the bike lanes on the streets mixed in with car lanes. Protected bike lanes have a median or parking spaces separating them from the cars. Like a sidewalk - imagine a "walking lane" mixed in with cars. No one would walk there. Same thing with bike lanes mixed in with cars.

[ToomuchStuff]

The rules are the same as for a lane beside you for another car. Lots of bikers don't feel safe on the bike lanes on the streets mixed in with car lanes. Protected bike lanes have a median or parking spaces separating them from the cars. Like a sidewalk - imagine a "walking lane" mixed in with cars. No one would walk there. Same thing with bike lanes mixed in with cars.

A walking lane wouldn't quite be the same, since your suppose to walk against traffic, where with a bike, you are a vehicle and required to go the same way.
Here, walking lanes would get used, I have no doubt. There are lots of areas around town, that have no sidewalks, and the street is the only place to walk in a lot of them, due to older storm ditches. (great for people walking their dogs, gives enough leash to stay in lane)
One bike lane, though I believe we have, is improperly marked. It has solid white stripes (no passing/lane changes) and has a right turn lane on its right side, so the bikers can go straight across (up a couple miles to a big bike trail) or turn in the car lane.

CTG, I would write a letter to the paper addressed to both them and the police dept.

[Tammy]

I was using a ridiculous example just to make a point, by talking about a walking lane in the middle of the street.

The point I was trying to make was that bicycles don't belong in the same area of the street as cars. It doesn't matter who's following the rules or not -- because it's always a bicyclist gets injured. They need their own protected lane.

Honestly -- if we build the infrastructure correctly people will get away from driving the car everywhere that they go. Lots of people would love to live that way but it just doesn't feel safe to them.

[Gardenarian]

That is really a shame. You should write a letter to the newspaper about it.

We have bike lanes that sometimes merge into streets, but it is always clearly marked and there are "Share the Road" signs. Lots of bikes in my town; you need to reach critical mass.

Anyhow, one bike lane is a small step in the right direction.

[Rogar]

The trend around my neighborhood is that they just stencil paint a big bike with a couple of arrows on the pavement and call it a designated bike street. It's worthless. Fortunately we also have a few dedicated bike lanes, but it seems like a waste to just paint the pavement. I'd write someone, but somewhere in community development it is probably a standard across many areas and has support. I have a friend who died in car/bike accident and am a little sensitive to the issues.

[ctg492]

I ride a great deal. Most drivers have zero idea on how to share the road. I say Claim Your Lane, but only to a certain extent and I would rather be wrong and alive than right and dead. That was kinda the disappointment for me as if an article would have been in the paper it would a maybe have included the rights of bicyclist. Oh most would not have read it anyhow I suppose. I am on the defense all the time when riding.

[Rogar]

I ride a great deal. Most drivers have zero idea on how to share the road. I say Claim Your Lane, but only to a certain extent and I would rather be wrong and alive than right and dead. That was kinda the disappointment for me as if an article would have been in the paper it would a maybe have included the rights of bicyclist. Oh most would not have read it anyhow I suppose. I am on the defense all the time when riding.I certainly understand, but also around certain parts here cyclists can also get a genuine bad rap. Riding double, blowing through stop signs and lights, not using reflective gear and lights in the dim hours, riding on high traffic streets with narrow shoulders, and blazing like they are in the tour de france when they should be using caution. Even on dedicated bike trails I've had close calls. I almost had a head-on with another cyclist who was trying to text with one hand while riding a curvy narrow trail. There is a small but not insignificant segment of cyclists who have an attitude, like I'm on a bike and you're not so I am better that you and it's my road. I could even argue a case that the 23x700 and 25x700 road bike tires have too little road contact and do not belong in the city except on dedicated bike trails (or out on the open road). I don't like it and it's not right, but it is little wonder some drivers get a little road rage over cyclists.

In my riding style I believe that in any situation where the right of way is debatable, the auto always has the right of way regardless of the law.

[LDAHL]

I certainly understand, but also around certain parts here cyclists can also get a genuine bad rap. Riding double, blowing through stop signs and lights, not using reflective gear and lights in the dim hours, riding on high traffic streets with narrow shoulders, and blazing like they are in the tour de france when they should be using caution. Even on dedicated bike trails I've had close calls. I almost had a head-on with another cyclist who was trying to text with one hand while riding a curvy narrow trail. There is a small but not insignificant segment of cyclists who have an attitude, like I'm on a bike and you're not so I am better that you and it's my road. I could even argue a case that the 23x700 and 25x700 road bike tires have too little road contact and do not belong in the city except on dedicated bike trails (or out on the open road). I don't like it and it's not right, but it is little wonder some drivers get a little road rage over cyclists.

In my riding style I believe that in any situation where the right of way is debatable, the auto always has the right of way regardless of the law.

I think you're quite right. As both driver and cyclist, my observation has been that basic stupidity is distributed about equally between the two modes of transportation. I makes good sense for the more vulnerable party in the transaction to err on the side of survival.

[Chicken lady]

Where I live people like to "come out to the country" and go on spontaneous distance rides in big packs on "country roads". These roads have 55 mph speed limits and little or no shoulder. The groups are upwards of 30 and strung out in long multibike wide columns that treat stop signs and turns as if the whole pack is a single vehicle (the guy in front stops, and then, once he starts back up, everybody goes...). More than once I have come over a blind curve at 35 mph and found bikes spread across both lanes.

my Dd's transportation from 14-17 was her bike. She was careful, respectful, legal, and yielded to everyone. She got honked at, flashed at, tailed (when she was riding on the very edge of the road in a passing zone and could easily have been passed), and cussed at. She debated hanging an smv triangle on her back fender like a tractor, or just getting a t-shirt that said "local kid, no car."

everytime I encounter one of those brightly attired packs of bikers being stupid, I want to turn my car across the road, get out of it, grab one (who is probably 20 years younger, 6 inches taller, and much stronger than I) and yell "you are the reason people harassed my child!" In his face.

otoh, now and then I run across 2 or 3 who get to a stop sign, realize there are 5 cars behind them, pull over and wave us by before starting back up. I always wave and smile.

[ctg492]

Sadly another bike rider was hit and killed two nights ago in the town. I would have to look and see how many that has been in the county this year:(

I have almost taken time off from riding. Road running too. Maybe next year.................

[BikingLady]

SO Almost one year has passed and no change to the lane or adding more, imagine it will not happen. The town is very local. The first small round about is being finished soon. OH the griping is worse then the bike lane! A video is on the city FB page to explain how to use it. First it makes the town look like hicks that have never left the city, but worse the comments are amazing and tips on how to go through the parking lots to avoid it. Good Heavens how will they get to Frosty Boy!

[bicyclist]

This is an interesting post for me. Congratulations for getting a first bike lane in your town! The planners don't seem to have consulted the cyclists about the street but that may have more to do with local politics or money. IN Philadelphia, it has been a slow process to extend the network of bike lanes throughout the city and it has been a struggle over more than one decade. The city is only implementing protected bike lanes now. Up until now, it has been either bike lanes painted on the street or paths separated from the streets in parks and along the rivers.

We have come along way from being dismissed as a bunch of unrealistic environmentalists to the point that the mayor seriously campaigned for our votes. And the number of adult cyclists in the city has probably multiplied by a factor of 20 since the 1980's. Cycling is still difficult in the city center but there is actually serious dialogue between city council and the public. The lesson; be persistent and get support from anyone from anyone who stands to benefit from the expansion of cycling in your community

[iris lilies]

Last Monday the Lime Bike system dropped 600 bikes on the streets of St. Louis.

less than 48 hours later, I nearly ran into a Lime rider tooling down the wrong side of the street as
I pulled out of a parking lot. It was not a close call, but it was too close for me.

Why cant they ride on the correct side of the street? I do not expect fast moving vehicles like wheeled bikes to be going in the same lane as oncomng traffic. Thats where you walk, not where you ride a bike.

[SteveinMN]

less than 48 hours later, I nearly ran into a Lime rider tooling down the wrong side of the street as
I pulled out of a parking lot. It was not a close call, but it was too close for me.

Why cant they ride on the correct side of the street?
For the same reason some car drivers don't signal their turns. Or swing into the left lane to turn right. Lack of education? Laziness? Lack of perception of space?

But car drivers at least have to pass a driver's test at some point in their career. Bike riders do not. Sometimes I tell myself that people who do stupid things on bikes (like ride against traffic) can pay the ultimate price for their lack of good sense. All too often, though, a person who should not be responsible for their paying that price (in this case, nearly you) gets to pay a price as well. :(

[dado potato]

Some years ago I visited the Netherlands. One of my stops (by train) was Arnhem, where I wished to reflect and pay my respects at the Arnhem-Oosterbeek War Cemetery. When the proprietor of my lodging place realized my reason for being in his town, he graciously offered me the use of one of his family's bicycles. I had the pleasure and sense of security in riding on the Dutch bicycle paths, separated from vehicle traffic, with stop-and-go lights where bike paths crossed streets.

As outlined in the linked article, the bicycling infrastructure in Denmark and the Netherlands developed in response to political pressure applied to local and national governments.

In 1971 in the Netherlands there were 3,300 cyclist fatalities, including 400 children. Cyclists agitated to stop the killing. In the same era, there was a gasoline shortage, and the national government favored policies to reduce dependence on imported oil. The government responded with allocating about 25% of the road construction budget for separate bicycle paths.

In Denmark the Danish Cycling Federation agitated for bicycling infrastructure, primarily in Copenhagen.

At the same time governments in Denmark and the Netherlands were spending for bicycle infrastructure, they disincentivized car ownership, parking and use.

It is understandable that there is antagonism among vehicle drivers directed toward cyclists. While it possible to "share the road" harmoniously, the interests of people who use cars and trucks conflict with those who use bicycles. In Los Angeles the bicyclists lost. In Denmark and the Netherlands the bicyclists won.

http://www.triplepundit.com/special/business-of-biking/brief-history-cycling-denmark-netherlands/

[Rogar]

I reset my bike speedometer a few years ago and it's coming up on 10,000 miles. I consider myself lucky to have a dedicated bike and walking path blocks from my house and I can jump off onto residential streets a few blocks to do a lot of common errands. One day I ran across another cyclist who was on a century ride around the city and he said he can do most of it on bike lanes or paths. I've ridden across several states in my younger years. By my experience and preferences there is no way I would ride on inner city streets without bike lanes or in any other high traffic areas. There's just too many crazy drivers. It's especially bad for early morning commutes when driver's eyes are still sleepy.