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Old 06-29-05, 12:17 PM
  #172  
Helmet Head
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What limitation on bike travel on highways? You're missing the whole point!

The only limitation on bike travel is on limited access roadways (freeways, some bridges and tunnels) on which even pedestrians do not have the right of way. The only way this is accomplished is by making sure that all adjacent private property has alternative routes via the public right-of-way.


My ultimate interest is the safety of cyclists who should have as much right to the use of the road as vehicles, but who may be endangering themselves by not following an expected pattern of behavior, which would allow a vehicle to make better decisions around them.
This is an excellent example of what I call "freeway mentality creep". Yes, freeways are specifically designed for uninterrupted flow of traffic. But other highways are not. Bike lanes, and riding in accordance to "bike lane rules", promotes freeway mentality to be applied on non-freeway highways. Even pedestrians feel uncomfortable asserting their right-of-way to cross at an intersections unless there is a signal. What ever happened to putting a foot on the pavement thus requiring motorists to stop and let you cross? Freeway mentality creep, that's what happened.. But I do it all the time, it works great, and it's perfectly safe (you only walk in front of cars that have already stopped explicitly to let you by). Although... sometimes just putting my foot on the roadway pavement is not enough, and I also have to hold up my hand in a way to communicate "stop".

In any case, the same people who have absorbed freeway mentality (the primary edict of which is: "thou shalt not interrupt the flow of vehicular traffic") are afraid to assert their pedestrian rights to cross at unsignaled intersections, are also afraid to ride their bikes in a manner that might interrupt vehicular flow. Ugh. If I ever get around to writing my book, I think I might devote a section or even a chapter on asserting your right to travel as a pedestrian. I think it's good practice for developing the requisite attitude for VC.
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