vangoes

I was at a shore community over the weekend and one morning when I went for my ride, I noticed a bunch of traffic cones blocking off half of the lanes in the direction I was heading. The weather was nice and there were dozens of bicyclists of varying ages and capability out for their rides.

Here is the normal layout:

Parking, couple feet for joggers, bike path, one lane about two car widths wide, median strip and the reverse in the other direction.

They split the car lane on one side of the median strip for two way car traffic with cones and the road on the other side of the median strip was completely given over to runners for some charity event.

Now here's the problem: no one knew where bikes heading in the other direction should go.

The first instruction we got from the special event police was to go with the charity runners as they pointed us to the closed off "runner side" in the normal bike lane, which we did. Then an event official along the way pointed us to and stay towards the middle of the road on the closed off runner side. Which we did until someone manning a water table got angry and waved us into the cone created center lane with the cars heading in the same direction. Which we did until a cop ordered us to get into the remaining bike lane heading against bike traffic, and against the narrowed car lane cars and joggers not in the run heading right at us!

The joggers that were out on the bike lane as usual had no idea which side of the path to use, forcing bikers in around them on both sides, some of the bikers felt that the bike path normal direction should have priority use so they would dive in and out between parked cars to try and stay off it, further limiting the space because being in near the parked cars puts them on the wrong side of the bike path (heading North passing the South faced cars)! It was a major cluster ----.

I passed a guy coming out a side street who was on a bike pulling a bike trailer and riding with 3 little girls who could just about stay upright and told him to be real careful, no one knows where they should be and it was super dangerous.

My main complaint here was that there was no provision for bikers going North. None. There was no forethought concerning their welfare, where to place them, no consideration that they would even be there on a holiday weekend at the shore, and there was no coordinated response for where they should be!

I told the people we were staying with about the ride and they said, "It's only an hour." and then they said they have these runs down there almost every weekend!

Am I overreacting here, or is this callous treatment of bikers something they need to fix?

rebel1916

Ride somewhere else on the day of a major event.

FBinNY 

Either do what smart people not involved with the event do, which is to find an alternate route. Or use your common sense and find a line and ride cautiously until clear.

Life doesn't always gives us clean well paved roads, and/or clear bike lanes. There are construction zones, flooding, fallen trees, disabled cars and what have you, and we have to be able to take these things in stride. This event is no different. Learn to cope or go the way of the dinosaur.

fb

vangoes

I had gone 5 miles before learning what the cones were up for. No idea when it was occurring, the other side was completely clear of any vehicle except bikes and joggers when I was heading out, looked like a nice safe ride back as I was heading out.

There are two roads heading the same direction through most of the distance. The other road is two way traffic, cars parked in shoulders, and all the locals in cars would be using it to avoid the run, very unsafe alternative as well.

I don't live in the town, so I can't avoid something I am not aware of. If I see the cones up again, I'll wait till later to ride next time.

My concern is the lack of consideration for the bikers. Isn't there any responsibility on the part of the organizers to consider all traffic using that road? At least in providing direction?

FBinNY 

I guess my lack of sympathy stems from a fundamental disagreement about safety. I've been riding bicycles on roads all over the USA for 50 years, and don't consider sharing roads with motor traffic particularly dangerous. It's what I do daily now, and I'm used to it. So (to me) construction, obstructed lanes and all the like are simply an inconvenience and nothing more.

If fact, if given a choice between riding among the event participants and riding on the coned off traffic lanes, I would have joined the cars without blinking.

BTW- I used to think that sharing NYCs avenues with cabs and buses was bad, but after sharing Maine's narrow 2 lane roads with loaded logging trucks, anything else is a breeze.

caloso

Your bike is a vehicle. Ride it in the lane reserved for traffic. And yes, I think you are overreacting.

indyfabz

No.

Then again, maybe I should call the my local government and tell them to cancel the Pope's upcoming visit since I won't be able to ride my usual route to work due to security fencing. I will have to go a few miles out of my way to get around it. And then there is that marathon thingy in November. Getting out my 'hood is a PITA when that rolls through town.

rebel1916

If you do not recognize that cones changing all the lanes are indicative of a major traffic snarling event, perhaps you lack the situational awareness necessary to ride a bike.

njkayaker

Bicycle lanes are for optimistic/optimal conditions. If conditions are not optimistic/optimal, ride your bike like you would your car (likely taking the lane).

You are over-relying on what a bicycle lane means.

kickstart

It seems a lot of people do that, a bike lane is a lane reserved for bikes, nothing more.

vangoes

We did ride as a car and took the lane and the policeman ordered us to get out of the lane and onto the bike lane in the opposite direction of the bike symbol.

Now I'm fine with that as long as everyone knows the rules and stays on their own side, but there were joggers on the bike sides, children and adults on both sides on bikes in the wrong direction and darting in and out among the parked cars.

Four different instructions were given and none the same. Doesn't anyone but me see a problem with that?

njkayaker

So, the cop was confused.

Darting in and out of parked cars makes no sense.

Calling it "callous" is an overreaction.

AlmostTrick

That does sound a little messed up. Since they do it every weekend maybe it works well enough for them?

I may have questioned the officer regarding this. Did you say anything?

vangoes

Little continuity being as it's largely a vacation town, it'll likely be different people using the road each time with a few exceptions. I think they need consistent direction given from the organizers to the administrators and workers running the event. Something like: "bikes share the south bound bike path each staying to their right and only pass when clear" If clear direction, word of mouth and a sign or two) gets out to enough people a pattern will emerge and all will work out.


I understood his concern. The road is too narrow when divided for a car to pass a bike the temptation for the cars to pass illegally would be too great and there is a dedicated bike path marked.

scott967

It's not unusual that "officials" haven't really thought about bikes. Be polite and ignore them. In this sort of situation, act like a car. I'm not a big "take" the lane guy, but it's best IMHO in this sort of situation to go with the flow of motor-traffic.

Another angle on it, here for the Hono Marathon they solicit bike ******* for the wheelchair division. Get 26 miles in with no traffic.

scott s.
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kickstart

Just curious, it this Long Beach Island? I was stationed at Barengat Light in the 80s, and later lived in Barengat. It got a bit hectic during the summer, but was still really bike friendly back then.

njkayaker

There isn't any "concern". People are just confused and don't know the law.

If it's too narrow, the cyclist should "take the lane" (ride in the middle of the lane). In all states, it's legal to take the lane (in situatios like this) and it's generally legal not to use a bicycle lane when it's not safe to use. Not everybody is aware of that. It's likely the cars weren't going very fast also.

Was the bike thing a bicycle lane (a lane next to the "car" lane or was it a path separate from the road?

If it was a bicycle lane, was there only one on one side of the road?.if so, do cyclists normally ride in both directions on it?

vangoes

Avalon NJ. Normally a very bike friendly town.

vangoes

The bike lane is lines drawn on the road with bikes stenciled moving in the direction of traffic flow. There are two, a Northbound and Southbound on the right side of both car lanes between where the cars are parked and the moving traffic. They are three or four feet wide I think.

Here's a link to the satellite photo. Dune Drive. At various points you can see two cars near each other and cars parked along he side to get an idea of scale. I think there is enough space to safely allow everyone to co exist and still give over the road to the runners. I just think because it is a lot of casual riders (think people who only ride once a year) tooling along at 5 miles per hour with no idea which side to be on mixed in with seasoned riders still trying to get a 20 mile ride in at a decent rate of speed all mixed together, there should be some clear directives given in signage and consistent verbiage.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/40...13d1d837243f4e

njkayaker

That helps.

Those are bicycle lanes (not paths).

They closed off one side if the road. Directing bikes against traffic in the bike lane is dangerous, confusing, and illegal.

"Seasoned riders" should have known to take the lane (travel with the cars).

They probably should have reserved the parking and bicycle lane for the runners and not closed the "car" lane and let cyclist share the "car" lane.

vangoes

The confusion added by the addition of recreational riders with no knowledge of the laws/rules for safe bike use was one of the main problems especially because of the close quarters.

For example, I was stuck behind a recreational rider and we both got directed into the oncoming bike lane against flow by the policeman. An experienced rider on a road bike moving along pretty fast was coming at us up ahead. Both the oncoming biker and I knew we should keep to our own right, the recreational rider moves to the left side of the path forcing the oncoming rider to counter by moving to his left as well, putting him right in my path, and I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't sure if he should get back over or if I should move left! I quickly moved left and he went on by, but it was close and could have easily been a crash, just because someone else not following the rules forced all three of us to break them.

njkayaker

Bike lanes can add to confusion. It's often less confusing just letting bicyclists ride like drivers drive.

If you were directed to go the wrong way in the bike lane, you would have had to cross the one car lane and across the opposite car lane to get to the bike lane. I probably would have just ridden in the correct car lane.

ciderguy

Speak to the people in your local jurisdiction that do the permitting for such events. I've organized events, and discussing the flow of traffic is normally part of the permitting process. It is possible that they overlooked the flow of bicycle traffic as a permitting requirement. You might need to contact them a few times, but it should hopefully be sorted out.

Hokiedad4

I see an event like that, I quickly find some other place to ride. Just not worth the hassle. Every shore town from Cape May to Sandy Hook does these stupid events and the police seem to work overtime to screw things up as badly as possible.