MikeR

thbirks,
I made my previous post before reading the entire thread. Maybe you don't know about the Ben Franklin. Last summer I road from Easton Pa to Phily and then to NJ.

There is always one "sidewalk" open for cycling and walking on the Benn Franklin. Sometimes its the right side and sometimes it's the left.

The "sidewalk" is easily 8 to 12 feet wide and very nice. It's about 30 feet higher than the roadway. The NJ side has a flight of stairs you have to climb to get to the walkway, but they have installed a ramp next to the stairs so you can push you bike up it.

The walkway itself is great - even some stone benches along the way. It's a massive bridge with great scenery. The bridge takes you to the center of Phila, and there are bike lanes in Phila.

MikeR

One more thing. I've got a bunch of digital photos of the B.F.
When I get home I'll try to post some.

nathank

Chris,

i'm a major cyclist too, but... there are unfrotunately many areas in the US where the only bridge is a restricted access freeway and bikes are prohibited.

and even if it is not prohibited, riding on some of these high-speed, heavy traffic roads is pretty unpleasant and is of questionable safety (not as unsafe as most people would say, but not my idea of a good situation to put myself in either) - i would do it one time for a tour, but not routinely for a commute... honestly Chris, not even Sydney has anthing close to the unfriendly traffic ridden masses of inept auto drivers that the majority of US cities have - Canada is in general a little better and the US West Coast better than the rest of the country (and small towns are quite OK)...

in Portland (which has a lot of bridges as the Williamette runs through the middle) virtually all of the bridges have bike provisions mainly b/c of advocacy groups like BTA and Citizens for Sensible Transportation - a few years back they did a renewal of the Hawthorne bridge and it was planned with an extension outside the car lanes on both sides for bike and pedestrian acces. then the project ran over budget and guess what was cut... the advocacy groups and citizens lobbied and it was build WITH the bike and pedestrian facilities. I've ridden on the I-205 bridge (over the Columbia) and i think the I-5 OR/WA bridge is OK too.

the Northwest tends to be pretty good, but there are exceptions: on the south side of Vancouver B.C. ( i think on the Canadian extension of US I-5) is a long tunnel/bridge (uh, forgot the name) and there are no bikes allowed. on my tour we considered some other routes but all seemed WAY out of the way. there is a bike shuttle for a few dollars that runs like every hour or so during the day... and they had a trailer that held my BOB trailer too, so for touring it was adequate

in the US i've even encountered problems like trying to get in to new shopping centers where the only entrance is via an Interstate... also i wanted to ride to the airport one time and i was told by authorities that at many airports in the US it is not allowed to go to the airport by bicycle - i ended up taking the train instead so i never found out if it was true or not...

anyway, the point is that unfortunately in many places in the US the roads DO NOT allow cylists and if there is no other road... well it's tough

as far as the bridges of the East Coast goes... i've ridden a few during rides (like the George Washington) and a few during organized inline-skates in the Philadelphia area... but i don't have any useful info.

orguasch

we don't have the kind of Bridges out here in T.O. I mean the like of Golden Gate Bridge

Chris L

1. Traffic mass has no correlation with danger to cyclists. When I was in Victoria I found Melbourne to be a safer experience than Geelong, which is one twentieth of it's size.

2. If you want inept auto drivers, come no further than right here. Put it this way, after a couple of weeks cycling here (including some Friday night commutes) you'll soon realise that off-road bikepaths provide no protection from being hit by cars. Drivers around here simply cannot be relied upon to stay within the confines of the road. It's actually safer in heavy traffic because they drivers simply don't have the space to do the sort of crap they normally do.

3. In spite of the above, I have never suffered even so much as a broken bone in over 100,000km of riding. I'm sorry, but this whole "riding in traffic is dangerous" thing is just crap. Personally I think it exists only to avoid having to make motorists accountable for their actions. Every time a cyclist gets injured or killed, all we hear is "cycling is dangerous" (motoring deaths are conveniently forgotten). People are just afraid of being accountable for their actions.

khuon

I absolutely enjoyed the last part of the STP when riding across the St. John's Bridge towards Cathedral Park. And yes, there was plenty of space for cyclists and auto traffic.



I also enjoyed the Lewis and Clark Longview Bridge spanning the WA/OR border. We actually got a police escort going over that one. |8^)

Feldman

No St. Johns Bridge this year, however; it's going to be under repair work by summer, so STP will be rolling into Northeast Portland and finish near Lloyd Center. I, too love the Longview bridge. We did the ride last year and the police ******* were most welcome. STP is really a Critical Mass ride in bourgeoise drag that gets away with it. What small-town cop is gonna risk busting some Bellvue stockbroker on her Litespeed?

Justen

Who rides across fairly large bridges on their bikes? How do they accomodate you - pedestrian walkways, special lanes, etc.?

>>> I do ! :-)
I live in Vancouver, B.C. We have several bridges here due to all the water. Anyway, the only bridge I normally use is Cambie Street Bridge and it's great. It is easily 10-12 feet across and is for both pedestrians and cyclists as well as in-line skaters and horses (police horses).

Tons of space, VERY safe and no problems.

There are a couple of other bridges which aren't so easy to use. There are no bike lanes on either of them and the traffic is usually very fast moving and unforgiving. I would never want to cycle amongst them but some do.

We have a great system of pathways and of course the Seawall here which is a great 39 Kilometer course passing a number of different beaches. Fantastic views and they divide the pedestrian and cycling traffic so you don't get people wondering in front of you or cutting you off.

Justen

DieselDan

Living in an area that is a group if islands, bridges are a certainity on almost every ride. Most newer bridges built from about 1976 on have wide shoulders built in. A new bridge, and a very important connector between Beaufort and Hilton Head Island, is being built and has bike lanes planned into it. The lanes don't connect to any other lanes or pathways!! It will make the crossing safer. The current brige is 1 1/2 miles long, but only 16' wide!

Rugen

The Bay Bridge in the SF Bay Area is indeed a Freeway as mentioned previously. The only access to it is a Freeway, and bikes are prohibited on Freeways in California. This is a tightly enforced traffic code. Furthermore, at the Westbound entrance to the bridge, all of the access is TOLLED, and the manned tollbooths will not accept money from a cyclist, they're more likely to call the highway patrol and have you removed.

There is hope, however, as plans to add a bike lane (sepearate from automobile traffic) has been integrated into the design of a replacement for the eastern half of the bridge that is currently under construction, which also a means a bike access separate from the freeway will be provided. However, this will get you only half way to San Francisco... Treasure Island, as there are no plans currently under way to add a bike lane to the western span of the bay bridge. One can dream for the future though.

I've never ridden in Australia, but here in the San Francisco Bay Area, despite bike lanes, despite a general bike-friendly driving populace, you get hit. Period. It is often said among the bike messengers in this area that it's not a matter of IF you'll ever get hit, just a matter of when. I've been hit, and wasn't at fault, nor was there a way for me to avoid it, on a major thoroughfare, with a bikelane, and a green light. I'm very happy for your good fortune, may it last a very long time. However, Although skill and care may reduce the risk of some automobile imapacts, some stupid drivers just make it unavoidable.

Lastly, one must also conisder that bridges are typically high-wind environments and even if you could get access to the bridge, sharing a VERY skinny lane with no shoulder with an automobile going 50-70 mph with potentially VERY high crosswind bursts is just plain suicidal.

All that being said, aside from major bridges, I would generally very much agree that riding on the road is far safer than trying to share a space with pedestrians.

After all that, the real reason I'm responding to such an old post... does anyone know how things are looking for a lane on the Western span of the Bay Bridge? It would be nice to ride to work.

John E

I certainly wish the San Diego - Coronado Bridge had bicycle and pedestrian access. All bridges should, since the alternate route is kinda wet.

Bockman

coming down the east coast from Maine to Florida, I found 99% of the bridges passable by bike. The exceptions were that big bridge just north of Savannah (sorry I can't recall the name) and th Chesepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I hear the CBBT has a shuttle service but you have to set it up well in advance of your arrival, something I couldn't do. For those two bridges I just stuck my thumb out and got a ride over pretty quick.

Bockman

PS coming out of new york I took the PATH train under the river to Hoboken, so I didn't have to sweat those bridges.

BearsPaw

The PATCO trains are another way to get across the Delaware if the Ben's walkway is closed. They run 24x7, and cost $1.15 each way. AFAIK, bikes are allowed on all trains. I wouldn't recommend getting off at the first two Jersey stops (Camden) late at night, but the trains continue on to other towns in Jersey. They way I look at it, that's still cheaper than the $3 toll that motorists must pay.

To the people saying that we should just bike in the car lanes on the bridge: I don't disagree in principle, but that will generally not work in Philadelphia, at least on the Ben Franklin. If you saw this bridge, I think you would understand. The average speed of the crossing cars has got to be at least 45 mph (~72kph), except during rush hour. It is usually saturated with vehicles, and they zig-zag between lanes like crazy. In addition, it's illegal and the police posted at either end of the bridge will surely stop you if you try to cross the bridge that way.

ken cummings

Some bridges and underpasses have narrow 12" to 18" curb/sidewalks and can be ridden on walked on while you pull the bike along with you. Going under the runways at LAX was exciting. Check each and every bridge. Some I would try at 2AM as soon as I see a patrol car has gone by . I would like to try riding thru some of the bigger vehicle tunnels using the huge airducts. 100MPH tailwind.

sbhikes

The only place I ever lived with a real bridge was San Diego. I cannot imagine anybody riding a bike on the Coronado Bridge. Where's HH? I'd like to hear if he rides that bridge. I was terrified to even drive on it. The way that it sweeps way up in the sky so high, so thin, with the icy cold sea way down below just begging to suck my drowning body gently to the ocean floor. It took my breath away. I'm a land-lubber through-and-through.

Robert Raburn

All seven of the Bay Area’s state-owned toll bridges touch-down in the East Bay counties of Alameda or Contra Costa. Thanks to the organized efforts of bike advocates, three are currently open to bikes, two are under construction and will provide access when completed (although the East Span is being built with a generous bike/ped pathway, the West Span pathway remains unfunded), plus we are currently negotiating for access to the shoulder of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Here is the score:

* Dumbarton Bridge (SR-84) between Newark and East Palo Alto offers unlimited access on a path separated from the roadway by a barrier.

* Antioch Bridge (SR-160) between Antioch and the Sacramento Delta offers unlimited access on a bike lane adjacent to the vehicle travel lane.

* Carquinez (Zampa) Bridge (I-80) from Crockett to Vallejo was dedicated in April 2004 and offers 6am to 9pm access on a path separated from the roadway by a barrier.

* Benicia-Martinez Bridge (I-680) is under construction and a separated path will be installed on the west side of the existing span in 2009 following completion of the new span.

* Bay Bridge (I-80). We celebrate that construction is underway of a separated path on the south side of the East Span replacement for the structure damaged in the 1989 earthquake. We expect to ride between Oakland and Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands by 2013. Efforts are also underway to build the access to the toll plaza area. In 2001 a thorough $2 million West Span study determined that it is feasible to install bicycle/pedestrian/maintenance paths on both sides of the existing suspension span between Yerba Buena Island and San Francisco. Our SFBC/EBBC campaign to “bridge the gap” seeks $200 million to implement the plan.

* Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580) prohibits bicyclists from using the existing 12-foot shoulders despite existing access to the bridge ends and two elaborate studies that show bridge access to be safe and feasible. We are currently participating in another design study to overcome new Caltrans stipulations that bicycle access must be separated from traffic and must preserve a third lane of travel in the peak direction. With the bridge redecking project expected to be completed in 2007, we are building political support to insure that the new roadway accommodates bicyclists.

* Hayward-San Mateo Bridge (SR-92) No direct bicycle access. Advocates were blocked from requiring access on the newly opened “causeway” portion of the bridge.

Indirect bicycle access aboard transit is available for all of the crossings (see: https://bicycling.511.org/bridges.htm) Images and substantial access discussions on each span can be found using the internal google of www.ebbc.org. Bottom line, access does not happen without advocacy. Support your local bicycle coalition!

Bekologist

Here's a picture of the GOOD half of the Hood Canal Bridge, taken today.

I ran into another cyclotourist this morning and we rode across the Hood Canal Bridge on the way back to the Seattle ferry terminal.

Here the bridge has been improved to offer an eight foot bike/breakdown lane. They are going to widen the other half of the bridge over the next few years.

On the unimproved half, it's riding the stripe and 6-12 inches of debris filled pavement. I didn't have the cojones to take out the camera for that stretch today, it was really windy.

There are some other, less well accomodated bridges in Washington State. Most of the highway bridges on Highway 2 coming down from Stevens Pass towards Puget Sound are no shoulder, unusable sidewalk, highway speed spans. Luckily, most of them are relatively short, a couple hundred yards or less.

I ran into a 400 foot, one-lane wooden bridge/trestle thing out on the Olympics this tour, it was pretty unerving because the approaches were both steep and curvy; I was envisioning a logging truck screaming downgrade, hitting the span doing 60.

james_swift

Bike To Work Day
- Nike running suit...check
- baseball cap..check
- running shoes...check
- tourist rental bike..check
- try not to fall over in front of the camera...check

Gotta love our wacky mayor.

Artkansas 

Until recently that was a problem. The Interstate 430 bridge was the only way across the river for miles. Otherwise you had to pedal into downtown and cross one of the old bridges. Fortunately, now we have the Big Dam Bridge, exclusively for bicycles and pedestrians. Now that's the way a big bridge should be... NO CARS!

ken cummings

Answer to the post of several years ago: Cycling across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge should be a piece of cake. I (an engineer) made Pilgrimage there several years ago and walked out past one of the towers. A tandem could have gotten through there easily.

Artkansas 

Yeah, the Coronado Bridge is a dangerous bridge. No walkways, no shoulders, no bicycles allowed. To get to Coronado on your bicycle, you have to take the ferry.

Once I read in the Union Tribune about a bride and groom on the way from their wedding and their car had a flat tire on the bridge. Of course they got out to fix it. Both were killed by a car that slammed into their car.

Coronado Bridge

Bikepacker67

Cool looking bridge

manual_overide

Bikes and peds ONLY. Closed to car traffic a few years ago, and now it's quite heavily traveled.

LWaB

The Story Bridge is limited to 60 kph, which people tend to keep fairly close to (now that they've installed speed cameras). Coming out of the city, it is mostly a downhill run, so bikes can almost keep up with traffic. Into town is a bit tougher, I've removed a wing mirror on the Story Bridge.

In Britain, virtually all big bridges have pedestrian/cycle options - First Severn Bridge, Humber Bridge and so on. The Dartford Crossing east of London doesn't but operates a bike shuttle bus on demand.

In Brisbane, the second Gateway Bridge will include pedestrian and cycle access, restoring options taken away when the ferry was replaced by the first bridge nearly 20 years ago.

Personally I'd prefer not to mix it with traffic on the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate.