redden

My first comute since coming back from vacation. Riding on Ventura blvd, there is a lane that merges from the 101 freeway before Topanga Blvd. I was riding as usual, I look for cars coming off the freeway because they are usually merging at a high rate of speed, if it's clear I cross to the right so that I don't get sideswiped. The Dot Bots that were there before were no problem to cross over but they were replaced by some 3" plastic barriers, in the dark when I'm comuting the new barriers look the same. It was quite a suprise to be suddenly sliding on my side. I lay there stunned and had to jump up to wave at an oncoming SUV that was about to run me over.
Guess Cal trans doesn't give 2 wheelers a second thought. I took pictures of my road rash and the street where it happened. I'll set up a webpage with pictures later today.

If u ride this route beware...Heres a map link to the road. https://tinyurl.com/o45ec

redden

Have the webpage up. See it here https://tinyurl.com/jvp88

AlmostTrick

That sounds pretty scary, I'm glad to hear you're ok.

redden

I filed a report on the Caltrans website. I wonder how many more of these barriers were setup in the city. They have a damage claim form. Maybe I should fill one out. I'll sit by the phone and wait for the Governor to call.
They put up a barrier on the 405/101 interchange that has plastic poles, wish they had used this type instead.
It can be pretty hazardous commuting in Los Angeles, now in addition to all the normal hazards we have to worry about Caltrans setting traps! Damn

Keith99

Actually on that offramp going with what they did with the poles on top sounds best.

On Desoto just North of Ventura and On Sepulveda north of Sunset they put in those poles to prevent left turns. Both were in places where it had been lined to prohibit left turns for a long time. On Desoto there is almost no sign of the poles. Last time I was on Sepulveda most of the poles were gone. Caltrans did not remove any of the poles, people just drove over them until they were destroyed.

redden

Sounds like ur local.
It seems that the only thing this barrier will do is force bicyclists to straddle the traffic between the middle lane and the traffic on the right thats getting off the freeway. Some of the cars in the middle lane will want to turn right on Farralone for the library and some on the right will want to get left to turn on on Farralone for the Post office. Seems like a recipe for disaster. Since this barrier is only 2-3" high it will not stop cars from crossing. I can't think on any good use for this new type of barrier, unless your intent is to rid the city of cyclists. At least the poles are easy to see and even if drivers take them out they won't cause a cyclist to crash on a freeway offramp!

Keith99

Shoup and Oxnard is the major intersection closest to home.

Just for non-local people, the offramp in question is just after Ventura Blvd goes under the Ventura Freeway about the same angle as when a rail road crosses from being on one side of the street to the other (staying parallel to the street before and after).

I go way back locally. This offramp has always had it's own lane coming off the freeway, but for years drivers would either stop at the bottom though there was no stop sign, creating a dangerous surprise for drivers behind them and/or try to merge left because they thought their lane was ending. It gets even nastier because of the 3 lanes on Ventura 1 turns left onto the freeway, one is left or straight and only one straight only. It has been that way for a while, but for the past few years a greater and greater percentage of cars are turning left. In effect the left two lanes are left turn lanes.

It is a potentially nasty section. There is no short distance reasonable detour. Depending on where you are going there may be alternate routes, but only if your destination is several miles distant. In the past Ave San Lous might have been a decent local alternate, but increasing traffic has made it far less desireable. For night riding I'm not at all sure of the street lighting on that route. (Plus some of the crossings it would require would be nasty in low light situations).

redden

I've always traveled this route in the early morning hours, usually dark except when near the summer solstice. Traffic's getting heavier in the early morning hours. It's a bad feeling to find yourself suddenly sliding on your side. Bike clothes do not offer much protection.

Blue Order

I assume there's a slip-and-fall lawyer in L.A.?

Helmet Head

It's tempting to cut across solid stripes and gores in situations like this to get to the right side of the new merging lane ASAP, but I find it to be safer and more effective to control the rightmost lane before I get to the merge, and stay in that lane controlling it, until I'm to the point where the separation between my lane and the new lane is a dashed stripe (not a solid stripe or a gore), then I might merge right, if it's clear, or begin negotiation to merge right if it's not. Obviously, I will monitor for the status of whether it's clear or not as I approach this point, but I won't actually move right until I've passed it.

In all fairness to Caltrans, they put the new barrier inside a gore where no one, including cyclists, is supposed to be traveling.

redden

I guess spikes would be a more equitable solution since they would affect all uses of the road equally. It's a matter of time before this "solution" results in loss of life, but I guess it's all worthwhile if it maintains respect for the gore.

sbhikes

redden, Caltrans appears to be pretty much blind to cyclists. Advocates really have to hound them to remember us.

redden

I have yet to get a reply from Caltrans. Any ideas on how to be more vocal. any other agencies to contact?

markw

File a damage claim. Letter head from a lawyer gets a response really fast also. Got any lawyer friends? It takes a VERY long time to get government to respond.

Helmet Head

Since when is making travel in gores safe looking out for cyclists?
Since when is traveling in gores a cyclist issue?

thomson

My sympathies. I grew up near Burbank and Fallbrook and I remember that offramp always being an issue for bicyclists. Good luck with CalTrans.

Have you considered talking with your state assemblywoman? They are currently ajourned so she should be in her regional office.

Assemblywoman Fran Pavley (Dem)
41st Assembly District

District Address
6355 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Suite 205
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818) 596-4141


Ask her what issues she has that are more important than the safety of her constituents.

billygoat_acres

Here's their response:

I am the salesman for Filtrona/Davidson Traffic Control Products here on the West Coast. We are the manufacturer of the FG 300 curb. I tried to contact the gentlemen directly who posted those pictures on Bike Forum but of course could not. Would you please let him know that I’ve contacted the agency who I think installed the curb and they are going to look into it right away. Our curb system is designed to incorporate delineator posts, with the bases built directly into the curb. The posts though are optional and come in just about any height or configuration. Looking at the pictures I can clearly see the posts were not installed; it’s not that they broke off or anything like that. Installation of the posts is quick and easily done, even after the curb is installed on the roadway.


The FG 300 is a mountable channelizer, only 2” high, with sloped sides and multiple reflectors built in for night-time delineation. Its modular construction lends itself to just about any installation configuration a Traffic Engineer can come up with.


We’re sorry Mr. Redden had a bad experience with our product. I’m sure some sort of action will be taken right away to remedy the problem.


Thank you for your attention.

redden

My guess is the implementation is as much or more responsible than the product. I can't see any useful purpose for this product on a road that expects to see bicycle traffic. I went to the location and took some more pictures. The more I think about it the more upset I get. This implementation is a crime. I guess a few signs about sharing the road pays lip service while the same public officials work to make a dangerous situation worse.
Guess it's open season on bicyclist's in Los Angeles.
New link https://tinyurl.com/zs4ds

Helmet Head

I still think you shouldn't be riding in the gore, but if they can put up posts to make it more visible, so much the better.

Keith99

In this case the barriers were put in to prevent cars from cutting into adjacent lanes instead of merging properly. Since the posts would improve the performance of the original intent adding them in seems like a good idea. (And a car at night or glare times coule still make the same mistake the OP did with even worse consequences as things stand now).

John E

HH, this is one place you and I differ. Free high-speed merges scare the $@%.! out of me. If high-speed traffic enters the road to my right, I stop and wait for a break, and the gore zone provides me an ideal refuge for making such a stop. I know you are perfectly comfortable with negotiating and creating your own traffic breaks (and relish the thrill and challenge of so doing), but in fast traffic, I am not.

redden

Regardless of how you decide to approach this, I don't think barriers that only hurt bicyclists should not be part of public roads. If you looked at today's pictures they show no affect to any 4 wheel vehicle that decides to cross them. I tried it and driving across it is not even noticeable, yet attempt to cross on a bike and you'll be on your ass. A bicycle has light weight, small size and maneuverability in it's favor and these type of barriers take all that away while not restricting the 3000 lb + vehicles in the slightest. A billion share the road posters won't make up for that and any city that incorporates this type of device is Bike Hostile no matter what drivel city stooges offer up.

Until this damn thing went up I had safely ridden this area hundreds of times. Maybe as an outlaw for not respecting the gore but undamaged and causing no one else any harm. Guess who ever placed this there decided I deserved to die for my transgression.

Philatio

could a motorcycle make it over?

redden

I think it's depends on the angle of attack and the lean angle of the motorcycle. 90 degrees and straight up and down would be no problem. It's a freeway offramp with a hard right to merge onto Ventura Blvd, so hitting it at anything near a 90 degree angle of attack would send you flying into the other traffic lanes nearly perpendicular to traffic. I watched one motorcycle come within inches of hitting it. My guess is that had he hit it he would have gone down.

I hit it at a very shallow angle since I was unaware of it's presence. Were my bike equipped with a high power HID headlight instead of the cateye led I would probably have seen it.