Ebt racer

I'm posting to see how many other people have this problem. It has been one of my major complaints about city riding. once or twice I've bin clipped by a car who has been driving in the bike lanes and then had them cursing and swearing at me. Now a little clip doesn't seem like much but when you're going 40+ks on a road bike a little clip could kill you!

I always get so mad when i see people doing it, whether I'm riding or walking or driving, and it happens all the time! Also another major problem I've had is smashed glass in the lanes.
I wish there was a way to keep the cars out of the bike lanes and that they could be kept clear.

any responses to this are welcome.

joejack951

Are you getting clipped mid-block or at intersections by turning vehicles? What's the speed limit on these roads where you are going 40+km/h?

Bekologist

you think the drivers like you in the road MORE than in the bike lane?

drivers dislike bikers regardless; with a preferential lane only the absolute wackjobs have anything to complain about. but the drivers hate to see bikes pass traffic congestion in a bike lane as well.

i guess the only solution is to eliminate bike lanes, and get stuck in traffic?

i hate potholes and glass. i find these hazards all over the road. drivers too, for that matter.....

ghettocruiser

Generally if traffic backs up too much, people look for whatever they can find to jump the line... parking lots, side streets, and bike lanes. I've never had anyone act aggressively in a dedicated bike lane, but in the diamond lanes (for buses bikes taxis) I've been honked at by cars that were not allowed to be there in the first place.

sbhikes

Airzound.

zippered

um, doesn't seem like much?

getting clipped is not acceptable, i might be inclided to consider it getting hit. were you able to get the license plate? i've only made one traffic complaint report (which didn't go anywhere, but it was fairly minor with no contact) but though i'm leery of the police, perhaps if these incidences weren't ignored, things might change.

might. slowly.

Toyman991

Most bike lanes in my neck of the woods are only about 4 feet wide. Where I most frequently see vehicles intruding on them is at right-hand curves in the road where the driver is trying to take a tighter line. Alas, these lanes have become known locally as the "glass and gravel" lane due to lack of regular street sweeping.

maximusvt

I haven't ever used this line but if I encounter a car stopped in traffic, waiting in the bike lane, I will just knock on his rear window and ask him if he's saving a lot of time.
Yesterday I encountered a slow moving lawnmower or tractor riding in the bike lane so that the cars could pass him. I almost got pissed off about it, but I just pulled in front of one of the cars and passed him as well. Not worth getting bent out of shape over.

Falkon 

If I saw a car in the bike lane trying to pass traffic, I'd probably throw my water bottle.

Helmet Head

Speak for yourself Bek. I get nothing but mutual respect, and often waves and smiles, from the vast majority of drivers. If you want to be treated like a vehicle driver, you need to act like one, which you obviously don't.

Blue Order

That extended finger isn't a "wave," HH...

Helmet Head

Drivers in California and in most other states are REQUIRED to merge into bike lanes prior to make right turns, and are allowed to do so up to 200 feet prior to their turn.

In California and in most other states, a motorist in the bike lane within 200 feet of a right turn is perfectly legal and proper.

Of course, they should yield to any cyclists who are in there, but once they're partially in the bike lane, they have the right of way, and you have to yield to them.

Blue Order

I think you're only partially correct.

First: They "should" yield to any cyclist who is in the bike lane? So they don't have to yield? They can cut you off? They can mow you down? Come on, you must realize that they "must" yield to any cyclist who has the right of way.

Second: They have the right of way, and you have to yield to them? You must mean once they are in the properly in the lane, they have the right of way IF you are approaching from behind.

Bekologist

WHERE IS THIS ERSATZ CYCLING PARADISE? I want to go there, just for vacation. - I rode 65 miles today, helemt head, how much did you ride? you think i don't ride like a vehicle........

Helmet Head

It's whereever I ride, without exception. If you think driver respect is a function of where you ride, rather than how you ride, you're missing the whole point of VC.


Only 6 miles so far.

Based on how you write about it, I don't think you act like a vehicle driver when you're riding in traffic.

Helmet Head

I don't make the distinction between should and must that you are in this context. By "they should" I mean they're supposed to; if they don't they're breaking the law. I did not mean to imply yielding is somehow optional.

Another example: Right turn only lanes should be used only for turning right.

Right. And this is often the case, since they are usually slowing down for their right turn.

Bekologist

head, if you think you'd get 'smiles and waves' and gingerbread cookies handed out windows wherever you ride a bicycle, i think it is candyland where you're riding, bub.

i think there are drivers everywhere that won't respect a bicyclist except begrudgingly. the problems are not bicycle accomodations on the road.

Ebt racer

Generally I find most Drivers to be quite friendly buthis is a massive generalisation) I have most problems with p platers and ute or small truck drivers. I now many arn't like that but they make up the majority of my problem drivers.

quote joe jack 951:Are you getting clipped mid-block or at intersections by turning vehicles? What's the speed limit on these roads where you are going 40+km/h?

Of the two or three times i have been clipped one was one a highway by a guy towing a caravan, the second was crusing through town on a straight road with a speed limit of 80kms and the third was at traffic lights by an impatient driver

The Human Car

See:
(MPEG)
https://massbike.org/police/mpg/rightturn.mpg
or
(MP4)
https://massbike.org/police/MP4/Right_Turn.mp4

joejack951

For the first and second examples, were those vehicles by themselves, in the front of a pack, or inside of a pack of vehicles? Assuming one of the first two options, positioning yourself further left, outside of the bike lane, can help considerably in getting more space in these situations. Often times, when motorists see a cyclist in a bike lane, they only pay attention to being to the left of the stripe and pay no attention to where the cyclist is in the bike lane as long as they are to the right of the stripe. This often results in very close passes and I've heard of quite a few cyclists getting clipped by mirrors that hang into the bike lane even when the vehicle's wheels are outside of it. The trailer incident is something I've had to deal with on narrow roadways. I've learned to force them as far left as possible (while still keeping reasonable space for them to pass), letting the tow vehicle get by then moving back right as the trailer passes as it almost always swings right earlier than the driver seems to think it will. With a bike lane, you have plenty of room to get the driver first to move left then move yourself to the right to maximize the space between you and him. For a vehicle in a pack clipping you, about the best you can do is monitor traffic in a rear view mirror and look for close passes. Again, get yourself as much space as you can from the start and move right only as needed.

At the traffic light, were you blocking a turning vehicle by being in the bike lane?

sggoodri

If more motorists drove in the bike lane more of the time, over a greater distance, the debris would get swept past the bike lane.

Helmet Head

On my ride home last night I experimented. Riding in a bike lane, near the stripe, about 15 mph (slight upgrade) I was watching in my mirror traffic go by on my left at about 40. They were following a line a few feet from the BL stripe, not adjusting for my presence. I started zig-zigging. I would zig from about the center of the bike lane to the stripe, back and forth. Nothing wild. Really, just smooth constant "S" curves. Immediately the traffic behind me responded by moving a few feet left, closer to the left edge of their lane. It was like a dance.

rando

this is a good point.

Roughstuff

I feel that since I enter the 'car lane' on a regular basis (to avoid a pothole, to improve road surface, to bypass a parked car, to turn left if the left turn lane is a doable option) yadda yadda, it would be the height of hypocrisy to grudge cars entering the 'bike lane' for what very often is the same motive--convenience. I say share the road.

roughstuff

Roughstuff

Wow...what a great idea. Lets let cars, trucks, buses, (we are ALL TRAFFIC, right? ) and semi's start doing nice little sine wave motions back and forth in their lanes on the road, and maybe we can pipe in music to give 'em a rhythm to sway to. If you saw a car behind you swaying back and forth in his lane, would it make you hug the right of the bike lane as ya got a bit nervous? Would it be like a 'dance?'

Alot of street punks ride erratically in the shoulder all the time, and as I say so often, it destroys all the goodwill that drivers develop seeing experienced, courteous and long distance cyclists.


roughstuff