joejack951

Do you read the glowing endorsements of bike lanes? If not, I'll paraphrase for you: "I get close passes all the time in the bike lane but at least they are on the other side of the stripe. They might have come 6 inches from me shoulder but I'd still rather have the stripe even though before the stripe they gave me more room. I'm ok with being left and right hooked because that doesn't make me feel as unsafe as making people change lanes to go around me."

If anything, my statement is not a glowing endorsement of travelling on public roadways since, if I compared my cycling stats to motoring stats, those numbers would be much worse for close passes and the right pass number would be about the same.

Bekologist

Joejack, there ALREADY IS a bike lane on that road, to benefit riders along that stretch of highway speed road. the community indian wells is going to remove it. Bicyclists there don't have to wait for anything, except less riders riding there as the highway speed road becomes more auto-centric. Less riders, joe.

And your "argument" that riders should be expected to have to control highway speed traffic is very elitist of you. Why do you predicate all riders are as bullheaded as yourself?

Remember, this road ALREADY HAS a bike lane - this thread is about a community removing it. your argument is fallacious and chestbeating in the extreme.

rando

the concept of a cyclist being deficient in some way or needing the proper training and motivation via a class or book (y'all know which ones I'm talking about) in order to want to take the lane in highway speed traffic IS an elitist concept. the whole idea of trying to facilitate the same goal as on-road striping (more riders on the road) by trying to convince Uncle Chuck and Grandma that all they have to do is "take the lane" in highway speed traffic and they will "control" the lane is misguided, and I think, doomed to failure.

I think it would be much easier and faster (than the alternative) to lobby local governments to paint some stripes and signange or widen lanes than try to reach the unwashed masses with the mantra of " take the lane no matter what". that this kind of lobbying has not necessarily been done in communities is a testament to the divided Cycling community and their inability to truly advocate for all cyclists. just my opinion, you may (and I know some will) disagree. IMO, until cyclists find some common ground and speak in one voice advocating for ALL cyclists (and that includes signage, facilities, lanes, sharrows, WOLs, whatever), there will continue to be few cyclists on the roads. and that's not good for cycling.

in this particular case, the local government is acting against cyclists in taking away the bike lane. I hope they fight it and win!

SamHouston

Sounds like Greg Johnson is in the pocket of local developers.

noisebeam

I think some reality is needed here. This is not removing a BL from 'freeway', with freeway driving speeds and freeway driving 'focus'. This is adding pavement space and an addtional full width lane in place of bike width and marked lane, to an suburban state route/highway with multiple frequent intersections and suburban road driving 'focus'. I'd estimate this road has a SL posted of no more than 55mph, maybe even as low as 45mph (can someone verify?) - state highways that go thru suburbs in metro-phx have a 45mph posted limit. The on the ground 'feel' is not different than a 45mph posted arterial road.

Here is a map to the area:
https://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en...60596&t=k&om=1

Al

Bekologist

yeah, and i think that road 'improvement' as described in the OP sucks for riders, al.

predicating riders share lanes of high speed traffic will discourage ridership along that cooridor. taking out bike faciltites is a disservice to riders in that community.

noisebeam

Sure, I know your opinion already. But I was seeing many comments (more so in the related 4+BL->6 thread) about freeway speeds, etc. - but with the number of intersections and the enviroment of this road, it seems much more like an arterial. Thats all.

Al

sbhikes

I'm not totally familiar with the area--having seen it from a distance only--but it appears to me that this road is the main drag into town and at least begins its life as a state route, probably with a speed limit of 55mph that slows as it reaches town.