Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Advocacy & Safety
Reload this Page >

Create a bike lane in my town!

Notices
Advocacy & Safety Cyclists should expect and demand safe accommodation on every public road, just as do all other users. Discuss your bicycle advocacy and safety concerns here.

Create a bike lane in my town!

Old 12-12-10, 07:15 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Create a bike lane in my town!

I need one.. Drivers aren't fully aware of cycling in my neighborhood so I am at high risk! How to make it happen?
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 07:18 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 7,048
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 509 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 8 Posts
Well, there's always the do-it-yourself approach. https://www.grist.org/article/2010-08...ing-world-cup/
B. Carfree is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 07:22 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by B. Carfree
Well, there's always the do-it-yourself approach. https://www.grist.org/article/2010-08...ing-world-cup/
No thank you.
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 07:27 PM
  #4  
CRIKEY!!!!!!!
 
Cyclaholic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: all the way down under
Posts: 4,276

Bikes: several

Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1589 Post(s)
Liked 687 Times in 365 Posts
Originally Posted by Chini563
No thank you.
"Be the change you wish to see"
Ghandi
__________________
"Surely one can love his own country without becoming hopelessly lost in an all-consuming flame of narrow-minded nationalism" - Fred Birchmore
Cyclaholic is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 07:33 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Cyclaholic
"Be the change you wish to see"
Ghandi
I am going to try to speak with the Village and get in contact with the LAB to see how we can get it done!

BTW That quote is awesome it speaks volumes
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 07:48 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 134
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Step 1.
Generate an awareness of cycling.

Why do you think a bike lane will change the risk you face while on your bike?

If you are concerned about your safety while riding, I'd suggest checking with the closest advocacy group to see if any LCI's offer classes in your area. Faster, cheaper and probably more effective than getting bike lanes installed.
Zizka is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 08:03 PM
  #7  
Banned
 
dynodonn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: U.S. of A.
Posts: 7,466
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1268 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times in 67 Posts
Originally Posted by Chini563
I need one.. Drivers aren't fully aware of cycling in my neighborhood so I am at high risk! How to make it happen?
Make sure it's not some minimum standard compromise, once installed the bike lane may take a considerable length of time to get any alterations made, leaving you and other cyclists to deal with the consequences in the mean time.
dynodonn is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 08:07 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Zizka
Step 1.
Generate an awareness of cycling.

Why do you think a bike lane will change the risk you face while on your bike?

If you are concerned about your safety while riding, I'd suggest checking with the closest advocacy group to see if any LCI's offer classes in your area. Faster, cheaper and probably more effective than getting bike lanes installed.
Agreed, already looking into it through the Department of Motor Vehicles. check!
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 08:08 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dynodonn
make sure it's not some minimum standard compromise, once installed the bike lane may take a considerable length of time to get any alterations made, leaving you and other cyclists to deal with the consequences in the mean time.
right!!!
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-12-10, 10:43 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
cycle16v's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 172

Bikes: Cannondale, Giant, Specialized

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Good luck. Most of what I've seen when cities actually put a bike lane is poor maintenance for it. You'll find it will be more a hazard lane for you because of all the trash/debris that, for some reason, the city doesn't clean up.
cycle16v is offline  
Old 12-13-10, 03:36 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cycle16v
Good luck. Most of what I've seen when cities actually put a bike lane is poor maintenance for it. You'll find it will be more a hazard lane for you because of all the trash/debris that, for some reason, the city doesn't clean up.
I'll kit
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-13-10, 07:41 PM
  #12  
meandering nomad
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Newport,Rhode Island
Posts: 444

Bikes: eleven bikes no car

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Liked 16 Times in 12 Posts
Be careful what you wish for, if your town has on street parking you'll get put in the door zone. If your town has a 25MPH speed limit you're better off getting in the lane and picking up your speed a little and learn to wave at the jerkoffs that honk. Your getting in the lane will put you in a safer place because they can't run you off the road, and you can use any road as is your right not just the ones that have painted lines in the gutter pan.
billew is offline  
Old 12-15-10, 10:57 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 397
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Bike lanes aren't magic. They aren't going to change motorist behaviour or attitude. Your much much better off learning VC skills. You'll be much better off learning traffic skills even if you successfuly get your town to install bike lanes. And think about it this way, unless you can get them to install bike lanes from your house to whereever you want to go, you'll still have to ride with and deal with traffic.
SCROUDS is offline  
Old 12-27-10, 03:33 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have been thinking about this and I'd much rather have signs with bikes instead in and around where I got hit!!!
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-27-10, 03:48 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
sonatageek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cleveland,Ohio
Posts: 2,784
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
What about trying for a 'sharrow' approach? Not a dedicated lane but some markings to help drivers be aware that they are sharing the road with non-motorized transport ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking

sonatageek is offline  
Old 12-27-10, 04:05 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Chini563's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 244

Bikes: Bianchi B4P Mono Q

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Yea, thats the one I saw in California!
Chini563 is offline  
Old 12-27-10, 04:19 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Seattle Forrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,644 Times in 6,053 Posts
Originally Posted by Cyclaholic
"Be the change you wish to see"
Ghandi
+1.

Paint and a brush.
Seattle Forrest is offline  
Old 12-27-10, 04:32 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
jputnam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Pacific, WA
Posts: 1,260

Bikes: Custom 531ST touring, Bilenky Viewpoint, Bianchi Milano, vintage Condor racer

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by sonatageek
What about trying for a 'sharrow' approach? Not a dedicated lane but some markings to help drivers be aware that they are sharing the road with non-motorized transport ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking

Shared lane use markings are now in the MUTCD, though many jurisdictions have not yet adopted the latest edition.

Sharrows cost much less than bike lanes to install and maintain, and they don't trigger mandatory bike lane laws in places that practice segregation.

Most motorists don't know what they mean, but if your goal is simple bicycle awareness, they do contribute to that.

Just make sure they are far enough into the lane - segregationists tend to paint them too close to the curb, like a pseudo-bike lane. They should be out of the door zone if parking is allowed.
jputnam is offline  
Old 12-27-10, 04:44 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Keith99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,866
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
To the OP.

If yuo want bike lanes decide exactly what you want. Then look at what it will take, just on the physical level. Just some paint? Loss of a traffic lane? Loss of parking?

Make sure what you want will work, a bike lane that is beautiful for 90% of its length but is right hook traps and the like for the rest may do more harm than good. (I've seen soi many that are nice, until the end whey it is like the money ran out and the cyclist is dumped into traffic at teh worst possible place).

Look at what the bike lane will cost others, then decide if it is a battle you can win. If it is present a complete proposal for at least the physical part. That makes it so the easy route for the politicos is to go with what you want. Th elast thing you want is for the easy route to be somethgin crappy.
Keith99 is offline  
Old 12-28-10, 08:44 AM
  #20  
totally louche
 
Bekologist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023

Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 8 Posts
Originally Posted by jputnam
Shared lane use markings are now in the MUTCD, though many jurisdictions have not yet adopted the latest edition.

Sharrows cost much less than bike lanes to install and maintain, and they don't trigger mandatory bike lane laws in places that practice segregation.

Most motorists don't know what they mean, but if your goal is simple bicycle awareness, they do contribute to that.

Just make sure they are far enough into the lane - segregationists tend to paint them too close to the curb, like a pseudo-bike lane. They should be out of the door zone if parking is allowed.
Quite insincere, that.

'segregationists' paint sharrows too close to the curb? are you implicating the union schlubs that paint the roads, the engineers that design shared lane roadways as part of a bike master plan, or the people that sit on the MUTCD standards committee? I would expect better of my northwest cycling brethren, but vc addles. Places that "practice segregation?" Do you mean that the state of california practices segregation against cyclists? That's some wild, wacky stuff you're peddling there. Oh well.

to the OP:

you can't just get a bikelane painted to service you personally as a bicyclist, and I doubt your community and county road commission is just going to accept that one citizen would like a bikelane to their house.

What is the state of bicycling advocacy where you live? does your city or region have an existing bike master plan? has your state passed complete streets legislation?

The most likely way planning for roadway bicycle traffic is going to occur where you live is if your city or county adopts a bike master plan that seeks to identify and improve bicycle routes with roadway enhancements for bicycle traffic where warranted.

Some traffic corridors benefit from preferred class facilities like a bikelane, some from improved shoulders, others from traffic calming, some from little to nothing at all. but getting a bikelane in along a road isn't going to happen until a governing authority takes a look at the need and merit of bicycle facilities.

That is only going to come about thru advocacy and enactment of a bike master plan.

but it happens even in small communities, my hometown of 20,000 people have enacted a BMP and select traffic corridors have been improved for roadway bicycle traffic. i suspect in a smaller town it might be even easier if you can get people on board with the benefits of encouraging active transportation.

Last edited by Bekologist; 12-28-10 at 09:02 AM.
Bekologist is offline  
Old 01-01-11, 03:42 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
jputnam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Pacific, WA
Posts: 1,260

Bikes: Custom 531ST touring, Bilenky Viewpoint, Bianchi Milano, vintage Condor racer

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Bekologist
Quite insincere, that.

'segregationists' paint sharrows too close to the curb? are you implicating the union schlubs that paint the roads, the engineers that design shared lane roadways as part of a bike master plan, or the people that sit on the MUTCD standards committee?
I'm referring to jurisdictions such as Seattle that have painted many sharrows further to the right than is permitted in MUTCD standards, placing them squarely within the door zone of parked cars. Where on-street parking is not allowed, they have centered sharrows 25% closer to the curb than MUTCD specifies as a bare minimum.

People have measured the incorrect placements and reported them to the city, which has so far done nothing to fix the problem, but does confirm the placement meets the City's plans.

Not being a Seattle DOT insider, I have no idea whose decision it was to use sharrows as if they were marking a bike lane to the right of traffic, rather than indicating a single traffic lane shared by cyclists.

If the OP decides sharrows are a better solution, he should make sure his jurisdiction respects the specified minimum distance from the right edge of the lane, or else the sharrows will encourage dangerous lane positioning among cyclists and encourage motorists to believe this unsafe positioning is where bikes belong.

Last edited by jputnam; 01-01-11 at 03:50 PM.
jputnam is offline  
Old 01-01-11, 05:22 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
gcottay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Green Valley AZ
Posts: 3,770

Bikes: Trice Q; Volae Century; TT 3.4

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Chini563
I need one.. Drivers aren't fully aware of cycling in my neighborhood so I am at high risk! How to make it happen?
What, exactly, is happening to put you at high risk and how would a bike lane change that?
gcottay is offline  
Old 01-01-11, 05:29 PM
  #23  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,788
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Personally, I'd rather see signage -- like "Share The Road" or "Bicycles Allowed Full use of Lane" on the same posts as nearly every stop sign and speed limit sign. Maybe a revolving plan using 60% at any one time, relocated to a new signpost 2-3x a year (but that would be labor-intensive).
DX-MAN is offline  
Old 01-01-11, 07:47 PM
  #24  
24-Speed Machine
 
Chris516's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Wash. Grove, MD
Posts: 6,058

Bikes: 2003 Specialized Allez 24-Speed Road Bike

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Chini563
I need one.. Drivers aren't fully aware of cycling in my neighborhood so I am at high risk! How to make it happen?
Take the lane!! Don't give it to motorists!!!
Chris516 is offline  
Old 01-01-11, 08:33 PM
  #25  
totally louche
 
Bekologist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: A land that time forgot
Posts: 18,023

Bikes: the ever shifting stable loaded with comfortable road bikes and city and winter bikes

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times in 8 Posts
Originally Posted by jputnam
I'm referring to jurisdictions such as Seattle that have painted many sharrows further to the right than is permitted in MUTCD standards......
right. it really seems like you just wanted to toss around the 'seg' word and damnify planning for roadway bicycle traffic with a negative spin using a loaded, inaccurate and misleading phrase.


AS to sharrows and the OP's desire to get bikeway designation along this road he's describing, what if the road is a 45mph roadway? No sharrows then, joshua.....should the OP still lobby for bikeway enhancements?

Last edited by Bekologist; 01-01-11 at 08:39 PM.
Bekologist is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.