Advocacy & Safety - Road User and Transportation Hierarchy

Motorists go unpunished for hazing, maiming, killing cyclists. Large cycling events are banned on state highways. Police routinely abuse the civil rights of Critical Mass riders, conduct sweeps to ticket cyclists for minor equipment violations and confiscate parked, locked bikes illegally. Cyclists resort to unsubstantiated and ridiculous claims that riding as if you were a motor vehicle is the preferential method of bicycling.

None of this will change until the road use and transportation hierarchy is changed from motor vehicles first and foremost, to a more balanced and sustainable motor vehicles last model:

1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transit
4. Other public service vehicles
5. Delivery and transport services
6. Private motor vehicles

Who's working on this?

I'm on the front lines, I walk in Los Angeles.

Motorists go unpunished for hazing, maiming, killing cyclists. Large cycling events are banned on state highways. Police routinely abuse the civil rights of Critical Mass riders, conduct sweeps to ticket cyclists for minor equipment violations and confiscate parked, locked bikes illegally. Cyclists resort to unsubstantiated and ridiculous claims that riding as if you were a motor vehicle is the preferential method of bicycling.

None of this will change until the road use and transportation hierarchy is changed from motor vehicles first and foremost, to a more balanced and sustainable motor vehicles last model:

1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transit
4. Other public service vehicles
5. Delivery and transport services
6. Private motor vehicles

Who's working on this?

What do you believe the hierarchy looks like now?

What do you believe the hierarchy looks like now?
1. Private motor vehicles
2. Freight
3. Transit
4. Pedestrians
5. Bicyclists

Don't want to disagree with you as I believe your premise has merit... It is interesting that the current hierachy is not based on size... lest Transit and Freight would score higher.

1. Private motor vehicles
2. Freight
3. Transit
4. Pedestrians
5. Bicyclists

I can agree with this. In your original list, I'd flip #4 and #5 for ordinary travel.

I'm on the front lines, I walk in Los Angeles.

:eek: The original Mr. Nobody!

The law puts the heirarchy thus:

pedestrians
the Feds
emergency vehicles
everybody else

:eek: The original Mr. Nobody!

The law puts the heirarchy thus:

pedestrians
the Feds
emergency vehicles
everybody else
Interesting fact. By 'the Feds" that includes Postal vehicles and military, right? I thought they were ahead of even pedestrians.

I think the heirarchy is:

emergency vehicles
trucks
cars
peds
Feds
bikes

I think the heirarchy should be:

peds
emergency vehicles
Feds
bikes
cars
trucks

Motorists go unpunished for hazing, maiming, killing cyclists. Large cycling events are banned on state highways. Police routinely abuse the civil rights of Critical Mass riders, conduct sweeps to ticket cyclists for minor equipment violations and confiscate parked, locked bikes illegally. Cyclists resort to unsubstantiated and ridiculous claims that riding as if you were a motor vehicle is the preferential method of bicycling.

None of this will change until the road use and transportation hierarchy is changed from motor vehicles first and foremost, to a more balanced and sustainable motor vehicles last model:

1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transit
4. Other public service vehicles
5. Delivery and transport services
6. Private motor vehicles

Who's working on this?


Japan ;)

Don't want to disagree with you as I believe your premise has merit... It is interesting that the current hierachy is not based on size... lest Transit and Freight would score higher.

Actually I think motor freight might be number one. The entire Interstate system was built more for military and motor frieght purposes than for private transportation.

... None of this will change until the road use and transportation hierarchy is changed from motor vehicles first and foremost, to a more balanced and sustainable motor vehicles last model:

1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transit
4. Other public service vehicles
5. Delivery and transport services
6. Private motor vehicles

Who's working on this?

Working on this? The city of Vancouver has this.

from:http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/dtp/



The City of Vancouver Transportation Plan (1997) established the following transportation priorities: pedestrians, bicycling, transit, goods movement and then private automobiles.

Sometimes when I read this board, I realize how much I appreciate my local situation for cycling.

To accurately reflect the utility of roadways to American society, I think freight, transit, and emergency vehicle traffic would have to be prioritized about the other uses, unfortunately.

Japan ;)
Holland and other European nations as well. :)

Around LA, cyclist rank higher than pedestrians. Way too many peds getting run over on the news lately.

Cyclists resort to unsubstantiated and ridiculous claims that riding as if you were a motor vehicle is the preferential method of bicycling.
I've never heard of anyone claiming that a bicycle should be operated as if it were a motor vehicle.

... to a more balanced and sustainable motor vehicles last model:

1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transit
4. Other public service vehicles
5. Delivery and transport services
6. Private motor vehicles

Who's working on this?

Unless of course, its delivering something that you deem important.

roughstuff

Who's working on this?
Dodge, GM, and Ford as well as all consumers who need a big vehicle so they can feel safe. If enough people buy huge overpowered vehicles, we will run out gas (or it will become so expensive that mere mortals can't afford it anymore)....

I hear ya, but you also have to consider the reality of who/how/why highways and roadways are funded. Major sources of funding are gasoline taxes, excise taxes, tolls, etc. none of which the walkers or cyclist pay.

I also think a real strong argument can be made to put the delivery/transport services at the top of the list since without them, we would essentially be back in the 1800's.

I hear ya, but you also have to consider the reality of who/how/why highways and roadways are funded. Major sources of funding are gasoline taxes, excise taxes, tolls, etc. none of which the walkers or cyclist pay.
May be true for limited access highways, but not for local roads. Please do some research before you spread disinformation. :)

I've never heard of anyone claiming that a bicycle should be operated as if it were a motor vehicle.
Youv'e been gone too long. Check any of the threads on VC. :)

I've never heard of anyone claiming that a bicycle should be operated as if it were a motor vehicle.

The thread is less than 1 day old. Trust me. You'll see it here soon :)

I've never heard of anyone claiming that a bicycle should be operated as if it were a motor vehicle.


Youv'e been gone too long. Check any of the threads on VC. :)
Actually, I cleverly objected to the terminology of the original post. I'm a VC mole working for HH.

Soon, this entire thread will be invaded and conquered by VC's!

:eek:

I'm a VC mole working for HH.

Soon, this entire thread will be invaded and conquered by VC's!

But who is HH working for? He seems to have had a falling out with Forester and is no longer shilling his books. Perhaps he figures it would detract from future sales of his own opus-to-be The Cycling Epiphany.

None of this will change until the road use and transportation hierarchy is changed from motor vehicles first and foremost, to a more balanced and sustainable motor vehicles last model:

1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transit
4. Other public service vehicles
5. Delivery and transport services
6. Private motor vehicles

Who's working on this?
Honestly, I think my heart is right there with you on this, unfortunately my cynical head is belittling me by saying things like, "It'll never happen, blah, blah..." Makes me really wonder if it's possible to move forward by actually reversing the trend towards individual motor transport that's overwhelmed us in the last 50 years or so.

I don't just blame faceless individuals ("motorists") for not caring enough. I think it's a vicious, systemic cycle that perpetuated itself in the name of progress ("standard of living.") On the one hand, our economy has grown very large by the help of our emphasis on motor transport. On the other hand, we are now so tied down to motor transport that our economy is extremely vulnerable to any shortage of oil.

Anyway, I'll still ride my bike. I like beating the system.