Slowing down traffic, blocking bike lane to do it !

[John E]

I have direct experience with curb bulbouts, both midblock and at intersections. The City of Encinitas installed several during its highly praised, award-winning extreme makeover of Highway 101, the main drag through the old downtown. Since this is a 30mph 4-lane road with diagonal parking on both sides, my normal riding position is right down the center of the right lane. The bulbouts help reduce motorists' expectation that bicyclists should ride in the parking areas. I do get honked, but only very rarely.

[genec]

Have you actually ridden in and around that type of feature?

There's a bunch of chicken little-esque hand waving going on about how dangerous these features are but it doesn't match my experience at all.

The only thing that bothers me about this sort of thing is the lack of reflective paint or reflectors to show that it exists at night...

At least with an island in the middle, headlights from cars can illuminate it well.

The thing in Grand Junction CO has the same problem... can you actually see the curb island at night with a cheap LED type light? There is no contrast between the cement colors there.

[eofelis]

The thing in Grand Junction CO has the same problem... can you actually see the curb island at night with a cheap LED type light? There is no contrast between the cement colors there.

I have not ridden my bike on that road much, much less at night. It's not a very busy street, and not a throughway. It is close to the college though. Behind the photographer the road ends at a T with a very busy 4 lane street that is not good to ride bikes on (no shoulder). If I was riding Elm St in the pic I'd be to the left of the bike lane anyway, as the bike lane is in the door zone. There are getting to be more and more of the bike lanes in town, but many are like this, with parking on the right of them.

I don't know of any other place in town with such a configuration of the bike lane. (Not on any of my usual routes anyway). I'm not sure why they did that. Just to put the little tree in?

[damnable]

Yes.

a pedal would likely strike the curb if riding uphill,

No, or only if you are so uncoordinated that you shouldn't be riding a bike at all.



Are you trying to say that you should only ride a bike if you can somehow travel up a hill, without pedalling?

I have noticed something like this around here, except with no space where the gutter is. The traffic calmers are actually chicane type things and on some streets they are placed about 50 metres apart. They even have the audacity to mark out a 'bike lane' between each one but only on the edge of the road, forcing any cyclist on the road to constantly weave in and out of the bike and regular lanes.

[dipy911]

If they want to slow down motor traffic, why not put in islands rather than curb bulbs

Firetrucks not being able to get through come to mind.

dipy911

[noisebeam]

Firetrucks not being able to get through come to mind.

dipy911

The link I posted earlier in this thread reviews different options for traffic calming and one criteria that is used is emergency vehicle thruput. Check it out and see how different designs compare.

Al

[noisebeam]

It is not a question of if it is possible to shoot the gap or the skill level required to do so it basic or not. Legal users of the the road should not be expected or directed to a 15" wide path bounded by a curb, which is less safe than the full width pavement (full width includes pavement both to let and right of fog line or bike lane stripe)

It is a degradation of safety. Arguing that one has the skills to accomidate or that folks should be willing to take on the very slight increase in risk misses the point that the city has degraded the cycling experience (which includes safety) and clearly has a internal process disconnect in ensuring traffic control designs are reviewed for all modes of travel.

Al

[noisebeam]

That's silly. They are not being directed there. They still have the choice of riding in the lane.

Of course they have a choice, but the bike lane (assuming it is one) directs them to the narrow gap. Add heavy traffic and most cyclists won't see it as a choice.

Al

[noisebeam]

I think cyclists would see riding in the lane as a choice whether it's a car or a traffic calming feature "blocking" the bike lane.

Really, I very often see posts with complaints about vehicles being parked in BLs, finding the alternate option to use the lane as very undesirable, with discussion on legal and illegal ways of getting back at those parked cars.

Me personally, I think its stupid to put that crap in the shoulder/bike lane, but it wouldn't affect my riding safety or enjoyment.

Al

[Lamplight]

There is only one main bike lane in my town, and if something like this were built here dozens of cars would be damaged within the hour. Why? Because drivers use the bike lane for passing here, at full speed no less. (full speed being 55+) I'd love to see a narrower version here, honestly.

[lukeC]

we have a few of these type things in Sydney (Australia) and generally I never "Shoot The Gap" as mostly its too small or there are parked cars around the obstacle anyway.

They don't really make a difference here in most cases anyway.

[SirMike1983]

That planter will become a magnet for certain people who will let their dogs take a dump and then not clean it up, leaving it for pedestrians to step in-sorry but it's the pragmatist in me.

[SamHouston]

The sort of obstruction in the original post are around here usually only found on residential streets between thoroughfares, to slow traffic to residential appropriate speeds.

As for one of the complaints above...how on earth are you slowed by humps or obstructions like this when on a bicycle? They have no effect on my speed whatsoever when on a bicycle, only when I'm driving, and it doesn't bother me in the least.

Then again when I'm driving I've got no worries about when I arrive anywhere, especially as modifying my speed in a car will make only a negligible difference in arrival time, and there are no appointments to keep that warrant changes to my driving. If I'm late it's not because of my driving and it can't be corrected with driving.

There is no problem with roads that contribute to dangerous attitudes behind the wheel, these are simply mis-labeled excuses for poor behaviour.

[oilman_15106]

what the?! that's just stupid.

File this one under stupid government ideas. Now the opposing cars have almost no room to pass each other and bikes have no place to go but on the road. Start a pool as to when the first headon crash will happen. Pick your crash = car/car bike/car.

[tallard]

watch this video:... these things ARE IN THE BIKE LANES !

I didn't see any indication anywhere in the video of that, all I see is a shoulder... A shoulder is an area designated for vehicles to slow or stop in, shoulders weren't built for cyclists. Get on the street! Especially if the cars are only allowed to to 20 mph, geesh, that's school zone speed, any cyclist can handle that!

[tallard]

Build some ramps on either side and just ride over it.

Sweet idea indeed, get some air too maybe :D

[tallard]

Why not just enforce the speed limits? Write a few hundred tickets in a day, and it should take care of itself. It makes me sick that we waste so much money on the police, and they refuse to actually enforce the law.

+1

[tallard]

Forcing bicycles into traffic the lane will definitely slow traffic down.:rolleyes:

Some residents are complaining that it will reduce parking...:eek: They can park on that street?


:roflmao:

Right on!

[noisebeam]

I saw most of the video with no audio. Its a pipe dream if those neighbors want folks to drive 25mph in a 25mph zone no matter what kind of obstical course they create. Drivers today are programmed to travel at least 10mph over SL.
There have been numerous such traffic calming projects like this done locally on 25mph streets, it has resulted in less thru traffic, but in my observation everyone still goes 35mph+ between speed humps and don't even slow down between bulb outs like the ones created here (however they do temporarily slow down between more extreme bulb outs, but speed up again between them, just like they do with the humps)

Just as most cylists can 'shoot the gap' to the right of the bulb out, so can speeding motorists shoot the gap to the left, with far less to loose if they misjudge.

Here is my suggestion:
-Enforcement sweeps
-Post SL at 15mph

Al

[tallard]

I have never seen such a thing, and where I live in TAYLORSVILLE UTAH all the bike lanes are being removed.

Hoorah!
Finally back to the fundamental principals of integrated traffic with a SINGLE set of rules valid for EVERYONE!

[tallard]

If they want to slow down motor traffic, why not put in islands rather than curb bulbs. A nice big fat island that squeezes the road in the same way as a bulb would have the same effect, yet not mess with cyclists. And if motorists hit the darn things... well, that's their problem.

Heck they could plant trees in these, and put reflectors on them and everything. The goal is to slow motorists, so put the obstruction in their way.

Well you have 2 choices for slowing obstructions:

1 - place them in the middle and the motorists will pop out onto the cycle lane

2 - place them at the edges and have the cyclists pop into the traffic lane

Either way, someone's gonna hit someone if either aren't riding cautiously