Advocacy & Safety - Stupid bike lanes- we all have 'em

This one's in SoCal (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/how-stupid-is-your-bike-lane/?ex=1207800000&en=e05b68ac1ae5c46b&ei=5070&emc=eta1), but they're everywhere.

I certainly can't beat that one.

I can.

http://www.maj.com/gallery/almac/bike/dsc00039.jpg

Allister, what intersection is that in your photograph?

Charles

Allister, what intersection is that in your photograph?

Charles

Wynnum Road and Bognor St. (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=cnr+bognor+and+wynnum+road&sll=-27.46758,153.027892&sspn=0.048739,0.065832&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr)

This kind of 'design' is pretty common around the place. I know of at least a few others.

Allister, is there a painted bicycle logo on there somewhere?

It may just be a narrow shoulder, but if it has the logo or signs then dayum.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff195/ahulvey/P3290106.jpg

Section of the 670 bike trail, to the left and right, of the freeway off ramp and blind corner. At least it is a 3 way stop, including the bike path.

Allister, is there a painted bicycle logo on there somewhere?

It may just be a narrow shoulder, but if it has the logo or signs then dayum.

It does, although it's a little faded. You can almost make it out just before the stop line. Either way, the green paint means 'bikelane'.

There are a few in the Atlanta area that are only a few hundred feet long like the first one. At least one of them doesn't even dump you out into traffic, but into a ditch.

My "favorite" bike lane in my area is not nearly as bad, but just shows poor planning. It follows Devonshire for about 8 blocks of suburbia. it crosses about 4 hills, all of which get pretty tiring to climb up and down. Lassen Ave. 1 block away, crosses no hills, has only a slight grade, and has no bike lane. Because it has no bike lane the city does not clean it regularly and is littered with glass, nails, and garbage. Both look the same on a map, and I am guessing the guys who planned the lane don't ride much.

Here's another, even stupider one.

Location (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=cnr+lytton+road+and+barrack+road&sll=-27.458873,153.091135&sspn=0.006426,0.008433&ie=UTF8&ll=-27.457988,153.090792&spn=0.006426,0.008433&t=h&z=17&iwloc=addr)

http://www.maj.com/gallery/almac/bike/dsc00058.jpg

The 'bikelane' spits you back onto the road at the end of the concrete path. The shoulder continues for another 10m or so, but narrower than the one I'm sitting in in the pic, and then dwindles to nothing, uphill with lots of truck traffic. I'm not sure who they think they're helping with this 'facility'.

A couple of Portland's new 'Bike Boxes' would probably qualify, especially the one at NW Everett at 16th.