In my continuing peacefull bid to get people to wake up and give room: I spent about two hours of phone time, fruitless, talking to anyone on base. I got varied answers from "Not our jurisidiction" to "You ought to have lights" or "why don't you just drive then". Not the right answers, and I explained it to them gracefully, and left it at that. After nearly begging for a liason from the base to the police, I got nothing. I attempted to call the general number for SDPD and got the phone swtichboard. I did some web search.
I called the San Diego Bike Coalition. A very freindly lady on the phone gave me some specific phone numbers to the San Diego PD. One was for traffic enforcement, who took my information, and promised an officer there in two days. The purpose is to look over the area and see what contributes to the problem, and to replace a missing bike lane sign. The other was to the specific police section that governs that area. Both departments were courteous, seemed interested, and asked valid questions for descriptions. I have to say I was suprised at how real they seemed to be concerned that something get done.
Time will tell, I'm sure traffic will decrease over the holidays, but I feel like something was done.
Attached is a picture of what Dorf and I deal with on occasion coming onbase.
It's not a great photo (done from a Zire71 Palm), as it's into the light, and I was a little concerned with having a car rammed up my.. tailpipe. But you can see one next to, one in the middle, and yet another straddling the lane. This is about 1/8th of a mile before the actuall dotted line (where it's legal for a vehicle to be in the lane) at times.
Perhaps it will work out!
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.
why isnt the lane marked better, like those spray painted bicycles they ut every so often
caloso
Wow. I'm surprised you don't get doored every day. Good luck with the SDPD.
Dorf411
I called the San Diego Bike Coalition. A very freindly lady on the phone gave me some specific phone numbers to the San Diego PD. One was for traffic enforcement, who took my information, and promised an officer there in two days. The purpose is to look over the area and see what contributes to the problem, and to replace a missing bike lane sign. The other was to the specific police section that governs that area. Both departments were courteous, seemed interested, and asked valid questions for descriptions. I have to say I was suprised at how real they seemed to be concerned that something get done.
Perhaps it will work out!
William,
Will they let you know when they come out to survey the area? If so and you plan to be there let me know so I can help explain the problem. I would also like to express my concern with the other side of the street. It is a damn shame San Diego used to have a full time employed bicycle coordinator. I believe they dropped this position a couple years ago due to budget constraints.
djbowen1
it doesnt look anything like a bike lane.
Dchiefransom
The reason traffic is backed up is because they are waiting to get on base, and they can't just cruise past the gate guard. That bike lane totally sucks!!!!!!!! Cars parked on the right, then a tiny lane painted outside of them. There was a bill in this last legislative session to change that, but the California Highway Patrol lobbied against it, saying things were fine the way they are. If it were me, I'd just ride to the left of the cars backed up, then turn into the base and walk through on the sidewalk.
LittleBigMan
Man!
Is that thing as narrow as it looks?
Do you ever get caught in that groove?
Looks like the lame excuse for a bike lane we get our here. Not only that, but the motorists don't seem to respect even that!
:crash:
Man, you have my complete attention.
Dorf411
The reason traffic is backed up is because they are waiting to get on base, and they can't just cruise past the gate guard. That bike lane totally sucks!!!!!!!! Cars parked on the right, then a tiny lane painted outside of them. There was a bill in this last legislative session to change that, but the California Highway Patrol lobbied against it, saying things were fine the way they are. If it were me, I'd just ride to the left of the cars backed up, then turn into the base and walk through on the sidewalk.
Today I took the sidewalk, which is a tore up POS to the right of the cars parked along the bike lane. There are many hazards there as well, such as bottomless ruts and poles protruding up in the middle bent over to the side. I apparently came in earlier than William as I didn't have that much light and I saw considerably more traffic. Normally I do ride to the left of the cars but I wanted to try something different. Keep in mind this is an industrial area so it doesn't seem much money when it comes to roads and general upkeep.
Da Tinker
That's not a bike lane, it's more like an elongated death trap.
Go look at the LAB & BikeMass websites to get guidelines on bike lanes and the local laws. That 'bike lane' is panacea to the traffic engineer's guilty feelings and a good way to get badly hurt.
SD Fixed
For Dorf and everyone else interested in this macabe travel we call a commute, here's a picture from a day earlier of some of the issues on the other side of the base: It's the other side of the street that I take on the way home. Typically there are at least two to three cars that park this way. I didn't take a complete shot, but there is plenty of room for this guy to back completely in.
SD Fixed
. If it were me, I'd just ride to the left of the cars backed up, then turn into the base and walk through on the sidewalk.
That nearly got me wiped out twice. And I lane split, and am not really faint of heart. When I say close, I mean that the truck caught my arm with it's mirror.