The good and the bad on NPR

[nun]

Did anyone hear the report on NPR this morning about the congressman who has cycled to the capitol building each day for the last 10 years? It s good that at least one of out lawmakers is doing something practical to help the planet and lessen DC congestion. However, the end of the story really ticked me off. The reporter accompanied the congressman on his commute and got a bit alarmed when he saw a car coming towards them. Sure enough the congressman admits that sometimes that happens when he's cycling the wrong way on a One Way Road......he turns out to be yet another cyclist who can't follow the most basic road rules.

[maddyfish]

Yep ride the wrong way down a one way road, and that happens.

[Kerlenbach]

I heard that too. Interesting that that part made it on the air. I suppose on balance it was a good report.

[randya]

NPR is about as fair and balanced as Fox these days, it comes from 8 years of kissing Bush Admin. ass...

:eek:

[Ed Holland]

You'd think they's realise that politics is a one way street ;)

[jfmckenna]

Who was the congressman?

[Jerseysbest]

Earl Blumenauer, from Portland, Oregon...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91831971

[jfmckenna]

Ah of course, Ecotopia ;)

[joejack951]

I thought bike lanes reduced wrong way cycling?

[genec]

I thought bike lanes reduced wrong way cycling?

I didn't hear whether a bike lane was even used... just wrong way on a one way street.

Hard to blame bike lanes if none were involved.

[randya]

so that's where those right-hook bike boxes / lanes in Portland come from...

:eek:

[joejack951]

I didn't hear whether a bike lane was even used... just wrong way on a one way street.

Hard to blame bike lanes if none were involved.

I thought bike lanes educated cyclists on how to use the roads, regardless of if one was present or not. In a city like Portland with bike lanes everywhere, you'd think a cyclist would know not to go the wrong way up a one way street, right?

[randya]

he was riding in Washington DC for the interview

[genec]

I thought bike lanes educated cyclists on how to use the roads, regardless of if one was present or not. In a city like Portland with bike lanes everywhere, you'd think a cyclist would know not to go the wrong way up a one way street, right?

Sure, provided they weren't preoccupied with a radio interview.

And again, since there may not have been bike lanes involved... pretty hard to put the blame on them. (although you seem to be trying fairly hard here).

Of course one might also expect someone that has been elected to public office to also be bright enough to observe the "Do Not Enter" sign and the "One Way" signs that were probably hanging there for motorists, too. :rolleyes:

[cod.peace]

Of course one might also expect someone that has been elected to public office to also be bright enough to observe the "Do Not Enter" sign and the "One Way" signs that were probably hanging there for motorists, too. :rolleyes:

You clearly don't follow politics too much ;)

[genec]

You clearly don't follow politics too much ;)

Uh I follow it well enough to know that we don't seem to be electing the best and brightest...

But part of that is the voters. :rolleyes:

Someone once said ”In democracy you get the leaders you deserve.”

[randya]

I don't see anything wrong with the occassional shortcut the wrong way on a low-traffic one way street, I do it myself from time to time. The reporter, however, appeared to be caught off guard, for which the congressman apologized. I don't think it's really that big of a deal.

[thehum]

I don't see anything wrong with the occassional shortcut the wrong way on a low-traffic one way street, I do it myself from time to time. The reporter, however, appeared to be caught off guard, for which the congressman apologized. I don't think it's really that big of a deal.

ditto, especially in cities where one way streets are the only way to certain places.

[joejack951]

Sure, provided they weren't preoccupied with a radio interview.

And again, since there may not have been bike lanes involved... pretty hard to put the blame on them. (although you seem to be trying fairly hard here).

Of course one might also expect someone that has been elected to public office to also be bright enough to observe the "Do Not Enter" sign and the "One Way" signs that were probably hanging there for motorists, too. :rolleyes:

The argument has been made time and again that bike lanes provide instruction for cyclists and that this instruction carries over through the rest of their riding. The major points normally brought up are wrong-way and sidewalk cycling. I'm simply pointing out a very obvious anecdotal example of how untrue those statements are.

[genec]

The argument has been made time and again that bike lanes provide instruction for cyclists and that this instruction carries over through the rest of their riding. The major points normally brought up are wrong-way and sidewalk cycling. I'm simply pointing out a very obvious anecdotal example of how untrue those statements are.

Arguments have also been made about distractions... do you think being interviewed for the radio might be a distraction?

Of course the bottom line is, is this Blumenauer's regular route... going the wrong way on a one way street... if so, what an awful example.

Regarding the lessons learned by roadside markings... take a look at this Atlantic article: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/traffic

Within is this little gem about American road design and the of relationship of signage to motorists (and I would assume cyclists too). We may imagine that driver training is something that happens to 16-year-olds in small cars labeled studentdriver. But of course we spend a lifetime on the roads after we get our licenses, and we’re being trained by our experiences every day.

Of course by invoking that article and the message it is trying to convey, I am in the long run perhaps agreeing with you, joejack, on the value (or lack thereof) of excessive markings on the road. Of course the writer is English... and having seen the markings on their roads... apparently paint doesn't count. :D

While I like bike lanes, I am actually well skilled in the use of the road without BL... so I may be placing too much emphasis in BL as a learning tool... My primary reason for liking BL is that they are about the only indicator to motorists et. al. that cyclists belong on the roads.

Motorists are in confusion about this and so too are police... There are plenty of anecdotes here on BF of motorists saying bikes don't belong on the road, and of cops telling a cyclist to get off the road. Bike Lanes clearly indicate that "cyclists do belong." (isn't that a slogan of some group)

If we could only convey that message, that cyclists do belong, in some other more open way... I would probably say that BL are fully unneeded... and might even agree with HH's long held contention that they are dangerous. (maybe).

But as long as most motorists think they are doing cyclists "a favor" by allowing us on "their" roads, we have a long, long, way to go.

[joejack951]

While I like bike lanes, I am actually well skilled in the use of the road without BL... so I may be placing too much emphasis in BL as a learning tool... My primary reason for liking BL is that they are about the only indicator to motorists et. al. that cyclists belong on the roads.

Motorists are in confusion about this and so too are police... There are plenty of anecdotes here on BF of motorists saying bikes don't belong on the road, and of cops telling a cyclist to get off the road. Bike Lanes clearly indicate that "cyclists do belong." (isn't that a slogan of some group)

If we could only convey that message, that cyclists do belong, in some other more open way... I would probably say that BL are fully unneeded... and might even agree with HH's long held contention that they are dangerous. (maybe).

But as long as most motorists think they are doing cyclists "a favor" by allowing us on "their" roads, we have a long, long, way to go.

I've never had any issues with being on the paved portion of ground between the curbs as long as I was out of the way. The problems I have had with motorists and cops are when I have purposely put myself in the path of traffic for one reason or another. Bike lanes do nothing to address this issue. Having more cyclists acting like drivers of vehicles, just like motorists are drivers of vehicles, will go a lot further than some paint indicating that cyclists should stay in their lane, out of the way of traffic, just like motorists and the police believe we should do.

[genec]

I've never had any issues with being on the paved portion of ground between the curbs as long as I was out of the way. The problems I have had with motorists and cops are when I have purposely put myself in the path of traffic for one reason or another. Bike lanes do nothing to address this issue. Having more cyclists acting like drivers of vehicles, just like motorists are drivers of vehicles, will go a lot further than some paint indicating that cyclists should stay in their lane, out of the way of traffic, just like motorists and the police believe we should do.

While I tend to agree with your premise... the reality is that we are not really getting any great uptake in cyclists to train those motorists and police, now are we? Even in the early 70s there wasn't enough cyclists to really make a difference. So we are stuck with trying to get the message out that indeed we do belong... and BL do say that.

Even if gas goes to $20 a gallon, most folks in America will drive... technology will provide some form of auto... and cycling will still remain on the back burner. Even in countries where cycling is strong, it is still in minority... auto centric design still comes forth even in places like China.

And places like Finland, they simply took cyclists off of the roads and built full on infrastructure for the cycling masses... so again, the intermix of autos and bikes really does not happen harmoniously anywhere that I am aware of.