Commuting - Bike lanes don't work with rude drivers. Imagine that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HMuJ_Z4hPs

300 feet 2 min. kinda loud.

You mean the magic paint didn't protect you and make all the drivers want to sing Kumbaya and take warm showers with you?

There's a study that shows drivers come closer to cyclists when there is a bike lane than when there is none. This has been my own experience as well.
I'd prefer no bike lanes in most circumstances. No objection to a well place sharrow or a bicycle symbol well out in the lane.

Bike lanes are generally excellent. They do require commitment from police, cyclists and motorists. There is also a 'learning period' - we have had bike lanes for quite a while and they are excellent and getting better as motorists and police grow accustomed to the notion of sharing the rode and respecting the bike lane.

There are glaring examples of things that need improvement but in general they are very good.

cops need a lesson (http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/11/24/11900526-sun.html)

I'm missing something.

It seems that you have labeled any car turning anywhere remotely close to you a right-hook, said a truck sitting on the line was blocking the lane, and you've blamed the bike lane for your decision to wait until the absolute last second to move left. I'm not seeing how any of these, including the wrong-way cyclist are the fault of the bike lane.

lol who painted the lines at the end of the bike lane ....teehee

There's a study that shows drivers come closer to cyclists when there is a bike lane than when there is none. This has been my own experience as well.
I'd prefer no bike lanes in most circumstances. No objection to a well place sharrow or a bicycle symbol well out in the lane.

I don't mind bike lanes...paint won't hurt me unless I let it govern my actions instead of letting my own common sense and experience do so. My problem is that too many cyclists think the paint has magical powers that excuse them from paying attention and understanding the rules of the road (and how they may work for or against the bike lane they are in), or that the paint will somehow protect them from traffic or make the other traffic smarter or more courteous and less stoopid.

I'm missing something.

It seems that you have labeled any car turning anywhere remotely close to you a right-hook, said a truck sitting on the line was blocking the lane, and you've blamed the bike lane for your decision to wait until the absolute last second to move left. I'm not seeing how any of these, including the wrong-way cyclist are the fault of the bike lane.

I said "right hook avoided". And I did just that. Rarely will I ever have these problems taking a lane.

You need to remember I need to cross three lanes of 40 mph traffic on a green light plus a left turn lane?
Or two wait to cross a red light?

I didn't want to do an L turn.

lol who painted the lines at the end of the bike lane ....teehee
the summer heat

Are you sure that's a bike lane? I didn't see any signage or paint indicating that it was.

Also, I'm not sure how it is where you are, but in Maine law anything to the right of the white line is defined as a shoulder or a gutter. It's not defined as part of the "roadway" and is therefore not applicable to the "as far right as practicable" law that cyclists must follow.

On that road I'd probably be riding close to the center of the right lane.

I saw nothing to cause anyone any concern whatsoever. Right hook one... no hook there, he avoided you by the proverbial country mile, you didn't even slow down from the looks of it. Right hook two, turning car blocked from turning by pickup truck, again you're safe as houses. Wrong way cyclist, again not a biggie, lots of light to see ahead. Left turn, hardly sketchy. I'd have just ripped the 300ft down the left lane, into the left turn lane. Jesus look at all that real estate and next to no traffic. Some folks have no idea how good they have it. Didn't see any rude drivers.

Was the honking at the beginning of the video at you? Sounded like a car alarm, the honks were too even.

Wow you can ride in your bike lanes? The ones in my are are to the point they are so full of crap I can't. There is a set of brake pads from a car in the bike lane that have been there since May 08. Multiple calls by me and others and online request and they will not run a sweeper down the road.

LOVE bike lanes that end at intersections.

um ... all lanes end at intersections no? They going to extend the BL into the intersection how and why?

um ... all lanes end at intersections no? They going to extend the BL into the intersection how and why?

If a bike lane ends at an intersection and does not pick up on the otherside of the interstion where are you going to go? A Automboile lane would NEVER be designed to make a driver merge in an intersection.

You do realize that it is illegal to change lanes in an intersection don't you?

Bike lanes that are going to end should end where the rider can merge with traffic just like a Automobile lane would.

You go into the curb lane on the other side of the intersection as you've already merged with the curb lane by being at the intersection in the BL. Of course I know you cant change lanes. Multiple driving lanes often end, not right at the far side but not far from it because of parking all the time. Many instances of drivers having to merge left from the curb lane to avoid parked cars all over the place.

There is a set of brake pads from a car in the bike lane that have been there since May 08.
Maybe you should, you know, kick those to the side or something one day.

Some folks have no idea how good they have it.

I have to agree.

I can think of some good reasons why bike lanes might suck.

None of them were exhibited in that video.

I'd have just ripped the 300ft down the left lane, into the left turn lane.

+1 Probably much safer than the current path he took.

You mean the magic paint didn't protect you and make all the drivers want to sing Kumbaya and take warm showers with you?
I won't post any vids here. Have fun with your sandbox!

I think it was a fine video. It just didn't really convey the alleged suckage of that bike lane in a way the audience could appreciate.

I've seen bike lanes that were totally blocked with :

- glass and busted car parts
- snowbanks (when it had melted absolutely everywhere else)
- parked cars (all the time) or door zones thereof
- a line of 100s of gridlocked cars waiting to make a right turn at an intersection a mile down the way
- Motorists trying to pass other cars on the right and cut back in

But I haven't got a head-cam. Maybe one of these days I'll set one up.

Every driver behaved normally in this video. I didn't see anyone rude or blocking your way.

Also, I think that's a shoulder, not a bike lane.

I won't post any vids here. Have fun with your sandbox!

did I need to put a smiley on my post?

Geesh, everyone is so grouchy lately.

Allright, this is awsome,

On the way home last night, the VERY FIRST driver that overtook me did a close-pass-with-engine-rev and jawed at me for riding full-lane.

But the lane in question is reserved for bikes, buses, and taxis.

He was trying to push me out of a lane he wasn't supposed to be driving in.

There's a study that shows drivers come closer to cyclists when there is a bike lane than when there is none. This has been my own experience as well.
I'd prefer no bike lanes in most circumstances. No objection to a well place sharrow or a bicycle symbol well out in the lane.

Is this study conducted by John forester? If it is then I doubt it's credibility and stats. Do you have a link to it?

I saw nothing to cause anyone any concern whatsoever. Right hook one... no hook there, he avoided you by the proverbial country mile, you didn't even slow down from the looks of it. Right hook two, turning car blocked from turning by pickup truck, again you're safe as houses. Wrong way cyclist, again not a biggie, lots of light to see ahead. Left turn, hardly sketchy. I'd have just ripped the 300ft down the left lane, into the left turn lane. Jesus look at all that real estate and next to no traffic. Some folks have no idea how good they have it. Didn't see any rude drivers.

While the cyclist appeared safe, I disagree that there's no cause for concern.

The cager should have slowed and given the cyclist the right to pass him before he turned right in both instances, imo. There's clearly no regard for the rights of the cyclists in the bike lane.

did I need to put a smiley on my post?

Geesh, everyone is so grouchy lately.

I smiled--without instructions (eg. a smiley)-- on your post, Chipcom. Just like this: :p

Allright, this is awsome,

On the way home last night, the VERY FIRST driver that overtook me did a close-pass-with-engine-rev and jawed at me for riding full-lane.

But the lane in question is reserved for bikes, buses, and taxis.

He was trying to push me out of a lane he wasn't supposed to be driving in.

Ah, the Bay street bombers. I love riding in the middle of that lane. Funny how it's the only spot in the city where a turn signal will be used almost 100% of the time, FOR SIX BLOCKS!!! I just middle up in that lane and point to the endless signage describing the access to the BTB(Bus/Taxi/Bike) lane. As a side, who thought mixing those three things in a single lane was a good idea? It's like putting cats , dogs and an elephant in a pet carrier.

While the cyclist appeared safe, I disagree that there's no cause for concern.

The cager should have slowed and given the cyclist the right to pass him before he turned right in both instances, imo. There's clearly no regard for the rights of the cyclists in the bike lane.

I disagree. If the cars had slowed down and waited for the cyclist to pass then the cyclist would have to pass on the right and cross directly into the path of the turning cars! If cars stop to the left of you at a driveway or curbcut, you can't be sure why they stopped. They can be waiting for you, or a pedestrian, or other vehicles in the driveway. The best thing for cars to do in these types of situations is to merge into the bike line, then make the right (or simply wait behind the cyclist). The cyclist would have to stop or pass on the left.

Both instances? Did you watch the video? I see one right turn applied or did I miss something? The truck on top is so far ahead of the rider, it would be ridiculous for him to wait for the rider to pass unless he was simply flying, which he obviously wasn't. You can even clearly see how far ahead he is in the preview. The second car, also headlined with "right hook avoided"(for some odd reason, because there was no right executed), had his signal on AND did wait because the truck in front was blocking access to the turn and he didn't cut the BL/shoulders' solid line, which most rude drivers would have. If anything this cyclist had it easy.

I just middle up in that lane and point to the endless signage describing the access to the BTB(Bus/Taxi/Bike) lane. As a side, who thought mixing those three things in a single lane was a good idea? It's like putting cats , dogs and an elephant in a pet carrier.

Worse, Don Mills.

I've been thinking about the anomalously high number of incidents of overtaking driver aggression I see in those lanes, and I think I have a a handle on what's going on.

The fact that driving a regular car in that lane is ILLEGAL means that the traffic that overtakes me has been pre-screened to remove all the law-abiding drivers.

Hence, basically almost everyone that overtakes me is a scofflaw. This is a lane where the taxi drivers are the good guys.

If they are willing to flout the cops, they're not going to let some hack on a bike slow them down. Plus, since in rush hour the (legal) auto traffic in the next lane over backs up into an uninterrupted wall, they can't even straddle the lanes to get past me. They can either wait behind me or try to push me off the road. Guess which one they go for?

Well it's rush hour... so push you of course, they're rushing. Damn you, you ignorant cyclist, where's your manners to the bigger and more powerful? hahaha

Bike lanes are mixed bag from a cyclist safety standpoint and some are better than others. My only collision with a car happened while I was riding in a bike lane.

Still, I honestly believe their existence in this town has led to more bikes being on the road than would be there otherwise. There are situations where I prefer a bike lane, particularly when speed limits get above 30. So it's hard for me to rail against bike lanes even though I understand that the safety benefits to cyclists can be dubious.