General Cycling Discussion - Wrong way bikers?

There is a particular road at Purdue that has a bike lane. The road is a one way that is fairly heavily travelled.

The problem is, most college students believe that a bike lane on a one-way road means that they can go against traffic while in the bike lane. When approaching a bicycle at a combined speed of 35MPH, it is really dangerous to glance over your shoulder to find an opening in the traffic.

My question, is there anything I can do to make these riders quit riding against traffic?

Is there anything the police can do? Since bikes are not registered, how can they give a person a ticket?

We do have to carry University ID's. Plus, stopping a student and asking for an ID would make them late for class as well. Maybe that is an idea I can give the police department.

Any other ideas?

You could ask them how they got into Perdue University. If they are smart enough to study there, they should be smart enough to read and understand cycling traffic rules/laws. Or at least use common sense to realize they are doing something dangerous and wrong.

The local authorities should make it legal to ride in both directions on the bike lane - ideally seperate it from the road by installing a kerb.

Originally posted by Brains
The local authorities should make it legal to ride in both directions on the bike lane - ideally seperate it from the road by installing a kerb.

If the right-of-way is wide enough, and if there is no significant cross-traffic, this might work. Another option would be a same-direction bike lane to the right of the travel lanes, and a contraflow bike lane on the other side, but I think this may be an accident waiting to happen. What is wrong with simply enforcing the law that it is a one-way street for all traffic? Many of us struggle daily to be accepted as vehicular traffic. Riding against traffic and violating the rules of the road does not enhance our image, and contraflow cyclists are often a serious hazard for lawful cyclists.

I was driving along a new possible bike route in my car. As I was scoping out the wonderful freshly paved, wide lanes, I noticed that someone else had already decided to stripe in bike lanes.
Next, I saw a large group of cyclists approaching in the bike lane, riding against traffic!

I hate coming upon a wrong-way cyclist when I ride my bike. It forces me, the more experienced cyclist, to merge further into the traffic lane with little warning. Some cyclists have been killed by wrong-way cyclists.

Even pedestrians walking properly against traffic force me to swing wide to avoid them.

Ideas?

Educate cyclists and motorists.

Ride closer to the kerbside as they go pass, forcing them to move into the lane. A literal interpretation of traffic laws would say that this is the side you're supposed to pass oncoming traffic on anyway.

Originally posted by Allister
Ride closer to the kerbside as they go pass, forcing them to move into the lane. A literal interpretation of traffic laws would say that this is the side you're supposed to pass oncoming traffic on anyway.

The ambiguity of this situation is precisely what makes passing these clowns so dangerous.

Scenario 1: Per Allister's advice, hug the curb/kerb, creating a contraflow lane between two proper-flow lanes (you and motorists).

Scenario 2: Move toward the main travel lanes, thereby creating only one contraflow friction zone, between yourself and the wrongway folk. This is my normal procedure when I encounter contraflow joggers: assume and hold a line within the bike lane, just inside its traffic-side demarcation.

Scenario 3: When faced with a swarm of wrong-way cyclists or joggers, assume your best position in the bike lane (see above), come to a full stop, and force them to go around you. This will significantly reduce your chance of injury and render them, rather than you, at fault, should a collision occur.


Above all else, be assertive, decisive, and predictable. Know where YOU want to be in the bike lane, and assume and hold that position far enough in advance to give a clear signal. Drop down a few gears to boost your pedal cadence, to give them an initmidating illusion of speed and determination on your part.