GrandaddyBiker

There are very few roads with bike lanes around where I live. However, there is highway not far from my house that they build a bike lane along side of about 15 years ago. Even though it has been there that long I never road on it until this week. This bike lane follows the road for about 6 miles then it abruptly stops. The highway keeps going but there is nothing at the end of the bike lane but woods and lots of mosquitoes. On one end there are lots of businesses and fast food places on the other end nothing. In between you come to at least 8 side roads or intersections. At every side road or intersection there is a stop sign for the biker with a sign telling you to walk your bike across the road. I haven’t seen this before on bike lanes (then I don’t ride many bike lanes either) is this common on bike lanes? When you come to a regular intersection without bike lanes, do you ride or walk your bike across?



One thing I really like about this bike lane is that they put it far enough away from the road until I feel real safe riding on it. I was thinking that if I start riding this bike lane all the way to the end then turn around real quick before the mosquitoes get me and ride back that would be a good 12 mile workout. The downside would be all those stops and walk across.

Dudelsack 

Controversial. Bike lanes are controversial, and for the reasons you encountered. I'd rather take my chances on a road with good shoulders.

Retro Grouch 

Not so long ago they tended to build bike lanes/paths wherever it was cheap. They didn't have to be functional or to go anywhere. This looks to me like a case of that.

If I were to ride this lane, I definitely wouldn't stop and walk my bike at every road crossing. I know it's probably illegal but, to tell the truth, I've been known to exceed the speed limit while driving my car too. People don't always obey the law.

Also, if I were to ride this lane, I would be VERY aware of cars approaching me from behind and making a right turn into me. That's a common type of car/bicycle accident.

I wouldn't get too comfortable thinking you'r safe because you are separated from car traffic. First of all, there are all those road crossings. Most of the car drivers will probably cut you a bit of slack at the crossings, but some won't and they might not be looking in your direction. Secondly, in my lifetime I have had 4 bike rides that ended in the back of an ambulance. None of those involved a car.

BluesDawg

I would call this a bike path, not a bike lane. The difference being that is separated from the road by a grass median where a bike lane is part of the roadway with usually only paint between the bikes and the cars. I generally prefer a shared lane over either a bike lane or a bike path, but where road width is insufficient and car speed is too great for safe lane sharing, I prefer a separate path over the magical white paint of a bike lane. I find that cars tend to pass me closer when I am riding in a bike lane than when I am in the main roadway.

The problem of road crossings and of facilities suddenly ending without a real destination is common to paths and bike lanes and equally frustrating.

Wildwood 

The "Walk your Bike" thing is a liability issue that cities/towns do to protect themselves. Also, for the younger children who tend not to look for cars when crossing a street. 12 miles is a good little ride, do it often.

billydonn

Signs like that are very common. I don't think anybody stops for those things unless it's a high traffic situation or blind crossing.

Phil85207

Mosquitoes. Sure glad we aren't bothered with them here. I had enough of them when as a kid I lived in New Jersey.

donheff

+1 Ignoring a sign like that is equivalent to driving 5mph over the limit. Technically a violation, but no one enforces it. I always find it amusing that many drivers are irritated by minor violations by bikers (e.g. slow rolling a stop sign) but don't see the equivalence to their own almost constant violation of the speed limits.

AzTallRider

But sorta makes you think about all the many things that can't survive outside in our Arizona desert climate. Including us, if we aren't prepared.

volosong

^^^This.

I'll slow down enough to make sure I don't get "right-hooked" and make sure there are not any approaching cars from the side road, but a complete stop and then walk across? Nah.

That looks like a cardboard sign. Doesn't look metal at all, or maybe is is a very thin gauge of metal. Wonder how long it has been there?

berner

Some of those bike paths and roads that go nowhere exist because the mayor's brother-in-law owns a paving company.

DnvrFox

+1

We recently had a huge scandal in a nearby county - and a number of folks are now in jail or being tried. Among many other things, a huge charge by the paving company for a 15 mile stretch that is still gravel.

And, they are pretty much all related or just plain "good old boys."

CommuteCommando

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1315559 < bike path along a well traveled bike route. Almost no one uses the path.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/1315566 < From nowhere to nowhere. Was built because there was some cheap railroad right of way available. The map shows getting off a busy bike route to get to it then returning. Most users of the route do not even know the path exists. Those like me that do know of it, use it to take their granddaughters on safe rides.

bjjoondo 

Here in Colorado Springs, we have a LOT of bike paths, that "just END". It seems the paths get built on accessible land, and then the city, "prays, begs, etc.", other property owners for a "right of way" and some times it takes YEARS to get these or they NEVER happen and you end up with "parcel" pieces of trails that may NEVER connect, SIGH! The moral is to make SURE you've got all the land right a ways BEFORE you build a trail, jmho, ymmv. BTW a "Bike LANE" is painted on a street, what you have there is Bike PATH, even if it just dead ends!

cyclinfool

Not only do we have those same stop&walk signs we also have them on the steep down hills on the bike path, the insist you should walk your bike down the hill, no sign for the uphill though, guess they assume you have to walk it up hill and therefore don't need a sign. Go figure.

GrandaddyBiker

The signs are definitely steel. You are right that from the picture they look like they could be cardboard. How long the signs have been there I don’t know because I never used that Lane/path until this past Monday and today. I know the Lane/path was built just before I retired and I have been retired for 15 years. For a 15 year old path they have keep it in good shape because there is no overgrowth of grass and I seen no pot holes.

I wish most roads had a lane/path like that one. Minus the stop/walk signs.

Floyd

I am with those who say ride safe, watching for traffic and slowing or stopping if necessary...and enjoy the ride.

miss kenton

I get very annoyed with bike lanes that abruptly end. Around here, it seems that municipalities can get grant money for greenscaping for sidewalks and streetscaping, but may be obligated to include bike lanes. Perhaps, when funds run out, so do bike lanes.
What really grinds my gears are people who park their cars in the bike lane!

As far as mosquitoes go, they are considered the state bird of New Jersey, however, I was in Dallas last week and they were worse there, not to mention they wear ten-gallon hats!

billydonn

Good point there... nomenclature is important.

Must disagree just a bit on that. Bike paths, or MUPs if you will, are generally built by a lot of well-intentioned, even visionary, managers who have to deal with very difficult jurisdictional issues and funding limitations. Things usually have to be built in stages or they will not get done at all. This can give the impression that these people are incompetent or even crooked, but I don't think that is often the case. We have nearly 100 miles of MUPS in my town and it all was all assembled from limited sections that were built and connected as funding and political momentum became available. It has taken 20 years to do this and the incremental process continues to this day. If you say it's "all or nothing" in the building process it is all but certain you will get nothing.

stapfam

Mups have only been around in the UK for about 20 years and were started by a company called Sustrans and mainly on disused railway lines. In this part of the country there are several but Sustrans also sorted routes that are "Safer" for Cyclists on roads and they are well marked to warn motorists that there will be bikes on that road. With the upsurge of cycling- Some Sidewalks are now designated cycle paths and have used sidewalks to enable sharing of the sidewalk with pedestrians and cycles. It has to be over 2 metres wide and be designated for cycles to use but there are a lot of them around. Pity they are not kept Clean of debris and a good surface maintained but they are there. Problem with the cycle paths is that they will come to a stop and you are back on the road. I have one I regularly use and although the cycle path is being extended- when it does come to a stop there is a high kerb that you have to stop for or bump down to continue riding.

Cycle lanes are becoming prominent in towns over here and they will suddenly stop-normally in the narrowest or busiest sections of road. One of the problems is that they will be blocked by cars and trucks stopping on them so throwing you back in the path of the usual road users. But one very good point is that where a cycle lane exists- when you come to traffic lights- cars have to stop 10ft from the lights as the front 10ft is marked for cycles only. This enables the cyclist to position themselves for turning right or left or making it obvious that you are going straight ahead. Will try to get a pic to show you sometime but this is a fantastic safety idea that costs nothing and works.

bruce19

I avoid bike lanes and MUPs. At best they are where the amateurs go to ride. At worst they are where anything that isn't a car are jammed together to maim each other.

qcpmsame 

We have several of the "Bike Lanes to Nowhere" here. There was(is?) a requirement on highway funds that any new roadway or major repaving project had to have bicycle lanes as a part of the construction. Now we have numerous cases of a nice, well marked lane with signage that just stops where the paving project or new road stopped. I noticed when they put the first of the bike lanes in that bicyclist avoided them because cars never yielded, as the signage told them to, and would hook the bicyclist on a right turn. The last repaving job close to my home didn't get the bike lanes so I am afraid even the dead end lanes are going away due to a law lapsing.

We have a nice bike path in Santa Rosa County on the old railroad right of way going from the CSX tracks out to the back entrance to N.A.S. Whiting Field. This actually gets a lot of use from both recreational/training cyclist and commuters to the base. Imagine that, a bike path that actually goes somewhere and gets its intended use

Bill

DnvrFox

And, amazingly, all our many bike paths actually go somewhere, with no dead ends that I know of.

And, boringly, for those that have not seen it the multitude of times I have posted it, here is a simple map of our bike "freeway."

I can ride from my backyard directly to Town Hall, 3 supermarkets, many restaurants, our new arts center, the rec center, 100's of miles all over the metro area, etc., etc. I rode to my physical therapy appt yesterday, with only one mile of the 6 mile ride being non-bike-path.

qcpmsame 

Very impressive Denver. Seems to be a bike friendly community.

Bill

CommuteCommando

To be fair, this can also be said of Orange County CA, south of Hwy 55. The city of Irvine is commuter heaven.