Google shows shortcomings of local bike network

[genec]

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll...&z=12&lci=bike

Using google maps set to show bikes, it is quite easy to see the gaps in the local bike network. What is difficult to understand is why these gaps are not addressed.

I imagine this view exists for most major cities in the US, and I imagine that similar gaps exist... holes in the bicycle network if you will. I doubt such similar holes exist in the motor vehicle transportation network. Of course one could make use of the motor vehicle system to cover the gaps, but if the gaps are anything like they are here in San Diego, they exist because certain sections of road are very motor vehicle centric (high speed, or merge into freeways, or very narrow with merging lanes).

[johnny99]

You need to join your local bicycle coalition to help close the gaps.

[genec]

You need to join your local bicycle coalition to help close the gaps.

Been a member for a long time... they move at a glacial pace. Cycling needs to be considered transportation and come under the same funding as all other forms of transit. Right now cycling is "recreation" and odd funds come in from odd sources and take lots and lots of time to accumulate to make some tiny path.

[CB HI]

Sad some cyclist buy into the notion that our roadways are the motor vehicle system.

[mikeybikes]

Sad some cyclist buy into the notion that our roadways are the motor vehicle system.

Aren't they, though? I mean, the last fifty plus years, the roads have been designed with motor vehicles in mind. Sure, cyclists can use the roadways as well, but that doesn't mean they aren't inhospitable for anything but motor vehicles.

[ItsJustMe]

If I scroll over to where I am, there aren't any bicycle paths at all that actually go anywhere. There are some short connectors. It's common here to make subdivisions dead-end so that the residential districts don't turn into thoroughfares and shortcuts, but this means going usually a half mile to several miles farther to get somewhere. They put in bicycle paths to cut between subdivisions. These are usually only 100 feet long strips of 2 foot wide asphalt and go through playgrounds. It's expected that bicycles will go on the roads, and honestly I don't have a problem with that. I get along pretty well with cars, even when there aren't bike lanes (there are very few here).

[TheHen]

Bike lanes to nowhere. This fight has been going on for many decades. Maybe as the old car-centered planners retire and are replaced by less car-centric younger planners there will be some efforts made to connect things. Of course, we may find that car weight, miles and speeds all come down due to resource depletion such that the roads are safe enough without change before the bike lanes/paths start connecting.

[genec]

Sad some cyclist buy into the notion that our roadways are the motor vehicle system.

When the roads are high speed, with merging lanes from other high speed roads and there are neither shoulders or bike lanes and nothing but guard rails to guide high speed motor traffic, then yes those roads are part of a motor vehicle system and all but a rare few cyclists will attempt to use such roads.

[bluegoatwoods]

As for why these gaps are not addressed, the problem has always been that the planners have not felt that money put into bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure would be well spent.

It's getting worse. We now have legislators rather angrily declaring their intent to kill any transportation appropriation that includes money earmarked for such things. The implied reason is 'responsible spending'.
And they seem to have the upper hand in the argument, at least for now.

We can take our share of the blame right along with the selfish motorists; this is what we get when we keep on electing bad leaders.

But we-or our children-might yet win this fight. I doubt if it can be done quickly. If it's to happen at all, then it'll have to be the slow-and-steady way.

Let's just get out there and stay out there being a good example.

[Looigi]

Sad some cyclist buy into the notion that our roadways are the motor vehicle system.

I look at google maps, see lots of roads, and go ride on those roads. Where I ride, there are no bike paths, trails, lanes, etc.. The only time I run into these are in cities, which I usually avoid. And there will be no bike lanes or trails in the vast majority of the places I ride within my lifetime. What I want is the driving public to be educated and kept aware of the rights of cyclists and how to share the road. Money spent on "bicycle infrastructure" will never benefit me. Money spent on education and awareness will and can do so immediately.

[genec]

I look at google maps, see lots of roads, and go ride on those roads. Where I ride, there are no bike paths, trails, lanes, etc.. The only time I run into these are in cities, which I usually avoid. And there will be no bike lanes or trails in the vast majority of the places I ride within my lifetime. What I want is the driving public to be educated and kept aware of the rights of cyclists and how to share the road. Money spent on "bicycle infrastructure" will never benefit me. Money spent on education and awareness will and can do so immediately.

Money spent on education will never get the drivers now on the road educated... they have licenses and see little need to go back for more education, they just continue with their driving habits as they feel are proper, regardless of changes in the law or bad habits they may have acquired.

While the roads themselves should be ideal for all users, in fact they are not, and while you may find yourself comfortable on any road out there, that IS NOT the case for everyone that might chose to use a bicycle for transportation.

[Doohickie]

Google maps is not necessarily an accurate depiction of bicycle routes. It's kind of like wikipedia in that routes are edited* by pretty much anyone.

*There are not direct edits to Google Maps, but anyone can "Report a Problem" and if it's believable enough, Google paints in bike routes as reported by the masses.

Meanwhile, many of the officially designated bike routes do not show on Google Maps.

[Doohickie]

Money spent on education will never get the drivers now on the road educated... they have licenses and see little need to go back for more education, they just continue with their driving habits as they feel are proper, regardless of changes in the law or bad habits they may have acquired.

Make it part of the safe driving class people take to get out of a ticket. If a ticket involves a cyclist, have both the driver and the cyclist take the classroom portion of the LAB course.

[genec]

Google maps is not necessarily an accurate depiction of bicycle routes. It's kind of like wikipedia in that routes are edited* by pretty much anyone.

*There are not direct edits to Google Maps, but anyone can "Report a Problem" and if it's believable enough, Google paints in bike routes as reported by the masses.

Meanwhile, many of the officially designated bike routes do not show on Google Maps.

Yeah, I hear you loud and clear... Google ain't the ultimate resource... however I have enough good knowledge to know the streets I was looking at on google and I knew enough to know that every gap was a problem area that just wasn't dealt with. Can you imagine our interstate transit system with big gaps that required a motorist to drive across rocks and desert areas... wouldn't be much of a road network, would it.

[genec]

Make it part of the safe driving class people take to get out of a ticket. If a ticket involves a cyclist, have both the driver and the cyclist take the classroom portion of the LAB course.

Between you and I... I'd rather have driving and cycling taught in public schools as the 4th R... "reading, 'righting,'rithmatic, and road use." Lower grades would teach the basics of road use and proper bike use, upper grades would teach driving and road use ethics. People spend a lifetime driving... far more time than the time they spend doing algebra... yet we spend far more time teaching algebra than we do driving... go figure. 30-40 thousand people die annually due to driving collisions. I don't know how many die due to poor algebra skills... but it sure seems like there is some imbalance here in priorities. We even teach sex in public schools... but road use... good luck with that.

(BTW I am an engineer... I do algebra... so it isn't like I consider algebra to be not important)

[bluegoatwoods]

Between you and I... I'd rather have driving and cycling taught in public schools as the 4th R... "reading, 'righting,'rithmatic, and road use."

I've thought along the same lines. Consider that to be a member of a modern society one must, must, must use the roads. Quite a bit.

Yet driver's education is treated as an extra-curricular activity? That makes no sense at all. Starting early would be fine. I've thought that four years in high school would be good, too. Does that mean that 16 yr olds can no longer get a license? I think they'll live and that they'll be better off in they are getting a good road education in the meantime.

The debate about how to fix our schools centers on spending more money on the one hand or busting the teacher's union on the other. Can't they even consider overhauling the curriculum?

Those who do not travel in this society are those who are cut-off and relegated to the sidelines. Shouldn't proper use of the road be a pillar of public education?

[Doohickie]

Between you and I... I'd rather have driving and cycling taught in public schools as the 4th R... "reading, 'righting,'rithmatic, and road use." Lower grades would teach the basics of road use and proper bike use, upper grades would teach driving and road use ethics.

I remember that in our school, the teachers pretty thoroughly enforced a walking to the right policy. That was a good start. Only now it peeves me when someone doesn't walk to my right. Damned indoctrination.

[TheHen]

Money spent on education will never get the drivers now on the road educated... they have licenses and see little need to go back for more education, they just continue with their driving habits as they feel are proper, regardless of changes in the law or bad habits they may have acquired.

While the roads themselves should be ideal for all users, in fact they are not, and while you may find yourself comfortable on any road out there, that IS NOT the case for everyone that might chose to use a bicycle for transportation.

I don't know that current motorists are impervious to education. A few years ago, in response to several deaths of cops who were run over while dealing with traffic stops, OR passed a law that mandates motorists either slow down to 35 mph or change lanes when they come across an emergency vehicle on the side of the roadway. ODOT then placed a few hundred signs up along major roadways advising motorists of the change in the law. Once the signs went up, it became quite rare for me to observe any violations.

Of course, tow truck drivers, ambulances, fire trucks and even cops are bound to get a lot more respect than cyclists. I'm not entirely certain that the results would be the same for signage advising motorists that some of their most cherished driving habits are illegal, but I think it would still give better bang for the buck than trying to build enormous amounts of new infrastructure.

[TheHen]

... Of course, we may find that car weight, miles and speeds all come down due to resource depletion such that the roads are safe enough without change before the bike lanes/paths start connecting.

From today's S.F. Chronicle:

Demand for gasoline in the United States started faltering in 2005 and has been falling "very sharply" since 2007, said Houston oil industry analyst Pavel Molchanov...
People are driving less because of the recession and the aging of Baby Boomers, said James Beck, a lead petroleum supply analyst for the Energy Information Administration. Newer cars get better mileage and are replacing gas-guzzlers, and people are using other means of transportation; Amtrak ridership rose 4.5 percent in 2011 to a new high, said Molchanov.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...8QA.DTL&ao=all

Peak car, anyone? Or at least Peak Car Mass. For the first time in 30 years I am no longer pessimistic about the trends on our roadways. I do think cycling deaths may increase over the next few years as more people ride more, but I think that will be temporary. It is beginning to look like we might well get more riders whether the infrastructure gets built properly or not. Of course, it will be easier to coax folks along if we get some of the infrastructure built and connected.

[genec]

I don't know that current motorists are impervious to education. A few years ago, in response to several deaths of cops who were run over while dealing with traffic stops, OR passed a law that mandates motorists either slow down to 35 mph or change lanes when they come across an emergency vehicle on the side of the roadway. ODOT then placed a few hundred signs up along major roadways advising motorists of the change in the law. Once the signs went up, it became quite rare for me to observe any violations.

Of course, tow truck drivers, ambulances, fire trucks and even cops are bound to get a lot more respect than cyclists. I'm not entirely certain that the results would be the same for signage advising motorists that some of their most cherished driving habits are illegal, but I think it would still give better bang for the buck than trying to build enormous amounts of new infrastructure.

Can you imagine the impact if ODOT decided to put up a few hundred signs along major roadways that said Cyclists may use FULL LANE. In fact a whole campaign that outlined the laws on various signs telling motorists that cyclists have the same rights to the road as motorists. Sure, perhaps motorists are trainable, but I doubt such a thing would happen. As a boater I regularly see boating safety messages... these are posted in the environment where boats are,,, restroom doors, restroom walls, marine supply shops, the gate to the marina... ever see bike safety or road use signs ANYWHERE... except the nebulous "Share the Road?" San Francisco has "cyclist may use full lane" signs, but these are somewhat few and far between, and seem to address particular situations; I just wonder what full billboards might say (and do).