Originally Posted by
tacojohn
Forget studies, look at physics. A cyclist has much more in common with a car when it comes to the physics of stopping, starting, and changing direction than a pedestrian. A car must haul itself down from speed over a long distance, accelerates relatively slowly to top speed, and generally must slow down to make most turns. A person on foot can stop almost instantaneously, reaches top speed from a standing start almost immediately, and can change directions 90 degrees at full speed with no warning.
I must be defective. I can't do any of those things.
I agree though that somebody walking is more maneuverable than somebody on a bike. Yes, I can go really slow through intersections from a sidewalk while on a bike, but if you're going to do that, you might as well just walk. On the other hand, people on the sidewalk often seem oblivious to what's going on around them. To me that is another good reason to avoid riding on sidewalks.
PeddlePhile: I'm not sure why "texting" invalidates the study. Somebody who's not paying attention is more likely to hit a cyclist crossing at an intersection just as they are more likely to hit a cyclist on the street itself.