Wow, so much to say on this subject. I was in Alabama from 2002-2011. Car free really was not an option. I could get a bus to Biloxi to gamble, but not to Mobile to go to work. There was ONE bridge to get from Daphne to Mobile and it took you miles out of the way, was a tough climb, and had terrifying high speed truck traffic. I looked forward to the day when I would live in carfree-friendly Seattle again. I looked at the bike paths map and was so jealous. Actual bike lanes! Sharrows! Bike boxes! MUPs!
Originally Posted by
bragi
I rode deep into the heart of Bellevue, WA today. It's a large suburban city near Seattle, where I live, and though it's not culturally hostile to bicyclists at all, I still found it to be a rather daunting environment. This city basically didn't exist until the 1980's, and the development that's taken place since then is pretty much entirely car-centric. It has typical suburban street layouts: clusters of residential housing (i.e., dead end streets) connected by high-traffic, rather high speed arterials. If you want to cross this city, and the local MUPs don't go where you want to go, you have to share the road with many, many cars going 45 mph+, sometimes on roads that do not have a wide curb lane.
In some respects, it was awesome, but the big negative, for me, even more than traffic volume, was car speed. I don't have a problem mixing it up with cars going 20-30 mph, which is typical for surface streets in Seattle. When cars are going 40-50 mph,though, it gets a little intimidating; drivers have less time to react if there's a problem, and the consequences above 40 mph are invariably fatal for cyclists.
The fact that there is a BIKE LANE on I-90 is awesome. Yet I don't plan to ride it any time soon. My sister asked if I would move back to the eastside -- ugh, no. My brother lives on the eastside and is one of those charming individuals who intentionally brushes cyclists because they are the cause of the traffic problems.
I was hit head-on by a car that was travelling 55 mph. It was on a curve (the jerk crossed a double yellow) on a rural road. I was lucky to survive. My confidence will never be the same.
Originally Posted by
no1mad
You adapt. You explore different routes. And some will flame me for this, but you figure out when/where VC works and then take to the sidewalk/grass in those areas where/when VC doesn't work.
I have very mixed feelings about the fact that it is legal to ride on the sidewalk in Seattle. It freaks me out to ride on the sidewalk, but riding in traffic can be pretty scary, too. It's very weird for me to adapt to using sidewalks.
Originally Posted by
Chesha Neko
+1. Use Google Maps or similar to work out alternate lower-traffic routes. Minimize left turns. Put a mirror on your glasses or helmet. Confidence.
I've noticed that Google maps bike directions does not know how to find the bike friendly routes. It always tries to route me over the Ballard bridge. Not riding that one again. The Fremont bridge is much friendlier and I don't care if it takes me out of my way. Google just does not grasp that the shortest route is not necessarily the most bike-friendly. I see bike lanes and paths marked, and Google Maps not routing me to them.
Originally Posted by
ctg492
I am too timid or smart to ride the 55 mph congested roads. I however ride the 55 mile an hour country roads leaving my country sub, to get to the city. Those roads are more like 65mph people think. I find alternative routes for every place I have to ride. When I get to the city I have googled every side road to my destination. Funny I gave my son directions to the store the other day as he was driving me there. Turn here, turn there was we went along.When we got there he told me I gave him biking directions, not driving directions. He has now told everyone Don't let mom give you directions, unless you are on a bike.
I notice that when I have to drive or give driving directions, I don't know how to find ANYTHING by car.
Originally Posted by
bragi
It should be pretty easy and inexpensive for cluster-based suburban communities to make bicycling a very effective and safe form of transportation simply by connecting the clusters with short bike paths or MUPs. Even car-obsessed people would get behind this once they understood that it would help reduce congestion.
Until you discuss paying for it.