Originally Posted by pgoat
#2 could be good, but I think #2 and 3 would only piss drivers off more. The more you slow them down the worse a mood they'll be in. Don't underestimate the importance of the mood of someone powering a 2000 weapon!.
I totally understand driver frustration, been there myself. Used to do a daily reverse commute from Astoria off to Long Island and have driven plenty around town over the years. As a cager myself sometimes, I'd get ticked off at other drivers far more than I'd get angry at peds (well, sometimes those tourists around Times Square would really tick me off) or cyclists. I'm just not too worried about pissing drivers off by enforcing the speed limit to slow traffic down or to give peds and bicycles car-free head starts.
They already do it for peds at some intersections. For example, I use one on the corner of 1st and 60th as I come off the 59th Street Bridge on my daily commute. The bike lane coming off the bridge onto 60th heading toward 1st is cordoned off from traffic. The gate is often closed, so you're forced down on the far right side to the corner of 60th and 1st. The head start ped light gives me a chance to cross over and head north up 1st. If it's just the green light and cars are coming too it becomes a bit more hairy. Just my 2 cents on something that actually works in favor of cyclists and peds...
Originally Posted by pgoat
Also I think all cyclists should have some training/exposure in driving rules and skills - if you've never or rarely driven on NYC streets you are not going to understand the driver's pov.
Agreed. Cyclists really should be aware of the rules of the road, we're supposed to follow them just like cagers. Granted, most of us make some exceptions, and the way people drive in NYC is not a prime example of textbook law-abiding drivers, but good traffic skills are good traffic skills, they apply to both cyclists and drivers.