Originally Posted by John Forester
More damned argumentation about nothing but words in the effort to discredit vehicular cycling. Such argumentation gives me a pain, but I feel that it needs to be discussed. "Auto-centric"? What does that mean? I would say that, at least since 1920, American roads have been built to accommodate motor traffic. Is that auto-centrism? I suppose so. However, that does not mean that American roads were built to accommodate only motor traffic, which is a different statement altogether. And it is a fact that the American road system, built to accommodate motor traffic, existed for fifty years without bike lanes. Does that mean that that road system was not auto-centric? If that has any meaning at all. And then, motorists invented, designed, and paid for bikeways, including bike lanes, to improve the convenience of motoring; in fact, to push bicycle traffic to the side, without regard to the safety or convenience of cyclists. If auto-centric refers to the ability of motorists to have their way, then bike lanes are certainly auto-centric features.
I repeat, the whole line of argument is worthless hot air and buzzing electrons about the meaning of words that have no meaning, all in the effort to discredit vehicular cycling. Since that's all that vehicular cycling's opponents can manage, their efforts ought to be consigned to the trash, but they won't accept that.
No, the line of argument is not worthless and not meant to discredit vehicular cycling... therein lies the rub. I simply mean to discredit the specious arguments that arise from some vehicular cycling advocates, not the style of cycling which has merit. There is a vast difference. I wish to kill the messenger, but not the message.
While you disagree with the terms I use, you do in fact give their use crediblity by acknowledging that the current road designs are done in a manner giving motorists "their way;" thus in my terms, "auto-centric."
Perhaps the issue which I decry the loudest in auto-centric design is the ability of the users to (through a process) push up the speed limit, in spite of the other users of the road.
The next issue that makes the road difficult for other users (peds and cyclists alike) are sweeping turns... while these work quite well at lower speeds, at higher speeds the solution for cyclists (even vehicular cyclists) breaks down to acting like a pedestrian.
The problem of speed and poorly designed roads (where "motorists have their way") are the two issues I see as problems for vehicular cyclists.
Beyond that are the more subtle issues of training all the users of the road... good luck herding cats.