Originally Posted by
kob22225
Could you get me the full data table and dates you are talking about please? Then we could continue a discussion on this detailed point. I will enter the 1988 table at end of this email.
NHTSA 2007 Report
Originally Posted by
kob22225
My best guess is a good scientific study will never find significant difference in death rates versus almost _anything_ acutely related to bikelanes specifically..
Originally Posted by NYC Bike Report
Although there are many more miles of local roads, more than half of fatal crashes occurred on arterial (large,four lane) roads (53%).
• 7% of fatal crashes occurred on limited access highways, where bicycling is prohibited.
• Only one fatal crash with a motor vehicle occurred when a bicyclist was in a marked bicycle lane.
You might want to read this report in it's entirety:
NYC Bike Report 1996-2005
Originally Posted by
kob22225
Could you expand on the 'hotbutton' nature of sidepath? I don't follow that one.
In the early 70's there were several poorly designed implementations of "sidepaths". These notoriously bad designs crossed driveways, intersections and parking lots with disastrous results. Most contemporary road designers are aware of the shortcomings of these paths, which basically amounted to a sidewalk and they are seldom considered useful. However, the term "side path" can also be used to describe a perfectly legitimate bike path or MUP that runs alongside a road or highway. Infrastructure opponents often use the term "side path" because it still carries that negative connotation. Perhaps you did not intend it in that way but many of the hard core VC crowd tout it in that fashion.
Originally Posted by
kob22225
Your other one... fair enough. If you give me a word other than 'segregationist' that gets across the clearly segregationist conceots by both travel corridor and by area on roadway ideas involved in much of present bicyclist and pedestrian advocacy - a word that gets the ideas across with some emphasis, yet in no way echos the sounds of admitedly MUCH more important social/racial issues - I will use it. However, please note how hard it is to come up with that appropriate meaning and a certain amount of emphasis, without using that word.... Get me a working word for this discussion so it doesn't sound like I think I'm MLK, believe me I will use it.
Since "segregationist" cycle facilities is a term used almost exclusively by opponents of infrastructure you could look at the terms used by people who design or are open minded enough to consider them. Those terms include "separated cycle lanes", "off-street" facilities, MUP's, bike paths, trails. They tend to be
specific rather than lumping together all of them as "segregationist". Not that hard now was it?
Originally Posted by
kob22225
I don't ride shoulders. I'm about 2-3' wide. Shoulders and width aren't a bicyclist's issue.
well, good for you! But I sometimes
do ride on shoulders. As do many other cyclists. So not only do you not want me riding on MUP's, bike paths or in bike lanes but you would have me not ride in a shoulder if I find it preferable?
Originally Posted by
kob22225
Yes, expansion joint engineering and design could use some work. Perhaps this could be a place for some targeted bicyclist advocacy pushing.
All users face the same ice conditions. Riding where heavier traffic tracks tends to reduce my problem on that count. I can't imagine any reasonable extra special wind-related engineering needed by bicyclists if 18 wheelers manage... But I will listen to a _good_ case made that there is some extra special dangers bicyclist face on this count and a reasonable engineering thing to add to address it. All the years of riding over bridges, usually in or very near the normal travel lane, not a big big deal.
Are you serious?!! I'll name a few bridges and I challenge you to ride over any one of them by taking the lane on a windy, rainy or icy day- The Bourne Bridge on Cape Cod, The Sagamore Bridge on Cape Cod, The Golden Gate Bridge. Granted 18 wheelers struggle in a tough wind but man, I've crossed some bridges and been forced to dismount and walk the winds were so strong. I've yet to see a truck driver walk a truck over a bridge due to a high wind. What size tires are you riding that go over the metal grating so easily in the ice?
Originally Posted by
kob22225
The triage-important safety issue for bicycling is mostly about bicyclist behavior and very little about 'place' (to the degree there is an bicycling specific place element, that is mostly about the surface condition of the place and not its width.
I have no idea how you've drawn this "conclusion". (though you get points for stating it as if it were a "fact".) Not that cyclist behavior does not account for a substantial percentage of accidents but certainly not enough to warrant such minimal emphasis on infrastructure.