Helmet Head

Who gets more attention from drivers? A lane-centered cyclist or a bus?

That is, in your experience, when riding in traffic, who do motorists tend to notice sooner and give more space to? To lane-centered cyclists, or to buses?

I'm also asking if you tend to favor or oppose bike lanes to see if there is any correlation between the two questions.

Helmet Head

Right.

AEO

where I live, the public transit drivers are mostly considerate of cyclists. Also there's a by-law that makes it illegal to not yield to a bus. it's about equal here now that I think about it.

Winter76

bussess here are flourescent orange. I'm pasty pink and some dark clothes.
Bus wins.

Allister

Is the bus lane-centred, or in a bus lane?

cc700

i got hit today while centered in a lane by a car who was turning left from oncoming lanes in an intersection. cops and ems came and i'm really lucky i wasn't hurt any worse than i was. i don't think i broke anything.



people don't see what they're not looking for, and bus's are EASILY a hundred times the size of a cyclist.

Bekologist

sorry to hear that, cc700. heal up.

Helemt head: HILARIOUS!!!! absolutely raving mad!!!

Bushman

cyclist gets seen first, cuz i ride with a Dinotte taillight pointing straight back. The buses here are pretty dark colored.

Bekologist

is the cyclist wearing dark clothing? wiggle-waggling in the lane? running daytime visible blinkies?

do the cyclists friends consider him slightly overweight? does his wife?

does he wear white bike shorts? that'll make him much more quickly avoided like the plague by any other bicyclists on the road, and subsequently overlooked- by bicyclists at least, even if they ARE in their cars.

Is the bus Ken Kesey's? are there hippies on the roof?

How fast are the cars closing? is the cyclist on his cell phone or wearing a wig and hauling panniers?

and the tie in with the bike lane bit - showing no shame, eh, head?

rando

Bus ftw!

joelpalmer

Ah, I can only dream. Baltimore buses are a nightmare. It is common to see buses just pull away from their stop at the curb into flowing traffic without look for cars, let alone cyclists. Anyone who drives more than once in Baltimore soon learns to leave at least one lane empty if there is a bus on the road. I have been caught behind buses (on bike) for blocks waiting for a long enough line at the stop for me to get around and then make some distance.

Point of all that - because of the threat to life and limb that the buses here pose everyone on the road is far more aware of them than anything else around.

rando

yep, I remember this from when I lived there!

Dchiefransom

The bus does. A bus can destroy a driver's car and kill the driver, while a cyclist won't.

nova

rofl this is a joke right?
Bus every time. Every thing about a bus makes it much more visible than a bike.

ghettocruiser

Oh, it's no joke. But I'm gonna have to file this with the thread where HH analysis 'proved' that mountain bike hall-of-famer Hans Rey faked his biking pics in photoshop.

That is to say, proof of an ongoing pattern of flawed analysis.

noisebeam

The case example I have is a 40mph multilane (five, two each way and a shared center turn). Narrow outside lane.

About half of drivers here tend to note bus ahead and merge into inside lane early to avoid being stuck behind it at its many (every 1/4mi) stops, most of which are stopped at during rush hour. Some only notice when its near to late and try a last second merge as the bus is slowing/stopping.

As a cyclist on this road, I am on average faster than bus, so I too notice and prepare to pass at next stop. I find I am usually head of most motorists in noting the obstical and preparing to merge. The last place I want to be stuck is right behind a stopped bus in lane which decreases my visibility as my hi-vis blends into the busses (mainly so many lights on bus) and drivers are agressively trying to merge at last second.

Drivers do notice me early, like the bus, but as cyclists are rare relative to bus, much few driver have the instinct to merge left early and instead wait until they are right behind, slowed down to my speed and then its too late for an easy merge left.

They don't have this much problem with busses, experience probably is the difference. Another factor is that drivers know without question that they will neve be able to pass the bus in the same lane. Some drivers may think that I will move over into gutter to try and let them pass, so they give it a try.

edit: so I voted 'bus', but that is in general. I think in heavy traffic it is easier to see a bus ahead (even shows up over the top of the many SUVs) but for a driver following either vehicle after they have been noticed, I think most drivers pay more attention to the cylists, watching them vs. just daydreaming behind a bus.

Al

Helmet Head

+1

(I had a good laugh myself)

Helmet Head

Thanks. That's an interesting way to look at it... in terms of how soon before they reach the bus or cyclist they change lanes. Obviously, the bus has huge (literally) advantages in the sensory conspicuity area. On the other hand, since buses are expected to be in the road, they are probably not as alarming to see as a lane centered might be. Whether that cognitive conspicuity possible advantage evens things or not is ultimately the question. In your experience, apparently not.

syn0n

Around here, people lane change the second they see a bus. Most of the non Rapid Ride stops are pretty inconspicuous so it's hard to tell where the bus is going to stop and they're incredibly slow. Because they're tall and most are a teal-green color, they're really easy to see so people usually merge left pretty soon.

Cyclists can be more difficult to see and most drivers usually will come up behind you and go a little ways into the left lane when it's safe to give passing room. I've never been buzzed around here, and drivers usually are good about making the lane change. Most of our roads are 5 lanes in the city area, and the 3 lane roads that have a lot of cyclists are mainly around the university and downtown area where speeds are low and pedestrians abundant, so drivers are much more vigilant.

I think drivers are usually less upset by cyclists and pedestrians than they are busses here. I guess this has a lot to do with the fac that there aren't many cyclists outside of the metro area, where traffic is horrendous and the speed limits are low.

CommuterRun

I'm the sole "Other" voter, being that there are no mass transit buses in this area and my normal circumstances don't typically allow me to observe school buses for any period of time. However I will throw this observation out there:

The amount of space I'm given by nearly all passing motorists would be physically impossible in passing a bus from either direction.

ghettocruiser

Good to hear. Perhaps next year this thread will get a similar response.

Helmet Head

Remember, the question wasn't about the treatment of cyclists no matter where they are positioned. The question was specifically about lane-centered cyclists.

JRA

Funniest poll ever!

Of all the jackass polls you've started over the years, HH, this one takes the cake. Keep up the good work! You crack me up.

chipcom 

Depends on who's doing the noticing and who's riding the bike.
This is tops on my hit parade:

I-Like-To-Bike

Who sez a bicyclist off to the side of the road isn't noticed?



Beats looking at a bus.