randya

https://bikeportland.org/2009/08/28/n...o-open-monday/
https://bikeportland.org/2009/08/31/f...l-cycle-track/
https://bikeportland.org/2009/09/01/c...w-cycle-track/

Personally, I don't think it's either that necessary or that safe, but what do I know?

MWPdx

+1...
While I definitely appreciate what they're trying to do, I think there are gonna be a LOT of problems w/ it.

Most of the people I've seen using the bike part of this thing have been cars (both parked and driving). But last time I went by there, it hadn't officially opened or whatever so we'll see. I think once people start parking on the outside, other people will 'get it'.

That being said, I think a lot of people won't 'get it', at least not at first. I think this is gonna lead to all kinds of problems. Angry riders 'cause there's a car where the bikes are supposed to go, angry driver 'cause bike people are yelling at him or he's getting a ticket/towed/whatever, angry cops 'cause they have to deal with confused riders and drivers...etc.

Those, I think, will both get better over time but it also turns Broadway from a 3 lane road to 2 lane road. From what I can tell, Broadway needs one less lane like it needs a hole in the head (does Broadway have a head? Does that analogy/metaphor still make since if Broadway doesn't have a head?). I know this is a bike website but still... angry drivers are s**ty drivers and if you think they're pissed about spending 30 more seconds in traffic, wait 'til they find out it's 'because of stupid bikes'.

But... I'm kind of a cynical pessimist when it comes to this kind of thing. Hopefully it works out great and people (myself included) figure it out quickly.

genec

I say give them a chance.

Mr IGH

Some guy's got a youtube video of these in NYC, they're just another place to jaywalk. PDX, you're gonna hate 'em, esp when the cops make you use 'em.

genec

There is no requirement to use them. The literature describing the cycle tracks makes that clear up front.

randya

once they become 'official', ORS 814.420, the mandatory bike lane and sidepath law, will apply. At least one commenter on Bike Portland already has had a cop tell him he was supposed to be in the cycle track when he was riding in the main traffic lane - to avoid a parked car in the cycle track.

genec

did the cop ticket the car?

randya

nope, just drove right by

Mr IGH

enjoy your separate but equal facilities

randya

Motorists fill cycle track with parked cars

genec

OK that really sucks. Are police ticketing the wrongfully parked cars? If there is no enforcement then the idea is totally useless.

randya

PPB are more likely to ticket cyclists for riding outside the cycle track than to ticket illegally parked motorists in the cycle track.

genec

How can you ride in it with cars parked there?

Oh and perhaps the best "revenge" is that those cars parked in there really have no way out.

I certainly would be temped to call some parking enforcement division or whatever to ticket and tow them... is there not some "no parking" mandate associated with these cycle tracks?

MWPdx

It seems like it'd be hard to tow them w/ all the other cars there. Although, I'm frequently amazed at how surgical some tow truck drivers can be.

joejack951

It's better than nothing. Look at the great bike lane created in between the two sets of parked cars

Digital_Cowboy

Okay, who are the "double parkers?" The people parking in the correct parking spaces, or the moron's parking in the cycle track?

Digital_Cowboy

Is there a time limit on the legitimate spaces? If not I'd call a bunch of friends when the cycle track is full of illegally parked cars and have them all park in the legal spots all day long. Just to see how the owners of the illegally parked cars like being blocked in. About the only illegally parked cars that stand any chance of getting out would be the first and last ones at the intersections.

genec

LOL Right... double door zone bike lane.

genec

Well really all they have to do is start at one end of the street and then methodically work their way to the other end. After all they can only pick up one car at a time anyway.

noisebeam

Can someone explain this?

unterhausen

it's a bike box to get cyclists out in front of traffic at a light. If you are going to segregate cyclists into bike lanes, they are essential

noisebeam

But it is marked with a left turn arrow, on first glance it looks like it is designed to kill cyclists making left turns instead of having them make left turns from the left most lane - maybe I am mistaken but it looks like traffic can flow to the left of this arrow - or probably more likely it is OK to just turn left there as the cyclist is protected? - I'd have to try it to find out I guess. I just don't get how is it even possible to merge left for a turn while following the strongly marked guidance?

yes

It's not a 'turn lane' per say. It looks like they removed the last parking space, and provided a space for a cyclist to wait until they can make the left turn without blocking other cyclists in the travel lane. One of the difficulties with this bike lane seems to be that parked cars separate bikes from cars, so you can't merge over to the left ahead of the intersection. I guess here, you just have to wait and do the merge and turn all at once.

joejack951

That right there is innovation. Just ask Bek.

genec

Yeah you'd think it would be more like the image below...