Jseis 

My 75Km loop route includes one 800 foot long tunnel. Two 12 foot lanes, fog lines, gutters adjacent to fog line, curb on one side, 3' side walk on the other.

A push button at each end, activated by a cyclist, trips a blinking caution light in the cyclists direction of travel to warn an advancing car that a cyclist is ahead of them in their direction of travel. The state workers told me the caution light switching system is not wired to warn drivers in the oncoming lane.

I ride the loop early on Saturdays, getting through the tunnel before 6 am. I look way behind me for traffic (about 1/2 mile before road curves, hit the switch, then pedal like hell). I get caught at the end of the tunnel 50% of the time and I'm riding in the travel lane right side. Tunnel is lit reasonably well but lights are centered on middle of tunnel.

I've friends who will not ride through the tunnel and it is that scary. Not much creepier than hearing the roar of a vehicle coming up behind you. I've asked state to connect lights but other than widening tunnel, I'm out of solutions. Any thoughts? Use the 3' sidewalk and walk the bike? I'm well lit with front and rear flashers, thinking of going up in wattage. Speed is 55 w/35 caution when bikes are in tunnel. Lower speed would give cyclists more time to get through but doesn't solve real problem. Sidewalk on only one side doesn't really help peds or bikers.

neilG

Do you use lights? Cupla small blinkies front and rear would give you some extra visibility.

Chris516

One thing comes to mind that I definitely don't want. In the 'Police Academy' serial where Howard Hessman('WKRP in Cincinatti') plays Capt. Pete Lassard(Commdant Lassard's brother), two officer's are told to go watch traffic in a tunnel like the one the OP mentions, in case there is an accident. They come out of the tunnel all covered in the smoke particles from vehicle exhaust. While I ride in traffic, the vehicle exhaust is not contained within a small space, as it is in a tunnel.

So I won't ride in a tunnel.

randomgear

A few yeas ago while visiting San Francisco, I rode a rental bike to the Nike Missile site that's now a museum near the Marin Headlands visitor center and after an awesome tour of the cold-war site, I rode up Bunker Rd and through the single-lane tunnel that connects it to Horseshoe Bay.
I had read about the tunnel before my trip and brought a rear blinky and my Dinnotte 200 to use. The tunnel has traffic lights that let traffic only flow in one direction at a time. I had three or four cars in front of me when I got the tunnel, giving me plenty of time to mount the headlight and blinky. We got the green light, the cars went and I followed. Despite it being a downhill slope, the cars quickly got away from me. I got very nervous as I approached the end of the tunnel, not knowing when the light would change to allow for oncoming traffic; I started waving my hand in front of the light to simulate a flashing light (I never remember the sequence of button pushes to change the Dinnotte's mode from steady to flashing).
It was one of the few times I've been really worried that I might get hit.

Fargo Wolf

Turn on your lights front and rear (especially the rear), if you have them, hit the button and take the lane while going through the tunnel, just as you would on a narrow bridge. Using the sidewalk is a possibility if traffic is that much of an issue.

There are bike lanes in the tunnel, so that cyclists don't have to worry about the lights.
Streetview linky:
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=37.838949,...305.25,,0,7.34

In the tunnel itself:
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=37.838971,...02.87,,1,11.54

Bekologist

That tunnel, just north of the Golden Gate bridge, is great. It's so cool it should be considered one of bay area bike culture's rights of passage.

andrewclaus

I think it's amazing to have the bike warning flasher for tunnels like that. I saw those when I toured the Oregon coast, and on the North Cascades Hwy, and was very thankful when I saw them. It only makes it slightly less terrifying, but it's about all you can expect from a state hwy dept. You have the lights and in a dark tunnel extra wattage would probably be a marginal help. About all I can add is to take a break on the other side until your knees stop shaking. I assume you have bright or reflective clothing.

It seemed like every one I rode through was uphill and curving right.

I don't know if walking the bike on that narrow sidewalk would be safer or not. It would just mean more time in the tunnel. I don't remember ever seeing one in the tunnels I've seen. I'd try it once and see.

I don't blame your friends. My wife feels the same way about tunnels. She's nearly hyperventilating afterwards.

Jseis 

Thanks for all of your thoughts, comments. I have front and rear Cateyes always on flash. I'm considering going to something brighter, say a Cherry Bomb, Super Flash, etc. Because the tunnel is lit less than half the cars use headlights. I wear the eye searing lime green bike jacket but am looking for similar with sewn in reflective panels (like a highway safety vest).

The local DOT maintenance super knew I ride through the tunnel regularly and asked my opinion of the caution light system/safety so I told him.

At my request, the state is relocating one flasher switch (south bound) so a cyclist does not have ride through grass/dismount to hit it, then negotiate the grass, roadside markers, to get back to the highway. I reccomended that both south and north caution lights are synced together so any vehicle entering the tunnel knows a cyclist is present.

But..it is so dangerous I'm considering using the 3' sidewalk (barely wide enough to walk a bike due to tunnel wall).

Regarding DOT workers, they have always been professional and courteous to me. They likely don't know your issues so tell them. My concern for this tunnel started years ago when I saw two kids on bikes carrying fishing poles, followed by a golden lab, ride out of the tunnel. But it wasn't till I started using as a cyclist that I realized just how bad it is.

Fort Columbia Tunnel, US/SR 101, 3 miles west of Astoria-Meglar Bridge, Pacific County, Washington state.

randomgear

There are bike lanes in the tunnel, so that cyclists don't have to worry about the lights.
Streetview linky:
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=37.838949,...305.25,,0,7.34

In the tunnel itself:
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=37.838971,...02.87,,1,11.54[/QUOTE]

I was there two years ago, seemed longer for some reason, I just don't remember them. I do remember waiting for the light before I started.
Bek, I agree, that whole area just to the northwest of the Golden Gate bridge is an amazing bike experience. When I was there the section of Conzelman road going up to Hawk Hill was closed for road construction; gives me a nice excuse to go back.

randomgear

I just looked into the Google Streetview - the tunnel on Bunker Road has those "cyclist in tunnel" buttons and flashers", but it looks like they are only on the east side of the tunnel for uphill/westbound cyclists.
Hopefully buttons will be installed on the west side portal as well someday.

Fargo Wolf

There is a button there. It's right at the tunnel portal.
Streetview linky:
https://maps.google.ca/?ll=37.841873,...6,,2,4.81&z=19

K'Tesh

I remember feeling quite uncomfortable going through the tunnel on the Honoapiilani Hwy (Between Maalaea, and Lahaina)





They also have a button for alerting motorists, but it still seems painfully tight w/all the traffic heading through it.

randomgear

OK, I see a doorbell buzzer; are you sure this isn't for the super secret underground bunker? After all, people hiding in super secret underground bunkers need to have pizza deliveries, too.
Signage/instructions would be nice...

Jseis 

Fort Columbia North bound. South Bound, switch on grass.

Can be seen on

https://srview.wsdot.wa.gov/srweb/srweb.htm

Go to SW, then 101 mainline. About MM 2.75-2.91

CB HI

The lights and buttons on both ends have been out of operation for some time.

K'Tesh

If that's the case, then I'd get on the case of the HDOT. Send photos (video would be better) to them and a few other agencies, lawyers, advocacy groups, the media, bloggers, lawyers. If they don't respond, expand the list until they are forced to fix them out of fear of liability.

The important thing is not to let them off the hook. The life you save could be mine.

PS, keep us in the loop... I've got the perfect thread to do that in... Advocacy Thread... What Have YOU Done Today???

yosarian9

And there are red lights so cyclists "dont have to worry" about someone running said red light and hitting them while crossing through a green...because everyone follows the law, is sane, and cares about cyclists.

CB HI

I appreciated the PMed e-mail address, but sadly it will take someone on Maui to get any action done. Once the contact finds out I am on Oahu, he will just blow it off. Plus my plate is pretty full trying to keep city and state on Oahu from painting anymore dangerous bike lanes and getting an old road converted to a bike path. I hope someone from Maui has or will take the issue up. I have only been to Maui for work a couple of times the last couple of years, last week being the most recent.

Right now HDOT Maui is ass deep in a collapsing highway along the beach a few miles north of the tunnel. As I passed by, I saw the remnants of a 3 car pile-up in the construction zone.

krobinson103

Just did a tunnel for the first time today. First few times I walked along the tiny fractured service walk - it was too dangerous to ride it. Got sick of walking 1.5km in a tunnel so I just rode through the silly thing. This one had 3 lanes and a wide shoulder so I wasn't too worried. Also with each passing vechile you get a boost in speed as the displaced air is contained within the tunnel. If I can ride a motorcycle through a tunnel there is no reason I can't ride a bike at 40km/h through one.

K'Tesh

You sound like you're pretty up on Maui county news. I bet that HDOT wouldn't be too put out by a request for safety improvements no matter where they came from (Hell, I even sent them a quick email about this issue). That, and a collapsing highway vs a simple electrical fix requires different personnel to fix.

What's the harm in trying (or passing the email address of Ferdinand Cajigal or the rest of HDOT to a local) Cuz?

BTW... My 1st language was Pidgin.


Me And My First Bike at our house on Kiapapau loop, Hauula, Oahu, Hawaii 1972 (Facing Makai)

CB HI

A couple e-mails are no problem. But as you already know, especially in Hawaii, unless you stay right on top of them, nothing gets done. If I was traveling to Lahaina once a month, I would be able to check up on them, but once a year or two just will not get it done, especially when I have more pressing cycling projects on Oahu.

dougmc

Perhaps you shouldn't get your air quality information from comedies?

In general tunnels have good ventilation. The air quality may not be quite as good as it is outside, but you're not going to emerge covered in smoke particles either. (Unless there's an actual fire in there, of course.)

The people driving there are breathing the same air. They may not be huffing and puffing like you are, but if it was really that bad, they wouldn't want to drive in there either.

rekmeyata

I agree, you need to have a bright rear tail light like the Blackburn Mars 4, or the Serfa USL-TL60 The Shield, or the Cygolite HotShot. When a driver is driving in daylight their eyes pupils shrink, upon entering a dark tunnel all they see is black, the end of the tunnel, and any tail lights that may be on, if you don't have a tail light they probably won't see you before they feel you. Your choice, be felt or be seen.