Digital_Cowboy

While I'm sure most of us here would agree, sadly where I live the local Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Coordinator doesn't agree with us.

Paul Barnard

First let me say this, I would never want a cyclist to ride where it is unsafe. Almost all of the bike lanes I know of are unsafe in places. Here in NOLA, much of the bike lanes are often in door zones, but you can normally ride on the outer part of the bike lane and be clear of the door zone. That's what I do. There are occasionally cars parked a bit far out. Do I eschew the bike lane for it's entire length because very small segments present hazards?

NOLA has some decent MUPs. In places and at times they are littered with aloof walkers, moms pushing strollers, etc. Do I always eschew the entire path because at times and in places there are hazards?

Gulfport MS added bike lanes on Cowan Rd not too long ago. They have some issues. In places debris can be bad, in places the bike lane merges in confusing fashion with a turning lane, in places people are prone to right hook me. Do I eschew the entire lane because of these hazards?

To answer all of those questions, I don't. I can very easily move in and out of the lanes as the situation changes. I do this because I want to function as harmoniously as I reasonably can with the other road users. I have the same goal whether I am riding a bike, riding a motorcycle, driving my truck or walking. I am also the kind of person that will hurry across a sidewalk when I am walking so as to minimize the amount of time I hold up vehicular traffic. It's a gesture of respect and understanding and it fosters good will. You don't have to look far to see evidence that the relationship between motorists and bicyclists could use improvement. You don't have to look far to see that motorists have dangerously unhealthy attitudes toward cyclists. Either through ignorance or malice they hurt bicyclists all too often. I do what I reasonably and safely can to blend harmoniously with other road users even if I have to inconvenience (not endanger) myself a little bit in the process.

So when I see that screw the bike lane at all cost mindset, I don't get it. It's unhealthy.

sudo bike

But "there are plenty of exceptions so mandatory bike lane use laws aren't a big deal".

dynodonn 

Provided that the WolfPack gives you permission to leave the bike lane when you need to.

Paul Barnard

I have never found it particularly hard to blend in when I needed to. I recognize that everyone's situation is different though. I suspect that most of the time the hazards are a product of their imagination, lack of skill or their obstinance.

dynodonn 

Sure.

himespau 

Oh, so your hazards are real, but ours are imaginary?

Digital_Cowboy

Paul,

I've never said "screw all bike lanes." If they we're well thought out, consistently wide enough, well maintained, and did not stop and start without any rhythm or reason. I wouldn't have a problem in using them.

However that isn't always the case. There is a bike lane on the road behind where I live that is only some 16 blocks long. It does NOT connect to ANYTHING nor does it go anywhere. There is another bike lane on another road not far from the same area that is only 5 blocks long. It also passes within the blind spots of the public buses that have a transfer point just outside of the mall. On the other side of the road the bike lane runs alongside of parallel on street parking. There is also a canal running down the middle of this road, and on the side with on street parking there is NOT enough room for cars to leave 3' when passing a cyclist in the bike lane.

Another member here pointed to a bike lane that pretty much goes from one side of the city/county to the other. But what he failed to notice is that for good but of distance that this "wonderful" bike lane has two-way bicycle traffic on a ONE-WAY road. Yes, it's separated by a curb height & width meridian, and at each end of every block there is a "dog-leg" effect to slow down cyclists.

Here where I live I was told that the reason most of the roads that have bike lanes. Got them because they "fit."

I ask you, is that really a "good" reason to install a bike lane on a road?

Also, as I've said before there are a number of low speed roads i.e. 25MPH speed limit with bike lanes on only one side of the road. And these bike lanes are right in the door zone.

I presume that you are aware that even with well thought out and maintained bike lanes, that there are pitfalls. Such as they give the new/inexperience cyclist a false sense of security. And it reinforces for motorists that if there isn't a bike lane on a given road that bikes "aren't allowed" on said road.

With in the past few years logging close to 20k miles on my local streets, I can honestly say that most of the roads with bike lanes would be better off with sharrows, and road signs informing the motoring public that "bikes may use full lane."

Digital_Cowboy

And we know how understanding the wolf pack is in a certain northern city.

Digital_Cowboy

Paul,

Really? Then please explain to me why I've been honked at while riding in the bike lane? Please explain why even when there is an obstacle that is large enough for a motorist to see forcing me out of the bike lane I've been honked at.

Digital_Cowboy

It does seems that way, doesn't it?

LemondFanForeve

Agreed! However DC, it's the JUDGE(S) who continually do stupid stuff like allowing them to proceed and actually fining folks for this stupid stuff. I dont "get" why so many cities and their judges keep doing stuff like this?

ZmanKC

Because you're riding on their road, you silly cyclist.

Digital_Cowboy

This is true, it also doesn't help that "Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Coordinators" really don't have the power to make things happen.

Digital_Cowboy

Sadly, there is TOO much truth in that statement. Which is why as many of us here have tried to explain to a certain European member why the infrastructure he enjoys won't work here. The American driver isn't willing to share "his" road with anyone not operating a similar motor vehicle.

Paul Barnard

I said that because I have watched enough cyclists in real life, seen enough videos and read enough reports to know that the bike lane shoulder etc. hazards that are so often used as excuses for taking the lane are overstated. I'm sure that's not the case with you though. It's the other guy.

Paul Barnard

I was writing of generalities not universals.

Paul Barnard

It wasn't you that said screw the bike lanes, it was an earleir poster. Just out of curiosity does the fact that the bike lane you mentioned not connect anything preclude you from using it?

SpecialX

+1000

dynodonn 

.....and with statements like this is why D.O.T engineers keep building bare minimum standard bike lanes, and "shoehorning" bike lanes into areas as last ditch effort to get some sort of bicycle infrastructure on the books.

Digital_Cowboy

The problem is that there have been plenty of people here who have posted about just such conditions. So given that so many of our fellow members have reported such conditions, I tend to believe them.

Digital_Cowboy

I presume, you know the problems with making generalities?

Digital_Cowboy

Generally speaking, yes it does. As really, what is the point of a bike lane that goes nowhere and connects to nothing.

Digital_Cowboy

DD,

I agree, as I've already said. Where I live I was told by one of the traffic engineers that the reason that most of the roads with bike lanes got them because they "fit."

That is the wrong reason to add a bike lane. Bike lanes, should be added that actually improve the safety of cyclists. They should also go places and connect to each other bike lanes as well as places that cyclists actually want to go.

Paul Barnard

Yes, people who lose the plot or dismiss the context get lost or purposefully confuse things. As a footnote, it's generally not possible to speak in absolutes when dealing with populations or subset of poulations.