Bekologist

what a nice north american influenced application of a dutch like solution to bikes and car traffic along state highways in Michigan that largely preserves those precious rules of the road for drivers of vehicles. Haven't ridden these ones, but have ridden designs like this in greater seattle and portland and san francisco.

UnsafeAlpine

I'm excited about this. Oakland County is not known for it's cycling infrastructure and anything that can be done to help is good in my book.

rjkfsm

Looks promising....

genec

This won't work. Just ask Forester.

I think it looks great... to bad it is just a small stretch of road.

hagen2456

He would be more or less right when it comes to the crossing bike/car traffic. We've got one of those in Copenhagen, put in some 5 years ago and alas not yet removed again. It's a nightmare to use. Not suited for children or elderly the way most other Copenhagen/Dutch solutions to the right-turn problem are. You have to be very alert. And this is in Copenhagen, where drivers are aware that there are cyclists around...

UnsafeAlpine

Our streets suck. Our streets are not suitable for anyone to be riding on and that is not an overstatement. Our solution for years has been cars own the road, if you're too poor to own a car, that's not our problem. I am all for anything that allows cyclists to ride in a safer manner than what is currently available here.

CB HI

Cool, fight between the paint and path guys over paint.

UnsafeAlpine

I don't care. Either one is better than what's currently available here.

B. Carfree

It has two screw-ups,one of which is becoming more common as non-cyclists design more so-called cycling amenities. The unusual poor decision was to make the buffer bigger than the bike lane. The lane needs to be wider, especially since it includes the lower-elevation debris-collecting zone and the gutter apron. A two to three foot buffer would have been more than enough. Secondly, the buffer needs to end further from the intersection so that cyclists are properly seen by right-turning motorists. The current configuration, one that is being implemented in a lot of places, creates a conflict, especially for cyclists who are riding with any speed (didn't see any folks likely to be in that category in any of the pictures, though).

Bekologist

...might cut down on the hundreds of wasted hours out of cyclists lives who no longer have to chase down harassment leads on motorists they've gotten grief from. oh, that's right, you've had to do that.


A very suitable road design for high speed traffic corridors and limited intersections- what a lot of america is paved with. At least it would be a start, and an improvement over current road conditions.

oh, someday for a national standard of wide buffered bike lanes along these types of roads AND regional trail networks for those unwilling to ride even these types of facilities as well.

CB HI

At least I get convictions rather than your method of chasing a motorist down to get beat up by the motorist and never even making it to court.

Now which bike lane designs would you, Bek, oppose?

Bekologist

never been beat up by a motorist must be a personal reflection of CBHI's.


.......not these ones, and neither should you unless you're a dogmatically addled ideologue.

See how simple that is?

CB HI

You posted the article of the incident.

Avoiding the question, which bike lane designs would you oppose?

Bekologist

you must be thinking of your own motorist engagements, chbi - i've never gotten a hand laid on me by a motorist - don't be silly. to suggest as much sounds like you've got little more than rabble rousing and personal slander on your mind instead of talking about the buffered bike lanes in michigan.

let's see if you can stick to the topic at hand - buffered bike lanes in michigan.




i don't oppose these bike lanes. You do? Telling the forum you're unable as a bicyclist to see the value in this type of road design for high speed traffic corridors?


you tube buffered bike lanes come to michigan


Crazy talk.

canyoneagle

The Salt Lake Valley has lanes like that in the city and on some roads outside of the city. I liked them. The only risky spots are where traffic needs to get over into the turn lane - the cyclists and cars need to trade places as intersections approach. In SLC, the cyclists had right of way in those zones. The risk was driver awareness (or lack of it) of the presence of bicycles in the bike lane before crossing. I rarely had any issues come up - perhaps a couple of close calls during the two years I commuted in that valley.

hotbike

Dude, get a hair cut.

irwin7638

That looks like another step forward here in Michigan and I am glad to see it done. The only problem I see occurring will be at the entrance to the right turn lane. Like other multi-lane roads, the autos will almost always speed up and try to "beat" the cyclist to the lane rather than (god forbid) yield to a cyclist. There is still that potential for right hooks when they misjudge the cyclists speed.

Marc

delcrossv

That's what's missing: "Yield to thru bike traffic". Drivers need signage around here.

Doohickie

Ya gotta start somewhere. We have a green bike lane marked in Fort Worth where motor traffic crosses the bike lane to access a turn lane. It's just one spot, but ya gotta start somewhere.

squirtdad

This makes a lot of sense....and lot more sense than physically separated facilities.

Based on the last few minutes of video...it will also take some cyclist education.....just cause you have a gaggle of riders doesn't mean is is ok to ride the buffer zone

Old Sarge

Aren't these lanes similar to ones found in Sedona, AZ? I seem to recall a similar arrangement when I last drove through there.

Dahon.Steve

That is exactly what I was thinking about. Since motorist are not trained or educated to trade places with cyclist, those lines are the road will only confuse them. I can see a cyclists moving to the center only to get hit by a car who did not understand the traffic lines. I see these lines in New York City streets and no way am I going to follow them because it takes me to the middle of the street where the motorist do not expect me to be in.

zeppinger

I was in this video riding the new lane in Lansing on its opening day. The reason people are riding the buffer is because the entire road was closed to traffic for the grand opening event. You just can't tell from the pics. Also, as others have said, the lane itself includes a lot of the debris field so that tow riders can not ride side by side without riding a bit of the buffer.

teufelhunden222

Thats badass, I love bike lanes(except when punks on skateboards are in them)

zeppinger

The bike lane is a major improvement but I doubt anyone but highly dedicated men will ride it. I don't see young women, children, or seniors hopping on their bikes to go play in 50 mph traffic, buffered lane or not.