The Stupidest Bike Lane?
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
The Stupidest Bike Lane?
Check the video: https://link.brightcove.com/services/...ctid1475273846
Pretty stupid. But I'm sure the fine folks of the BF Commuter Forum can come up with better (stupider) examples than this.
Pretty stupid. But I'm sure the fine folks of the BF Commuter Forum can come up with better (stupider) examples than this.
#2
Is that sarcasm? I see worse every day.
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
#3
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 230
Likes: 1
From: State College PA
Bikes: Cannondale T2000, Dean el Diente
Is that sarcasm? I see worse every day.
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
#4
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
South Columbia Street.jpg
South Columbia Street runs south to north, one way.
Manning Drive is two-way, and gets a lot of traffic.
South Columbia Street has recently been re-striped thusly:
| car | car | BIKE | bus |
Note that this means that cars turning right from westbound Manning Drive will turn into the bus lane, perhaps notice they're in a lane reserved for buses, correct, and trample cyclists as they drive through the bike lane to get to the car lane.
The bike lane ends one block later; that's the entire bike lane on this street.
South Columbia Street runs south to north, one way.
Manning Drive is two-way, and gets a lot of traffic.
South Columbia Street has recently been re-striped thusly:
| car | car | BIKE | bus |
Note that this means that cars turning right from westbound Manning Drive will turn into the bus lane, perhaps notice they're in a lane reserved for buses, correct, and trample cyclists as they drive through the bike lane to get to the car lane.
The bike lane ends one block later; that's the entire bike lane on this street.
#5
Check the video: https://link.brightcove.com/services/...ctid1475273846
Pretty stupid. But I'm sure the fine folks of the BF Commuter Forum can come up with better (stupider) examples than this.
Pretty stupid. But I'm sure the fine folks of the BF Commuter Forum can come up with better (stupider) examples than this.
#6
Señior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 13,748
Likes: 10
From: Michigan
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
It's a pointless lane, but there are probably hundreds of stupider bike lanes. This guy just happens to have a bully pulpit and a camera and decided to go after a lane he probably rides on every day.
I did like how he's trying to put down the lane and he didn't even mention that this bike lane has everything bad that most bike lanes do; it's entirely in the door zone, and it has no protection or markings against right hooks.
I did like how he's trying to put down the lane and he didn't even mention that this bike lane has everything bad that most bike lanes do; it's entirely in the door zone, and it has no protection or markings against right hooks.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
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#7
always rides with luggage
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,109
Likes: 20
From: KIGX
Bikes: 2007 Trek SU100, 2009 Fantom CX, 2012 Fantom Cross Uno, Bakfiets
Funny, my sister used to live on that very block on Westwood. We visited her a couple of times, and I noticed the bike lane, but never realized it was one block long.
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--Ben
2006 Trek SU100, 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX, 2011 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, and a Bakfiets
Previously: 2000 Trek 4500 (2000-2003), 2003 Novara Randonee (2003-2006), 2003 Giant Rainier (2003-2008), 2005 Xootr Swift (2005-2007), 2007 Nashbar 1x9 (2007-2011), 2011 Windsor Shetland (2011-2014), 2008 Citizen Folder (2015)
Non-Bike hardware: MX Linux / BunsenLabs Linux / Raspbian / Mac OS 10.6 / Android 7
--Ben
2006 Trek SU100, 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX, 2011 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, and a Bakfiets
Previously: 2000 Trek 4500 (2000-2003), 2003 Novara Randonee (2003-2006), 2003 Giant Rainier (2003-2008), 2005 Xootr Swift (2005-2007), 2007 Nashbar 1x9 (2007-2011), 2011 Windsor Shetland (2011-2014), 2008 Citizen Folder (2015)
Non-Bike hardware: MX Linux / BunsenLabs Linux / Raspbian / Mac OS 10.6 / Android 7
#8
Is that sarcasm? I see worse every day.
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm




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Slow Ride Cyclists of NEPA
People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Slow Ride Cyclists of NEPA
People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
#10
B-b-b-b-b-b-bicicle Rider
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 749
Likes: 5
From: Racine WI
Bikes: 1997, stumpjumper S-works hardtail, Medici, Giant Perigee(track dropouts and fixed gear), Columbia twosome, schwinn twinn, '67 raleigh 5 speed internal hub, Old triumph 3 speed, old BSA 3-speed, schwinn Racer 2spd kickback, Broken raysport criteriu
#11
w.a.s.t.e.

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Eugene, OR
The cyclist complains that there's no sign the bike lane ends, but take a close look at the :50 sec mark and there's clearly a white "bike lane end" sign. Okay, perhaps it's not so clear since the trees surrounding it need trimming.
The sad thing is that there is a bike shop--Helen's Cycles--on that street somewhere.
The sad thing is that there is a bike shop--Helen's Cycles--on that street somewhere.
#13
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 40,863
Likes: 3,115
From: Sacramento, California, USA
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
#14
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,603
Likes: 0
From: northern California
Bikes: Bruce Gordon BLT, Cannondale parts bike, Ecodyne recumbent trike, Counterpoint Opus 2, miyata 1000
Good show. My pet peeve of a lane is one built in my area to allow bikes and peds to avoid a very steep road connecting a housing area to shops, hospitals and public transit. So poorly built that after the Jan 1, 2006 flood a 20' semi-circular chunk of it slid into a creek over the next year. I made sure the City and the local bike activists knew of the damage but no action so far.
#15
multimodal commuter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,810
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From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
The bike lane up 8th Ave in Manhattan is a good candidate. It runs along the left side of the road, as is normal in Manhattan. It stops without warning at 40th street, to be replaced by a two-lane taxi line in front of Port Authority Bus Terminal. I have no idea what a bicyclist is supposed to do there (some veer to the right and either take a lane or dart between the cars stopped at the light at 41st or 42nd; others go straight and dash between pedestrians and the taxis; it's like an obstacle course). The bike lane resumes at 42nd.
#16
B-b-b-b-b-b-bicicle Rider
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 749
Likes: 5
From: Racine WI
Bikes: 1997, stumpjumper S-works hardtail, Medici, Giant Perigee(track dropouts and fixed gear), Columbia twosome, schwinn twinn, '67 raleigh 5 speed internal hub, Old triumph 3 speed, old BSA 3-speed, schwinn Racer 2spd kickback, Broken raysport criteriu
Is that sarcasm? I see worse every day.
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
And every one on this site has it beat: https://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.me.../April2007.htm
#17
I am not enthusiastic about the southbound counterflow lane that runs along / against the one way close to my home... oncoming cars can see you just fine but cars merging onto the road from your right don't even bother to check for cyclists and quite often don't even stop after seeing their is no oncoming traffic.
It is on my list of lanes to be changed and the only solution I can see is to turn it into a northbound and one way bike lane and have an alternate southbound route put in place.
It is on my list of lanes to be changed and the only solution I can see is to turn it into a northbound and one way bike lane and have an alternate southbound route put in place.
#18
Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,699
Likes: 107
From: Delaware
Bikes: Yes, I have bikes.
I thought I saved a copy of the picture but it must be on my office computer. A few weeks (months?) ago someone posted a picture of a brick road with the very narrow lane on the right, abutting a three foot drop into a canal or something. It's somewhere on Bikeforums.
#19
No Talent Assclown


Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 28
From: Southern US :(
Bikes: 1984 Ciocc Designer '84, Custom Columbus EL Keith Anderson -- Ultegra/DA 10sp mix, 2019 Trek Checkpoint AL All-arounder
haha I remember that. It was outside the USA. I don't remember exactly where.
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Fällt der Pfarrer in den Mist, lacht der Bauer bis er pisst.
Fällt der Pfarrer in den Mist, lacht der Bauer bis er pisst.
#20
beatz down lo|seatz up hi
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 0
From: Missouri, USA
Bikes: A 2007 Trek 4300. 22.5", 1981 Trek 610 24" (61cm)
My favorite was the one with all the dismount signs and corrugated concrete at regular intervals... the description made me LOL.
#21
Check the video: https://link.brightcove.com/services/...ctid1475273846
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#22
B-b-b-b-b-b-bicicle Rider
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 749
Likes: 5
From: Racine WI
Bikes: 1997, stumpjumper S-works hardtail, Medici, Giant Perigee(track dropouts and fixed gear), Columbia twosome, schwinn twinn, '67 raleigh 5 speed internal hub, Old triumph 3 speed, old BSA 3-speed, schwinn Racer 2spd kickback, Broken raysport criteriu
Northfield MN's finest! It may be hard to see the end of the lane, it's all the way back by those garbage cans at the 3rd driveway.
Bonus!! The lane is almost as wide as my Chariot trailer! I believe the painters of the white line thougth the lane looked longer than than it is, due to the illusion of length created by the path's width, or lack thereof.
There are almost 4 whole inches outside of the gutter. Let's hope it doesn't rain!
Bonus!! The lane is almost as wide as my Chariot trailer! I believe the painters of the white line thougth the lane looked longer than than it is, due to the illusion of length created by the path's width, or lack thereof.
There are almost 4 whole inches outside of the gutter. Let's hope it doesn't rain!





