Bike Lanes
12-20-17, 02:55 PM
#1
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Bike Lanes
Can anyone else here relate. I have not gotten a ticket, but cars and other obstacles do present a real danger.
12-20-17, 03:01 PM
#2
Interocitor Command
Where I live most of the time bike lanes are used by pedestrians, even though there are sidewalks everywhere. 
12-20-17, 06:33 PM
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That's crazy. I'm surprised I haven't been approached for blowing red lights yet, gotta minimize that.
12-20-17, 08:17 PM
#5
Senior Member
This summer, Toronto has been pretty aggressive at ticketing and shaming bike lane violators. Since then most cars and delivery vehicles has been respecting bike lanes. We only have problems when construction workers block sidewalks. That's when pedestrians walk in the bike lanes even though there are signs telling them to walk elsewhere. (I don't blame the pedestrians. I put the responsibility on the developers who don't put in much thought when they disrupt traffic.)
12-20-17, 08:37 PM
#6
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NYC cops get hard on’s for cyclists when the word comes down to crack down for some reason or another. It’s been documented such nonsense as parking a police cruiser in the bike lane, thus blocking it and the writing a ticket for leaving the lane. Forgetting that it’s perfectly legal to leave the lane if it’s blocked. Take it to court. Or standing in and blocking a bike lane at the end of a bridge path, then writing a ticket if a cyclist goes around you.
In Manhatten the pedestrians routinely walk in a separate bike lane, but then again, the cyclists often are riding the wrong way. I’ve seen videos of cars and cabs that drive right up an isolated and separated bike lane, completley out of the car lanes
Then the cops in NYC do not enforce parking violations, that’s the job of parking enforcement. The Parking enforcement folks almost never write tickets for a vehicle blocking a bike lane and the cops can’t be bothered. I’ve seen cop cars double park in a lane while heading to the deli. And EVERYBODY stops or double parks in bike lanes. Heck, folks double park EVERYWHERE !, the motto is “why park when you can double park”.
So goes the “Wild, Wild, East”.
In Manhatten the pedestrians routinely walk in a separate bike lane, but then again, the cyclists often are riding the wrong way. I’ve seen videos of cars and cabs that drive right up an isolated and separated bike lane, completley out of the car lanes
Then the cops in NYC do not enforce parking violations, that’s the job of parking enforcement. The Parking enforcement folks almost never write tickets for a vehicle blocking a bike lane and the cops can’t be bothered. I’ve seen cop cars double park in a lane while heading to the deli. And EVERYBODY stops or double parks in bike lanes. Heck, folks double park EVERYWHERE !, the motto is “why park when you can double park”.
So goes the “Wild, Wild, East”.
Last edited by Steve B.; 12-20-17 at 08:41 PM.
12-20-17, 08:37 PM
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Coming home this evening I came upon the scene in the attached images in front of the Chicago Police Education and Training Division. This was the second time this week the lane was blocked by a squad car. Doesn't give me much confidence in the enforcement of traffic laws in general.
Steve
Steve
12-20-17, 09:05 PM
#8
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This is old news and local to NYC. It is an issue which peaked around 2011 when the video was made.
The point of the video is that NYPD were aggressively ticketing any cyclist who veered out of a bike lane to avoid an obstacle, make a turn, etc.
NYC and New York State laws contradict and there is/was a big debate about the conditions under which NYC cyclists must use the bike lane and when they can ride outside the bike lane. NYPD had taken a very narrow and strict position on the law which many, myself included, find unreasonable. Some have accused the city of doing so as part of a concerted effort to harass the cycling community and raise revenue.
NYPD patrol cars have been sitting near obstacles in the bike lanes, things like garbage cans and such, and ticketing anyone who veers out of the lane to avoid the obstruction. Some accused the police themselves of putting the obstacles in the lane. I don't know how true this is. That's the point of the video, NYPD ticketing cyclists for veering out of a bile lane a couple of feet. The counter point is that in 2016 the City added a feature to their website which allowed the public to report motorists who block bike lanes and ran a ticket blitz against motorists who drive in bike lanes. Maybe Casey Neistat's video did some good and the city had a change or heart? I don't know. Note that I no longer live in NYC but I did live on Long Island and worked there for many years so it is of passing interest to me.
-Tim-
The point of the video is that NYPD were aggressively ticketing any cyclist who veered out of a bike lane to avoid an obstacle, make a turn, etc.
NYC and New York State laws contradict and there is/was a big debate about the conditions under which NYC cyclists must use the bike lane and when they can ride outside the bike lane. NYPD had taken a very narrow and strict position on the law which many, myself included, find unreasonable. Some have accused the city of doing so as part of a concerted effort to harass the cycling community and raise revenue.
NYPD patrol cars have been sitting near obstacles in the bike lanes, things like garbage cans and such, and ticketing anyone who veers out of the lane to avoid the obstruction. Some accused the police themselves of putting the obstacles in the lane. I don't know how true this is. That's the point of the video, NYPD ticketing cyclists for veering out of a bile lane a couple of feet. The counter point is that in 2016 the City added a feature to their website which allowed the public to report motorists who block bike lanes and ran a ticket blitz against motorists who drive in bike lanes. Maybe Casey Neistat's video did some good and the city had a change or heart? I don't know. Note that I no longer live in NYC but I did live on Long Island and worked there for many years so it is of passing interest to me.
-Tim-
12-21-17, 03:48 AM
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BSNYC's daily bike forecast blog routinely documents NYPD in bike lanes. Most recent dust-up has been over a NY state Senator who flashed a placard claiming to be PD and ordering cyclist out of the lane. Bike law enforcement now seems to be centered around going after cyclists in the area where motor vehicle has recently hit cyclist. That and delivery e-bikes.
scott s.
.
scott s.
.
12-21-17, 09:29 AM
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I thought Dallas was quite innovative. They threw down some paint to get some 'miles of bike lanes' for League/Bicycling 'Bike Friendly City' points, but left the parking meters up for the revenue.
Bike Lane Dallas.jpg
Bike Lane Dallas.jpg
12-21-17, 09:45 AM
#11
Cycleway town
They got it right, here. This town was built from scratch with a separate pedestrian/cycleway system from the grid road system. We don't cycle on roads here. If you're not driving, you're in a road-less world...
This also makes life better for motorists, who are able to treat the isolated roads like a race track. And they do. If a cyclist ventured onto the roads, i expect it'd be only a matter of time before they got wiped out.
This also makes life better for motorists, who are able to treat the isolated roads like a race track. And they do. If a cyclist ventured onto the roads, i expect it'd be only a matter of time before they got wiped out.
12-21-17, 10:54 AM
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They got it right, here. This town was built from scratch with a separate pedestrian/cycleway system from the grid road system. We don't cycle on roads here. If you're not driving, you're in a road-less world...
This also makes life better for motorists, who are able to treat the isolated roads like a race track. And they do. If a cyclist ventured onto the roads, i expect it'd be only a matter of time before they got wiped out.
This also makes life better for motorists, who are able to treat the isolated roads like a race track. And they do. If a cyclist ventured onto the roads, i expect it'd be only a matter of time before they got wiped out.
12-21-17, 11:16 AM
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They got it right, here. This town was built from scratch with a separate pedestrian/cycleway system from the grid road system. We don't cycle on roads here. If you're not driving, you're in a road-less world...
This also makes life better for motorists, who are able to treat the isolated roads like a race track. And they do. If a cyclist ventured onto the roads, i expect it'd be only a matter of time before they got wiped out.
This also makes life better for motorists, who are able to treat the isolated roads like a race track. And they do. If a cyclist ventured onto the roads, i expect it'd be only a matter of time before they got wiped out.
12-22-17, 07:05 AM
#14
Cycleway town
Milton Keynes, England (about 45 miles north of London)
12-22-17, 10:24 AM
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BSNYC's daily bike forecast blog routinely documents NYPD in bike lanes. Most recent dust-up has been over a NY state Senator who flashed a placard claiming to be PD and ordering cyclist out of the lane. Bike law enforcement now seems to be centered around going after cyclists in the area where motor vehicle has recently hit cyclist. That and delivery e-bikes.
scott s.
.
scott s.
.
https://carsinbikelanes.nyc/index.php...48&zoom=10.276
12-22-17, 11:41 AM
#17
Banned
One big difference in places like the NL , Is, the Cycling public is a Majority of the voting population ,
and has been for a very long time.. and the old parts of their cities were built up before the 17th century.
and they are not going to tear that down to widen the streets... so they have car light areas, if not car free..
...
and has been for a very long time.. and the old parts of their cities were built up before the 17th century.
and they are not going to tear that down to widen the streets... so they have car light areas, if not car free..
...
12-22-17, 11:43 AM
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12-22-17, 12:40 PM
#19
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I'm glad that they don't seem to have such an ordinance where I live. My town is trying hard, but seems to use bike lanes for collecting snow removed from the roadway. The "bike lanes" that are half asphalt and half gutter are interesting on a road bike as well.
OTOH, traffic violations are remarkably easy to fight in court in a large city, if you know what you're doing.
OTOH, traffic violations are remarkably easy to fight in court in a large city, if you know what you're doing.
12-22-17, 09:44 PM
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So just ride in the road outside of the bike lane. That's what I do when the bike lane is unsuitable for any reason. Sure it'd be nice to have a portion of the road exclusively for me and my bike. Just as it would be nice just to have a portion of the road exclusively for my car (no trucks allowed) and then another portion of the road exclusively for trucks.
But that ain't gonna happen. So get over the prima donna mentality.
But that ain't gonna happen. So get over the prima donna mentality.
12-23-17, 10:54 AM
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I've never gotten a ticket, but I have always tried to use the safest line down a street or through an intersection that I at the time deem necessary. Sometimes that means using the bike lane, sometimes it means taking a traffic lane, rarely it means going upon a sidewalk, somtimes through parking lots. Through the years police have seen me take lanes or whatever, but I've never even received a second look.
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Trikeman
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12-23-17, 12:35 PM
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He should get a ticket for both that and his vehicle not having turn signals or emergency flashers.
12-23-17, 04:12 PM
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Got this image from a friend.
Merry Christmas!
Steve
Merry Christmas!
Steve
