canklecat

Where's the "bike lane?" That narrow strip between the curb and white paint? That isn't a bike lane. That's just the road shoulder. Riding a bike there is an invitation to disaster.

Sy Reene

The way you've worded your experience however, it sounds like you ran with traffic, not against it? Otherwise, a cyclist going 20mph, and runner coming at them at say 7mph, has combined head-on passing speed of 27mph -- not much like a faster cyclist passing a slower cyclist. For a cyclist passing a runner going the same direction, it's a lot easier to do this safely as they can simply slow down and wait for opportune time to go into traffic and around the runner.

urbanknight

I haven't measured the street pictured, but I believe the minimum width for a compulsory bike lane in CA is 4', including the gutter. Even if it's less than 4', and even if there's debris in it (or a runner!), good luck convincing a cop not to give you a ticket for being outside of it, or a judge not to uphold that ticket.

Sy Reene

If this is the same Banyan street. The other side of the street has the nicer path/sidewalk.


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urbanknight

Thanks to many real life experiences, I consider a separated bike path or MUP to be more dangerous than the road. (Not sure if you were suggesting that cyclists use it, or runners/peds, or what)

But thanks for the image. With that official sign there, it is definitely considered compulsory... at least by someone with power.

LarrySellerz

Yes, also who cares about the law. Cyclists yield to pedestrians, end of story, it doesn't matter if they are walking around in the bikelane like a clueless idiot. Unless there is fast traffic and its unsafe to get in the road, which is rare, I would never gesture for a pedestrian to move. Same for some idiot going the wrong way in the bike lane

work4bike

^^^^^^^^^^^^ That road and bike lane sucks. Where is this?


EDIT:

NEVERMIND, I JUST SAW THE LITTLE MAP INSET.



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Troul 

bike lanes are a joke in the detroit metro area. heavy debris, missing chunks of pavement, sewage back-up in some low areas, bums camping out in it if the lane is besides a curb. If the lane is well kept, smooth, & clearly marked; the runners seem to be self identifying as a BSO & are running in it.

10 Wheels

We once came upon a Highway Runner.
He was Running in-between the lanes The Wrong Direction.

urbanknight

Speak for yourself, or come visit some day.

livedarklions

Fair enough, I probably violated my own rule by not taking into account that people act differently in different parts of the country.

Just based on my experience with this on MUPs, I find that words are a heck of a lot more effective than whatever the gesture is for "hey!"

urbanknight

You’re probably right that words would be more effective than gestures, especially since half the time they’re staring at their phone. I generally just slow down until I find the safest way through. Not making any record attempts anyway.

Troul 

If farts & poop didn't share the same exit, I'd blow hot alerts every time a ped is not paying attention.

livedarklions

A Cleveland steamer from Detroit?

LarrySellerz

On a road like that, I would look behind me, signal what I am doing, and then take the lane. I get honked at farily often in this situation which actually kind of pisses me off, like dude im passing something slow chill the **** out. I have thought about if someone is texting it could be bad for me, but yeah getting hit from behind is kind of a random freak thing that you cant do anything about so I dont think about it.

also I took the aerobars off for the group ride and couldn't get them installed correctly again so im without copper for now.

Troul 

Could be worse... Moroccan Dinner Party worse.

kayakindude

Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Kudos to the "diver"

dmanthree

And that SIMPLE FACT is lost on way, way too many people. It's a BIKE lane.

nel e nel

Some of us live in cities where this is common on our daily commute. Throw in trucks making deliveries to the stores and you got yourself a stew going on.

viffer

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there’s a lot of people in the world these days who are it’s all about me and my right to do whatever I want and I don’t care if it endangers or inconveniences anyone else as long as I get my way. Those pedestrians and runners are just acting like the typical selfish derps you’ll find shopping at Walmart or cutting you off in traffic on the freeway.

joeconn4

This is probably my #1 head scratcher as I walk/run/bike/drive around here, always has been, lived here 34 years. With covid, I understand why some walkers and runners will move off the sidewalk and into the bike lanes or roadway as they pass by other pedestrians. I'm good with that, people who do that seem to jump back on the sidewalk as soon as they get by. It's the walkers and runners who eschew the sidewalk that I never understood.

I used to run 1500+/- miles/year, these days it's more like two-three 3-5 mile runs a week and for the last 20 years I've coached a college XC team. I've had runners tell me (and read on this thread) that an asphalt road is softer than a concrete sidewalk. While I believe that's technically correct, no matter what the surface is - asphalt, concrete, gravel, mondo, dirt, grass - the softest part of the equation is the shoes the runner or walker is wearing. And IMO the part of the activity that leads to the most shock absorption is how one runs/walks (stiff vs fluid). Choosing to run on asphalt vs concrete, or for that matter grass or a rubberized track as opposed to harder surfaces... In 40+ years of being in running I've not yet found any study that definitively shows that runners can expect to have a lower incidence of injury when they run on softer surfaces regularly. "The data are mixed" is a phrase that comes up time after time.

But, people are going to believe what people are going to believe and other than the runners I coach I don't think what I think is going to move them. So I'll just continue to be entertained when runners are in the street if they think it's because running on asphalt is going to be a lot softer than running on concrete.

tomato coupe

There are motorists that think there shouldn't be anyone or anything besides cars and trucks on the road.

sunburst

I only read a few responses, but here's mine anyway.

I was riding in a clearly painted bike lane next to a sidewalk. A pedestrian who I was approaching stepped in front of me without first looking left at the road. I suppose she thought she had a few feet of margin before any (motorized) vehicles were a danger. I had about a half second to react and plowed straight into her, going down hard in the process, and came up swearing. She was ambulatory so she got up and got the hell out of there immediately so as not to hear a lecture/rant. Did not give a fig whether I was injured or not.

gear64

​​​​​​​The difference here at least is cyclists belong on the road by ordinance, and pedestrians belong on the sidewalk by ordinance. As close as possible to the roadside facing traffic if not provided. Doesn't really matter what one prefers unless they can legally propagate change. The high school track near me is even easier on the knees. I really don't mind that much as long as they give me room for the legal purpose.

Ironfish653

Quote (Originally by Ironfish653)---
But, but, the bike lane is for BIKES! There shouldn’t be anyone or anything besides bicycles in the bike lane.
---End Quote---

---Quote (Originally by dmanthree)---
And that SIMPLE FACT is lost on way, way too many people. It's a BIKE lane.
---End Quote---

Funny how that works, huh?