Bike Lanes, C/D?

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Do you go out of your way to ride on bike lanes, or do you avoid them, or do you just ride them when they happen to be there, or do you ignore them altogether and ride on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street? There happens to be a bike lane going north on the one-way street in front of my apartment, and another one coming back south on the next street over. I road it going north and it was surprisingly comfortable. I didn't know that the cars actually paid attention and kept out of these lanes. I also road on one on 21st Avenue. A city bus past me and I barely felt a thing. However, I didn't notice any other bikes on these lanes. I did notice a runner in the 21st Avenue bike lane. And people riding on the sidewalks, on the streets, etc. I also rode on the sidewalk! I followed a delivery guy in a downpour, and no pedestrians were on the sidewalks; they were all huddling under doorways. Riding on the sidewalk feels fun and kind of rebellious--since I didn't know until recently that it is actually against the law. All in all, biking on Queens streets seems easier than biking in suburbia--the cars don't get up to such fast speeds that they have to either tail you or zoom past you as in my hometown highways.

Virginia Plain, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 15:40 (fourteen years ago) link

Well engineered bike lanes = classic
poorly engineered bike lanes = very dud

I'll ride in the bike lanes around here, but they make me very nervous. Thin strips of pavement delineated by white lines of paint running straight through the door zone. It's bullshit really. A token effort that has no real impact on anything. If my local government really gave a crap, they'd invest in some real bike lanes and be willing to displace some parking. But no. It'll be more two feet wide bike lanes running between parked cars and traffic. Progress.

Super Cub, Wednesday, 24 June 2009 21:12 (fourteen years ago) link

Dud, for me - very occasionally will one be well laid out, long, well surfaced with good sight lines which doesn't interfere with traffic or pedestrian flow, but otherwise I'll stay on the road. The exception is if I'm pootling with a friend at low speeds, or if the friend isn't comfortable on the road.

Peds are much more likely to step out without warning into a cycle lane - and they're pretty likely to do that in the road too so it can be a big problem.

Mark C, Thursday, 25 June 2009 15:50 (fourteen years ago) link

feel like cycle lanes might give more of an indication to road works people not to fuck up the side of the road 'cause people might actually want use it, kthx.

ledge, Thursday, 25 June 2009 15:58 (fourteen years ago) link

i for one always appreciate a bike lane

Ømår Littel (Jordan), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link

I hate cycling on the pavement and others that do. I like bike lanes when they are well laid out but too often they are a thin strip right in the door zone of parked cars and I'm going to play it safe. Also, in New york, I consider them to be on the wrong side of the street i n many places, presumably so you are riding along passenger side doors.

manhattan has some good lanes where you are inside the parked cars which is pretty good, doors permitting, but again it is passenger side. However too often these are blocked by cabs and delivery drivers or just plane douchebags:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lpq/3301254504/

I am big in favour of segregated routes, we have some great ones in pittsburgh that are slowly being linked up into a reasonable network. What we could do with is bike boxes at major junctions.

Mornington Crescent (Ed), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:05 (fourteen years ago) link

feel like cycle lanes might give more of an indication to road works people not to fuck up the side of the road 'cause people might actually want use it, kthx.

― ledge, Thursday, 25 June 2009 10:58 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

you'd think so, but no.

Mornington Crescent (Ed), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:06 (fourteen years ago) link

in New york, I consider them to be on the wrong side of the street i n many places, presumably so you are riding along passenger side doors.

Wrongo moose. They're on the "wrong" side to keep you away from the buses that stop on the right.

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:08 (fourteen years ago) link

Even on streets with no bus service?

Mornington Crescent (Ed), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:09 (fourteen years ago) link

Ach well. Thought of that just after I hit "send". No idea in that case. The bike lanes I can think of all correspond to bus routes in Bklyn.

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:10 (fourteen years ago) link

This is a really good bike lane:

http://www.nycbikemaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/9th-avenue-bike-lane-manhattan.jpg

shame it only runs for, what, 8 blocks?

Mornington Crescent (Ed), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:11 (fourteen years ago) link

yeah, that looks great

downtown mpls has a two-way bike lane that's fairly well-segregated from traffic, but it's often on the "wrong" side for me, and i'll just take a lane instead

i want to marry a pizza (gbx), Thursday, 25 June 2009 16:14 (fourteen years ago) link

Standard "bike lanes" (halfass road-strip w/ occasional bike icons) = C (better than nothing, at least, & usually preferable to riding on the sidewalk)

Paved bike trails = A+

HE LEFT BEHIND A WHITE HAT WITH AN ALIEN ON IT. ALSO A GLASS THING. (Pillbox), Thursday, 25 June 2009 17:50 (fourteen years ago) link

gbx is famous in my mind for saying "Anyone over the age of 11 found riding on sidewalks gets a punch in the face" and I tend to agree. Don't do it, outside of clearly defined situations in which pedestrians aren't using the sidewalks at all anyway (specifically remember someone citing an industrial area of Chicago where no one has ever walked there anyway).

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Thursday, 25 June 2009 17:52 (fourteen years ago) link

which is worse

am0n, Thursday, 25 June 2009 17:53 (fourteen years ago) link

Don't do it, outside of clearly defined situations in which pedestrians aren't using the sidewalks at all anyway - yeah, it really is all about context here. In most areas of the greater Metro Detroit area, sidewalks get about as much "proper" usage as public transportation (read: almost none).

HE LEFT BEHIND A WHITE HAT WITH AN ALIEN ON IT. ALSO A GLASS THING. (Pillbox), Thursday, 25 June 2009 17:59 (fourteen years ago) link

i've found myself riding on sidewalks for the first time in years because it's road construction season here. if it's dark out i'm not risking falling into a hole, no thx.

Ømår Littel (Jordan), Thursday, 25 June 2009 18:00 (fourteen years ago) link

in what world is NO BIKE LANE better than BIKE LANE?

cutty, Thursday, 25 June 2009 18:01 (fourteen years ago) link

^^ mods plz move to cycling LOLz

all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Thursday, 25 June 2009 18:39 (fourteen years ago) link

in what world is NO BIKE LANE better than BIKE LANE?

― cutty, Thursday, June 25, 2009 1:01 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Some cycling magazine out this month or last month debates this. There's a whole school of thought against bike lane riding - and certainly against sidewalk riding. From personal experience I know that sidewalk riding is much less safe than road riding.

I guess some arguments against bike lanes are that

- Drivers might not see you and turn into you
- Drivers don't slow down the way they do when you're in the road
- Bikers are less likely to ride as if they were in traffic

I've never had a problem with a bike lane, though, except for those that are badly paved or only pretend to be bike lanes until a turn lane comes up. Or bike lanes that last for 100 yards. Or bike lanes that are basically the margin of the road, and therefore have all of the grass and gravel. And you're more likely to make an obstacle of yourself if you're riding over glass all and bits of road cleaner debris or the nails that somehow fall of construction crew trucks if you're along the shoulder of the road.

But as for riding on a sidewalk? I've only ever gotten hit or hit a car riding on the sidewalk. I hate it, and obviously it's bad for the bike.

bamcquern, Friday, 26 June 2009 03:13 (fourteen years ago) link

The bike lane on the one-way street in front of my house runs between the "car lane" and the parked cars. I read I am supposed to leave 3-4 feet between myself and the parked cars, which would put me in the middle of the street(?)

I think in Queens, riding on the sidewalk is actually okay. Hm, I just did it within a two-block radius of my house, so maybe it's ok on your turf? The sidewalks are very wide, and my neighbors basically live on the sidewalk. And I don't zoom from the sidewalk into the street, I stop first. But the sidewalks are filled with kids on bikes, bike messengers, etc. Still, I don't plan to make a habit of it.

I actually like the bike lanes, such as they are, but was wondering if there was more cred somehow in avoiding them. Also, are bikes 'allowed' on bike paths (ha)? There's a narrow path right on the east river, but it was filled with people walking dogs and such and I felt like I would be in their way, so I just road on the street.

I picked up this big bike map of NYC that shows the various gradations of bike routes by color. Next I have to learn how to get over the bridges.

Virginia Plain, Friday, 26 June 2009 04:42 (fourteen years ago) link

it's not ok, it's against the law to ride on the sidewalk

cutty, Friday, 26 June 2009 11:03 (fourteen years ago) link

and annoying as hell

i want to marry a pizza (gbx), Friday, 26 June 2009 11:53 (fourteen years ago) link

^^^^^^^^^

am0n, Friday, 26 June 2009 13:38 (fourteen years ago) link

Bike lanes, awesome, useful, use them. Bike paths, though, you are absolutely right about, Mary. They do tend to fill up with rollerbladers and families on a toddler-appropriate outing or whatever. Or dates in which one member of the couple obv hasn't been on a bike since age 12. If the road has a shoulder and traffic is reasonable, it's probably easier to ride there than on a bike path full of strollers.

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Friday, 26 June 2009 13:42 (fourteen years ago) link

oh yeah, the lake front path in chicago is the single most dangerous place to ride a bike in the city, no doubt. would rather ride western, drunk, on a saturday night than take my chances on the LFP on a summer weekend. rollerbladers, fat people strolling, children darting out from nowhere, aggro roadies on TT bikes str8 chargin, i get chills just thinkin about it

i want to marry a pizza (gbx), Friday, 26 June 2009 13:56 (fourteen years ago) link

The ride up from the Pulaski Bridge to Astoria is nice, though, and you can already sort of follow the river without using the bike path. Even the weird industrial parts of LIC are sort of interesting, I think. I saw a car on fire under the Queensboro Bridge once.

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Friday, 26 June 2009 13:58 (fourteen years ago) link

Plus it will take you right past LIC bar and they're nice and have a backyard and a good grilled-cheese sandwich.

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Friday, 26 June 2009 13:58 (fourteen years ago) link

Sorry I didn't ansewr yr email about bike stuff, Mary, but I don't have a bike this summer (yet), and I'm about to leave for Michigan so I'm a little crazed. You've probably already got everything you need anyway!

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Friday, 26 June 2009 13:59 (fourteen years ago) link

I know riding on the sidewalk is against the law, but it seems kind of silly to me. I will try to be good though.

I had an image of riding along the river with the wind in my hair, but the street by the river is fairly
unpopulated, so it's not too bad.

My worried with bridges are that my legs are not strong enough to get me up the inclines.

No worries, Laurel. I'm learning little by little. Still don't have a lock, though.

Virginia Plain, Friday, 26 June 2009 14:44 (fourteen years ago) link

Bike lanes in London can be a bit classic or dud on a case by case basis - different trends in traffic control have resulted in a hodge podge of designs. More often than not dud though. There's several examples on my way to work - a bike lane that shares the pavement for a bit, before going out into the traffic before going back on the pavement. Stupid and dangerous for everyone.

All too often they disappear when they're most needed as well - when the road narrows for instance and there is most competition for space.

Far too many bike lanes take you to an advanced stopping point at lights down the left side of traffic, getting you in all kinds of shit if the lights change and you're not a confident rider (ie the riders for whom bike lanes should be most useful), and they encourage you to go inside HGVs and buses - never do it, never do it.

They're usually in the gutter area of the road as well, where there are most obstacles and where you're most likely to get a bad surface and dangerous crap like glass.

I'm really not a fan of contraflow bike lanes either (usually separated from the road by a kerb), partly because they feel counter-intuitive to cycle along, introducing unexpected elements into the traffic flow, and partly because at some point they have to end, and when they do you're going to have to do some nifty manoeuvering across traffic to get back to a good road position.

However, if you don't want to cycle on the cycle path, either because it's dangerous, or it doesn't make sense in terms of where you are going, drivers can often get pissed off feeling that because there is an available cycle lane, you are taking up road space that has already been taken up because of cyclists. This isn't particularly rational, but it does happen.

Having more cyclists on the road tends to result in more driver awareness, and a better road culture for cyclists and indeed for drivers ultimately.

However, they're classic for people who aren't confident about using the road (complete understandable, especially in London) and also produce a more general culture of considering cyclists both in day to day travel and more over-arching road planning policy.

I rarely use them because they're often a bit slow and sometimes fiddly, but I'm on them like a shot when I've got a hangover.

GamalielRatsey, Friday, 26 June 2009 15:04 (fourteen years ago) link

Just go get a nice mid-level U-lock for the time being, I think? Should be okay to tide you over.

But not someone who should be dead anyway (Laurel), Friday, 26 June 2009 15:08 (fourteen years ago) link

However, if you don't want to cycle on the cycle path, either because it's dangerous, or it doesn't make sense in terms of where you are going, drivers can often get pissed off feeling that because there is an available cycle lane, you are taking up road space that has already been taken up because of cyclists. This isn't particularly rational, but it does happen.

yeah, this is a big reason why i don't like them. same w/ riding on sidewalks--drivers see people riding on them and they think you're supposed to so they yell at you to "get on the sidewalk." like how about you drive your car on the sidewalk then.

harbl, Friday, 26 June 2009 16:17 (fourteen years ago) link

Yea, I was thinking of going for the $40 U-lock that the lady said would hold my bike for up to an hour.

However, if you don't want to cycle on the cycle path, either because it's dangerous, or it doesn't make sense in terms of where you are going, drivers can often get pissed off feeling that because there is an available cycle lane, you are taking up road space that has already been taken up because of cyclists. This isn't particularly rational, but it does happen.

Totally understand this, because I felt this way in VA on the GW parkway. Lovely bikepath and tons of bikes on the narrow road, forcing me to go into the uncoming lane of traffic to pass them. Someone who rides though told me that serious riders need the tread of the open road.

Virginia Plain, Friday, 26 June 2009 17:14 (fourteen years ago) link

Having more cyclists on the road tends to result in more driver awareness, and a better road culture for cyclists and indeed for drivers ultimately.

This.

Riding in London was a great experience for me because cars and buses always gave me a wide birth. I didn't ride a lot, though, because I didn't own a bike, so I'm not totally qualified to comment.

bamcquern, Friday, 26 June 2009 18:58 (fourteen years ago) link

Having more cyclists on the road tends to result in more driver awareness, and a better road culture for cyclists and indeed for drivers ultimately.

this (hence my opposition to helmet laws)

caek, Friday, 26 June 2009 19:27 (fourteen years ago) link

the only thing i don't like about bike lanes is if i'm in, say, a bike lane on the right and i need to get over to the left lane to turn. there's also a weird intersection by my house that i won't try to describe, but it involves crossing a lane dedicated to cars turning right from a cross-street in order to get over to the bike lane.

i always worry that drivers will be confused or inattentive if i'm switching from a bike lane to a normal lane or vice versa.

Ømår Littel (Jordan), Friday, 26 June 2009 19:32 (fourteen years ago) link

just make eye contact with drivers. make sure they see you. show them where you want to go and smile. works for me usually.

cutty, Friday, 26 June 2009 19:41 (fourteen years ago) link

oxford bike lanes are good, i think. you're never segregated by curb unlike in parts of the london network -- just paint -- so car drivers need to keep an eye out, you're part of traffic so you feel justified and not like you're going to suprise anyone by moving out into the main lane when it makes sense (right turns, roundabouts, etc.), and traffic lights always have advanced stop lines.

caek, Friday, 26 June 2009 19:41 (fourteen years ago) link

Regarding my unpopular & pounced-upon admission of sidewalk-riding, I'd like to say in my defense: Most of my adult life has been spent b/w Ann Arbor, MI & NYC. Ann Arbor is a very bike-friendly town & NYC motorists at least have to tolerate cyclists & so must acknowledge/share the road with them. Truthfully, I didn't bike much in the city, so I'll leave that scene for you grizzled vets to argue over. But while living in A2, I always used bike lanes or shared the street w/ cars & stayed off the sidewalks & obeyed traffic laws & was just generally cooperative & responsible as a cyclist.

But here's the thing: I currently live in Toledo, OH. It sucks here & I will be moving back out east soon, but for now I have to do what I have to do. If any of you are familiar with the general urban schematics of Detroit-area rust-belt cities, especially those torn asunder by sprawl (which is pretty much all of them except Ann Arbor), you know that no one, & I mean NO ONE walks along the main thoroughfares. Everyone drives. Period. There are no area-to-area pedestrians whatsoever & the only pedestrian usage of sidewalks takes place in the subdivisions nestled b/w the main routes. If you think I am exaggerating, I invite you to peruse the area of town I live in on GMaps/Street View & count how many pedestrians you see on the main roads.

There are also very few cyclists here. This means that, if you have to take the main roads (which I avoid at all costs - I pretty much have the whole city mapped out b/w neighborhood side streets), motorists are not going to take kindly to you being in their space and certainly are not going to give you an ounce of respect. To their mind, you are a nuisance, a hobbyist to be honked & yelled at. They expect you to be on the sidewalk. I mean, why not, there is no one walking on them? Add to this the fact that many of said roads are chewed to shreds w/ potholes & severe cracks & the sidewalks are often a better alternative to even the few roads that have bike lanes b/c the sidewalks are actually likely to put less wear & tear on your bike.

So, like I said, I stick to the neighborhoods as much as possible, where I occupy my proper place & also spend as much time as I can on the paved bike paths that connect many of the areas various (& admittedly very nice) metroparks. b/c city residents are generally fat from driving everywhere they go & sitting on their ass, they are not out sharing said paths with me & usually I can just cruise right along w/out having to weave around pedestrians, stroller-pushers, rollerbladers and such. There are some, of course, but they are few and far b/w. But if I have to to anywhere near the mall, for example, fuck it. I'm sticking to the sidewalks & you are welcome to critique me however you please, but at least now I've given you my rationale for doing so.

When I join you folks back out east, I'll play by your rules & be a model cyclist & you will be very proud of me.

HE LEFT BEHIND A WHITE HAT WITH AN ALIEN ON IT. ALSO A GLASS THING. (Pillbox), Saturday, 27 June 2009 04:12 (fourteen years ago) link

If the sidewalks are in better shape then I can get behind that.

I really am scared of riding on sidewalks, though. I've had too many close encounters, and have been full-on hit once.

But bike people, let's be real, have something to prove. I know that I'm a total blowhard when it comes to talking about where you should ride, and letting people know that I'm some kind of tough guy because I ride in the road even though I live in a cycle-unfriendly town. It's a cyclist's conceit, and I'm not even that hardcore.

Maybe I'm exaggerating the conceit, but it's not too far from the truth.

bamcquern, Saturday, 27 June 2009 06:23 (fourteen years ago) link

Yeah, I've scaled back the amount of time I spend curbside as I've gotten more assertive about riding w/ swift traffic. Still the busier street @ the busier times freak me out b/c of jackasses speeding, weaving & rolling signs & lights. There is just something about the mentality in this town that lends itself to shitty driving. Since I've lived here, I've observed multiple accidents which stemmed from plain foolishness, some of which occurred dangerously close to where I happened to be standing/walking. At least there is a fair distance b/w the road & buildings, so that I don't have to contend w/ vehicles shooting out of alleyways & such during those times when I do use the sidewalks.

Sorry to hear you got hit. I hope you weren't injured too badly!

HE LEFT BEHIND A WHITE HAT WITH AN ALIEN ON IT. ALSO A GLASS THING. (Pillbox), Saturday, 27 June 2009 07:57 (fourteen years ago) link

I would caution against the idea that sidewalk riding is safer than being in a traffic lane. Most bike safety types strongly discourage sidewalk riding, because it's typically considered MORE dangerous than riding in the street. The majority of accidents occur at intersections, and riding on the sidewalk heightens the chance of not being seen by motorists in intersections. The idea of being hit by a car from behind is scary, but it's actually less likely to happen than getting left or right hooked by a turning car. The key is to be seen and have your actions be easily anticipated and predicted. If they can see you and can anticipate your movement, they won't hit you (unless they're homicidal). You're far more visible and predictable in traffic lanes.

Super Cub, Saturday, 27 June 2009 11:54 (fourteen years ago) link

If blocks are very long, this might change the equation somewhat.

Super Cub, Saturday, 27 June 2009 11:56 (fourteen years ago) link

I road on the type of bike lane that is just the picture of a bike with an arrow, without the line (on 34th Ave.), and I much
prefer the line--it adds to my peace of mind. I don't understand how I am supposed to navigate busy intersections--when a car is turning right, and I want to go straight, who has the right of way? Should I just wait for them to turn? Also, when there is a
delivery truck parked in the road, or a car pausing to parallel park, am I supposed to pass them on the left, or on the right?

Virginia Plain, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 13:30 (fourteen years ago) link

If in doubt, act like a car. You are a road user and have the right to take up the space you need. For intersections, if you're going straight, don't pass on the right, but don't let yourself be passed on the left - position yourself in the middle of the road (ie outside of the bike lane if there is one). If vehicles are stopped in the road, pass them on the left like any other (motor) vehicle would.

ledge, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 13:38 (fourteen years ago) link

"national institute for trial advocacy"

cutty, Friday, 30 October 2009 20:50 (fourteen years ago) link

then bitch shows up with a bat and a lab coat.

true lols

bitter about emo (Hunt3r), Friday, 30 October 2009 20:50 (fourteen years ago) link

i hope that dude gets what's coming to him

jØrdån (omar little), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:00 (fourteen years ago) link

i mean, i know this is obv and all, but i'm pretty blown away by the fact that this dude is an ER doc

how rad bandit (gbx), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:04 (fourteen years ago) link

super aggro king of the universe dude is...a doctor? say it ain't so

;-)

goole, Friday, 30 October 2009 21:12 (fourteen years ago) link

gonna stop my car in front of u

how rad bandit (gbx), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:16 (fourteen years ago) link

take a picture

how rad bandit (gbx), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:17 (fourteen years ago) link

c'mon level withme, whenever u have a teacher who makes some noise about "you are all to be healers" or w/e, there's a cohort of dudes in the back rolling their damn eyes and making jerky-offy motions

goole, Friday, 30 October 2009 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link

oh totally!

how rad bandit (gbx), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:25 (fourteen years ago) link

they're all gonna be surgeons, tho

how rad bandit (gbx), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:26 (fourteen years ago) link

^real talk

ENERGY FOOD (en i see kay), Friday, 30 October 2009 21:35 (fourteen years ago) link

wtf is up w/cars passing u w/in 1-2 feet when the other lane is clear for miles ahead

coz (webinar), Saturday, 31 October 2009 00:11 (fourteen years ago) link

passive-aggressive assholes

jØrdån (omar little), Saturday, 31 October 2009 00:13 (fourteen years ago) link

See I much prefer that to when cars swerve halfway into the other lane to give me a wide berth. Feels like an excellent way to get into a car accident, debris from which will surely fly out and decapatate me.

ENERGY FOOD (en i see kay), Saturday, 31 October 2009 00:15 (fourteen years ago) link

i'm still trying to get over my fear of biking at night around here, i known how many folks drive buzzed or drunk in l.a. and i always assume one of these days i'm gonna get clipped by someone who drifts to the right.

jØrdån (omar little), Saturday, 31 October 2009 00:17 (fourteen years ago) link

See I much prefer that to when cars swerve halfway into the other lane to give me a wide berth.

yeah but i try to be positive to anyone who shows me consideration, even if it is unnecessary or irritating. for instance, NOT passing me when it is completely reasonable for them to do so. they just follow and follow and follow, and OH JUST. FUCKING. PASS. ME, PLEASE. then i think, this fool is trying to do the right thing and is probly annoyed at me. i'll even pull over for them and try to be happy about it.

bitter about emo (Hunt3r), Saturday, 31 October 2009 02:50 (fourteen years ago) link

^^^ i am trying to do this more.

how rad bandit (gbx), Saturday, 31 October 2009 18:20 (fourteen years ago) link

It really is worth doing this if you can, I think, especially if you've just had an encounter which has left you fuming. The problem is, that if you are fuming, you are more likely to ride dangerously (at least I am). Trying to catch up with people who've done something stupid to shout 'oi!' (or worse) at them, shooting lights to get away from an altercation because you're so pumped. You stop thinking about the road because you're so busy thinking about the asshole who tried to shit you up.

Letting someone go over at a pedestrian crossing, waving at a car that doesn't pull out in front of you when it might have, I find helps restore some equilibrium and refocuses me on the road and sensible ideas of shared space.

Aggression on the road makes things less safe for everyone - and not necessarily in just the obvious ways. A driver threatened to kill me recently, after having smashed my face in, it seems, for having had the temerity (and good sense) not to ride in the gutter but in the middle of the lane, as one should if there isn't space for a car to pass safely. Anyway, at the next lights, I thought he was going to get out of his car and carry out of his threats, so instead of queuing safely, I had to filter down a narrow gap on the inside of a bus, a dangerous manoeuvre I would not have otherwise performed.

I was shaking and not really focused on what I was doing. Fortunately all was well, but that sort of behaviour, whether by cyclists or drivers, should be avoided at all costs. Of course, you're going to shout vile names at someone you feel has endangered you, but it's worth returning to as much of a state of zen like calm as quickly possible.

'virgin' should be 'wizard' (GamalielRatsey), Saturday, 31 October 2009 20:13 (fourteen years ago) link

Guilty.

bitter about emo (Hunt3r), Monday, 2 November 2009 23:50 (fourteen years ago) link

fantastic

jØrdån (omar little), Tuesday, 3 November 2009 01:02 (fourteen years ago) link

No bail.

bitter about emo (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 3 November 2009 19:45 (fourteen years ago) link

saw this on cyclingtipsblog o_O
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPtA3Ng6-n8

coz (webinar), Saturday, 7 November 2009 11:13 (fourteen years ago) link

^^baffling

saw a new bike lane downtown

traffic  |  parking  |  bike lane  |  sidewalk

i like the idea in principal, but i feel like the dooring potential has skyrocketed.

how rad bandit (gbx), Saturday, 7 November 2009 20:28 (fourteen years ago) link

thats what is going on in NYC

cutty, Sunday, 8 November 2009 00:14 (fourteen years ago) link

http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/IMG_0199-bike-lane_1.jpg

this is the ideal execution of that idea imo, this is from copenhagen.

jØrdån (omar little), Sunday, 8 November 2009 02:20 (fourteen years ago) link

there's one major copenhagen-style lane in melbourne that i use sometimes. my main observations:

  • it goes past a major university on one side and you get idiot students milling around in the bike lane part like it's part of the footpath.
  • pedestrians tend to stroll out into the bike lane without looking - they only switch to 'danger!' mode when cars are involved.
  • quite thick concrete reservation area between the bike lane and the car parks, where they exist, makes it really hard to get doored, which is a plus.

BARRY ROUBAIX (haitch), Sunday, 8 November 2009 02:36 (fourteen years ago) link

pedestrians tend to stroll out into the bike lane without looking - they only switch to 'danger!' mode when cars are involved.

god, yes! almost ran some fool over yesterday for this exact same reason.

also what is up with cars overtaking you just so that they can cut across you inside ten yards? again almost ran into the side of a car yesterday who overtook me so she could get access to her driveway 10 metres in front of me. had to slam the brakes hard

coz (webinar), Sunday, 8 November 2009 11:26 (fourteen years ago) link

also what is up with cars overtaking you just so that they can cut across you inside ten yards?

This happens all the bloody time. With buses as well. Overtaking you and immediately pulling into the bus stop in front of you.

That Copenhagen lane does look nice, but as haitch pointed out, pedestrians do seem to mill into it fairly frequently. I'm not sure I really blame them, nobody's really switched on for it, which suggests slightly counterintuitive design.

'virgin' should be 'wizard' (GamalielRatsey), Sunday, 8 November 2009 13:45 (fourteen years ago) link

coming from a city where the bike lane is a three foot wide strip running between parked cars and the street, demarcated by a sometimes barely visible pair of lines, that looks ideal. i can see how pedestrians would mill about but it looks to be so much more ideal and i think with a few tweaks in safety measures it would be perfect.

jØrdån (omar little), Sunday, 8 November 2009 16:27 (fourteen years ago) link

munich bike lanes are like that too. it works well, but i think the bike lanes and pedestrian lanes could afford to be a little bit more visually distinct, perhaps seperated by a low curb like in copenhagen.

caek, Sunday, 8 November 2009 19:41 (fourteen years ago) link

what is the country that clearly and distinctly paints bike lanes red (i think?)

kudos

♪♫(●̲̲̅̅̅̅=̲̲̅̅̅̅●̲̅̅)♪♫ (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 8 November 2009 19:56 (fourteen years ago) link

britain?

caek, Sunday, 8 November 2009 20:01 (fourteen years ago) link

Portland paints em green I think? So does Chi in some areas

how rad bandit (gbx), Sunday, 8 November 2009 20:06 (fourteen years ago) link

nyc green now

cutty, Sunday, 8 November 2009 21:31 (fourteen years ago) link

mix of green lanes and red lanes in glasgow

coz (webinar), Sunday, 8 November 2009 21:34 (fourteen years ago) link

PDX has a few randomly interspersed green boxes, and their adjoining lanes are green, but that's it, they're mostly just standard-issue US bike lanes, just more of them.

ENERGY FOOD (en i see kay), Sunday, 8 November 2009 22:53 (fourteen years ago) link

Love seeing those euro lanes in part because they look like you'd feel fucking ridiculous pulling some urban-bike-warrior bullshit in them, whereas a lot of the lanes here feel like said bullshit is neccessary for survival.

ENERGY FOOD (en i see kay), Sunday, 8 November 2009 22:54 (fourteen years ago) link

also what is up with cars overtaking you just so that they can cut across you inside ten yards?

Yeah, this. Have clipped someone's bumper w my front tire before, can't believe I didn't eat it. Special place in hell for these people because it's so UNNECESSARY.

I would feel confident if I dated her because I am older than (Laurel), Monday, 9 November 2009 14:50 (fourteen years ago) link

This is quite rare in Oxford. One of the benefits of bikes outnumbering cars.

The one time it happened to me, I was extremely lucky to do this kind eccentric bail over the back wheel maneuver, while my bike carried on at full speed into the car's near side as it turned left (UK). My front wheel needed replacing, which her insurance paid for. So, apparently, did her passenger door. I like to think she lost her no claim bonus, but she didn't seem like the kind of driver who would have one.

caek, Monday, 9 November 2009 14:58 (fourteen years ago) link

I was wearing a nice dress & slip-on shoes and going to a social event, so bailing was a bad option -- just held on and braked for dear life. This is really the most assholish thing I can think of -- other stupid shit drivers do might be carelessness or just bad driving...whereas cutting you off is putting you in danger on purpose.

I would feel confident if I dated her because I am older than (Laurel), Monday, 9 November 2009 15:58 (fourteen years ago) link

That said, I freaked out a driver last week by switching sides and passing her as she came up to an intersection. She was sawing back and forth in her lane but generally pulling left into the bike lane and I wasn't sure it was going to be safe to pass her on that side, so I went to her right. Except at the last second she turned right and was surprised to see me there. No signal, of course. But as infuriating as that was, it was just her own poor driving.

I would feel confident if I dated her because I am older than (Laurel), Monday, 9 November 2009 16:18 (fourteen years ago) link

yea i hate that when drivers get all bent out of shape as to how you pass them when they don't indicate their intended direction with their turn signal. i am not afraid to make stupid faces and yell at these people.

also wtf is up with the bus drivers overtaking you and pulling up at the next bus stop? is it b/c the person who wanted to get off hasn't rang the bell yet?

this morning i was actually put off by a busdriver WAITING for me to pass the stop and not overtaking me, until i realized what she was doing. i said wassup to her at the next stop light. she just gave a cowboy nod.

flames are all i see (jdchurchill), Monday, 9 November 2009 22:26 (fourteen years ago) link

Not only did she not signal but she was weaving all over the road, cutting left and then right, like she was getting something out of the glove box or otherwise not at the wheel?? I passed her on the side she DIDN'T seem to be going to. Turned out she was just hanging out in the left part of the lane, she wasn't actually TURNING LEFT. Whatever, lady.

I would feel confident if I dated her because I am older than (Laurel), Monday, 9 November 2009 22:32 (fourteen years ago) link

did you make a stupid face at her and yell something?

flames are all i see (jdchurchill), Monday, 9 November 2009 22:33 (fourteen years ago) link

Yep.

I would feel confident if I dated her because I am older than (Laurel), Monday, 9 November 2009 22:34 (fourteen years ago) link

also i have never seen a green bike lane in chicago
all the ones i have seen are 2 white lines spaced about 2-2.5' apart just to the left of the car park.

flames are all i see (jdchurchill), Monday, 9 November 2009 23:53 (fourteen years ago) link

used to be a green one on MKE

how rad bandit (gbx), Monday, 9 November 2009 23:56 (fourteen years ago) link

there's some green ones down here but rumor has it that the city council ran out of paint.

BARRY ROUBAIX (haitch), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 02:35 (fourteen years ago) link

one year passes...

http://vimeo.com/25037336

am0n, Thursday, 16 June 2011 17:54 (twelve years ago) link

cycling LOLz

jaxon, Thursday, 16 June 2011 18:14 (twelve years ago) link


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