Cycle tracks.... what do you think?

[Eden]

lol - NY Biker - the first article's photos are Seattle (or at least quite close - I recognize many of those streets) - ... I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't care for the trend.

[OakLeaf]

I'm totally with you, Eden.

Yes, there need to be parks where children can learn to ride and disabled people can have recreation. Conflating those parks with transportation thoroughfares is a Very Bad Idea. We don't let children learn to ride motorcycles on public streets, and yes it's unfortunate how expensive the trails are if they don't have access to property, but that doesn't mean we *should* let them learn to ride on public streets.

There will never be enough funding to create segregated facilities that go everywhere, and so the default will be roads accessible to cars. Then what? People assume that all those businesses and homes are not accessible by bicycle.

Another aspect of segregated facilities that doesn't get much, if any, thought, is that if adults get used to riding in segregated facilities, then where there are no segregated facilities but there are pedestrian facilities, they will ride on those. Even when it's illegal. Even when the streets are exceedingly safe for cycling.

I can't tell you how many times, while I've been running on sidewalks, that people on bicycles have run me off the sidewalk and into car traffic. That is the natural and predictable consequence of segregated bicycle facilities, as far as I'm concerned, and it's extraordinarily dangerous. Last year (shortly after the injury I'm still rehabbing, where someone on a bicycle on the sidewalk was a contributing factor), I called someone out on this when I caught up to them on a drawbridge. They proceeded to argue with me about whether or not it was legal for them to be riding on the sidewalk. Like, dangerous and rude isn't enough??? They're going to do it unless someone outlaws it, no matter how dangerous it is to themselves and other sidewalk users?

[Crankin]

We don't have any, but there's been a lot in the news about them and how they will solve all cycling problems.
Personally, the only way I would ride in Boston is if there were other traffic calming measures, like decreased speed and maybe some painted bike lanes. Heck, I won't even drive in the city. I see so much egregious driving in the 2 smaller cities I work in, and on the freeway, I cannot wait to get a job in my calmer area.
I think that cycle tracks would give a false sense of security to "regular" cyclists. I once rode on a bike path that went in the opposite direction of traffic, in Quebec. It just felt wrong, and getting onto the right side of the street when the path ended was awkward.
For starters, I'd like drivers here to use turn signals and learn how to change lanes. And maybe not drive 80+ miles an hour whenever it seems right.

[shootingstar]

In our neighbourhood:


http://velourbanismblog.wordpress.co...ed-bike-lanes/

Separated bike lane also includes those fully protected for cyclists on road bridges. I'm on a 6 lane road bridge with uni-directional bike lanes that take you down spiral ramps at each end of the bridge. Actually I worked for this engineering joint venture construction firm that built this 1 km. road bridge with several road approaches from 4 directions. Believe me, you want to be in a separated bike lane with a barrier. Not at all sharing a painted bike lane on road, with a flow of car traffic.


Outside of our parks pathway system, in general, Calgary's road streets are not bike friendly. The traffic engineers make our roads 4 lanes wide, 1-way, crossing over one another. It is intimidating for pedestrians and cyclists in the downtown area. Quite different compared to Vancouver BC or even Toronto where such roads types are less in the downtown core.

Separated bike lane is not intended for cyclists who want to cycle at a higher speed --especially as the volume of cyclists grow.

It does help if a separated bike lane doesn't have too many intersections and driveways.

[lph]

I can't tell you how many times, while I've been running on sidewalks, that people on bicycles have run me off the sidewalk and into car traffic. That is the natural and predictable consequence of segregated bicycle facilities, as far as I'm concerned, and it's extraordinarily dangerous.

In fact there has just been a very sad incident here in Oslo, where a cyclist riding fast and erratically on a sidewalk teeming with pedestrians, next to a busy road, ran into another, slowmoving cyclist and knocked her over. She fell into the road and was killed by a bus. He was riding "against" traffic, not that that really means much on a sidewalk, but anyway. The saddest part is that many inexperienced cyclists opt to use the sidewalk at this spot because it feels safer - it's broad while the road is busy and feels dangerous, while in fact the road is quite safe as it has two wide lanes and traffic is quite slow.