personal safety & signed bike routes in residential neighbourhoods

[Eden]

I'm with Oak on this subject. I am not a fan of "infrastructure" and think that even here in Seattle where we are supposedly pretty progressive that most of what gets put in is poorly thought out, implemented even worse and doesn't help at all…

The latest of the follies are a series of "protected" bike lanes, some of which put 2 way bike traffic on one side of the street (a big no-no that even the Dutch have realized is a really bad idea) and have extremely poor transitions back into regular traffic. I won't go anywhere near the newest one that nearly alway has a shuttle bus parked in it and has a tiny little 2 foot green patch on the pavement that's supposed to let motorists know that you cyclists will be joining the lane because their protected lane comes to a rather abrupt end… It's downhill so you can get going at quite a good clip and it's incredibly easy to be pinched out at that spot - and you will literally have no where to go. The protected lane runs into a curb and the outlet usually runs into a car…

[PamNY]

The latest of the follies are a series of "protected" bike lanes, some of which put 2 way bike traffic on one side of the street (a big no-no that even the Dutch have realized is a really bad idea)

Why is that a bad idea?

[Helene2013]

Why Eden?

We have some of those around here and it works very well. No issues I have seen so far and we use them a lot.

[Crankin]

I would think that there's great potential for cyclists to crash into each other on a 2 way path. I rode on one like this outside Quebec City and it was totally disorienting, especially since I was going in the direction that was opposite traffic. And, given the behavior I see from other riders on bike paths, I shudder when you add in 2 way cyclists.

[shootingstar]

I would think that there's great potential for cyclists to crash into each other on a 2 way path. I rode on one like this outside Quebec City and it was totally disorienting, especially since I was going in the direction that was opposite traffic. And, given the behavior I see from other riders on bike paths, I shudder when you add in 2 way cyclists.

Vancouver and Toronto do have some downtown separated bike routes like this. I've cycled them plus one in Montreal. Our lst separated bike lane in Calgary is this 2-way, on 1 side of the road. It actually is not terrible. I use it all the time and it's connected directly to a core bike pathway in a linear park. I can see cyclists using it.....from my balcony.

The engineering dept. just has to ensure it's wide enough and pavement painted a different colour from the car road. (Of course, getting them to do it, is easier said than done.) There must be preferably raised curb median or box planters (VAncovuer), bike corrals, similar linear barriers etc.

The tricky part is when the lane ends and how the bike turns are handled so that the car drivers find it logical too. Some cities use the bike box on pavement for cyclists to position themselves to make a turn. I'm not too fond of them because it requires a lot of driver education.


Then the big question is: It has been thought to attract a higher cycling mode share of female cyclists, that there has to be properly safe cycling infrastructure. Then what is that? The reality is there has to be acceptance for also: slow down car speed limits in residential areas, stronger police enforcement/tracking of distracted drivers (texting while driving), etc.

[PamNY]

I would think that there's great potential for cyclists to crash into each other on a 2 way path. I rode on one like this outside Quebec City and it was totally disorienting, especially since I was going in the direction that was opposite traffic. And, given the behavior I see from other riders on bike paths, I shudder when you add in 2 way cyclists.

Certainly the potential for cyclists to crash into each other exists, but the alternatives are worse. I use several protected two-way bike lanes, and neither is a problem for me. One is separated from traffic by a line of parked cars -- it is a one-way street, but I don't find it a problem to go the opposite direction of traffic. It's much better than the alternative -- going a block to reach a street traveling the direction i want to go. There were a lot of complaints and even a lawsuit when this lane was added -- pedestrians are confused by the two-way bike traffic, and (rightly) complain that many cyclists don't stop at red lights.

The other is on a wide, busy street and separated from cars by Jersey barriers. In this case, a bike lane going the same direction as traffic would give me a left turn across multiple lanes of a busy street when I approach the Brooklyn Bridge. I don't know if there's a left turn arrow at the intersection, but even if there is, that's scary on a bike. I will gladly deal with a two-way bike lane to avoid it. This bike lane is at the end of the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge, so it's a crazy confluence of tourists, speeding drivers, and cyclists. Without the protected bike lane, I would probably just walk my bike a couple of blocks away from the crazy.

[Crankin]

I do get this in the situations you describe, as it allows you to safely get to where you want to go. I guess I probably wouldn't even be riding, even in the protected lanes in that type of crazy.

[Owlie]

I'm also in Tucson, though in a different part of the city. I haven't done much recreational riding since I got here (that will change as soon as I pass my comprehensive exams!) but the absolute worst part of my commute is a residential street. 2-lane, no shoulder for part of it, and people seem to use it as a shortcut to get to the north-south route with less traffic than the major north-south road on this side of town. Now, I'm also trying to get to this road. It's got a wide bike lane all the way down to the bike path access point, and it's new pavement. I see plenty of cyclists on it on my way to work (not so many on the way back), so drivers are pretty good about it. The Loop isn't such a great option on weekends unless I leave early and it's winter, but it's fine on weekdays. Except winter afternoons, when you get the packs of roadies who use it as a shortcut and take up the entire path.

[Eden]

It's been shown that riding against traffic, even in a protected lane leads to more conflicts with turning traffic - both traffic turning off of the main road and crossing the bike lane and people turning from the side street across the protected lane. Motorists - and *especially* US motorists do not expect a fast moving vehicle to come from the opposite direction. I don't have time to search it down again right now, but I read somewhere that even the Dutch have decided that protected cycling lanes should only be one way and always travel in the direction of the lane of motor vehicle travel. IMHO using a 2 way protected cycling lane is little better than using a sidewalk, which is one of the most dangerous things you can do…

As far as the lane in the U district goes it has *tons* of serious problems. I refuse to get anywhere near it and won't be surprised when someone is hit using it.

[rebeccaC]

As far as the lane in the U district goes it has *tons* of serious problems. I refuse to get anywhere near it and won't be surprised when someone is hit using it.

I thought the University pbl isn’t even completely finished until they do repaving work this fall when it will add 20 more blocks, bus islands etc. Has that already happened? My understanding is that the first part was done with community support because that short section of road had a lot of bike/car incidents which has lessened substanially since the lane went in.

[rebeccaC]

IOW, for the time being, riders need to control the whole lane and avoid the dangerous bike lane. So if riders can be educated to do that "for the time being," why do they need the lane at all?

let me think about this......a temporary protected bike lane, asked for by the community and done with their input, that you just have to be reasonably careful on for a short time until repaving or trying to take the lane on a section of a street that has tied for the most bicycle/car incidents in the city...hmmmmmm

i'm taking the first option ....others can do what they want to.

[buffybike]

I live in the Atlanta suburbs and for the most part, don't have issues with cars. Yes, I get honked at probably once a week, but it doesn't really bother me. Whatever. I use hand signals and act just like a car with regard to obeying traffic laws. I also stay far to the right (as long as it's safe for me to do so), make sure to let other drivers know of my intentions and give a friendly wave when they give me the right of way or let me go ahead of them. Beyond that, I trust my guardian angel.

[PamNY]

One type of bike lane I will not use -- that's a painted (not protected) bike lane that runs between two car lanes. The one I tried to use routes cyclists around a right-turn-only lane. The cars are turning onto a fairly wide road, and it's quite possible, even easy, for cars not in the turn lane to turn anyway. Which one did right in front of me. It's a large, busy intersection, and I now get off the bike and walk. Perhaps not an elegant solution, but I'm alive to complain about it.

[rebeccaC]

I live in the Atlanta suburbs and for the most part, don't have issues with cars. Yes, I get honked at probably once a week, but it doesn't really bother me. Whatever. I use hand signals and act just like a car with regard to obeying traffic laws. I also stay far to the right (as long as it's safe for me to do so), make sure to let other drivers know of my intentions and give a friendly wave when they give me the right of way or let me go ahead of them. Beyond that, I trust my guardian angel.

+1

[rebeccaC]

Why is that a bad idea?

Seattle did a two way protected bike path downtown on 2nd ave that was meant to demonstrate the potential safe bike lanes can bring to Seattle’s city center. Since bike traffic has tripled on that route since the lane was built I’d say people downtown are using it quite a lot. As the core downtown network of protected lanes increase you’ll hopefully see even more riders that also feel safer.

There are a number of two way paths now in the Seattle area. Personally i like any measures that increase bicycle and mass transit options over cars. Both of which Seattle is working towards. There has been an educational component that Seattle and the Cascade Bike club has done for motorists and cyclist especially with regards to signals which were a work in progress for the awhile and enforcement measures at the beginning of each new implementation which target both cars and cyclists.