Comments on: There’s Safety in (Bike-Specific) Infrastructure http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/04/there%e2%80%99s-safety-in-bike-specific-infrastructure/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DMiller http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/04/there%e2%80%99s-safety-in-bike-specific-infrastructure/comment-page-1/#comment-53871 DMiller Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:57:06 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=79011#comment-53871 I'm unsure if "buffered lanes" are clearly the way to go in urban areas anyways. I'm aware they've been implemented in a handful of European cities, but I'm not convinced they're the answer. Something about cycling between a sidewalk full of people, a row of parked cars, and the blindness of said people attempting to get in and out of their parked cars just makes me think it's far more cyclist/pedestrian collisions waiting to happen than we might anticipate. Add in today's generation of "walk down the street with my headphones in while i stare at my phone" and it's just asking for dangerous conflicts. Personally, I'd rather take my chances as an element moving parallel, albeit slower, than the cars next to me instead of trying to dodge perpendicular pedestrian traffic. I’m unsure if “buffered lanes” are clearly the way to go in urban areas anyways. I’m aware they’ve been implemented in a handful of European cities, but I’m not convinced they’re the answer. Something about cycling between a sidewalk full of people, a row of parked cars, and the blindness of said people attempting to get in and out of their parked cars just makes me think it’s far more cyclist/pedestrian collisions waiting to happen than we might anticipate. Add in today’s generation of “walk down the street with my headphones in while i stare at my phone” and it’s just asking for dangerous conflicts.

Personally, I’d rather take my chances as an element moving parallel, albeit slower, than the cars next to me instead of trying to dodge perpendicular pedestrian traffic.

]]> By: Stuart Matthews http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/04/there%e2%80%99s-safety-in-bike-specific-infrastructure/comment-page-1/#comment-53791 Stuart Matthews Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:35:14 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=79011#comment-53791 @Matt H: I change my style depending on the situation. I will use vehicular cycling if I am coming up to a long line of cars stopped at a stop light on a faster road. Doesn't seem right to make seven cars go around me. Now, if a car passes me aggressively just to get to a stop sign or light, yeah, I will get right back in front of them. @Matt H: I change my style depending on the situation. I will use vehicular cycling if I am coming up to a long line of cars stopped at a stop light on a faster road. Doesn’t seem right to make seven cars go around me. Now, if a car passes me aggressively just to get to a stop sign or light, yeah, I will get right back in front of them.

]]> By: Matt H http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/04/there%e2%80%99s-safety-in-bike-specific-infrastructure/comment-page-1/#comment-53771 Matt H Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:13:20 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=79011#comment-53771 It is time that we finally declare "vehicular cycling" dead. It has been thoroughly discredited and should be abandoned. A car is not, and never has been a car. It is time that we finally declare “vehicular cycling” dead. It has been thoroughly discredited and should be abandoned. A car is not, and never has been a car.

]]> By: ZA http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/04/there%e2%80%99s-safety-in-bike-specific-infrastructure/comment-page-1/#comment-52991 ZA Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:49:43 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=79011#comment-52991 Taomom - I'm optimistic that once bike lanes are in, and cyclists and other road users adapt to them, there'll be a loud call from businesses (who want the customers), drivers (who want to avoid the insurance costs), and cyclists (who want the safety) for separated facilities in areas that are the most confusing for all. That's precisely why there is such vociferous opposition to even paint on asphalt, it's the 'thin end of the wedge' to the sweaty nightmare of the RA "crowd." Taomom –

I’m optimistic that once bike lanes are in, and cyclists and other road users adapt to them, there’ll be a loud call from businesses (who want the customers), drivers (who want to avoid the insurance costs), and cyclists (who want the safety) for separated facilities in areas that are the most confusing for all.

That’s precisely why there is such vociferous opposition to even paint on asphalt, it’s the ‘thin end of the wedge’ to the sweaty nightmare of the RA “crowd.”

]]> By: taomom http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/11/04/there%e2%80%99s-safety-in-bike-specific-infrastructure/comment-page-1/#comment-52951 taomom Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:18:58 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=79011#comment-52951 My greatest concern with the current bike plan in San Francisco is that even if/when it ever gets implemented, it is already behind the times in current best approaches and thinking. Is there even one buffered bike lane (sidewalk, then bike lane, then car parking, then car travel lanes) in the plan? My greatest concern with the current bike plan in San Francisco is that even if/when it ever gets implemented, it is already behind the times in current best approaches and thinking. Is there even one buffered bike lane (sidewalk, then bike lane, then car parking, then car travel lanes) in the plan?

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