Skip to Content
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Everywhere a Sign

7:48 AM PDT on June 25, 2009

Today on the Streetsblog Network,
we ever-so-gingerly broach the issue of etiquette when pedestrians and
cyclists share the same space. Mayor Adrian Fenty has proclaimed
pedestrian safety as a top priority, and is backing up his words with
millions in federal stimulus funds and a pedestrian master plan. Adam
Voiland at DC Bicycle Transportation Examiner has also noticed a proliferation of signs instructing cyclists to dismount in pedestrianized areas.

signman.jpgRiding prohibited signs abound in Georgetown.

Do such signs work? Rarely have I actually seen a cyclistabide by a dismount sign, though that's not to say they don't guiltriders into somewhat safer cycling habits. I certainly feelcompelled to at least slow down when passing such signs. However, thereare also plenty of riders chafing at the new signs.

A colleague ofmine, a competitive mountain rider, shared her exasperation about thesigns after a pedestrian chewed her out for not dismounting -- as a signinstructed -- near a bridge on the Mount Vernon bike trail. "The signsprobably caused -- or at least exacerbated -- the problem," she said."We’ve become overly concerned about safety, and we’ve forgotten thatwhat we really need on the bike paths [is] for people to exercise goodjudgment."

Voiland goes on to cite the late Hans Monderman,
who believed that traffic signs often do more harm than good. Are
common bike-ped spaces appropriate laboratories for further testing
this theory?

Also today: Tuscon Bike Lawyer describes how local police add insult, and then some, to cyclist injury; Grist admonishes the media for soft-pedaling on climate change; a guest blogger on the N Judah Chronicles extols the communal virtues of San Francisco's MUNI; and BLDG Blog argues that transit product placement is a steal.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog San Francisco

Commentary: Let’s Talk About the Real “Fatal Flaw” on Valencia

How many people have to die before professional advocates stop endorsing the Valencia Street "experiment" on people?

September 28, 2023

Transit Month Event: Disability Access is for Everyone

BART was the first accessible transit system in the country. Advocates want Bay Area transit agencies to do better at keeping buses and trains accessible for all

September 27, 2023
See all posts