FLCC> Bike lane for uphill state st?
Paul Monkman
pmonkman at twcny.rr.com
Fri Sep 14 21:52:33 EDT 2007
I'd like to chime in on this one, not because I'm interested in a
protracted email discussion but because I think it's a important
topic. Bill, your arguments against this bike lane are all good and
well, but they assume non-aggressive, attentive, reasonable, patient,
competent drivers who believe there is such a thing as cyclists
"rights". I'd agree that a large fraction of the drivers probably
more or less fit that description most of the time. It's the small
remainder that'll get you. Those are the guys/gals that I prefer to
be as far from as possible.
Regarding wobble room, I think most of us can stay well within a five
foot lane. Heck, if MTB riders can routinely negotiate 6"
singletracks strewn with rocks, roots etc. I'm betting that most
riders can easily keep 3' or so between themselves and a passing car
in a five foot lane. Even clutsy types like myself!
Fatter tires can reduce the need to dodge every little stone, bit of
glass, etc. I know others may disagree and that's fine, but over the
years I've found myself migrating to about an 1.5" high pressure tire
mounted on sturdy wheels for practical riding. Hardly ever get
flats, last forever, cheap, plenty fast, haven't trued a wheel in
years, plus you can ride dirt roads and moderate trails on a whim.
Left hand turns: Check for traffic behind you, wait for a break,
stick out your left arm, move into the car lane and take your turn.
Piece of cake.
Paul
On Sep 14, 2007, at 2:27 PM, William Lodico wrote:
> Is a bike lane on the State Street Hill such great news?
>
> A five foot wide bike lane isn't very wide, especially for riders
> struggling to go uphill.
>
> I occupy about two feet, elbow to elbow, on my bike. If there's a
> bike lane I'm expected to stay in the bike lane. I should be aiming
> at keeping my tire on a line about 3 feet from the right curb, to
> give myself wobble room and a chance to avoid hazards by going to the
> right without hitting the curb, since if I go the left, I'll be
> suddenly in motor traffic that is expecting me to stay in the bike
> lane. Even without the inevitable going-slow-uphill-side-to-side-
> wandering this gives me only about one foot between my right elbow
> and a vertical drawn from the bike lane stripe (as long as nothing
> forces me farther left). Everything to the left of the bike lane is
> for cars only.
>
> I haven't ridden up State Street in a long time, but the last time
> was about midway through a 400k, and I was going about 5 mph, if
> that. Without bike the lane, I was able to claim my space, make sure
> traffic accommodated my interest in having it pass me slowly giving
> me wide berth. With the bike lane, traffic will feel free to pass me
> at 35 mph (a 30 mph differential), without worrying about how close
> they are, as long as they are not in the bike lane. Many motorists
> will probably consider themselves to the left of the bike lane if
> their right tires are to the left of it, which will put fenders, door
> handles within inches of my left elbow, and mirrors possibly into my
> left shoulder. I can have my tire to the right of the bike lane
> stripe and not be clear of traffic to the left of it.
>
> Is the City of Ithaca committed to daily sweepings of the bike lane?
> Is it committed to removing all potential hazards, including manhole
> covers? Is it committed to maintaining the bike lane above standards
> for the rest of the road, so there are NO pot holes, cracks, broken
> glass, stones, loose bits of pavement and other debris, that will
> force cyclists out of the bike lane when traffic is expecting them to
> stay in it? I'll bet the answer is no, no, and no again.
>
> And is there going to be appropriate and effective signage telling
> motorists they have to give room to cyclists making left turns,
> avoiding hazards in the bike lane, etc? Throw in another no.
> Remember, they've been forced to give up five feet of otherwise
> available roadway.
>
> The real effect of bike lanes (and maybe their real purpose) is not
> to help cyclists. It's to confine them to what is often the most
> dangerous and hazard ridden part of the road. It might also be to
> "promote" cycling by making cyclists feel safer because there's a
> quarter of a millimeter of paint on the road that's supposed to keep
> cars from hitting them. Actually, bike lanes make it harder for
> motorists to accommodate bicyclists and vice versa, since both have
> lost accessibility to sizable chunks of roadway.
>
> It's just way better to try to get motorists to learn to accommodate
> cyclists, to give them room, to see them as equally entitled users of
> the roadway -- and to get cyclists to learn how to ride in traffic --
> than to start cutting up the roadway into little pieces that
> ultimately everyone is going to fight over anyway.
>
> I'm doing my best to kill bike lanes in Chemung/Schuyler/Steuben.
> It's up to you-all to kill the bike lanes in Tompkins.
>
> Bill Lodico
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 14, 2007, at 12:57 PM, Wayne Gottlieb wrote:
>
> This is great news! Thanks for sharing. Now there's
> no excuse not to bike up that hill. I'm sure after
> they put the new lane in people will be abandoning
> their car in droves. But, seriously, I've often chosen
> to go up Buffalo or Court instead because it's so hard
> to turn left onto 366 . I wonder how they're going to
> solve that problem. Wayne
> --- Amanda and Mark Shenstone <gardens at lightlink.com>
> wrote:
>
>> This just in from Ithaca Journal:
>>
>>
>> Part of the State Street hill may become more
>> bike-friendly
>>
>> The Ithaca city Board of Public Works is
>> considering making bicycle-friendly improvements
>> to the part of State Street from the vicinity of
>> the Commons to Mitchell Street. Among improvements
>> being considered is an uphill bike lane.
>>
>> The city Board of Public Works is
>> considering a plan that includes five-foot-wide
>> uphill bicycle lane for the street, also known as
>> state Route 79, from the Tuning Fork area, where
>> State Street, Green Street and Seneca Way come
>> together, to Mitchell Street, which at that point
>> is also Route 366.
>>
>>
>>
>> This segment of State Street has been
>> identified as a good place for improvement because
>> it has a lot of traffic, is a link to key
>> destinations, and has a relatively gentle slope.
>>
>> According to the city engineering office,
>> the proposal before the Board of Public Works
>> includes:
>>
>> A 5-foot wide uphill (eastbound) bicycle
>> lane to allow bicyclists to ride at their own pace
>> without obstructing motor vehicle traffic or
>> feeling like they are obstructing motor vehicle
>> traffic.
>>
>> . Relocation of centerline striping to
>> create a wide downhill (westbound) travel lane
>> that allows motorists and bicyclists to have
>> adequate shared maneuvering space.
>>
>> . Consolidation of parking on the south side
>> of the street and revision of on-street parking
>> regulations.
>>
>> . Installation of bicycle-related signage
>> and crosswalks.
>>
>> The Board of Public Works is taking public
>> comment through the end of September and may vote
>> on the project on Oct. 10. Comments and feedback
>> can be directed to Tim Logue as above or at
>> timlo at cityofithaca.org.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> Amanda and Mark Shenstone
>> Graceful Gardens
>> PO Box 100
>> Mecklenburg, NY 14886
>> 607.387.5529
>> http://www.gracefulgardens.com
>>> _______________________________________________
>> FLCC mailing list
>> FLCC at icycle.org
>> http://icycle.org/mailman/listinfo/flcc_icycle.org
>>
>
>
>
>
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Paul Monkman
pmonkman at twcny.rr.com
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