Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Copenhagen, where i now live, already has isolated one-way bicycle lanes on its major streets - one on each side. In recent years, cycle ridership has increased quite a bit and Copenhagen Kommune has started building new cycle lanes on much smaller, but still dangerous, streets. In the process, a lot of parking spaces have been eliminated and traffic has become more congested. So, there are trade-offs, but so far there hasn't been much fuss about it.
The biggest downside is that, as this happens, cyclists feel themselves more and more immune from harm and the result is more accidents.
Neither cyclists or drivers in Denmark know the meaning of defensive driving. They are taught that if they follow the rules, they will be safe. So, when the light turns green they go without a thought of checking to see if someone has run a light, or if the truck they are about to pass is going to turn right...and kill them.
It's an interesting, and a bit tragic situation. But I have to remember: I'm not in the US anymore.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,744 posts, read 58,102,528 times
Reputation: 46232
just give bikes the full use of right lane (I grew up near Boulder CO, so this has been the rule for 30+ yrs). I give bicycles the entire lane, as I have been a road bike rider and a trucker for too long to imagine not doing so.
And, yes... I pay road taxes for my 1200mile / tank on FREE FUEL bio / veggie-car. I Don't need to be spending anymore time in jail, and have to file 'road-tax' for my 'farm / off-road' usage anyway.
just give bikes the full use of right lane (I grew up near Boulder CO, so this has been the rule for 30+ yrs). I give bicycles the entire lane, as I have been a road bike rider and a trucker for too long to imagine not doing so.
And, yes... I pay road taxes for my 1200mile / tank on FREE FUEL bio / veggie-car. I Don't need to be spending anymore time in jail, and have to file 'road-tax' for my 'farm / off-road' usage anyway.
Road tax is peanuts (except on my Semi's)
It is refreshing (and, unfortunately rare) to see this calm, logical assessment of something that in actuality causes very little disruption to just about every driver in this country. Why folks whip themselves into a frenzy when they occasionally merely need to acknowledge and avoid mowing down a bicyclist while driving or happen to notice a bicyclist in the distance that may be violating the letter of the law in some way (rolling through a 4-way stop sign that the bicyclist arrived to first, because we know that motorists always completely stop at clear, 4-way stop signs and never ever speed one mile an hour over the limit) when it in no way directly affects them is beyond me.
The irrational hostility towards bike riders in this country is downright disturbing.
My street is a major cut through for people trying to avoid the main arteries. In the seventies, as this neighborhood developed, wide suburban streets with long sight lines were common. In the first few years, this was not an issue, because the drivers were local, but as the surrounding area developed, it became more congested, and non-locals discovered that they could cut a few minutes out of their commute by using my neighborhood to avoid the traffic signals. My street in particular became a raceway, leading to many near misses at rush hour between students walking to school and inattentive commuters. The bike lanes were added about ten years ago to calm traffic, which has helped, but not to the extent needed.
Speed limit signs are posted up and down my street, and they are ignored. When things get really bad, I call the Sheriff's department, and they send a deputy out to issue tickets. That works really well...for about two weeks after he leaves, and then they're right back at it. I'd very much like to see the addition of more traffic calming devices. A crosswalk re-design up the way has done a great job of slowing traffic, but by the time drivers reach my end of the street, they're going fifteen miles or more above the speed limit right next to a popular bike trail and major park/playground. That's a tragedy waiting to happen.
If I were in your position, I'd move into a different neighborhood. No matter, around here when they want traffic to slow down, they put up a Radar Speed Sign. I don't know how effective they are, but I use them to test the accuracy of my speedometer. Radar Speed Signs / Radarsign
The other option they use around here on residential streets where they want to slow traffic is Speed Bumps in the middle of every block. They could install these without affecting bicycle traffic.
No tickets, no accidents (collisions, etc), no DWI/DUI's, no Moving Violations, and no parking tickets.
All the things I have gotten in trouble for, ie., car chases through public parks, rail yards, camp grounds, etc., ramming other people off the road, (using bumper guards with rubber--no damage) crashing road blocks (construction detours) and cutting through peoples yards with my 4x4, and Fleeing Police, are all considered Criminal acts and don't go on your Driving Record. They go on your Criminal Record!
Here in Minnesota, they don't take away your driver's license or raise your auto insurance for criminal offenses, and my lawyer has been good enough to keep me from spending even one night in jail.
As for Speeding, I've learned how to speed without getting caught and it has been quite effective for the last 25 years.
Lastly, the one time I did get a ticket from the cops, (illegal passing on the shoulder) I got it dropped in court by going in front of the Judge wearing my Uniform from work (remember I have a driving job) and told him (LIED) that if I got convicted of the ticket I'd lose my job and I have poor suffering special-needs kids at home.
You have to know how to "play the system" if you're going to be a Subversive person!
Do you feel that somebody driving a F350 that gets 15 MPG has more rights to use the road than my 50 MPG Diesel wagon?
Do you feel that somebody that drives 30000 miles a year has more right to the roads than somebody that drives 5000 miles a year?
My car gets over 800 miles from one tank.
Do I have a right to use YOUR roads if I don't fill up my tank while I am in your town?
Your argument has zero validity.
Any vehicle that can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4.9 Seconds or less, and maintain a steady cruising speed of 90 MPH or more, is fine by me no matter what form of power/energy it uses. Yes this is possible with electric/diesel/propane/ethanol/methane/or any combination there of.
My 8,000 Lb 1-ton turbo-Diesel extended-cab 4x4 can do a standing 1/4 mile in about 11.5 Sec. (Twin Turbos from Banks) and has a range of over 900 miles on a single tank of fuel @ 21 MPG! (Transferflow 56-gallon Midship Fuel Tank).
How many miles one drives per year is unimportant to me.
You are welcome to navigate MY town as long as you MEMORIZE ALL your destinations on a map prior to your arrival so you don't have to slow down because you're not sure of where you're going.
Dude, that is super dangerous. The law says your bike is the SAME as a car. You should follow the rules of the road because riding like that actually might be illegal. Would you drive your car the wrong way down the road?
Bicyclists run stop lights and stop signs, don't signal their turns, and drive on the sidewalks all the time. Why should they single me out for riding against traffic?
The only people who get on my case about it are other bicyclists!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
