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With rare exceptions (usually school zones and only enforced during certain hours of the day) nearly every street is signed 30MPH or more. Some are signed at an alarmingly high and incredibly dangerous 45mph - nearly highway speeds. These are streets through residential and busy commercial areas. Reaction times at speeds above 25mph rapidly diminish to the point where only the most vigilant drivers solely focused on driving can be considered remotely safe. And the vast majority in this country are distracted drivers - with cell phones and texting, checking emails in one hand and a big mac in the other. Probably a large percentage are sleep deprived and the others driving around with traces of ambien and xanax in their systems.
No wonder pedestrians and bicyclists feel assaulted and few people opt for more sensible modes of transportation.
The health crisis in this country from sedentary lives is in epidemic status costing untold billions in medical expenses and public policy should be aligned to get people moving as much as possible.
20MPH is plenty for residential streets. It's a speed at which motorists can safely share the road with pedestrians and cyclists. It's a speed where even the most distracted drivers can do little harm in the event they actually are in an accident. It gives plenty of time for people to react to each other and feel comfortable in sharing space.
It also increases the capacity of most roads to carry individuals. You can move a lot more vehicles from point A to point B when you slow down traffic and when you add in the number of individuals who bike and walk on the same shared road the capacity goes way way up.
All residential streets through neighborhoods should be signed 20MPH. Commercial streets should maybe go to 25MPH in the city. Leave the dangerous speeds of 30MPH and above to the roads and highways where they are less likely to cause an accident and where few cyclists and pedestrians would go anyway.
Ah maybe I am old fashioned but pedestrians should be on the side walk and if I had my way I would seriously think about abolishing bikes on public streets. Less because bikes are practical and more because bikers in my area tend to ignore the rules of the road and love to ride across intersections where there is no traffic but a red light(dangerous cause if the biker didn’t see the car that had the green or overestimated how fast he could clear the intersection…pow). I love bike paths because they can take said bikers off the street.
20-25MPH is way too slow for any large street without traffic and if you think getting hit with a car at 25 miles an hour can do little damage you are underestimating the mass of said car. I wouldn’t want to get hit with anything that masses 500 pounds or more at any speed.
People don’t bike or walk because compared to the care these methods of transport have limited range, slower speeds, limited cargo caring capacity and limited passenger carrying capacity not to mention the comforts ofhaving your own seat, in a car with air conditioning and heat that you control as well as a radio.
Ah maybe I am old fashioned but pedestrians should be on the side walk and if I had my way I would seriously think about abolishing bikes on public streets. Less because bikes are practical and more because bikers in my area tend to ignore the rules of the road and love to ride across intersections where there is no traffic but a red light(dangerous cause if the biker didn’t see the car that had the green or overestimated how fast he could clear the intersection…pow). I love bike paths because they can take said bikers off the street.
20-25MPH is way too slow for any large street without traffic and if you think getting hit with a car at 25 miles an hour can do little damage you are underestimating the mass of said car. I wouldn’t want to get hit with anything that masses 500 pounds or more at any speed.
People don’t bike or walk because compared to the care these methods of transport have limited range, slower speeds, limited cargo caring capacity and limited passenger carrying capacity not to mention the comforts ofhaving your own seat, in a car with air conditioning and heat that you control as well as a radio.
Except they do bike and in great numbers in cities that accommodate them. Biking is on the ascendency everywhere, taxes our resources much less and eases burdens that affect everyone - even motorists. It's in motorists best interest to share roads with cyclist, as every cyclist on the road is one less car.
Except they do bike and in great numbers in cities that accommodate them. Biking is on the ascendency everywhere, taxes our resources much less and eases burdens that affect everyone - even motorists. It's in motorists best interest to share roads with cyclist, as every cyclist on the road is one less car.
Not a good reason. Every cyclist is something that is riding around unprotected in the road space with my car that I need to watch out for. If you hit another car at 20MPH you will do little damage but even at 5MPH you could really hurt a cyclist who does not have the protection of the car's body or bumpers.
Not a good reason. Every cyclist is something that is riding around unprotected in the road space with my car that I need to watch out for. If you hit another car at 20MPH you will do little damage but even at 5MPH you could really hurt a cyclist who does not have the protection of the car's body or bumpers.
Not everyone wants or needs to use the roads on a motorized vehicle, nor should have to. If you can't manage to deal with cyclists on the road, you shouldn't be driving.
Personally, for much of the year, I find the lack of protection from the outdoor weather a big plus of a bicycle rather than a negative. I prefer experience the feel of whatever the outdoors is doing and the feel of being self-propelled rather than being holed and separated in a car.
20-25MPH is way too slow for any large street without traffic and if you think getting hit with a car at 25 miles an hour can do little damage you are underestimating the mass of said car. I wouldn’t want to get hit with anything that masses 500 pounds or more at any speed.
Residential streets aren't usually large streets. I don't want traffic going at more than 25 mph on my street.
Not a good reason. Every cyclist is something that is riding around unprotected in the road space with my car that I need to watch out for. If you hit another car at 20MPH you will do little damage but even at 5MPH you could really hurt a cyclist who does not have the protection of the car's body or bumpers.
Yes, you have to watch out for every cyclist in the road. That is your responsibility as a driver. You also have to watch for small children chasing balls, women pushing strollers, old people wondering in the street unexpectedly. That's the deal with driving. If you can't or are not willing you should stop driving and learn the bus routes or buy a bike.
Yes, you have to watch out for every cyclist in the road. That is your responsibility as a driver. You also have to watch for small children chasing balls, women pushing strollers, old people wondering in the street unexpectedly. That's the deal with driving. If you can't or are not willing you should stop driving and learn the bus routes or buy a bike.
The difference is that with these factors is I can see them much easier than a bicyclist who may be behind or to the side of me. That is the thing I find annoying about them. I can look ahead and see a child playing with a ball, or a person about to enter the street. A bicyclist you are passing them up because they are slower than you then you stop for a light and they catch up, annoying.
A person behind or to the side of me no danger. A cyclist anywhere around you is danger. If to the front I need to carefully pass them. If to the rear, and if I stop to turn they may catch up and not have enough space to stop. If to the side my ability to dodge potholes or avoid other possible collisions is compromised and that assumes the stay on the right side of the road and cyclist in my area never signal!
Residential streets aren't usually large streets. I don't want traffic going at more than 25 mph on my street.
I agree and going that faster than that down a residential street in my area would be reckless but large main street where they should have higher speeds.
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