Milwaukee Av protected bike lane (Chicago, St. Augustine: gated, taxes, live)

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by SidewaysLS4

Yeah, really amazing. I generally avoided riding downtown (motorcycle) with the nitwits found around here. Bicycle...a little too sucidal for me.

Just dont get too invincible because the street is painted green

LOL! Riding a donorcycle is far more dangerous than riding a bike under almost any circumstances.

[Firststop]

You guys are really entertaining me. A few years ago the garage owner/body man had just called me to tell me my car was ready for pick up after repair of a little fender bender. Right after that he parked it in the outside parking lot, and had just finished washing it. Immediately after, a man driving a car had a massive and fatal heart attack, floored it, and hit my car so hard on the repaired side, it was shoved into the garage's brick wall damaging the other side too. Now I had a whole set of new problems! When I went to survey this latest damage and settle up the bill from the now totally ruined repair, he greeted me with, "how do you like my work so far?" This post was in response to the line about lethargic drivers having heart attacks. Anyway, enjoy the bike lane, and all of you stay safe

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

It's really not that complicated. Use your brain, drive the speed limit, stay within the lines, and everyone will be okay.

Thats nice, except that many people do drive with lots of distractions, like cell phones, and other distracted driving, plus sometimes they are drunk or high or fussing with a kid in the back seat, etc. or rain or snow slippery streets, sightseeing and not paying attention to the road, drunk or high, impaired somehow, going too fast, etc.. and end up causing accidents, so not everyone is even doing what you recommend now.

I'm saying that even without the additional concern about the bike riders, people eff up and hit people with even one or two of the above distractions. Not everyone drives like you declare - using their brain, drove the speed limit, stayed within the lines, and oh yes, opening up their car door right when you are coming down the street on your bike. Yeah it would be wonderful in an ideal world, but this is reality.

I applaud the OP for being concerned for your welfare, when you get hit from one of the above distractions, you might then appreciate him letting you know theres a blind spot somewhere and maybe the city could reconfigure the path.

[koctail]

Bicycles should be treated as vehicles and encouraged to ride in the CENTER of the lane. Motorists should deal with them the same way they deal with any other slow moving vehicle. I hate all these bike lanes which relegate bikes to second class citizens. Bike lanes do nothing to protect you against getting doored or right hooked. Plus bike lanes often have lots of debris and potholes in them compared to the street.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

Thats nice, except that many people do drive with lots of distractions, like cell phones, and other distracted driving, plus sometimes they are drunk or high or fussing with a kid in the back seat, etc. or rain or snow slippery streets, sightseeing and not paying attention to the road, drunk or high, impaired somehow, going too fast, etc.. and end up causing accidents, so not everyone is even doing what you recommend now.

I'm saying that even without the additional concern about the bike riders, people eff up and hit people with even one or two of the above distractions. Not everyone drives like you declare - using their brain, drove the speed limit, stayed within the lines, and oh yes, opening up their car door right when you are coming down the street on your bike.

Right, which is the whole point of the protected lanes. If this was those first one in Chicago or the US, maybe the whining would have more merit. But it's not, and data shows these increase safety for all users.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/download...the-street.pdf

Anyways, any blind spot just after the Ohio bridge is nothing compared to the one for drivers turning onto Kinzie from Jefferson (also a much steeper downward grade for cyclists). Yet somehow people figure it out, maybe its by design.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by koctail

Bicycles should be treated as vehicles and encouraged to ride in the CENTER of the lane. Motorists should deal with them the same way they deal with any other slow moving vehicle. I hate all these bike lanes which relegate bikes to second class citizens. Bike lanes do nothing to protect you against getting doored or right hooked. Plus bike lanes often have lots of debris and potholes in them compared to the street.

No! Please I hope this never happens. Can you imagine that cars will now have to go 2 miles per hour, while following a bike rider who is in the center of the lane in front of him? Multiply that by 4 other bikes doing the same. Ok maybe the biker can go 10 miles per hour. Noooo noo nooo bad idea.

Riding on the side lane is not making the person a 2nd class citizen. You're lucky you got that one lane to yourself.

[SidewaysLS4]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

Yet somehow people figure it out, maybe its by design.

So there's more of these, wonderful. Gotta love those city engineers, lol.

I'm sure it gets figured out...until the guy that hasnt yet enters the picture when everyone else thinks it's 'figured out'.

[SidewaysLS4]

Originally Posted by koctail

Bicycles should be treated as vehicles and encouraged to ride in the CENTER of the lane. Motorists should deal with them the same way they deal with any other slow moving vehicle. I hate all these bike lanes which relegate bikes to second class citizens. Bike lanes do nothing to protect you against getting doored or right hooked. Plus bike lanes often have lots of debris and potholes in them compared to the street.

Yeah really. Why stop there...have them on the expressway also...more direct route than having to stay on surface streets!

[dewthedru]

a couple of questions...

first, wouldn't the problem of a car peeking out be the same whether or not there's a dedicated bike lane there?

second, do you think we'll encounter problems with pedestrians using the lane as an extra sidewalk? this has been an issue in other cities where they've created similar lanes.

[SidewaysLS4]

Originally Posted by dewthedru

a couple of questions...

first, wouldn't the problem of a car peeking out be the same whether or not there's a dedicated bike lane there?

second, do you think we'll encounter problems with pedestrians using the lane as an extra sidewalk? this has been an issue in other cities where they've created similar lanes.

In this instance...cars were parked where the bike lane is now creating a buffer zone between vehicles sticking out to see traffic, and the lane of travel for the former 'bike lane'. Now the cars are parked in the middle of the street and the bike line runs along the curb dissolving the buffer zone.

Good point on pedestrians...strolling out to their cars parked on the street and encountering some of the more 'entitled' type of cyclists that cruise down this street. Interesting seeing some of the 'encounters' during rush-hour traffic over the years. We can hear them through a brick wall, lol.