How bikeable? (Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar: design, bike, pictures)

[ChuteTheMall]

Originally Posted by Sunshinecc

There should be a contest to see who can come up with the most things wrong with the photo of this knucklehead

Walter Sobchak doesn't roll on Shabbos![/lebowski]

[wolf39us]

Originally Posted by chi_tino

It doesn't matter if there are bike trails or not. Take a drive up 1st St North in St Pete. Bicyclists would rather ride in traffic than the newly-paved 10 foot wide bike trail installed next to the road.

When one of them gets mowed down, I'm going to build my own shrine next to theirs with a poster of Nelson Muntz:

Quite hillarious -- and there are many good reasons for wanting to use the bike lane as opposed to the paved trail.

1) The trail is meant for pedestrians not bikers
2) With the constant side streets, it is less safe to move at decent speeds on the trail than it is to move on the side of the road in the bike lane. Wouldn't want people not paying attention suddenly appearing in front of you while waiting at a light.
3) Because of the side-streets, you are at greater risk of a flat tire
4) Bikers are to yield to pedestrians.. with pedestrians giving little to no room for a biker, this means constant stopping / slowing down in order to deal with pedestrians (when you aren't even supposed to be on there in the first place).

[Sunshinecc]

Seems like a worthy ride/cause:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1424831217756056/
5/21/14: The Ride of Silence.
A free ride hosted in various cities worldwide, that aims to inform or remind motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride also honors those who have been killed or injured.

BLACK ARMBANDS ENCOURAGED
...
Tampa Downtown Area

Contact: Drew Hunter or Jose Menendez Distance: 11.1 Notes:
The route will be the same as the one we used last year:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/33670864/

It starts from Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa, goes past the Tampa Police Department's headquarters, three Hillsborough County courthouses, and the County Center office building to send a strong message to local government officials that we demand safer streets for everyone. The route also passes the ghost bikes for LeRoy Collins Jr. and Diane Vega and the site where Peiter Vanvliet was killed on March 19, 2011.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by Matt518

So a little kid riding a city bike while carrying an Amish guy is a big no-no?

Hasidic guy. Note the curls.

[chi_tino]

Originally Posted by wolf39us

Quite hillarious -- and there are many good reasons for wanting to use the bike lane as opposed to the paved trail.

1) The trail is meant for pedestrians not bikers
2) With the constant side streets, it is less safe to move at decent speeds on the trail than it is to move on the side of the road in the bike lane. Wouldn't want people not paying attention suddenly appearing in front of you while waiting at a light.
3) Because of the side-streets, you are at greater risk of a flat tire
4) Bikers are to yield to pedestrians.. with pedestrians giving little to no room for a biker, this means constant stopping / slowing down in order to deal with pedestrians (when you aren't even supposed to be on there in the first place).

You are wrong on all counts, and I am guessing that you are commenting without having ever seen the 1st St bike path.

1. No, the trail was designed for bicyclists. Walkers do not need a 10-12 foot wide trail with divided lanes.
2. There is no bike lane in the road - bicyclists who choose to ignore the bike trail are riding in a lane of traffic, which on some parts of 1st St, is the only lane of traffic.
3. Huh?
4. The trail is 10-12 feet wide with a yellow lane divider in the middle - almost twice as wide as Bayshore, which has walkers and bicyclists zooming by all day long. It was designed for bikes.

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by chi_tino

You are wrong on all counts, and I am guessing that you are commenting without having ever seen the 1st St bike path.

1. No, the trail was designed for bicyclists. Walkers do not need a 10-12 foot wide trail with divided lanes.
2. There is no bike lane in the road - bicyclists who choose to ignore the bike trail are riding in a lane of traffic, which on some parts of 1st St, is the only lane of traffic.
3. Huh?
4. The trail is 10-12 feet wide with a yellow lane divider in the middle - almost twice as wide as Bayshore, which has walkers and bicyclists zooming by all day long. It was designed for bikes.

I guess this is safer than not having a trail, but unless there is some sort of barrier separating the road from the trail it would still be fairly dangerous. Some drivers will probably decide to use it as their own personal lane and drunks have been known to mow down their victims on the areas sidewalks.

[engineman]

And then there are the moron bikers who ignore 5 signs on the Treasure Island Causeway that instruct them to use the parallel side road. They get really pizzed when a motorist blows his horn at them.

[chi_tino]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

I guess this is safer than not having a trail, but unless there is some sort of barrier separating the road from the trail it would still be fairly dangerous. Some drivers will probably decide to use it as their own personal lane and drunks have been known to mow down their victims on the areas sidewalks.

IT IS A SEPARATE BIKE TRAIL, separated by 5 feet of a grass barrier. True, the drunks will probably kill you anyway.

[engineman]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

Most of the people who use their bikes as a main form of transportation are people who can't afford cars. Stick to the Pinellas Trail for riding your bike, it's just too dangerous to ride on the street.

Some people ride bikes because they lost their license for DUI.


The Pinellas trail goes from Tarpon Springs to St Pete.

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by chi_tino

IT IS A SEPARATE BIKE TRAIL, separated by 5 feet of a grass barrier. True, the drunks will probably kill you anyway.

Here's the latest.

Bicyclist pinned under truck, killed in Oldsmar