@DIZZY: I'm not sure where to start with you. You're clearly a conspiracy nut. There is no agenda to outlaw cars. There is a gross over-emphasis on cars in transportation policy that needs to be rectified. Cars aren't going away. However, not everyone wants to drive a car everywhere. Not everyone can. Some people have medical issues. Some people have legal issues. There needs to be more accommodation for other modes of transportation. If you want to keep driving then by all means, keep driving. Nobody's trying to stop you. Seriously, ditch the tin foil hat and get some help.
@JeanMarc: I do follow the laws. Do you? Do you always obey the speed limit? Do you always yield to pedestrians at all crosswalks? Even mid block cross walks? Even unmarked crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections? Police studies estimate that only 1% of drivers comply with that last one. Do you always signal all lane changes and turns? Do you always come to a complete stop at stop signs? Do you always come to a complete stop before making a right on red? If you have a yield sign and there is someone stopped at a stop sign conflicting with you, do you yield?
If you can say yes to all of those, then welcome to a very small club. We welcome you. If you can't, then as they say, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Every day I see motorists rolling stop signs, rolling right on red, speeding, tailgating, not signalling, not yielding when others have right of way and many other violations. A few times a week I get honked at by people illegally trying to harass me out of the road.
Another thing: I actually know the law as a result of extensive careful study. In my experience, most people don't. People who have a problem with bicyclists in the road never do. I have yet to encounter a single one. I actually carry a copy of some of the more important bicycle laws with me when I ride. It has gotten me out of a ticket from a cop who didn't know the law. I actually had to teach it to her and having a copy of it on me made that a lot easier.
@Alex_Grebenshchikov: I ride 6000-7000 miles per year and most of it on major roads in San Diego and most of it on roads with no bike lanes. I have been riding on the road since 1971. If your delusions were true, then how is it possible that I am still alive?
Years ago, a scary close call caused me to actually accept that I didn't fully understand bicycle safety so I started studying. I've gone from frequent close calls to none except for the occasional ignorant psychopath who throws a fit and deliberately endangers me because I'm riding in the middle of a travel lane because he is too ignorant of the rules of the road to know that bicyclists can usually ride in the middle of the lane legally or that in the situations where they legally can, they should for safety reasons. I don't have accidental close calls anymore. I haven't had one in years.
San Diego does have a problem with bad road design, especially roads built in the 1950's-70's where many high speed ramps were set up on surface roads. High speed ramps are for freeways, not surface roads. They endanger not only bicyclists but also pedestrians and even motorists. Montezuma was mentioned in the article. It is a hideously bad design. It's also a place where bicyclists even get killed in the bike lane. There is too much emphasis on speed and not enough on safety.
It won't cost trillions. You have no idea what you are talking about. You are just another myopic reactionary who hates anyone who isn't like you.
The single biggest reason that more people don't ride is their fear. Their fear is mostly irrational and a result of ignorance of how to ride safely and a lack of understanding of risk. I don't need paths because I know how to ride safely almost anywhere. However, most beginners won't take a class or even read a book. Paths, however, will make them feel safe and that will get more people riding and that will improve public health rates and reduce traffic congestion and reduce the need to widen roads, reduce the wear on the roads and reduce the need to build more parking. Discouraging bicycling and encouraging everyone to drive will actually cost the taxpayers more.
This was never a good design. As wpstoll says, treating surface roads like freeways is dangerous. This is an inherently bad road design.
A big part of the problem is that one lane is so wide that it effectively becomes two lanes, a right turn lane and a straight through lane a long way before the paint demarcates them. It then tries to deflect straight through traffic from the bike lane to the left across a turning lane. They put up a sign that turning drivers have to yield to bikes but too many don't even see that sign, much less respect it.
The right lane should be narrowed all the way back and the bike lane should be made to go straight all the way. When the right turn lane actually begins, drivers should be the ones deflecting their movement across the bike lane. The drivers will be much closer to their turn when moving into the right turn lane, which makes them slower at that point and it tends to make them more careful as they are thinking about crossing the bike lane. The speed limit should also be lowered and it should be enforced.
ErikGriswold, you are trying to over simplify a complex problem.
Separated cycle tracks typically don't stay separated. They still have intersections and that is where most of the problems are.
Have you ridden the 56 bike path? The path crosses Camino del Sur and drivers turning right from North bound Camino del Sur onto the 56 on ramp don't stop for the cross walk even when they have a red light. Most of them also don't bother to look for bicyclists crossing in the crosswalk. Likewise, drivers exiting east bound 56 turning south onto Camino del Sur don't look for bicyclists travelling east. It's a scary spot.
Southern California is far more spread out and far hillier than Amsterdam or Copenhagen. We will not see the kind of ride share that they have in this century no matter how many facilities we build. Too many people live too far from where they work or go to school. This is a major urban planning problem that will not be solved quickly or easily or cheaply.
In any case, even if we do build facilities here, it will take decades to get them to go most places and bicyclists still have to get places in the mean time. We can do education quickly and easily and at relatively little cost. The only problem is the will to do so.
My experience has been that people who say that vehicular cycling doesn't work are people who haven't been properly trained in vehicular cycling. Have you taken an Effective Cycling, Traffic Skills 101 or Cycling Savvy class? Have you read Effective Cycling or Cyclecraft? Have you at least read Bicycling Street Smarts?
65° Mostly Cloudy
Grand Jury Report: San Diego Needs To Be More Bike-Friendly
Actually, getting bicyclists onto paths improves your life by getting bicyclists out of your way.
Why does your quality of life depend upon diminishing the quality of life for bicyclists?
May 17, 2013 at 10:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Grand Jury Report: San Diego Needs To Be More Bike-Friendly
I rode 20 miles on the road and I was never worried about being hit by a car either. I bet I had more fun too.
May 16, 2013 at 8:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Grand Jury Report: San Diego Needs To Be More Bike-Friendly
@DIZZY: I'm not sure where to start with you. You're clearly a conspiracy nut. There is no agenda to outlaw cars. There is a gross over-emphasis on cars in transportation policy that needs to be rectified. Cars aren't going away. However, not everyone wants to drive a car everywhere. Not everyone can. Some people have medical issues. Some people have legal issues. There needs to be more accommodation for other modes of transportation. If you want to keep driving then by all means, keep driving. Nobody's trying to stop you. Seriously, ditch the tin foil hat and get some help.
May 15, 2013 at 11:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Grand Jury Report: San Diego Needs To Be More Bike-Friendly
@JeanMarc: I do follow the laws. Do you? Do you always obey the speed limit? Do you always yield to pedestrians at all crosswalks? Even mid block cross walks? Even unmarked crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections? Police studies estimate that only 1% of drivers comply with that last one. Do you always signal all lane changes and turns? Do you always come to a complete stop at stop signs? Do you always come to a complete stop before making a right on red? If you have a yield sign and there is someone stopped at a stop sign conflicting with you, do you yield?
If you can say yes to all of those, then welcome to a very small club. We welcome you. If you can't, then as they say, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Every day I see motorists rolling stop signs, rolling right on red, speeding, tailgating, not signalling, not yielding when others have right of way and many other violations. A few times a week I get honked at by people illegally trying to harass me out of the road.
Another thing: I actually know the law as a result of extensive careful study. In my experience, most people don't. People who have a problem with bicyclists in the road never do. I have yet to encounter a single one. I actually carry a copy of some of the more important bicycle laws with me when I ride. It has gotten me out of a ticket from a cop who didn't know the law. I actually had to teach it to her and having a copy of it on me made that a lot easier.
May 15, 2013 at 11:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Grand Jury Report: San Diego Needs To Be More Bike-Friendly
@Alex_Grebenshchikov: I ride 6000-7000 miles per year and most of it on major roads in San Diego and most of it on roads with no bike lanes. I have been riding on the road since 1971. If your delusions were true, then how is it possible that I am still alive?
Years ago, a scary close call caused me to actually accept that I didn't fully understand bicycle safety so I started studying. I've gone from frequent close calls to none except for the occasional ignorant psychopath who throws a fit and deliberately endangers me because I'm riding in the middle of a travel lane because he is too ignorant of the rules of the road to know that bicyclists can usually ride in the middle of the lane legally or that in the situations where they legally can, they should for safety reasons. I don't have accidental close calls anymore. I haven't had one in years.
San Diego does have a problem with bad road design, especially roads built in the 1950's-70's where many high speed ramps were set up on surface roads. High speed ramps are for freeways, not surface roads. They endanger not only bicyclists but also pedestrians and even motorists. Montezuma was mentioned in the article. It is a hideously bad design. It's also a place where bicyclists even get killed in the bike lane. There is too much emphasis on speed and not enough on safety.
It won't cost trillions. You have no idea what you are talking about. You are just another myopic reactionary who hates anyone who isn't like you.
The single biggest reason that more people don't ride is their fear. Their fear is mostly irrational and a result of ignorance of how to ride safely and a lack of understanding of risk. I don't need paths because I know how to ride safely almost anywhere. However, most beginners won't take a class or even read a book. Paths, however, will make them feel safe and that will get more people riding and that will improve public health rates and reduce traffic congestion and reduce the need to widen roads, reduce the wear on the roads and reduce the need to build more parking. Discouraging bicycling and encouraging everyone to drive will actually cost the taxpayers more.
May 15, 2013 at 11:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
City Says Bike Lane May Have Made Intersection More Dangerous
This was never a good design. As wpstoll says, treating surface roads like freeways is dangerous. This is an inherently bad road design.
A big part of the problem is that one lane is so wide that it effectively becomes two lanes, a right turn lane and a straight through lane a long way before the paint demarcates them. It then tries to deflect straight through traffic from the bike lane to the left across a turning lane. They put up a sign that turning drivers have to yield to bikes but too many don't even see that sign, much less respect it.
The right lane should be narrowed all the way back and the bike lane should be made to go straight all the way. When the right turn lane actually begins, drivers should be the ones deflecting their movement across the bike lane. The drivers will be much closer to their turn when moving into the right turn lane, which makes them slower at that point and it tends to make them more careful as they are thinking about crossing the bike lane. The speed limit should also be lowered and it should be enforced.
January 27, 2013 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cyclists Battle Over Bike Lanes
ErikGriswold, you are trying to over simplify a complex problem.
Separated cycle tracks typically don't stay separated. They still have intersections and that is where most of the problems are.
Have you ridden the 56 bike path? The path crosses Camino del Sur and drivers turning right from North bound Camino del Sur onto the 56 on ramp don't stop for the cross walk even when they have a red light. Most of them also don't bother to look for bicyclists crossing in the crosswalk. Likewise, drivers exiting east bound 56 turning south onto Camino del Sur don't look for bicyclists travelling east. It's a scary spot.
Again I ask, have you had the training?
March 7, 2012 at 11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cyclists Battle Over Bike Lanes
*hate*
grrrr.
March 7, 2012 at 8:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cyclists Battle Over Bike Lanes
I meant to type "I can't guarantee that I won't be hit by a meteor".
I had message boards that won't let you fix typos.
March 7, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cyclists Battle Over Bike Lanes
(continued)
Southern California is far more spread out and far hillier than Amsterdam or Copenhagen. We will not see the kind of ride share that they have in this century no matter how many facilities we build. Too many people live too far from where they work or go to school. This is a major urban planning problem that will not be solved quickly or easily or cheaply.
In any case, even if we do build facilities here, it will take decades to get them to go most places and bicyclists still have to get places in the mean time. We can do education quickly and easily and at relatively little cost. The only problem is the will to do so.
My experience has been that people who say that vehicular cycling doesn't work are people who haven't been properly trained in vehicular cycling. Have you taken an Effective Cycling, Traffic Skills 101 or Cycling Savvy class? Have you read Effective Cycling or Cyclecraft? Have you at least read Bicycling Street Smarts?
March 7, 2012 at 8:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )