Blog on Protected Bike Lanes

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on May 28, 2013 at 2:28pm

I think one of the keys to riding across an intersection inside a PBL, is to time your cross with pedestrians crossing next to you.  Right-turning motorists will stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, allowing you to scoot across alongside.  If there's no peds in sight, slow down or even stop if you see a right-turning car on your left, so as not to get right-hooked. If the right-turning motorist sees you and motions you across, go for it.  If they don't see or acknowledge you, just wait for the beginning of the next green light, when it's likely pedestrians stepping off the curb will again guard your passage.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 28, 2013 at 3:34pm

A very reasonable perspective. I agree.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

My perspective is:  I am 58 years old, I started commuting and riding regularly just over a year ago after not having ridden a bike for all intents and purposes since I was a young teenager, my pace is relatively slow, and I am a chicken.

A year ago, the streets scared me to death.  I vastly preferred ANY kind of protection, and a left turn without making a "box turn" was out of the question. My bike handling skills were less than great.

Today, a few streets scare me to death.  I still like protected lanes.  I make left turns from the left lane in almost all circumstances.  I still ride at a relatively leisurely pace.  My bike handling skills have vastly improved. I love riding my bike almost every day and prefer it to other modes of transportation in most circumstances.

I appreciate the problems inherent in PBLs the way they are built here.  I just deal with them.  I slow down (even more than my normal slow pace) when I approach intersections where a car might turn right across my path because it cannot see me.  I look right and left a lot as I approach intersections of any type.

My point is that I think people like me are more willing to get out and ride when there is some sort of protected route available.  Once one is comfortable riding it is easier to make the transition to dealing with traffic issues.  It is easier to understand what the traffic issues are.  I hope the city keeps building infrastructure to encourage cycling among the general population.  I also hope they do a better job of thinking it through rather than racing to get things done just so they can say they are done.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on May 28, 2013 at 4:51pm

I am torn on the issue of protected bike lanes.  I agree with the original author and Skip that cyclists are still at risk in such lanes. Further,  if the lanes make riders feel more protected that they are in reality they can be dangerous. That being said, I also understand Lisa's perspective that as a newer rider she feels more comfortable in a protected lane. The reality may be in taking the truth of both statements. The lanes may not actually make cyclists safer, but it may get more  cyclists out on the road.  For this reason I support the lanes for cultural and political reasons but necessarily because I think they make us any safer. Once Lisa becomes the norm, once there are more and more  new and newly experienced riders in the lanes they should become safer. The volume of cyclists should make the autos more aware at those pesky intersections.  This is starting to work on the Dearborn PBL.

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on May 28, 2013 at 6:21pm

For what it's worth, the latest research--last year's Canadian study on bicycle infrastructure and injuries, conducted by Kay Teschke, et al., suggested that separated cycle tracks actually are the safest place for cyclists to be.  Safety isn't just an illusion.

http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300762

Discussion of the study in Atlantic Cities:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/10/dedicated-bike-lan...

 

 

 

As an aside, I've read Teschke's comments elsewhere (can't quite find the reference right now) that one of the most dangerous places to ride a bike, was on a road with tram tracks.  Evidently, cycle wheels can easily get trapped in the space next to the track, or the track surfaces themselves can become slippery with rain or motor oil.  So, I have some misgivings about the current attempts to reintroduce streetcars and trams back onto our streets, and have them coexist with cyclists.

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Permalink Reply by Alex Z on May 29, 2013 at 7:48am

Cool chart, thanks!

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