dagblog - Comments for "Getting Around in the City"

It seems that far too many

cmaukonen — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:22:26 +0000

In reply to Getting Around in the City

It seems that far too many people have an attitude these days Donal. Not just the cyclists or pedestrians.

I'm not a lawyer either, but

Donal — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:18:30 +0000

In reply to I'm not a lawyer, but yes,

I'm not a lawyer either, but when a car strikes a bike, either the cyclist is assumed to be at fault or the driver, "just didn't see the cyclist," as with Natasha Pettigrew, the MD Green Party candidate that was killed on a three lane road in suburban MD.

"Pettigrew was training to compete in a triathlon when she was struck by the SUV. The 41-year-old driver continued for nearly four miles to her home before finding the bicycle lodged underneath her vehicle, Maryland State Police said. Police say neither speed nor alcohol appear to have been factors in the crash and so far, no charges have been filed."

I'm not a lawyer, but yes,

Michael Wolraich — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:09:36 +0000

In reply to If a pedestrian gets hit by a

I'm not a lawyer, but yes, I'm pretty sure it is (assuming that the car was not driving recklessly).

If a pedestrian gets hit by a

Austin Train — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:44:55 +0000

In reply to I bike around NYC, and I'm

If a pedestrian gets hit by a delivery guy going the wrong way against a red light, that's obviously the delivery guy's fault. If a pedestrian gets hit while crossing a bike lane without looking on a don't walk sign, that's the pedestrian's fault.

If a cyclist who runs a red light gets hit by a car, is that the cyclist's fault then? And will it be considered to be that way in court?

I bike around NYC, and I'm

Michael Wolraich — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:18:25 +0000

In reply to Getting Around in the City

I bike around NYC, and I'm pleased that the city is putting in new bike lines, but I'm profoundly underwhelmed by the execution. Consider the picture of Times Square on the video you posted. That's called "shared space." In the picture, people are sitting in their seats, and the roadway is clear for bikes. In reality, pedestrians stroll or idle in the bikeway most hours of the day. It's virtually impassable on a bike. I travel on an avenue without a bike lane instead.

I don't blame the pedestrians. I blame poor planners. The bikeway cuts through two pedestrian areas without even a curb to separate it, so of course pedestrians treat it as an extension of the sidewalk.

On some avenues, the city has set up bikeways between the curb on the left and a parking lane on the right. This is safer, I assume, because there is a line of parked cars between the bikers and the avenue. The problem is that pedestrians in NYC stand as far as they can into the avenues while waiting for the light to change. So they stand in the parking lanes. And of course, they don't pay attention when they cross the bike lane to reach the parking lane even though the light is green. So if you're biking in one of these lanes, you have to be ready to stop for careless pedestrians at every intersection.

But the pedestrians are just doing what they've always done. The city should be educating them about the change, with signs for example, in order to ease confusion and enhance safety.

Reckless bikers are a problem too, and I'm for increased enforcement of biking violations, but let's not conflate bike lanes with reckless bikers. If a pedestrian gets hit by a delivery guy going the wrong way against a red light, that's obviously the delivery guy's fault. If a pedestrian gets hit while crossing a bike lane without looking on a don't walk sign, that's the pedestrian's fault.

But the city might make it a little easier for everyone.

What you are really looking

Austin Train — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:08:43 +0000

In reply to Getting Around in the City

What you are really looking for, I think, is for people to use good judgment. I doubt that can be legislated - or designed for them.

Observationally, trying to impose designed solutions seems to create more of a mess at times, at least during the period of adjustment. And that period of adjustment can be longer by far than anyone intends.

Roundabouts are a very good example. People in many parts of the country are not accustomed to them, and especially in busier areas, they have created confusion, in some cases to the point of hazard.

"Calming" solutions can also produce unintended consequences. When bumpouts and full-length left-turn lanes take parking off arterial streets and try to reduce traffic volume, many drivers will begin to detour down otherwise lightly-used side streets, without slowing down appropriately. Many neighborhood residents then also begin to call for parking restrictions as the additional cars begin to land on the side streets. This does have an adverse effect on neighborhood shopping districts, as it tends to drive people who can't find a place to park in order to shop at a neighborhood area toward the suburban big-box parking lots. Helps the suburb and its tax base, doesn't do so much for the city in the long run.

As I opened, this is something I doubt can be either legislated or designed. It's an attempt to require people to use good judgment, when the normal human tendency is to look for the shortcut.

I don't have ultimate answers for this. Just observations.

There are always those who

Donal — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:03:42 +0000

In reply to . In LA we have freeways . .

There are always those who will drive recklessly. Yesterday I was in a large group of cars driving on I-70 headed towards Baltimore. Drops of rain were hitting my windshield, but we were all doing 75mph. I was in the center of three lanes with cars all around, when two motorcycles passed us like we were standing still, weaving between cars spaced about as close as in the video above. Seconds later, four more bikes did the same thing, and two more after that. Half a minute later a large BMW snaked through the crowd of cars, which had spread out a bit, also at very high speed. A few minutes later a Caddy did the same thing.

. In LA we have freeways . .

oldenGoldenDecoy — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:27:23 +0000

In reply to Getting Around in the City

.

In LA we have freeways . . .

And plenty of crazy ass nuts and bicycle riding wackos . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NLmiuyLa98

~OGD~