The Bike Lobby is too powerful in DC...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a pedestrian, the main thing I hate about cyclists is that they take priority over walkers. They don’t stop at cross walks, they don’t follow signs or traffic lights, and they are often biking way too fast in a city where there are so many walkers. If I’m in a cross walk, you cyclist need slow down and go by me safely. You shouldn't take priority over walkers in a cross walk.

We should just continue on with our status quo of letting four ton piles of machinery buzz you in your sidewalk while you whine about cyclists, who have 0.00000001% of the odds of snuffing you and your entire family out in the blink of an eye.

Cyclist should be banned from the road. Hardly anyone uses the stupid protected bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardly anyone uses the stupid protected bike lanes.

A lie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardly anyone uses the stupid protected bike lanes.

A lie

Compared to every other form of transport, hardly anyone uses the protected bike lanes.

not a lie. just the cold hard truth.

Protected bike lanes are a great add on amenity. They are horrible if they take away from existing transportation lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a pedestrian, the main thing I hate about cyclists is that they take priority over walkers. They don’t stop at cross walks, they don’t follow signs or traffic lights, and they are often biking way too fast in a city where there are so many walkers. If I’m in a cross walk, you cyclist need slow down and go by me safely. You shouldn't take priority over walkers in a cross walk.

We should just continue on with our status quo of letting four ton piles of machinery buzz you in your sidewalk while you whine about cyclists, who have 0.00000001% of the odds of snuffing you and your entire family out in the blink of an eye.

Cyclist should be banned from the road. Hardly anyone uses the stupid protected bike lanes.

Cars should be banned throughout inner-DC. Ha ha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a pedestrian, the main thing I hate about cyclists is that they take priority over walkers. They don’t stop at cross walks, they don’t follow signs or traffic lights, and they are often biking way too fast in a city where there are so many walkers. If I’m in a cross walk, you cyclist need slow down and go by me safely. You shouldn't take priority over walkers in a cross walk.

Walkers should also share the road and crosswalk. I walk, bike, and drive. Right of way doesn’t mean doing away with courtesy, spatial awareness, and common sense.

For example, Asking a cyclist to slam on breaks because your dog just finished sniffing a pole and you decide to suddenly start walking without looking both ways is also annoying. Sometimes cyclists are already in the intersection when pedestrians start to walk. How long should a cyclist wait at a crosswalk for a pedestrian to look up and around. Sometimes walkers hang on the corner chatting or waiting for their dog to pee or for their toddler to pull up their sock or waiting for an uber. Pedestrians should make eye contact and wave people along when they are hanging out on a curb to avoid some of the run ins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a pedestrian, the main thing I hate about cyclists is that they take priority over walkers. They don’t stop at cross walks, they don’t follow signs or traffic lights, and they are often biking way too fast in a city where there are so many walkers. If I’m in a cross walk, you cyclist need slow down and go by me safely. You shouldn't take priority over walkers in a cross walk.

Walkers should also share the road and crosswalk. I walk, bike, and drive. Right of way doesn’t mean doing away with courtesy, spatial awareness, and common sense.

For example, Asking a cyclist to slam on breaks because your dog just finished sniffing a pole and you decide to suddenly start walking without looking both ways is also annoying. Sometimes cyclists are already in the intersection when pedestrians start to walk. How long should a cyclist wait at a crosswalk for a pedestrian to look up and around. Sometimes walkers hang on the corner chatting or waiting for their dog to pee or for their toddler to pull up their sock or waiting for an uber. Pedestrians should make eye contact and wave people along when they are hanging out on a curb to avoid some of the run ins.

As someone who also likes to ride a bkne, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but no — the law is that pedestrians have the right of way in all of these situations. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the reason they’re in the bike lane or whatever. They’re allowed to be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a pedestrian, the main thing I hate about cyclists is that they take priority over walkers. They don’t stop at cross walks, they don’t follow signs or traffic lights, and they are often biking way too fast in a city where there are so many walkers. If I’m in a cross walk, you cyclist need slow down and go by me safely. You shouldn't take priority over walkers in a cross walk.

Walkers should also share the road and crosswalk. I walk, bike, and drive. Right of way doesn’t mean doing away with courtesy, spatial awareness, and common sense.

For example, Asking a cyclist to slam on breaks because your dog just finished sniffing a pole and you decide to suddenly start walking without looking both ways is also annoying. Sometimes cyclists are already in the intersection when pedestrians start to walk. How long should a cyclist wait at a crosswalk for a pedestrian to look up and around. Sometimes walkers hang on the corner chatting or waiting for their dog to pee or for their toddler to pull up their sock or waiting for an uber. Pedestrians should make eye contact and wave people along when they are hanging out on a curb to avoid some of the run ins.

As someone who also likes to ride a bkne, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but no — the law is that pedestrians have the right of way in all of these situations. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the reason they’re in the bike lane or whatever. They’re allowed to be there.

Read again. I said it was annoying, and that right of way shouldn’t negate courtesy, spatial awareness, and common sense. I only suggested that pedestrians also strive to be courteous. Do they have to be by law, no. Obvi.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wanna REALLY see them get upset? Have police start ticketing riders who exceed the new 20mph speed limits on neighborhood streets and not stopping at all for red lights (this is post-Idaho stop law, where stop signs are yields and red lights are stops).

It’ll be funny hearing them complaining about laws THEY wanted.

no idaho stop rule in DC:
Bicyclists are required to slow down and come to a complete stop at stop signs and traffic devices signaling red.

https://visionzero.dc.gov/pages/bicycle-safety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wanna REALLY see them get upset? Have police start ticketing riders who exceed the new 20mph speed limits on neighborhood streets and not stopping at all for red lights (this is post-Idaho stop law, where stop signs are yields and red lights are stops).

It’ll be funny hearing them complaining about laws THEY wanted.

no idaho stop rule in DC:
Bicyclists are required to slow down and come to a complete stop at stop signs and traffic devices signaling red.

https://visionzero.dc.gov/pages/bicycle-safety

These are the same people that think an "e-bike" is functionally different than a moped.

[Anonymous]

There are too few bike lanes, there needs to be far more bike infrastructure. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardly anyone uses the stupid protected bike lanes.

A lie

Protected bike lanes are a great add on amenity. They are horrible if they take away from existing transportation lanes.

Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wanna REALLY see them get upset? Have police start ticketing riders who exceed the new 20mph speed limits on neighborhood streets and not stopping at all for red lights (this is post-Idaho stop law, where stop signs are yields and red lights are stops).

It’ll be funny hearing them complaining about laws THEY wanted.

no idaho stop rule in DC:
Bicyclists are required to slow down and come to a complete stop at stop signs and traffic devices signaling red.

https://visionzero.dc.gov/pages/bicycle-safety

False (the language on that document needs to be cleaned up, so thanks for flagging it).

Here is the relevant section of the DC code:

https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-2201.04d

(a) A rider approaching a stop sign may go straight through the intersection or make a turn without stopping; provided, that the rider:

(1) Is travelling at an appropriate speed to reasonably assess and avoid hazards;

(2) Determines there is no immediate hazard; and

(3) Yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

[Anonymous]

Same problems in Arlington. Bike lanes unused, wheeled vehicles an e vehicles endangering pedestrians on sidewalks and paved trails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a pedestrian, the main thing I hate about cyclists is that they take priority over walkers. They don’t stop at cross walks, they don’t follow signs or traffic lights, and they are often biking way too fast in a city where there are so many walkers. If I’m in a cross walk, you cyclist need slow down and go by me safely. You shouldn't take priority over walkers in a cross walk.

Walkers should also share the road and crosswalk. I walk, bike, and drive. Right of way doesn’t mean doing away with courtesy, spatial awareness, and common sense.

For example, Asking a cyclist to slam on breaks because your dog just finished sniffing a pole and you decide to suddenly start walking without looking both ways is also annoying. Sometimes cyclists are already in the intersection when pedestrians start to walk. How long should a cyclist wait at a crosswalk for a pedestrian to look up and around. Sometimes walkers hang on the corner chatting or waiting for their dog to pee or for their toddler to pull up their sock or waiting for an uber. Pedestrians should make eye contact and wave people along when they are hanging out on a curb to avoid some of the run ins.

Pedestrians and cyclists should be natural allies, but no. This is why we hate you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same problems in Arlington. Bike lanes unused, wheeled vehicles an e vehicles endangering pedestrians on sidewalks and paved trails.

Many who complain about bike lanes not being used don't seem to understand the reason that the respective DOTs install them. In most cases, their use by cyclists is a side effect. Their main function is to narrow roadways and, in so doing, slow traffic down to safer speeds along arterial roads that traverse residential neighborhoods. In most cases, the DOTs are fairly upfront about this goal.

But it's also worth considering that largescale changes in transportation modes do not happen overnight. It was only because I had access to safe cycling routes as a kid that I feel comfortable as an adult. That bicycle commuting is not as popular in the DMV as perhaps it should be is a function of the fact that much of our bicycle infrastructure has only been installed in the past few years. People will take a while to shift modes. Y'all need to have more patience.