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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Truly trying to understand. My commute involves about a half mile walk in Capitol Hill. I’m amazed at the number of folks barreling down the sidewalk on bikes, next to a bike line. I’m assuming bike riders push for bike lines & then ignore them? I don’t get it. [/quote]

1.  Sometimes the bike lane is dangerous because its next to parked cars, and there is a danger from dooring.

2. Sometimes the bike lane has a direction, and the person needs to go in the other direction. Or they are going to or from a location on that block, and they need to ride the sidewalk to get to the corner (rather than try to squeeze between parked cars)

3. [b]Some people, esp kids,  some new immigrants, some people who have biked since the bad old days when there were no bike lanes, are really afraid of cars, and will not ride in the road even when there is a bike lane.  Especially if the only thing protecting the bike lane from cars is paint. [/b]

To be clear, I push for bike lanes. And I ride in them all the time.  But the other day I was almost doored in one. I also often have to ride  a sidewalk to get the last half block to my specific location. [/quote]

I don't ride bikes, but as a driver, I'm really afraid of bikes if the only thing protecting them is paint (and that's in the best case scenario where there's a bike lane).

Unexpected things happen to everyone on the road.  There are so many factors that could easily cause the biker to lose control, (weather, bad roads, distracted biker, an unexpected obstacle, etc.), and they have no protection (car frame, seatbelt, airbag), if they do.  I have a horror of one falling as I'm driving nearby,  and the bike sliding out of their tiny lane into mine.

Compounding the problem, bikers don't always follow the rules of the road.  If you're going to use the road, you should respect stop signs, stop lights, etc.

Even worse, there have been too many times I've seen (just barely), bikers riding at night in dark clothing without lights.

While not a biker, as a sometimes driver and sometimes pedestrian, I would much rather have bicycles on the sidewalk.  If worst comes to worst, a collision between a bicycle and a pedestrian could cause injury, but all parties would probably be able to recover.  If a bicycle and car collide, the bicyclist's chances for survival would seem greatly reduced.

I think it's great for people to bike and to have space set aside to facilitate it.  I think it would be safer, however, if instead of being a lane on the road, it was a separate path/sidewalk area set off from the road.  Instead of having sidewalk - sidewalk border - bikelane in the road, why don't we have sidewalk - bike path - sidewalk border - road.  In areas where there isn't a separate bike lane, I'd much prefer bikes share a sidewalk (courteously) with pedestrians (even if I'm the pedestrian), than to ride in the street.[/quote]

Hi, bicyclist (and driver) here.  I appreciate your concern, but there are some aspects you're not considering, and probably wouldn't see if you don't bike.  Biking on the sidewalk seems safer because you're separated from cars.  But at intersections/driveways/alleys it's actually quite dangerous.  Imagine you're driving and looking to turn left or right.  You're considerate, so you check for both oncoming cars and people crossing.  But, it's very hard to see a person on a bike moving 15-20 mph and adjust.  Even someone running fast at 10mph will be hard for drivers to deal with.

Additionally, as considerate as you are, we should also be considerate of people walking.  Most sidewalks are not built to safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.  As much as I don't want to be hit by someone driving, I also don't want to hit a pedestrian.  Or even scare someone.

There is an alternative: connected and protected bike lanes.  Separated by curbs or real barriers, not just plastic posts.  There are even designs for "protected intersections".  If you really are sincere in your concern, I hope you'll write your elected officials to push for connected and protected infrastructure.[/quote]

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