Anonymous
Post 11/25/2019 10:49     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:
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)..


To some extent that is the benefit of a bike lane. In one place I know they did a study and found that there were far fewer car on car collisions after bike lanes were put in. Even though speeds did not go down much. Seems like the drivers all got nervous and started paying more attention. There is a problem with roads where drivers feel comfortable not paying attention.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2019 10:47     Subject: Re:Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Note personally the usefulness of the worst bike lanes (narrow and in the door zone) varies with conditions. There are places where I know parking turnover is low, so I don't worry as much about dooring. There uphill lanes, called climbing lanes, where I am going fairly slowly, and really don't want to take the lane, and also feel I have time to avoid a dooring situation.

At the other extreme there are downhills where I can ride close to the speed limit (if its 25MPH) so I tend to take the lane there. Sometimes in places where the parking turnover is very active, and the bike lanes is almost unuseable between drop offs, cars parking, and doors opening.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2019 10:42     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:Op here. Ok- so what would help bike lines become more useable? A barrier (like they have in some turn lanes) to separate bike lines from cars?
It just seems like such a waste to have a lane & not have bikes be able to use it.


1. Protection - flexposts, curbs, parked cars

2. Wider lanes so its easier to ride away from doors

3. More lanes not next to parked cars

4. More enforcement and education relative to dooring so drivers look more carefully before opening doors

Absent all that, an unused bike lane is not necessarily a waste. Local govts often put them in to narrow the road, and get cars to go slower, for the safety of pedestrians and other drivers. Not necessarily to make a facility good for cyclists. Alternatively they could paint parking spots to narrow the through part of the road - but when parking spots are empty people will sometimes drive through them.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2019 10:15     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Why not take the bus or drive a car to work and bike for exercise on a bike path or in your basement???!!!
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2019 08:54     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

take the lane. I’ve never felt more like I was going to be hit by a car than when I was riding on the sidewalk and crossing intersections with poor visibility to cars. Sideswipe, rear end, or overtaking accidents are very rare.


"Take the lane" is good advice, as far as it goes, but

1. lots of people who aren't confident bicyclists will not take the lane
2. taking the lane can also be stressful, even if you're a confident bicyclist

And, of course, if an intersection isn't safe for a person riding slowly on a bicycle, because the driver can't see the person, then the intersection also isn't safe for a person who is running or walking.


agree with your last point - the issue is that if you're biking full speed on the sidewalk, it's hard to slow to walking speed to cross the street. Invariably you cross at faster than walking speed.


You shouldn't bike full speed on the sidewalk. And generally people don't. The only place I see people biking full speed on sidewalks is on high-speed suburban arterials, where it would be equally dangerous to bike in the road. Mostly, though, sidewalk bikers are slow bikers.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2019 08:52     Subject: Re:Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A friend of mine was killed 11 years ago near Dupont Circle while riding in the bike lane. Garbage truck made a right turn into the bike lane and crushed her. Driver never checked the bike lane before turning and didn’t realize she was there. I won’t criticize bicyclists for not using bike lanes.


I remember this story. This is why bike riders need to be cautious at intersections - not to ride on sidewalks.


Alice Swanson was not riding on a sidewalk. She was riding in the road. That's why dump truck drivers need to be cautious at intersections - not to turn across the path of people on bicycles.
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2019 13:11     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

take the lane. I’ve never felt more like I was going to be hit by a car than when I was riding on the sidewalk and crossing intersections with poor visibility to cars. Sideswipe, rear end, or overtaking accidents are very rare.


"Take the lane" is good advice, as far as it goes, but

1. lots of people who aren't confident bicyclists will not take the lane
2. taking the lane can also be stressful, even if you're a confident bicyclist

And, of course, if an intersection isn't safe for a person riding slowly on a bicycle, because the driver can't see the person, then the intersection also isn't safe for a person who is running or walking.


agree with your last point - the issue is that if you're biking full speed on the sidewalk, it's hard to slow to walking speed to cross the street. Invariably you cross at faster than walking speed.
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2019 13:09     Subject: Re:Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:A friend of mine was killed 11 years ago near Dupont Circle while riding in the bike lane. Garbage truck made a right turn into the bike lane and crushed her. Driver never checked the bike lane before turning and didn’t realize she was there. I won’t criticize bicyclists for not using bike lanes.


I remember this story. This is why bike riders need to be cautious at intersections - not to ride on sidewalks.
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2019 13:01     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Because to a cyclist, every lane is a bike lane. Including sidewalks.
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2019 09:40     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:

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.


PP, drivers hit people on bikes on the sidewalk all the time - drive out of the drive entrance, don't look, bam. Or, turn into the drive entrance, don't look, bam.

I would love to have a connected, comprehensive network of protected bike lanes. It would be good for everyone, whether they're driving, walking, or biking. But until we have that, we have to let people on bikes make their own decisions on where they feel most comfortable and safest - on the sidewalk, in the painted bike lane, or in the general-travel lane.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2019 21:27     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: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.


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. 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.

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.


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.


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.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2019 20:53     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: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.


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. 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.

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.


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.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2019 20:35     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:Op here. Ok- so what would help bike lines become more useable? A barrier (like they have in some turn lanes) to separate bike lines from cars?
It just seems like such a waste to have a lane & not have bikes be able to use it.


Protected and connected.

Look at the bike lanes on 15th St NW. Separated from traffic by a lane of parked cars and bollards. Even better would be making it at sidewalk level because curbs are better than plastic bollards.

They also need to be connected. DC has too many bike lanes that don't start/end near other bike lanes. Gaps lead people to compensate, like riding on the sidewalk.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2019 20:25     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:

take the lane. I’ve never felt more like I was going to be hit by a car than when I was riding on the sidewalk and crossing intersections with poor visibility to cars. Sideswipe, rear end, or overtaking accidents are very rare.


"Take the lane" is good advice, as far as it goes, but

1. lots of people who aren't confident bicyclists will not take the lane
2. taking the lane can also be stressful, even if you're a confident bicyclist

And, of course, if an intersection isn't safe for a person riding slowly on a bicycle, because the driver can't see the person, then the intersection also isn't safe for a person who is running or walking.
Anonymous
Post 11/22/2019 20:18     Subject: Why don’t people use bike lanes?
Anonymous wrote:Op here. Ok- so what would help bike lines become more useable? A barrier (like they have in some turn lanes) to separate bike lines from cars?
It just seems like such a waste to have a lane & not have bikes be able to use it.


Yes, protected bike lanes.