As a serious biker, I really think our governments need to make dedicated lines for bikes. But of course, that's me with a bias since I'm a cyclist myself. But what do you all think?
Dedicated Bike Lanes Need Or Not?
- Thread starter hollowbackerdale
- Start date
Whether any kind of infrastructure is required is really up to the car drivers. You could build the best infrastructure in the world and if car drivers are stupid enough, they'll still manage to kill cyclists. You could have no infrastructure at all and cyclists could still be safe if people drive safely.
So it depends mostly on your area and what drivers act like. As such the people who live there and ride those roads every day are the best qualified to say whether something is necessary.
Of course, this means that in the areas that most need infrastructure because drivers are hostile towards cyclists, you're least likely to get infrastructure for the same reason.
So it depends mostly on your area and what drivers act like. As such the people who live there and ride those roads every day are the best qualified to say whether something is necessary.
Of course, this means that in the areas that most need infrastructure because drivers are hostile towards cyclists, you're least likely to get infrastructure for the same reason.
As a cyclist in Denmark and Holland, I cannot recommend bike lanes enough. They make riding so much safer, less stresful and pleasent. Especially when the bike line is seperated from the road with a curb. I cannot appreciate enough how much it helps that you don't have to worry about cars comming from behind you. I really feel the difference when I occasionally end up on a line of road that does NOT have a bike lane. Its like a button is turned on and immediately I start to worry about cars comming from behind. I will listen to sounds more, turn my head back more often etc. It is not that big of a deal, but the difference in mental stress is still considerable.
I don't know exactly how the roads are where you live, but the fact that you wear high-vis clothes suggests that lanes are needed. You shoudnl't have to wear high-vis clothes as a cyclist. So SHOULD you have bike lanes? Ofcourse. Preferebly everywhere. You can't have enough bike lanes. The only problem with bike lanes is that they are relatively expensive and there has to be a political decision made on the matter.
I don't know exactly how the roads are where you live, but the fact that you wear high-vis clothes suggests that lanes are needed. You shoudnl't have to wear high-vis clothes as a cyclist. So SHOULD you have bike lanes? Ofcourse. Preferebly everywhere. You can't have enough bike lanes. The only problem with bike lanes is that they are relatively expensive and there has to be a political decision made on the matter.
I would love to have big wide, maybe even separated bike lanes. I think it would greatly increase bicycle ridership. However, even on 60 MPH roads with not even a shoulder, I personally feel capable and safe riding them.
But hardly anyone believes me when I say it's not a big deal and that I think anyone could do it. Many people at work are sure I'll be killed any day now, and have been waiting for that news for 12 years...
But hardly anyone believes me when I say it's not a big deal and that I think anyone could do it. Many people at work are sure I'll be killed any day now, and have been waiting for that news for 12 years...
I ride a longtail with my three kids in back. I appreciate bike lanes, feel quite safe on buffered bike lanes, and absolutely love protected (or barrier-enforced) bike lanes. Similar story, I'm sure, with riding along with the kids on their own bikes. On my own, I couldn't really care less if there is a bike lane on any road less that ~40 mph.
It's not always about what the most capable of us feel comfortable with, but what makes children and, indeed, adults who wouldn't otherwise bike feel emboldened enough to venture forth and ride.
It's not always about what the most capable of us feel comfortable with, but what makes children and, indeed, adults who wouldn't otherwise bike feel emboldened enough to venture forth and ride.
I really hate roads, ride as few of them as possible. Luckily we have 100's of miles of paved trail in this area(Xenia and vicinity) to ride until blue in the face.
I hate bike lanes. They do not care at all when they install them. They put them in door zones, end them abruptly without warning in sidewalks, narrow and widen them arbitrarily and narrow them to a dangerous extent.
There's also an issue of traffic integration. People will pull into them to lass others in a traffic jam, they'll give you the right hook, they leave no room between you and other traffic, specially at intersections, they leave no room to dodge debris or the low hanging tree branches that constantly invade bicycle lanes, which is on account of the city not giving a **** about cyclists. If that tree were hanging in a cars pathway you can bet they'd cut it out of the way.
So I'd prefer just to have another full lane and have cyclists have the right to use the full lane.
There's also an issue of traffic integration. People will pull into them to lass others in a traffic jam, they'll give you the right hook, they leave no room between you and other traffic, specially at intersections, they leave no room to dodge debris or the low hanging tree branches that constantly invade bicycle lanes, which is on account of the city not giving a **** about cyclists. If that tree were hanging in a cars pathway you can bet they'd cut it out of the way.
So I'd prefer just to have another full lane and have cyclists have the right to use the full lane.
