Riding over bridge grating - PHOBIA

Robert, to be honest, I'd be happy with a sidewalk designed for cyclists on these Florida DEATH TRAP
Bridges! Clearly, FDOT (Florida Department Of Transportation) never had 2-wheeled traffic in mind,
when they built the draw bridges here. EZ Biker :-) Pompano Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti & Tailwind Pilot)

"Robert Haston" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

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Florida has the worst bike and ped safety record in the nation.

Dave as much as it's a problem for recumbent bicycles (With a lot of the weight being more to the
back) I truly MARVEL at how DF cyclists can make it over these bridge gratings with even thinner
tires (700 or 650 X 20, 21, 22, 23?) and with their PSI being sometimes over 130+ PSI. Also the way
DF cyclists, ride so upright, just would be as un-nerving to me, as ever. I've even witnessed a
cyclist, just going down, for no apparent reason on a slick road on the white shoulder marking, so I
can just imagine, the EVEN MORE probability it would happen on a grated bridge. EZ Biker :-) Pompano
Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti & Tailwind Pilot)

"DStra999" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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Subject: Re: Riding over bridge grating -

thanks for the warning. I would not have suspected that this situation

would be

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additionally hazardous on my recumbent. However, I have to admit in dry conditions on my DF I like
riding a relatively short span of the grate and looking down...sort of like flying...like the kid
in ET Dave

I found a description of what has been done on bridges on a Toronto bike trail:

city.toronto.on.cait006.htmOpen ↗

I am surprised no one from Chicago has chimed in. Chicago has lift bridges over the river and there
seems to be a one woman campaign to make these safer.

kangarooconnection.comBadBridges.htmlOpen ↗

John Riley

Thanks for the e-mails and the additional info John! Your info is really helping me, in preparing
and putting together the NEED, to make our Florida Bridges safer! EZ (Phobic of Bridge Grating)
Biker :-((( Pompano Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti & Tailwind Pilot)

"John Riley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I found a description of what has been done on bridges on a Toronto bike

trail:

Quoted message said:

city.toronto.on.cait006.hOpen ↗ tm

Quoted message said:

I am surprised no one from Chicago has chimed in. Chicago has lift bridges over the river and
there seems to be a one woman campaign to make these safer.

kangarooconnection.comBadBridges.htmlOpen ↗

John Riley

EZ, Check this link. Scroll down there is a section on bridges
bicyclefriendlycommunity.orgtech.htmOpen ↗ This one has links to specific community/state
plans, including Fla: bicyclinginfo.orgexemplary.htmOpen ↗ bill g

EZ Biker :-) said:

Thanks for the e-mails and the additional info John! Your info is really helping me, in preparing
and putting together the NEED, to make our Florida Bridges safer! EZ (Phobic of Bridge Grating)
Biker :-((( Pompano Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti & Tailwind Pilot)

"John Riley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I found a description of what has been done on bridges on a Toronto bike

trail:

Quoted message said:

city.toronto.on.cait006.hOpen ↗ tm

Quoted message said:

I am surprised no one from Chicago has chimed in. Chicago has lift bridges over the river and
there seems to be a one woman campaign to make these safer.

kangarooconnection.comBadBridges.htmlOpen ↗

John Riley

Thanks Bill g! I've added your links to my pending website folder. Since I posted my initial thread
on this bridge issue, I've received EXTRAORDINARY response from numerous people, including a fellow
NG poster, John Riley. Thanks to you all and PLEASE, keep the responses and link info COMING!!! EZ
(Phobic of Bridge Grating) Biker :-((( Pompano Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti & Tailwind Pilot)

"bg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

EZ, Check this link. Scroll down there is a section on bridges
bicyclefriendlycommunity.orgtech.htmOpen ↗ This one has links to specific community/state
plans, including Fla: bicyclinginfo.orgexemplary.htmOpen ↗ bill g

EZ Biker :-) said:

Thanks for the e-mails and the additional info John! Your info is really helping me, in
preparing and putting together the NEED, to make our

Florida

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Bridges safer! EZ (Phobic of Bridge Grating) Biker :-((( Pompano Beach, Fl. (GRR Ti & Tailwind
Pilot)

"John Riley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I found a description of what has been done on bridges on a Toronto

bike

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Quoted message said:

trail:

Quoted message said:

city.toronto.on.cait006.hOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

tm

Quoted message said:

I am surprised no one from Chicago has chimed in. Chicago has lift bridges over the river and
there seems to be a one woman campaign to make these safer.

kangarooconnection.comBadBridges.htmlOpen ↗

John Riley

I have to agree with the suggestion to simply walk the bike over these bridges. It's not exactly a
hardship...this isn't the Tour De France we are discussing. The particular span mentioned is
familiar to me, as I have crossed it and its cohorts hundreds of times...while pedaling and walking.
Even without the grate issue, many of the draw bridges in SE Florida are too heavily used by
motorized traffic to allow for safe bicycle passage, except perhaps on a slow Sunday morning.

Do I feel "entitled" to the road space at all times? No, of course not. I'm operating a slow moving
vehicle (quite slow in my case) and I feel obliged to move over whenever prudent. This would include
walking over narrow bridges, using bike lanes, riding single file...

Some might feel that walking is somehow "cheating", or less than serious...God forbid a club rider
might see you! If so, then a bridge crossing can serve as a rest stop instead. "I'm not pushing the
bike, I'm taking a food break."

I propose that we re-name this thread!

Webster: Phobia; an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object,
class of objects, or situation

I suggest that a fear of this grating is not exaggerated, inexplicable or illogical. I suggest that
instead, your sense of self-preservation is functioning well.

:-)

John Riley <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I found a description of what has been done on bridges on a Toronto bike trail:

city.toronto.on.cait006.htmOpen ↗

I am surprised no one from Chicago has chimed in. Chicago has lift bridges over the river and
there seems to be a one woman campaign to make these safer.

The difference is, Chicago has that darned judge's ruling that bicycles are not the "primary
intended users," therefore the roads and bridges don't have to be made to accomodate them. I would
think a hungry lawyer would be a good asset in this case, if all other avenues fail. Allowing a
condition to exist which is known to cause injuries on a continuing basis would be grounds for
liability. Money from a big class-action settlement would go half to bicycle projects and half to
shark, I mean, lawyer.