Bike Lanes Pop in at Poplar Level Road!
Fri, 10/08/2010 - 15:30 — Dave Morse
CyclingProject365 breaks the story...
More pictures below the fold...
Looking north, with downtown in the distance.
Here you can see where last month's white dashed striping was sandblasted off, and new striping added.
Do we need to remind you what happens here? Warning: link not for the faint of heart. That must get fixed or someone will get hurt and sue.
Bike lanes do not instantly change behavior. I saw three other cyclists on my trip out. This man was cycling on the sidewalk. I saw another walking his bike while fiddling with his cell phone - yay. The third cyclist was Andy Murphy, president of the Louisville Bicycle Club, jetting up the street to grab a newspaper prior to the weekend's activities.
Comments
Practical problem
Look at the third picture from the top. The second car is at least a foot into the bike lane and all the rest are riding on the line. Adding the normal 3 foot safety clearance means you have to hug the curb, in the glass and trash that will quickly accumulate on the new paving. In the real world as shown above, we still don't have much.
I hate to be such a pessimist, but I doubt this will encourage many to cycle on this road.
Wake
...
Good eye. That photo was not chosen by accident.
;)
I drove the whole thing this morning...
... and I noticed quite a few cars hugging the lane marker. As a matter of fact, even with my little Mini, I had the same tendency. There's a stong psychological component to good road design.
My opinion is that the only thing that will work is for more people to use what facilities we have. I'm trying my best. I ride part of that road a few times a year, and my regular commuting route is Preston, south of Phillips Ln.
Wake
Bike lanes
Thanks for the shout-out, David. The cyclists who ride while playing with their cell phone never fail to amuse me. And they also never have a helmet either. And probably are listening to an iPod too. I don't have enough coordination to do anything other than ride.