Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[Admiral Beez]

I can’t imagine these plastic posts doing anything to stop a car that’s missed the corner.

 

[mickael]

Yeah rumble strips is maybe a hair better than paint, and that's the thinnest hair I could find. Concrete, concrete, concrete. That's all we need. Concrete.

 

[afransen]

I think the idea is to preserve turning radius for large vehicles (trucks, emergency vehicles) while making it clear where car traffic is supposed to go, essentially traffic calming.

 

[Admiral Beez]

If there’s no protected lane I’d rather have no lane at all. I’ve been cycling this city since the 1980s and have never had an incident with a car. I stick to the curb, watch for car occupants to open doors, never run red lights or stop signs (okay, I sometimes may slow but not stop), never block a lane of traffic (we’ve all seen those spandex clad assholes sitting in the middle of lane of stopped traffic), always walk my bike across crosswalks and pedestrian crossings, try to act in a predictable manner and assume that every right turning truck or car doesn’t see me. When I read about cyclists getting killed by dump trucks turning right, I ask myself did that loud and large truck somehow sneak up on that cyclist? I’m not victim blaming, but as they teach us motorcyclists, you can be in the right, and still be dead. So, my last mantra I ride with is, always give way and stay calm.

In my 32 years cycling downtown Toronto this mindset has kept me safe, and allowed me to enjoy my cycling without unreasonable fear. I‘m a huge supporter of separated bike lanes as it gives confidence to a new generation of reluctant cyclists....but if they’re not protected lanes it’s false confidence, and people are going to continue to get killed while assuming they have the right of way, and that the lanes protect them.

 

[W. K. Lis]

If there’s no protected lane I’d rather have no lane at all. I’ve been cycling this city since the 1980s and have never had an incident with a car. I stick to the curb, watch for car occupants to open doors, never run red lights or stop signs (okay, I sometimes may slow but not stop), never block a lane of traffic (we’ve all seen those spandex clad assholes sitting in the middle of lane of stopped traffic), always walk my bike across crosswalks and pedestrian crossings, try to act in a predictable manner and assume that every right turning truck or car doesn’t see me. When I read about cyclists getting killed by dump trucks turning right, I ask myself did that loud and large truck somehow sneak up on that cyclist? I’m not victim blaming, but as they teach us motorcyclists, you can be in the right, and still be dead. So, my last mantra I ride with is, always give way and stay calm.

In my 32 years cycling downtown Toronto this mindset has kept me safe, and allowed me to enjoy my cycling without unreasonable fear. I‘m a huge supporter of separated bike lanes as it gives confidence to a new generation of reluctant cyclists....but if they’re not protected lanes it’s false confidence, and people are going to continue to get killed while assuming they have the right of way, and that the lanes protect them.

Would be better if there were no sewer grates by the curb or in the bicycle lane.

From link.

A raised bicycle lane being built, separate from the road and the sidewalk.

From link.

 

[Admiral Beez]

A raised bicycle lane being built, separate from the road and the sidewalk.

From link.

The roadside edge is tapered, almost inviting cars to drive up it. That outside edge curb wall should be on both sides, or at least the road edge should be a hard curb. What's the point of the tapered edge? Maybe it's to enable cyclists to easily enter and exit the lane?

EDIT - Whoops, I see it now, is that the sidewalk with the tapered edge? Is that the bike path is further to the right? But still, why the tapered edge with the road?

 

[Andy_in_Toronto]

Where is this photo taken from?

 

[PinkLucy]

If that's the bicycle lane, no thanks. It's a sidewalk with all of those cracks which are super annoying with thinner tires. Bicycle infrastructure should be paved like the MGT and other bike paths, not sidewalk slabs. And yes, that raised edge just gives motorists the opportunity to easily get up there to park or pass on the right.

 

[afransen]

^ Yes, you have to wonder what they were thinking using concrete.

 

[robmausser]

They could put a topcoat on it

 

[W. K. Lis]

Where is this photo taken from?

Oregon.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The roadside edge is tapered, almost inviting cars to drive up it. That outside edge curb wall should be on both sides, or at least the road edge should be a hard curb. What's the point of the tapered edge? Maybe it's to enable cyclists to easily enter and exit the lane?

EDIT - Whoops, I see it now, is that the sidewalk with the tapered edge? Is that the bike path is further to the right? But still, why the tapered edge with the road?

Personally, I would prefer a boulevard separated the raised bicycle lane, so that the snow windrows have somewhere to be deposited instead of on the bicycle lane itself.

From link.

With the w-i-d-e suburban arterial roads, they can narrow the traffic lanes to slow the traffic down and install the separated, raised bicycle lanes there properly.

 

[Towered]

If there’s no protected lane I’d rather have no lane at all. I’ve been cycling this city since the 1980s and have never had an incident with a car. I stick to the curb, watch for car occupants to open doors, never run red lights or stop signs (okay, I sometimes may slow but not stop), never block a lane of traffic (we’ve all seen those spandex clad assholes sitting in the middle of lane of stopped traffic), always walk my bike across crosswalks and pedestrian crossings, try to act in a predictable manner and assume that every right turning truck or car doesn’t see me. When I read about cyclists getting killed by dump trucks turning right, I ask myself did that loud and large truck somehow sneak up on that cyclist? I’m not victim blaming, but as they teach us motorcyclists, you can be in the right, and still be dead. So, my last mantra I ride with is, always give way and stay calm.

In my 32 years cycling downtown Toronto this mindset has kept me safe, and allowed me to enjoy my cycling without unreasonable fear. I‘m a huge supporter of separated bike lanes as it gives confidence to a new generation of reluctant cyclists....but if they’re not protected lanes it’s false confidence, and people are going to continue to get killed while assuming they have the right of way, and that the lanes protect them.

I fully agree with this. It's best to always be hyper aware of your surroundings, and anticipate the really stupid things that drivers will do. This approach works great for me when I'm cycling. No point in having a misguided sense of entitlement or an arrogant air of superiority, because at all times you are the vulnerable one on the road. Biking in Toronto is like bringing a knife to a gun fight - your only chance is to out-wit your opponents.

 

[afransen]

That's kind of the problem. We won't be able to convince people to use their bikes for more trips if they don't feel it is safe. It always makes sense to drive defensively, but making it seem like you have to keep your wits about you or face dire consequences means the infrastructure is failing us. In many ways, car infrastructure has almost the opposite problem of lulling people into thinking things are safe that really are not. Lots of roads with opposing traffic passing at relative speeds of 180 kph and naught but painted lines separating them. I occasionally get a sinking feeling when I realize that while driving on such roads. Never mind turning through pedestrians/cross traffic.

 

[afransen]

Saw this virtual walk of a new low-rise housing development in the Netherlands. Thought it was an interesting approach to accommodate desire for car ownership and fairly large homes with higher density and pedestrian/cycling friendliness. The actual tour is about 20 mins starting at 18:00.