Cyclists die off Protest

[us56456712]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-38944964

 

[Dizzle Problems]

Pretty sad they have to protest for safer roads. Especially in a city with such a huge cycling community .

 

[RustyGold]

I'm sure this will come off as insensitive...however, this seems like a protest without a real problem. Recreational protesting seems to have become quite the fad. Any accidental death is tragic to the family of the victim...but, 9 deaths in 2016, out of a population of nearly 9 million people. If London were ranked in deaths per capita among US states, it would be around 44 of 50. Very impressive, I would think, considering that probably a lot higher percentage of Londoners bike than the vast majority of cities across the US.

Jason

 

[Wildcat]

With a city's roads already built, there's no place to safely put the cyclists. The difference in speed between bikes and cars requires the bike lanes to be separated by more than a painted line. In many US cities, they make the shoulder into a bike lane which is just a bandaid, there's not enough room to put in a real lane protected from vehicles. A few cities overseas have been planned out or rebuilt to add a separate lane for bikers, separated by some kind of barrier. That works.

I never trust the painted in lanes, as people on their cell phones or distracted occasionally drift into that lane. Drivers aren't becoming more cautious, just the opposite. Only video cams keep the citizenry behaving.

I ride on the sidewalk when there's a lot of traffic, cops never say anything about it, they know the dangers of the bike lanes that are painted in.

 

[RustyGold]

My wife and I met my younger daughter in her town for a movie a couple weekends ago. We were taking the access road to the back of the mall, where the theater is, and we were driving in a green lane...we were probably in it for 100ft or more when it occurred to me, this is probably a bicycle only lane .

It wasn't there a couple weeks before. Like you said, no physical dividers...and, no signs. Only reason it clicked for me, is that I saw a news thing about painted bike lanes in Europe several months ago .

Jason

 

[horsefarmer]

In a nearby town, there is a combo bike lane / car parking area along the river. People fish along the river almost year round. How you can ride in a lane of parked cars is beyond me.

 

[Wildcat]

They have some green lanes in Honolulu, right in the heavy traffic. I have yet to see a bike use them. l'll go to one of the military bases and ride for as long as I like. They seem to have bigger lanes, miles of empty road, and traffic enforcement can effect your job in the military, so drivers pay attention to the road and the speed limits.

 

[SILVERKINGPC]

With a city's roads already built, there's no place to safely put the cyclists. The difference in speed between bikes and cars requires the bike lanes to be separated by more than a painted line. In many US cities, they make the shoulder into a bike lane which is just a bandaid, there's not enough room to put in a real lane protected from vehicles.
I never trust the painted in lanes, as people on their cell phones or distracted occasionally drift into that lane. Drivers aren't becoming more cautious, just the opposite.

Boy is this ever true! Painting lines does nothing to stop people driving cars while looking at their Dumb Phones or texting. Riding with your back turned to car & truck traffic is terrifying to me, and a big reason I illegally ride against traffic or on the sidewalk when available. Turning your back on idiots in hurtling death-bombs looking at cell phones could be really bad for your health, and maybe even kill you.