Sunday, June 21, 2009

Common sense approach to bike lanes

From the Brooklyn Paper:

Before installing a bike lane, planners should take this common-sense quiz:


• Does the road have heavy traffic?

• Does the lane fail to get bikers safely to key destinations?

• Is there a lot of through- or two-way traffic that will conflict with the bike lane?

• Is it a busy pedestrian area?

If the answers are “yes” to all of these questions, a bike lane is clearly not appropriate in that location.

7 comments:

Christopher said...

Don't forget "if the bikers will use it or just go on the sidewalk"

Anonymous said...

You are lucky if the city knows what is actually present where they are building.

When I was in High School, a classmate whose father had a city planning job used to regale me with stories about 30 foot roads that were slated to be put in areas with 30 inch clearances (they misread the maps) and ancient, outdated maps that had no relationship to reality.

When I worked for the Census Department years ago I had the damndest time trying to convince them that Astoria Boulevard and Hoyt Avenue South were two separate streets. Never mind that I lived next to said streets for decades.
The map (drawn to insufficient scale) showed the two streets as one and that "map" cut more ice than an experienced resident.

Anonymous said...

I love riding my Harley in those bike lanes.Quick commute and i'm gettin' 44mpg.Thanks libs.signed, The Green Archie!

Brooks of Sheffield said...

I would say that bike lanes are appropriate most anywhere. If there's a road for cars, there should be a lane for bikes. If the thoroughfare wasn't critical to getting around, why was it laid out? Why should cars be able to get places bikes can't?

elkue said...

Anonymous #3

You are an idiot. I can't wait until you get a ticket for doing that. Hopefully you don't hit a pedestrian.

Anonymous said...

Bike lanes were tried before under another mayor.

They failed and cost the city millions for nothing!

This is one of Bloomberg's thinnest publicity stunts yet.

You pay for them, your "honor", out of your own deep pockets and not from the city's coffers!

Use the money to reopen St. Mary's Hospital, for instance!

Anonymous said...

I don't like them. I think they are dangerous for all....the bikers, pedetrians, and motor vehicles.