Bad bike lanes...

Matt O'Toole said:

With all this bike lane discussion going on, I thought some might get a kick out
of this one -- from CA no less, land of many "good" bike lanes!

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200404.html

Have a look through the rest of Kunstler's site too -- it's really a hoot.

Can I ask why you think California has "good" bike lanes? I live here, and
there are definitely bike lanes, but their quality is all over the map. I
have examples of both, but no photos right now.

Erik Freitag said:

Matt O'Toole said:

With all this bike lane discussion going on, I thought some might
get a kick out of this one -- from CA no less, land of many "good"
bike lanes!

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200404.html

Have a look through the rest of Kunstler's site too -- it's really a
hoot.

Can I ask why you think California has "good" bike lanes? I live
here, and there are definitely bike lanes, but their quality is all
over the map. I have examples of both, but no photos right now.

Indeed they have both. Most places only have the bad ones. The difference is
often having wider roads to begin with.

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

Erik Freitag said:

Matt O'Toole said:

With all this bike lane discussion going on, I thought some might
get a kick out of this one -- from CA no less, land of many "good"
bike lanes!

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200404.html

Have a look through the rest of Kunstler's site too -- it's really a
hoot.

Can I ask why you think California has "good" bike lanes? I live
here, and there are definitely bike lanes, but their quality is all
over the map. I have examples of both, but no photos right now.

Indeed they have both. Most places only have the bad ones. The difference is
often having wider roads to begin with.

Aye. I think wider roadways (not always available in California) have more
to do with bicycle safety than bike lanes.

I can't even imagine riding in a bike lane like that. It is so
ridiculous, it is funny. I am still uncomfortable riding in the street.
I try to stay on the sidewalk until I get to the park. I know that is
illegal....but I will gain confidence eventually. I am lucky I live in
a little sissy little suburban town where we have so many parks with
fabulous paths. It is a good place to ride. I am still in awe of
those of you who ride through major cities. This weekend I am going to
a party and a friend of my friend is a Bike messenger in NYC. I have
never met him or spoke with him but now that I am riding and reading
this newsgroup I am very eager to speak with him about his job. He must
have some wonderful stories about NYC, bicycles, and traffic. I can't
wait. He is a young man in his 20's and delivers around the Wall Street
area. I bet he will have some wonderful adventures to tell. As for me,
my sissy parks in my little town are fine for now. ;-) Sometimes I
wonder if things would have been different if my parents had not moved
me out of a city environment when I was little and moved me to this
sheltered little town. Maybe I would have been a little tougher. But
most of the kids I grew up with in Newark are in prison, so maybe it
was a good move.
Maggie.

Quoted message said:

Aye. I think wider roadways (not always available in California)

have more

Quoted message said:

to do with bicycle safety than bike lanes.

It's been said that the only place you can put bike lanes is where
the road is wide enough not to need them. However, that ignores the
fact that cars hit bikes where their paths intersect, i.e. at
intersections.

Here in London UK the most common kind of bike fatality is caused by
a left turning truck - we drive on the left here - with a bike
getting between the truck and the curb. It doesn't help that trucks
sometimes have to pull away from the curb to give themselves
clearance to get round. Anything that encourages novices to get on
the inside of those trucks can't be good.

The most common serious accident is dooring. I don't think lanes
help there either.

Jeremy Parker

Matt O'Toole said:

With all this bike lane discussion going on, I thought some might get a kick out
of this one -- from CA no less, land of many "good" bike lanes!

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200404.html

Have a look through the rest of Kunstler's site too -- it's really a hoot.

Matt O.

This is VERY common in San Diego. I don't live there anymore, but since
a lot of storm drains were of this vertical grid type that are 18" - 24"
extending into the street, you just gotta look out for them. Certainly
no city planner who commutes to work 1.287 hours per day each way from
his bedroom community in his .87 ton vehicle is going to think of it.

Oh, and in Orange County some cities have 12 inch bike lanes, including
the 6" curb base. Real nice.

-C

Matt O'Toole said:

With all this bike lane discussion going on, I thought some might get a kick out
of this one -- from CA no less, land of many "good" bike lanes!

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200404.html

Oh, that's one cruel and sick joke.

Quoted message said:

Have a look through the rest of Kunstler's site too -- it's really a hoot.

Yep, lot's of ghastly architecture out there and this guy's having fun telling
us how bad it truly is. Love the description of this one

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200311.html

Ron

Quoted message said:

Do they give out a Darwin Award for civil engineering?

Brian said:

Do they give out a Darwin Award for civil engineering?

My favorite is the one from October of last year:

http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200310.html
Somehow it is patriotic to drive a 10 mpg vehicle.

Tom

Brian said:

Do they give out a Darwin Award for civil engineering?

ahhhh, no. it works in your favour to rid yourself of the competition.
--
david reuteler
[email hidden]