It is just the attitude of some of us that gets me weak in the sense that they don't even care about what happens as long as they are riding their bikes well.
Is it legal for cars to park on a bike lane?
- Thread starter Swadesh
- Start date
I think I already have posted a photo of vehicles parked on a bike lane. Considering that Marikina was the first city to install bike lanes on the main roads, that goes to show the stubborn people here who only think of their own welfare. Parking in a no parking zone should result in a traffic violation ticket.
Definitely NO. I've seen many cyclists breaking the side mirrors for the cars parked on the bike lanes.
What's really stupid is cyclist whining on a cycling forum about cars blocking the bike lanes.
Then going out for a ride and running across a cycling club with 5 to 10 riders blocking the lane when there are lots and driveways 10 feet away. I've run across this many times so it isn't just the cars.
You would think clubs would encourage bike safety for all cyclist, not just their group.
Then going out for a ride and running across a cycling club with 5 to 10 riders blocking the lane when there are lots and driveways 10 feet away. I've run across this many times so it isn't just the cars.
You would think clubs would encourage bike safety for all cyclist, not just their group.
this is true, but car drivers think they can use the lane to make turns in, and park for a short time. What their finding out is that bike lanes are actually more dangerous than staying on the street, and that's been my observation as well over the 40 some odd years I've ridden a bike. I don't use the lanes anymore, I take the dang lane. And never ever if you're in a bike lane pull up along side a car at a stop, those yahoos won't see you and turn right hitting you, plus never ever do that with a large semi truck or bus, they can't see you, plus they take a lot of the street, including the lane, and even the sidewalk to make a right turn, and what do you think will happen to you? can you say squish? If you're in a bike lane, you need to stay behind the car or truck or bus that's to your left, and wait till they go to make sure they're not turning, and be careful with multiple lanes, a car could wait and not turn in the first lane, and instead turn in the very last lane they have left, and you're cruising beside them and smacko you're deado. Semi trucks and buses, they may not turn till they're actually past the last lane, they'll use the opposing lanes to give them enough space to turn and you'll think that because they didn't turn in the correct lane you're good to go...nope, you'll go alright, right to heaven. So stay behind vehicles, and don't count on turn signals, most people today never use that worthless thing anyways! They get confused and think the turn signal stalk will activate the wipers.
Also if you are in the street and not on a lane, you need to stay about 6 feet from the rear of the other vehicle, especially semi's when they start they could roll back if on an incline before going forward, and depending on how good the driver is and how steep the hill is will depend on how far they'll roll back before catching it and going.
What is sad is that there are too many cyclists who don't know a thing about the lines on the streets.
One guy in another forum was complaining that cars were turning right from the bike lanes. He showed a pic that had broken dotted lines at the end of the lane approaching an intersection. Yes, that is broken so that cars can enter and make a right turn.
Then I was actually riding with a couple of riders who approached an intersection with one of those huge Y right turn lanes While they should have stayed left of the big turn lane, they stopped at the curb. 1 foot between the curb and the turn lane while had they stayed left, they would have had 15 feet of striped area of which they could have stopped and proceeded forward rather easily.
One guy in another forum was complaining that cars were turning right from the bike lanes. He showed a pic that had broken dotted lines at the end of the lane approaching an intersection. Yes, that is broken so that cars can enter and make a right turn.
Then I was actually riding with a couple of riders who approached an intersection with one of those huge Y right turn lanes While they should have stayed left of the big turn lane, they stopped at the curb. 1 foot between the curb and the turn lane while had they stayed left, they would have had 15 feet of striped area of which they could have stopped and proceeded forward rather easily.
And that's why I don't ride my bike in a bike lane. Sure those dotted lines are there, but motorist will zip into the bike lane well before the dotted lines come up, and while their doing it forcing a cyclist to suddenly stop and cus at the driver, and some cases the car will hit the cyclist. But I think hitting a cyclist is ok because the motorists seem to be getting brownie points for doing so as evidence by very weak punishments.
We have very different experiences. Most motorists will slow and allow me to go ahead then turn behind me. I think I have had 3 cars race around me to beat me to the intersection over my 26 years of cycling. But I back off if I see this because it is not worth getting hurt to prove who is right in the situation.
Heck, even on our night rides, I am usually hanging back off the pack for safety concerns. I get to an intersection a little after the group, the waiting vehicles will wave me on through. Many times when I KNOW that it is not my turn and willing to wait.
I see really noting but consideration on the road from drivers. Either I am very lucky or they figure hitting me at my size would do some damage to their cars ha ha!
On the trail, in the mountains, on the road, the biggest threat to me is other cyclists. I see so many things they do wrong, I can see why drivers get irritated. Heck, almost had another female rider slam into to me from behind as I stopped at a red light intersection. 20 yards behind me, she buzzed me because she could not make the stop, BUT I COULD ???
Another rider was riding along side of our group in the beach area. Leaving town on a small street, we were in line toward the right. Car comes up from behind us but there is one rider in the middle of the lane. For what reason I don't know but we're doing about 5 mph. Car comes up from behind us and there is about 100 yards to the next stop sign. The car is behind us forced to do 5 mph for 100 yards in a 25 mile zone because the rider stayed there. I was shouting,"car back!" but didn't matter. Others were telling the cyclist that there was a car trying to get by. There was PLENTY of room on the side with us but the cyclist looked back at the driver and said, "oh well!" and maintained position, in the center of the lane at 5 mph.
I can say I would not have blamed the driver had he zoomed around the cyclist with a revving engine and a blow of the horn, with a middle finger in the air.
I don't believe anyone should be hit but there are a lot of stupid arrogant obnoxious cyclists that deserve some negative actions by others, like horn blowing, flipping the bird, and some vocal obscenities.
I am not saying you, but I have ridden with a ton of other riders from various cycling forums and there are a whooooole lot of a hole cyclists who do stupid stuff that warrants some bad behavior from drivers. Not hitting of course but again, there are a lot of cyclists who put themselves in places they should not be. Some dude not long ago posted a video of himself on this site claiming the vehicle was dangerous when he himself actually put himself in harm's way by tailgating a turning car.
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When I use to live in Santa Barbara CA back in the 70's and 80's, everyone who lived there expected to see cyclists on the road, and the bike lanes were safe, I took them whenever they were available. When I moved to L.A. and Palmdale/Lancaster CA they didn't have bike lanes yet; then when I moved to Bakersfield CA they had bike lanes but the people that drove cars could care less if they used that lane at the same time a cyclist was using it, I had a lot near calls and one contact; and it's then I decided to avoid the lanes and just take the car lane. Now I wouldn't hog it if it wasn't called for, but on roads with an abundance of intersections and driveways into shopping centers, there is no way in hell I would use the bike lane in those areas. Now I live in Fort Wayne IN, again the motorists have no respect for cyclists in bike lanes. I've seen cars honk their horns at cyclists in bike lanes! And the cops here in Fort Wayne and Bakersfield could care less about cyclists.
If I'm climbing a grade at 5 mph and there's a bike lane, well then of course I'm in the bike lane, but if I'm keeping up with the flow of traffic, which on flat areas like Bakersfield and Fort Wayne I can do that, but because I'm going with the traffic speed I'm not going to ride the bike lane if there are a lot of intersections and drives, because at the higher speed I'm going stopping for some dope cutting me off is much more difficult, not so much at 5 mph.
I understand cyclists doing stupid stuff, I've seen plenty of them, but if taking the car lane I deem is safer than the bike lane I'm looking out for my safety. And my thoughts on all of this is now coming to the forefront lately as studies are showing that bike lanes are dangerous.
Now in some big cities, they may have two or three car lanes and you'll see a bike lane going between two car lanes in some situations, and not on the far right, because of turning cars, so they take the bikes out of the turn side and the bike lane transitions from the right side to the middle. I'm not sure, since I don't live in a large city like those, how that transition is handled and is the transition safe? I do know, from the news, that a young female surgeon died in a situation like that, but that was her fault because she didn't make the transition to use the middle bike lane even though signs were posted to do so, and there was paint on the lanes as to which lane a bike was suppose to be in, she stayed on the right side where signs said not to be, and a semi turned right and the rear of the trailer ran over her. She failed to be in the correct lane, she failed to see the signal light on in the back of trailer, she failed to stay behind the semi and came along side of it instead. This was a case where the young lady was too inexperienced for the situation she was in and it didn't end well for her. The family and cyclists that saw the film all blamed the truck driver, but if you saw the film the truck driver was mostly correct, the only error he might have made was to double check his right outside mirror for anyone coming along his side, which depending on the situation may not have helped because trucks have huge blind spots, but signs were posted for her not to be there, and she entered a bus lane where cars trucks bikes etc were excluded except trucks could use the last few feet to make their big swing. The driver of the truck fish hooked to the left into another lane, and then swung it back around and the trailer ran over the curb and she was at that curb. This was Boston that are notorious for tight city streets, and the driver did everything legal with a question mark concerning the mirror.
If you watch the film, at 46 seconds into the film you'll notice a cyclist in the plainly marked bike lane, also in the cross traffic you'll see another cyclist also riding in the bike lane in the middle of the street more or less. At 52 seconds the narrative, written by persons on the side of the cyclist, says the truck drive would have seen and past the cyclist, this is true, but there's more. At 1:03 if you look closely the truck has past the cyclist with his turn signal on. At 1:10 the truck does his hook to turn, the cyclist should have stayed behind the truck and slowed down to a stop to wait, the law they quote is invalid in this case because there is a bike lane she was suppose to be in. She then over takes the truck along the side and the accident occurs.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mra-IDlEUjE
Back when this happened the police report was available, it no longer is, but it stated that she was at fault for failing to be in the proper marked lane, and being in the lane which she was in was marked clearly not to be there. The court case after several years ruled in favor of the truck driver, the case hinged on her not following the rules. Of course some say that he should have remembered her there, I think so to, but if she disappeared in his blind spot he might have thought either she moved to the proper lane, or she was behind him where normally a cyclist should be if there was not bike lane in the middle. Of course he driver didn't slow down which makes me think he didn't see her at all when he passed her, so maybe that was his fault for taking improper care, but she broke the law so they ruled against her.
Anyway I know that didn't have much to do with what we were talking about but I wanted people to see why they should be taking the lane in situations like (minus the bike lane in the middle of the street) so they could ride their bikes more safely. Trucks and buses need a wide space to turn and you can get sandwiched, but it can also happen with a car, so stay behind the vehicle by taking the lane.
If I'm climbing a grade at 5 mph and there's a bike lane, well then of course I'm in the bike lane, but if I'm keeping up with the flow of traffic, which on flat areas like Bakersfield and Fort Wayne I can do that, but because I'm going with the traffic speed I'm not going to ride the bike lane if there are a lot of intersections and drives, because at the higher speed I'm going stopping for some dope cutting me off is much more difficult, not so much at 5 mph.
I understand cyclists doing stupid stuff, I've seen plenty of them, but if taking the car lane I deem is safer than the bike lane I'm looking out for my safety. And my thoughts on all of this is now coming to the forefront lately as studies are showing that bike lanes are dangerous.
Now in some big cities, they may have two or three car lanes and you'll see a bike lane going between two car lanes in some situations, and not on the far right, because of turning cars, so they take the bikes out of the turn side and the bike lane transitions from the right side to the middle. I'm not sure, since I don't live in a large city like those, how that transition is handled and is the transition safe? I do know, from the news, that a young female surgeon died in a situation like that, but that was her fault because she didn't make the transition to use the middle bike lane even though signs were posted to do so, and there was paint on the lanes as to which lane a bike was suppose to be in, she stayed on the right side where signs said not to be, and a semi turned right and the rear of the trailer ran over her. She failed to be in the correct lane, she failed to see the signal light on in the back of trailer, she failed to stay behind the semi and came along side of it instead. This was a case where the young lady was too inexperienced for the situation she was in and it didn't end well for her. The family and cyclists that saw the film all blamed the truck driver, but if you saw the film the truck driver was mostly correct, the only error he might have made was to double check his right outside mirror for anyone coming along his side, which depending on the situation may not have helped because trucks have huge blind spots, but signs were posted for her not to be there, and she entered a bus lane where cars trucks bikes etc were excluded except trucks could use the last few feet to make their big swing. The driver of the truck fish hooked to the left into another lane, and then swung it back around and the trailer ran over the curb and she was at that curb. This was Boston that are notorious for tight city streets, and the driver did everything legal with a question mark concerning the mirror.
If you watch the film, at 46 seconds into the film you'll notice a cyclist in the plainly marked bike lane, also in the cross traffic you'll see another cyclist also riding in the bike lane in the middle of the street more or less. At 52 seconds the narrative, written by persons on the side of the cyclist, says the truck drive would have seen and past the cyclist, this is true, but there's more. At 1:03 if you look closely the truck has past the cyclist with his turn signal on. At 1:10 the truck does his hook to turn, the cyclist should have stayed behind the truck and slowed down to a stop to wait, the law they quote is invalid in this case because there is a bike lane she was suppose to be in. She then over takes the truck along the side and the accident occurs.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mra-IDlEUjE
Back when this happened the police report was available, it no longer is, but it stated that she was at fault for failing to be in the proper marked lane, and being in the lane which she was in was marked clearly not to be there. The court case after several years ruled in favor of the truck driver, the case hinged on her not following the rules. Of course some say that he should have remembered her there, I think so to, but if she disappeared in his blind spot he might have thought either she moved to the proper lane, or she was behind him where normally a cyclist should be if there was not bike lane in the middle. Of course he driver didn't slow down which makes me think he didn't see her at all when he passed her, so maybe that was his fault for taking improper care, but she broke the law so they ruled against her.
Anyway I know that didn't have much to do with what we were talking about but I wanted people to see why they should be taking the lane in situations like (minus the bike lane in the middle of the street) so they could ride their bikes more safely. Trucks and buses need a wide space to turn and you can get sandwiched, but it can also happen with a car, so stay behind the vehicle by taking the lane.
That is pretty sad. I myself take extra caution while riding anywhere around a big rig. If I am 40 yards from an intersection and there is a truck present, I slow the **** down! If I know I can beat the guy there, if I think he might see me, even if I have the right of way, I slow the **** down no matter what knowing that this kind of thing happens.
Some lady around here did the exact same thing pretty much except that she thought she had the right of was so she tried to beat the truck across the driveway where it was making a right into a rock quarry. If I encounter a truck before an intersection or driveway where I might even think it will turn, I slow down and give the right of way.
I unlike the lady in the video would make sure I was stopped or slowed way back about 20-30 yards to give the truck room even if I was going to get there first. Now if a truck driver acknowledges me and waves me on, that is different otherwise I make sure to let him get there first.
Can't say this was her fault or his fault, I am just saying I would not have been there right or wrong, death doesn't care.
Sad way to die!
Some lady around here did the exact same thing pretty much except that she thought she had the right of was so she tried to beat the truck across the driveway where it was making a right into a rock quarry. If I encounter a truck before an intersection or driveway where I might even think it will turn, I slow down and give the right of way.
I unlike the lady in the video would make sure I was stopped or slowed way back about 20-30 yards to give the truck room even if I was going to get there first. Now if a truck driver acknowledges me and waves me on, that is different otherwise I make sure to let him get there first.
Can't say this was her fault or his fault, I am just saying I would not have been there right or wrong, death doesn't care.
Sad way to die!
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I'm originally from New York City, and just before I left they started constructing bike lanes throughout the city. It was a mess. I believe that there is a law stating motorists cannot drive or park in bike lanes, but so many people didn't give a darn.
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