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bike lanes - Page 2 — Brooklynian

bike lanes

245

Comments

  • meredithb
    meredithb
    I've said it before I'll say it again: IMO, painted bike lanes are nothing more than a waste of taxpayer money. I'd much prefer protected bike lanes.

    Many bicyclists do not use the painted lanes. And NYC doesn't have the police manpower to enforce the lanes.

    If you take actually go out and take a look at many of the Brooklyn Bike Lanes you will see that many of them are in disrepair and in a much needed paint job. Many, you will have to wait a long time to see more than a pizza delivery guy riding on them.

    What is strange to me is that NYC wants people to use bike lanes, they want to squeeze cars from this city, but IMO they do not want to and can not enforce these lanes from double-parked cars and trucks. Which is typical of much of American society where many laws are made but not enforced (like speeding).
  • daver
    daver
    MeredithB wrote: Many bicyclists do not use the painted lanes. And NYC doesn't have the police manpower to enforce the lanes.
    I think what you mean here is what you say below, enforcing the lanes against parked cars and whatnot. As a bicyclist, I often don't use the lanes because many are dangerous. NYC law doesn't require a bicyclist to use the lanes, thankfully. I definitely use them when appropriate, but sometimes you are just asking for trouble if you stay in them.
  • daver
    daver
    BTW, Clinton Hill Blog has a nice pic of the bike lane on Dekalb...
    image
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    No nonononononooooo the protected bike lanes are not that great. Yes, fantastic in theory, but unfortunately, PEOPLE WALK IN THEM. Every day on the block between 35th and 34th on Broadway, there are people ignoring the perfectly half-empty sidewalk and instead walking in the middle of the protected bike lane.

    $50 says if you put protected bike lanes in Park Slope they will fill up with strollers before you can say Maclaren.

    At least with the current bike lanes I have a row of parked cars to protect me from the dangerous pedestrians. :D
  • daver
    daver
    caaahyoko wrote: No nonononononooooo the protected bike lanes are not that great. Yes, fantastic in theory, but unfortunately, PEOPLE WALK IN THEM. Every day on the block between 35th and 34th on Broadway, there are people ignoring the perfectly half-empty sidewalk and instead walking in the middle of the protected bike lane.

    $50 says if you put protected bike lanes in Park Slope they will fill up with strollers before you can say Maclaren.

    At least with the current bike lanes I have a row of parked cars to protect me from the dangerous pedestrians. :D
    Good point. I have noticed that on the west side. And the great thing is, people will step right out in front of you when you are hauling ass and then act perturbed _at you_ when you almost hit them. Bike lane? Step off?
  • superjonbot
    superjonbot
    caaahyoko wrote: hahaha. That's my route when I don't take the greenway. Getting uptown sucks. I can't really find a better way.
    I take that route every morning aswell. The danger makes a good coffee substitute to wake me up in the morning. I'll often take the entire left lane or between the two left lanes, but I'm mostly traveling the same speed or faster than the cars in the morning rush hour.
  • meredithb
    meredithb
    caaahyoko wrote: No nonononononooooo the protected bike lanes are not that great. Yes, fantastic in theory, but unfortunately, PEOPLE WALK IN THEM. Every day on the block between 35th and 34th on Broadway, there are people ignoring the perfectly half-empty sidewalk and instead walking in the middle of the protected bike lane.

    $50 says if you put protected bike lanes in Park Slope they will fill up with strollers before you can say Maclaren.

    At least with the current bike lanes I have a row of parked cars to protect me from the dangerous pedestrians. :D
    So get a sturdy bike and run into a few. You just have to have no conscience. The people you hit don't. So no biggie.
  • meredithb
    meredithb
    I just drove down Berkeley and tried to obey the newly painted bike lanes. If I did so, my car was so close to the right side that a person stepping out or opening the door was sure to be toast.
  • belzjm
    belzjm
    yeah, that's why i was shocked to see them go in.

    there is absolutely not room for the car and the bike lane...

    weird, right?
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Anyone want to email Transportation Alternatives and point out the issue? I'm bad at those types of emails. Or just lazy. :P I know one of the main guys who runs it lives nearby me, next door to my friend.
  • superjonbot
    superjonbot
    I would be for enforcing bike lane laws and all that jibba jabba but if enforcing them meant they'll start enforcing other things like giving tickets for running stop lights and lane splitting then NO DEAL!. I like the fact some bike laws are ignored. It gets me to work on time.
  • meredithb
    meredithb
    superjonbot wrote: I would be for enforcing bike lane laws and all that jibba jabba but if enforcing them meant they'll start enforcing other things like giving tickets for running stop lights and lane splitting then NO DEAL!. I like the fact some bike laws are ignored. It gets me to work on time.
    The NYPD will never enforce more laws, they can hardly enforce the laws they have now. More rules is not the answer.

    One thing about most bicylists in this city is they don't have a bell or a whistle. They ride like they are doing NYC a favor for riding and that peopel should get out of their way. Well, you got to let them know you are coming. If people step into a bike lane, whistle, yell, ring your bell and then clock them. I'm sure after people start getting hit they will be more conscientious of bicyclists. Word travels fast.
  • daver
    daver
    MeredithB wrote: If people step into a bike lane, whistle, yell, ring your bell and then clock them. I'm sure after people start getting hit they will be more conscientious of bicyclists. Word travels fast.
    I assume this is tongue in cheek, but seriously, hitting people on a bike is bad news. Not just for the asshat getting hit in the bike lane, but for the bike rider as well. I know you advocate a sturdy bike, but even with such you are still extremely likely to get good and fucked up.
  • jayce
    jayce
    3 words. Compressed Air Horn.
    forget the pansy-assed bell.
  • daver
    daver
    jayce wrote: 3 words. Compressed Air Horn.
    forget the pansy-assed bell.
    3 words. Deer in headlights.
    Frozen too scared to get out of the way.
  • duffyssis
    duffyssis
    The problem with that is that so many people walk around with Ipods on at full volume (I regret to say that I am often guilty of this as well). So you yell and try to get their attention but to no avail.

    And when I do manage to get their attention some still don't think to move out of the way!
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    jayce wrote: 3 words. Compressed Air Horn.
    forget the pansy-assed bell.
    http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1035
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    With all this talk about the pedestrians being a pain in the ass, I think I jinxed myself. I finally got doored bad enough to be knocked off my bike last night on the way home.

    doored1
    doored2

    Sorry about the leg stubble. :oops:
  • jayce
    jayce
    caaahyoko wrote: http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1035
    love it.
    and as for the deer in the headlights, i'm gonna hit em anyway, this way they can't say they didnt hear me coming!
  • duffyssis
    duffyssis
    Maybe we should all make a pact for the next few weeks to chase down pedestrians throughout the city? Start to build up their spidey-senses so they will start to look out for cyclists. Yes we will lose a few but ultimately it will save more lives in the end.

    Just a thought.
  • superjonbot
    superjonbot
    As for pedestrians crossing the street, I like the ones that keep walking, I make my path based on their direction and speed. My issue is usually with the ones that see you coming and freeze in the middle of the street thinking they're doing you a favor. I guess the only place I'd really use a horn is the Brooklyn bridge, where I average about 9 "BIKE LANE!" yells a week.
  • filmlover44
    filmlover44
    MeredithB wrote: [quote=superjonbot]I would be for enforcing bike lane laws and all that jibba jabba but if enforcing them meant they'll start enforcing other things like giving tickets for running stop lights and lane splitting then NO DEAL!. I like the fact some bike laws are ignored. It gets me to work on time.
    The NYPD will never enforce more laws, they can hardly enforce the laws they have now. More rules is not the answer.

    One thing about most bicylists in this city is they don't have a bell or a whistle. They ride like they are doing NYC a favor for riding and that peopel should get out of their way. Well, you got to let them know you are coming. If people step into a bike lane, whistle, yell, ring your bell and then clock them. I'm sure after people start getting hit they will be more conscientious of bicyclists. Word travels fast.

    I saw a guy get a ticket last year at Union Square for A) Running a red light and B) Not having a light on his bike - it was raining. I didn't hear the cops say anything about the fact that he wasn't wearing a helmet.

    I think a nice campaign warning pedestrians to stay out of bike lanes and car born people to check before they open their doors might be a good thing.

    Ouch. Those photos look bad (not the stubble)!
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    filmlover44 wrote:


    I saw a guy get a ticket last year at Union Square for A) Running a red light and B) Not having a light on his bike - it was raining. I didn't hear the cops say anything about the fact that he wasn't wearing a helmet.

    I think a nice campaign warning pedestrians to stay out of bike lanes and car born people to check before they open their doors might be a good thing.

    Ouch. Those photos look bad (not the stubble)!
    Surprisingly, a helmet is not required by law here (unless you're a child).

    The cuts weren't too bad, thankfully. I just made sure to take a picture while it was dripping blood. :twisted: Actually, as I rode away from the scene of the accident, in a way I felt like a kid again. Its not often you get to scrape your knees after you turn 10 or 12.
  • daver
    daver
    caaahyoko wrote: Surprisingly, a helmet is not required by law here (unless you're a child).

    The cuts weren't too bad, thankfully. I just made sure to take a picture while it was dripping blood. :twisted: Actually, as I rode away from the scene of the accident, in a way I felt like a kid again. Its not often you get to scrape your knees after you turn 10 or 12.
    I believe it is under 13 that a bike helmet is required in NYC.

    And as far as scraping your knees after youth, er, I must be doing it wrong. Or I just do a lot of stupid stuff. My healing times seem to be greatly increased, however.
  • filmlover44
    filmlover44
    daver wrote:
    And as far as scraping your knees after youth, er, I must be doing it wrong. Or I just do a lot of stupid stuff. My healing times seem to be greatly increased, however.
    Heh, heh. Me too.
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Oh, I'm totally addicted now. I wish I still had my rollerblades, so I could wipe out a few times.
  • stutter
    stutter
    I don't know who is more annoying, Park Slope stroller moms or Park Slope bikers.
  • daver
    daver
    stutter wrote: I don't know who is more annoying, Park Slope stroller moms or Park Slope bikers.
    http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3701
  • meredithb
    meredithb
    Duffy'sSis wrote: The problem with that is that so many people walk around with Ipods on at full volume (I regret to say that I am often guilty of this as well). So you yell and try to get their attention but to no avail.

    And when I do manage to get their attention some still don't think to move out of the way!
    I was biking in Manhattan on a two way street and due to the illegally parked cars I rode down the middle. Some clueless dude with big ear-covering headphones emerged from between the stopped cars. I clocked him. His headphone wire got caught up in my handle bars and I just stopped, untangled the wire and threw the headphones to the ground yelling, "Cross at the green and not inbetween!" Then I rode off.

    It felt good.
  • filmlover44
    filmlover44
    stutter wrote: I don't know who is more annoying, Park Slope stroller moms or Park Slope bikers.
    You left snotty right wing conservatives off of the list.
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