Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

Portland's pushers of bike facilities rammed through some bike boxes a
few years ago.

IIRC, they painted these things on the roads despite the fact that
they are not approved in the MUTCD. (The MUTCD exists so every burg
doesn't invent its own strange designs, confusing road users and
killing people. There is a procedure through which burgs can apply
for permission to experiment, but the procedure requires them to
document everything and actually collect data.)

Anyway, after screwing up by installing without permission to
experiment, Portland got its congressman to pull strings to get the
bike box "experiment" approved after the fact. Kind of like "Yeah, I
ran that red light on Tuesday, but my cop friend told me on Wednesday
that I had his permission, so you should dismiss my ticket."

So Portland collected data, and the data is in. And just as predicted
by people who understand simple geometry, physics, traffic movements
and bicycles, it turns out the bike boxes did NOT help. In fact, at
four intersections in particular, the bike boxes seem to have more
than doubled the number of crashes. And there was at least one
fatality, although I'd say that was caused by the bike lane to the
right of right turning traffic, not the bike box itself.

Here are the links:
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/...crease-crashes

and
http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...etter_merc.pdf

or http://tinyurl.com/cocu8kb and http://tinyurl.com/d9rf4zv

The letter's interesting. Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: _Dashed_ green paint!

Takeaway message #1: Do not position yourself to the right of a right
turning vehicle, no matter what the "magic" bike facility tells you to
do. Instead, guard against right hooks. Take the lane when
necessary.

Of course, in Oregon, bike lanes are pretty much mandatory. That
leads to takeaway message #2: Be very careful what you - or your
local "bike advocates" - ask for.

- Frank Krygowski

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On Oct 17, 9:07*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

snip vitriolic rant


Takeaway message #1: *Do not position yourself to the right of a right
turning vehicle, no matter what the "magic" bike facility tells you to
do. *Instead, guard against right hooks. *Take the lane when
necessary.


I'd say do whatever is necessary.

Of course, in Oregon, bike lanes are pretty much mandatory. *That
leads to takeaway message #2: *Be very careful what you - or your
local "bike advocates" - ask for.


Even if the bike lane wasn't there, the law requires riding as far
right as practicable; and the mandatory sidepath law includes lots of
exceptions, including explicitly, "Continuing straight at an
intersection where the bicycle lane or path is to the right of a lane
from which a motor vehicle must turn right."

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On Oct 17, 9:36*am, Dan O wrote:
On Oct 17, 9:07*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

snip vitriolic rant



Takeaway message #1: *Do not position yourself to the right of a right
turning vehicle, no matter what the "magic" bike facility tells you to
do. *Instead, guard against right hooks. *Take the lane when
necessary.

I'd say do whatever is necessary.

Of course, in Oregon, bike lanes are pretty much mandatory. *That
leads to takeaway message #2: *Be very careful what you - or your
local "bike advocates" - ask for.

Even if the bike lane wasn't there, the law requires riding as far
right as practicable; and the mandatory sidepath law includes lots of
exceptions, including explicitly, "Continuing straight at an
intersection where the bicycle lane or path is to the right of a lane
from which a motor vehicle must turn right."

....oh - "... *must* turn right". Well, anyway there is another
exception for leaving the bike lane to "avoid... other hazardous
conditions".

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On Oct 17, 9:07*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Portland's pushers of bike facilities rammed...


Anyway, after screwing up... Portland got its congressman to pull strings....


... it turns out the bike boxes did NOT help.

Statistically, I guess.

*In fact, at
four intersections in particular, the bike boxes seem to have more
than doubled the number of crashes. *And there was at least one
fatality, although I'd say that was caused by the bike lane to the
right of right turning traffic, not the bike box itself.

Here are the links:http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/...s/2012/10/16/c...


http://seattlebikeblog.com/2012/10/1...se-collisions/

snip

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On Oct 17, 9:07*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

snip


andhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2012/10/16/135040395....

http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...etter_merc.pdf

snip


The letter's interesting. *Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: *_Dashed_ green paint!


It *is* interesting. "Bicycle use and volumes have increased
significantly since the treatments were installed", and "Police
investigation and reporting practices have changed since the
treatments were installed, resulting in a higher rate of reporting for
bicycle involved crashes".

The 4 locations responsible for the increase are all downhill (?)
Hmmm... might this be what experiments are for?

The remaining 7 locations had a decrease in right hook crashes, even
though use and volumes have increased significantly since the
treatments were installed (?)

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

In rec.bicycles.tech Dan O wrote:
:On Oct 17, 9:07Â*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

:snip

:
: andhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2012/10/16/135040395...

:http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...etter_merc.pdf

:snip

:
: The letter's interesting. Â*Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
: not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
: turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: Â*_Dashed_ green paint!
:

:It *is* interesting. "Bicycle use and volumes have increased
:significantly since the treatments were installed", and "Police
:investigation and reporting practices have changed since the
:treatments were installed, resulting in a higher rate of reporting for
:bicycle involved crashes".

:The 4 locations responsible for the increase are all downhill (?)
:Hmmm... might this be what experiments are for?

:The remaining 7 locations had a decrease in right hook crashes, even
:though use and volumes have increased significantly since the
:treatments were installed (?)

Don't expect rational discussion of safety from Frank. He knows what
the answers are. Facts will just infuriate him.


--
sig 110

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On Oct 17, 11:51*am, David Scheidt wrote:
In rec.bicycles.tech Dan O wrote:
:On Oct 17, 9:07*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

:snip

:
: andhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2012/10/16/135040395...

:http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...0/16/135040395...

:snip

:
: The letter's interesting. *Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
: not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
: turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: *_Dashed_ green paint!
:

:It *is* interesting. *"Bicycle use and volumes have increased
:significantly since the treatments were installed", and "Police
:investigation and reporting practices have changed since the
:treatments were installed, resulting in a higher rate of reporting for
:bicycle involved crashes".

:The 4 locations responsible for the increase are all downhill (?)
:Hmmm... might this be what experiments are for?

:The remaining 7 locations had a decrease in right hook crashes, even
:though use and volumes have increased significantly since the
:treatments were installed (?)

Don't expect rational discussion of safety from Frank. *He knows what
the answers are. *Facts will just infuriate him.

Reading the article, the problem is not with bike boxes but is with
bike lanes -- riders remaining in the bike lane when approaching a
green light. In that situation, the right turning car has to yield to
the bicyclist and is, in effect, turning from the second lane over.
The problem is that car don't know that, nor do they look for traffic
approaching on the right. One day they might, but now they don't.

So, we have the classic example of someone being legally "right" but
getting smushed anyway. The q

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On 10/17/2012 03:32 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Oct 17, 11:51 am, David Scheidt wrote:
In rec.bicycles.tech Dan O wrote:
:On Oct 17, 9:07 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

:snip

:
: andhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2012/10/16/135040395...

:http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...0/16/135040395...

:snip

:
: The letter's interesting. Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
: not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
: turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: _Dashed_ green paint!
:

:It *is* interesting. "Bicycle use and volumes have increased
:significantly since the treatments were installed", and "Police
:investigation and reporting practices have changed since the
:treatments were installed, resulting in a higher rate of reporting for
:bicycle involved crashes".

:The 4 locations responsible for the increase are all downhill (?)
:Hmmm... might this be what experiments are for?

:The remaining 7 locations had a decrease in right hook crashes, even
:though use and volumes have increased significantly since the
:treatments were installed (?)

Don't expect rational discussion of safety from Frank. He knows what
the answers are. Facts will just infuriate him.

Reading the article, the problem is not with bike boxes but is with
bike lanes -- riders remaining in the bike lane when approaching a
green light. In that situation, the right turning car has to yield to
the bicyclist and is, in effect, turning from the second lane over.
The problem is that car don't know that, nor do they look for traffic
approaching on the right. One day they might, but now they don't.

So, we have the classic example of someone being legally "right" but
getting smushed anyway. The q


One could argue that having motorists encounter these "boxes" full of
cyclists may make them aware of cyclists in the area and pay attention
when turning right across a bike lane. The more cyclists around,
generally the safer it is for riding.

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

In rec.bicycles.tech Jay Beattie wrote:
:On Oct 17, 11:51Â*am, David Scheidt wrote:
: In rec.bicycles.tech Dan O wrote:
: :On Oct 17, 9:07Â*am, Frank Krygowski wrote:
:
: :snip
:
: :
: : andhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2012/10/16/135040395...
:
: :http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...0/16/135040395...
:
: :snip
:
: :
: : The letter's interesting. Â*Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
: : not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
: : turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: Â*_Dashed_ green paint!
: :
:
: :It *is* interesting. Â*"Bicycle use and volumes have increased
: :significantly since the treatments were installed", and "Police
: :investigation and reporting practices have changed since the
: :treatments were installed, resulting in a higher rate of reporting for
: :bicycle involved crashes".
:
: :The 4 locations responsible for the increase are all downhill (?)
: :Hmmm... might this be what experiments are for?
:
: :The remaining 7 locations had a decrease in right hook crashes, even
: :though use and volumes have increased significantly since the
: :treatments were installed (?)
:
: Don't expect rational discussion of safety from Frank. Â*He knows what
: the answers are. Â*Facts will just infuriate him.

:Reading the article, the problem is not with bike boxes but is with
:bike lanes -- riders remaining in the bike lane when approaching a
:green light. In that situation, the right turning car has to yield to
:the bicyclist and is, in effect, turning from the second lane over.
:The problem is that car don't know that, nor do they look for traffic
:approaching on the right. One day they might, but now they don't.

:So, we have the classic example of someone being legally "right" but
:getting smushed anyway. The q

Oh, it's clear that some of these boxes and their approach lanes are
designed by ocelots on crack. But Frank is assuming that because a
particular instance of something is bad, they all are, even when the
data from portland shows that some of them seem to work.



--
sig 68

Bike boxes - a failed experiment
 

On 18/10/12 06:32, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Oct 17, 11:51 am, David Scheidt wrote:
In rec.bicycles.tech Dan O wrote:
:On Oct 17, 9:07 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

:snip

:
: andhttp://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2012/10/16/135040395...

:http://www.portlandmercury.com/image...0/16/135040395...

:snip

:
: The letter's interesting. Since the green paint in the bike boxes is
: not magically protecting people when they're to the right of a right
: turning vehicle, Portland has a new plan: _Dashed_ green paint!
:

:It *is* interesting. "Bicycle use and volumes have increased
:significantly since the treatments were installed", and "Police
:investigation and reporting practices have changed since the
:treatments were installed, resulting in a higher rate of reporting for
:bicycle involved crashes".

:The 4 locations responsible for the increase are all downhill (?)
:Hmmm... might this be what experiments are for?

:The remaining 7 locations had a decrease in right hook crashes, even
:though use and volumes have increased significantly since the
:treatments were installed (?)

Don't expect rational discussion of safety from Frank. He knows what
the answers are. Facts will just infuriate him.

Reading the article, the problem is not with bike boxes but is with
bike lanes -- riders remaining in the bike lane when approaching a
green light. In that situation, the right turning car has to yield to
the bicyclist and is, in effect, turning from the second lane over.
The problem is that car don't know that, nor do they look for traffic
approaching on the right. One day they might, but now they don't.

So, we have the classic example of someone being legally "right" but
getting smushed anyway. The q


This is so very important to the family left to deal with a corpse. ;-)

--
JS