On Monday, August 14, 2017 at 7:19:20 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-08-13 15:38, sms wrote:
On 8/12/2017 12:41 PM, Joerg wrote:

Bicycles are not allowed on Hwy 50, that's the key problem. If you want

There's no other road?! I recall when they opened part of I-280 to
bicycles because they build I-280 partially on the old CA35 and there
was no good alternate. Later they built a paved trail that bypassed the
freeway section but they still allow bicycles on that short stretch of
I-280, it was a big battle to get Caltrans to allow bicycles on the
freeway even though it was only one exit and there is a good shoulder.
On I-80 there are some sections between Cisco Grove and US20 to Nevada
City with no frontage road in the Sierras and you had to use I-80--I got
a flat tire on one of those sections.


Around here they don't allow that. Yes, there is another road. It would
mean a major detour and it is a two-lane race track, almost suicidal for
cyclists. Commuters come tearing around uphill corners assuming there is
nobody in the lane. Until there is. Even without cyclists there are some
ghastly accidents, such as high-speed smashes into a slow truck because
there was opposing traffic and they couldn't evade.

Presently we have two local hill roads closed for repairs because of the rains during the winter that tore the roads apart because of the drought. When those roads were open they would often be used as "short cuts" if traffic backed up on the freeways. Cars would drive like Isle of Man racers and without the slightest thought would pass on blind turns. And not just somewhat blind turns but turns that were more than 90 degrees around a cliff heavily shaded by trees. Every single time I was shocked that we didn't have major accidents on that road. I guess that shows that the reason we don't have a lot more people killed in auto accidents is merely the luck of the draw.