On Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 12:42:23 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2019-10-03 09:06, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 8:00:32 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2019-10-01 16:46, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 4:39:22 PM UTC-7, jbeattie wrote:
This was forwarded to me by one of my bike commuter cohorts:






-- Jay Beattie.

Pretty much the entire commuter bicycle movement is built around
John as a starting point. ...


I disagree with many of the things John Forester advocates. In
this interview he clearly dodged a key point:

Quote, "[Interviewer] ... I'm not a transportation policy person
but I would guess that there's data now to demonstrate that on
avenues where protected infrastructure has gone in that incidents
with serious injury or death have gone down since that
infrastructure go put in. So I feel like I see evidence in the US
that in some places at least where it's practical, that protected
infrastructure can make a difference and vastly increase the number
of people who feel safer riding a bike.

JF: Your statement is full of false assumptions." ... and then he
veered off the topic above.

Which "false assumptions"? The interviewer was correct, the vast
majority of cyclists prefers cycling infrastructure.

On other things I agree with John Forester. For example, I always
leave bike lanes when I want to do a left turn, lining up with cars
in the turn lane. And sometimes getting grumpy when the traffic
engineers were too incompetent to make the loop for the light
detect my bike.


... Though all of these bike lanes and bike trails ideas COME
FROM BICYCLISTS.

But they don't. Most infrastructure design is the product of
national planning organizations like NACTO or state DOTs or local
planning departments. Some of it is from private enterprise like Alta
Planning + Design. Many of these grand designs would never come from
cyclists except perhaps those with suicidal ideations.


Exactly. And they know.

A lot of the planners don't know and you end up with facilities that
are a nightmare.


How come we have excellent ones like these down here?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jededi..._Fair_Oaks.jpg

https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/images/fsc-new.jpg


... And I have to admit, after battling h4qvy traffic getting on
a nice quiet bike path has a remarkable calming effect.


I know only one cyclist who doesn't care much whether he rides in
the lane or on a bike path, though even he is mostly found on long
segregated bike paths.

All others prefer, like myself, good quality bike paths. Even the
serious commuters do who easily spend 50mi/day on their bikes.
What many do is a split commute. They truck their bikes to parking
lots near the American River Bike Path an then continue the commute
by bicycle. In the evening all in reverse.

Linear parks are fine if you want to avoid traffic, but then again,
you get hung up behind walkers with dog packs, homeless, etc., etc.
Many times the added infrastructure is inferior to the prior road
arrangement, which around here, may have included a bike lane or wide
shoulder, e.g.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2440/3...340bfe29_c.jpg

The segregated MUP is now bisected by intersecting roads every 25-50
yards. The prior bike lane allowed you to ride without interruption
down the main road. Danger is now increased because cyclists hit the
intersections at the same time as entering traffic. It's the
functional equivalent of putting bikes on sidewalks. Gee, thanks for
that improvement. Now I get to stop every 25 yards.


Poor design. Have you personally intervened at the city council?


There are many illustrations of foolish choices around here -- and
some good choices, which are typically just wide shoulders and/or
bike lanes.


And they can be fixed. As has happened on Freeport Blvd in Sacramento.
To my surprise with a very low amount of hissing from the automotive
league despite the fact that they lost one lane.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

I want to hear the response to the bicycle lane on the San Rafael Bridge. Now THAT has to be a strange one. Who is going to ride a bicycle through Richmond without a bulletproof vest?