A point or two about bike facilities

On May 25, 10:10*am, Opus wrote:
On May 24, 12:31*pm, "His Highness the TibetanMonkey, ComandanteBanana
and Chief of Quixotic Enterprises" wrote:



On May 24, 10:40*am, Opus wrote:
You can't build a connected cycling system all at once. Early
additions to the system won't be connected for the simple reason that
there is nothing to connect to yet. I know this is frustrating, but
think of it like they did during the early days of the Eisenhower
Interstate system. Use what you have and dream about when it's all
connected.

Well, if you can't build it all at once, don't make bike lanes left
and right, most with no connectivity to any future national lane. Make
a Master Plan and proceed with it because what you are doing is
DUMPING your money on "missing links" without ever having the budget
for the real thing.

But there's a great danger on top of it all: Wherever drivers see no
lane, they assume you shouldn't be on the road, and that's an
invitation for trouble like it happened to me. But that's another
story.

How simple would it be to give the lane to the cyclist since anyway a
car and a bike can't possible fit on the same lane. In the meantime:
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE.

One thing, we must first TAME TRAFFIC before we feel welcome on the
road.

If you can't build it all at once you shouldn't build it at all? Do
you know what that sounds like?You know that the Interstate system
started from cities and pushed together out in the countryside, much
like the first transcontinental railroad joined east and west in
Promintory UT which is still not even a wide spot in the road. The big
difference was there were alternative highways already in existence,
just like there are streets that exist even without bike lanes that
can still be ridden by people on bicycles. As streets are rebuilt and
repaved bike lanes will get installed because that's when the process
is least expensive. This will appear to be "Willy Nilly", but is
actually the best way to do it. On your taming traffic rant, laws like
the 3 foot passing law will help, an educated police force will help,
and people losing their cars or trucks for hitting a cyclist will
definitely help.

Opus, I know you are not playing SneakySnake, playing mind games or
using delaying tactics with me. I'm assuming you are genuinely but
naively believing in the progress of bike facilities in this country,
or the rest of the Western World for that matter...

If the missing links of bike lanes/ bike paths were part of some
grandiose superhighway for bikes, there would be a Master Plan.
Moreover they would go places where people need it the most, and I
assure you that they don't take you anywhere in Miami. Key Biscayne
has bike lanes, but that where the guys in lycra suits go to train in
their fancy bikes.

You were almost killed by a savage driver ON PURPOSE and you still
believe in the general good will of the system. I would start by
calling it 'THE JUNGLE' and proceed to taming it.

It's easy and quick: BIKE TAKE THE LANE, CAR CLEARS THE LANE 30'
BEFORE AND AFTER... No mixing of PREDATOR and PREY, comprende?