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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
McGarvey in Redwood City as a bike route that runs between Farm Hill Blvd
and Alameda. It's one of the few striped bike lanes in Redwood City, and, while it allows car parking within it (on both sides of the road), it's better than nothing and does give cars the idea that there might be bikes on the road. Local residents have been complaining about speeding auto traffic in the area, so the city decided to implement perhaps the least-friendly, to bicycles, form of "traffic calming" available. http://picasaweb.google.com/ChainRea...rInRedwoodCity Until recently (after some of us let the city know this was a dangerous thing to do), there was no warning of these obstructions at all. Now they have sawhorses in them, something I doubt they consider a permanent solution. Has anybody else had to deal with anything this hostile, placed directly into a bike route? Any ideas how best to get it removed? I can't believe there haven't been serious injuries due to this sort of thing. Thanks- --Mike Jacoubowsky Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA |
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#2
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
McGarvey in Redwood City as a bike route that runs between Farm Hill Blvd and Alameda. It's one of the few striped bike lanes in Redwood City, and, while it allows car parking within it (on both sides of the road), it's better than nothing and does give cars the idea that there might be bikes on the road. These street markings are not "bike lanes". They are only fog lines that resemble the inside line of a bike lane. Redwood City does have marked bike lanes, but most of them are sub-standard: too narrow and in the "door zone" of parked cars. One minor improvement was made to the repaved section of Alameda de las Pulgas in Redwood City between Jefferson Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, where the traffic lanes and the center left turn lane were narrowed slightly to widen the bike lane. However, the bike lane is still largely in the door zone. Has anybody else had to deal with anything this hostile, placed directly into a bike route? Any ideas how best to get it removed? I can't believe there haven't been serious injuries due to this sort of thing. Yes, the San Mateo County Committee of the SVBC, formerly known as the Peninsula Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition, has dealt with obstructions in the road where bicyclists ride with limited success. The county placed some posts on the fog line of Alameda de las Pulgas at Camino a los Cerros to prevent motorists from turning right at high speed past the blind driveway of the corner resident. After much negotiation, involving the intercession of a County Supervisor, the posts were removed and a raised curb was located to the right of the usual path of bicyclists with a forest of reflective signs within the curbed area to warn cyclists to bear left. We have not had any success getting Caltrans to remove the posts on Skyline Boulevard (CA-35) at Westmoor Avenue (not sure if this is the right intersection) in Daly City. |
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
Has anybody else had to deal with anything this hostile, placed directly into a bike route? Any ideas how best to get it removed? I can't believe there haven't been serious injuries due to this sort of thing. You could do what the director of the Chico Velo cycling club did recently and crash and seriously injure yourself on a hazard the day after pushing the county to remove it. http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=610676 http://www.chicovelo.org/ed.html The irony in this case is really painful. I really hope that he recovers quickly and is able to ride again!! ------------------------------------------------------- From the Chico N&R Story ------------------------------------------------------- It's particularly ironic because McLaughlin pushed to get Butte County to remove such obstacles from the Midway path to Durham, and had talked about the Bidwell Park bollards just one day earlier. Now something is being done about them. ------------------------------------------------------- |
#4
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChainRea...rInRedwoodCity Has anybody else had to deal with anything this hostile, placed directly into a bike route? Any ideas how best to get it removed? I can't believe there haven't been serious injuries due to this sort of thing. Thanks- Several major Atlanta bike routes have fallen victim to so called traffic calming in the past two years. Ours, unfortunately, are full-on concrete creations in similar shape that turn a traffic lane into a parking lane. They ain't goin' no whar. \\paul |
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
On Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:15:00 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote: McGarvey in Redwood City as a bike route that runs between Farm Hill Blvd and Alameda. It's one of the few striped bike lanes in Redwood City, and, while it allows car parking within it (on both sides of the road), it's better than nothing and does give cars the idea that there might be bikes on the road. Local residents have been complaining about speeding auto traffic in the area, so the city decided to implement perhaps the least-friendly, to bicycles, form of "traffic calming" available. http://picasaweb.google.com/ChainRea...rInRedwoodCity Until recently (after some of us let the city know this was a dangerous thing to do), there was no warning of these obstructions at all. Now they have sawhorses in them, something I doubt they consider a permanent solution. Has anybody else had to deal with anything this hostile, placed directly into a bike route? Any ideas how best to get it removed? I can't believe there haven't been serious injuries due to this sort of thing. I'd try something like writing a letter to the city attorney, copies to the mayor and councilmen, warning that this creates a hazard, is likely to cause injury, and creates liability to the city. You might want to further state that this letter notices the city of the hazard, and increases their liability accordingly. Mail the thing return receipt requested, and keep a copy. I hear there's lawyers in California? Fear of lawyers sometimes works in your favor... Pat Email address works as is. |
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
McGarvey in Redwood City as a bike route that runs between Farm Hill Blvd and Alameda. It's one of the few striped bike lanes in Redwood City, and, while it allows car parking within it (on both sides of the road), it's better than nothing and does give cars the idea that there might be bikes on the road. I disagree. "Bicycle lanes" are separate but unequal facilities that lead motorists to believe that bicycles do not belong on the roads. What is needed are wider right lanes [1], mandatory proper driver education, and severe penalties for motorist who believe that they have superior rights to cyclists. Local residents have been complaining about speeding auto traffic in the area, so the city decided to implement perhaps the least-friendly, to bicycles, form of "traffic calming" available. http://picasaweb.google.com/ChainRea...rInRedwoodCity Until recently (after some of us let the city know this was a dangerous thing to do), there was no warning of these obstructions at all. Now they have sawhorses in them, something I doubt they consider a permanent solution. Has anybody else had to deal with anything this hostile, placed directly into a bike route? Any ideas how best to get it removed? I can't believe there haven't been serious injuries due to this sort of thing. For removal see: http://www.erricksonequipment.com/images/LowResolutionPictures/CAT-D3-6-way-dozer,-Very-Go.jpg. [1] Reverse for Japan and island members of the Commonwealth. -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia "And never forget, life ultimately makes failures of all people." - A. Derleth |
#7
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
"Tom Sherman" wrote in message ... I disagree. "Bicycle lanes" are separate but unequal facilities that lead motorists to believe that bicycles do not belong on the roads. What is needed are wider right lanes [1], mandatory proper driver education, and severe penalties for motorist who believe that they have superior rights to cyclists. Motorists do, indeed, have superior rights on the road. Only when bicycles and cyclists are licensed and licensing fees paid will cyclists rights improve. Cliff |
#8
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
Tom Sherman writes:
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote: McGarvey in Redwood City as a bike route that runs between Farm Hill Blvd and Alameda. It's one of the few striped bike lanes in Redwood City, and, while it allows car parking within it (on both sides of the road), it's better than nothing and does give cars the idea that there might be bikes on the road. I disagree. "Bicycle lanes" are separate but unequal facilities that lead motorists to believe that bicycles do not belong on the roads. Bicycle lanes are not separate facilities - in California there is a distinction between a bicycle lane and a bicycle path. Only the latter is a separate facility. If a city puts in a bike lane, the city has an obligation to maintain the lane, just as with any other lane. If the lane width is substandard when the city installs a bike lane, it might be liable if there is an accident, and the current standards require enough width to safely pass any parked cars. Also, in California, you can leave a bike lane to avoid hazards, when riding at the normal speed of traffic, when preparing for a left turn, and when approaching any place where a right turn is permitted. As written, that would include driveways - you can legally ignore a bike lane at any point where a driver could make a right turn across your path. You can also ignore a bike lane if it violates the state design standards in effect when the lane was installed. Finally, drivers are required to merge into a bike lane before turning across it, and can begin merging when within 200 feet of the turn. It's hard to claim that a bike lane gives the impression that bicycles do not belong on the road when drivers are required to use bike lanes under specific circumstances (yet we don't say that right turning drivers don't belong on the road). -- My real name backwards: nemuaZ lliB |
#9
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
CJ who? wrote:
"Tom Sherman" wrote in message ... I disagree. "Bicycle lanes" are separate but unequal facilities that lead motorists to believe that bicycles do not belong on the roads. What is needed are wider right lanes [1], mandatory proper driver education, and severe penalties for motorist who believe that they have superior rights to cyclists. Motorists do, indeed, have superior rights on the road. Only when bicycles and cyclists are licensed and licensing fees paid will cyclists rights improve. Wrong on both counts. -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia "And never forget, life ultimately makes failures of all people." - A. Derleth |
#10
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Dangerous bike lane obstructions in Redwood City
Bill Zaumen wrote:
Tom Sherman writes: Mike Jacoubowsky wrote: McGarvey in Redwood City as a bike route that runs between Farm Hill Blvd and Alameda. It's one of the few striped bike lanes in Redwood City, and, while it allows car parking within it (on both sides of the road), it's better than nothing and does give cars the idea that there might be bikes on the road. I disagree. "Bicycle lanes" are separate but unequal facilities that lead motorists to believe that bicycles do not belong on the roads. Bicycle lanes are not separate facilities - in California there is a distinction between a bicycle lane and a bicycle path. Only the latter is a separate facility. If a city puts in a bike lane, the city has an obligation to maintain the lane, just as with any other lane. If the lane width is substandard when the city installs a bike lane, it might be liable if there is an accident, and the current standards require enough width to safely pass any parked cars. Also, in California, you can leave a bike lane to avoid hazards, when riding at the normal speed of traffic, when preparing for a left turn, and when approaching any place where a right turn is permitted. As written, that would include driveways - you can legally ignore a bike lane at any point where a driver could make a right turn across your path. You can also ignore a bike lane if it violates the state design standards in effect when the lane was installed. Finally, drivers are required to merge into a bike lane before turning across it, and can begin merging when within 200 feet of the turn. It's hard to claim that a bike lane gives the impression that bicycles do not belong on the road when drivers are required to use bike lanes under specific circumstances (yet we don't say that right turning drivers don't belong on the road). I could rebut this, but that would just be a repeat of the discussion we had a few months ago. The interested can find that discussion with a Google search. -- Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia "And never forget, life ultimately makes failures of all people." - A. Derleth |
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