Bike Lanes encore

"Do you need a bike lane to ride in the city?" Richard Layman asks on RPUS. No more than you need a racing kit.*

One of the people at the aforementioned meeting asked a question about putting in bike lanes on K Street, opining that more bicyclists use K Street than any other street in the city--because of couriers.

I found that odd, because couriers are probably the most experienced cyclists in the city, though I could see how it might help them make deliveries faster (I'm not talking from experience, I've never been a messenger so someone could set me straight).

He then points out that he doesn't need bike lanes. I agree. I don't think anyone needs bike lanes - not downtown at least, but they are nice (if you can work with the intersection problem - and I do see that as a problem). Anyway he quotes from a book,

Accommodating the pedestrian: adapting towns and neighborhoods for walking and bicycling, and their research on the various segments of bicycle users, she writes:

Bicycle advocates tend to segregate into extremes and lobby for different facilities based on physiological capabilities and purposes for the trip...characteriz[ing] the bicycling populations as 'commuters,' 'recreationists,' and 'learners.' The first group can include children who commute to school but this group is primarily comprised of individuals who commute to work. Principally athletic white young to middle aged educated males, these individuals prefer to bicycle in the road, function as a car, obey traffic regulations and push 'share the road' policies in which cars share the road with bicyclists.

He argues for more bike parking and more showers. I whole-heartedly agree. I think these are more important than bike lanes. The Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) is working on a bill to help with this in fact

HB 1826 proposes two different types of income tax credits for expenditures related to bicycle commuting: 1) an employer tax credit up to $5,000 for expenditures to provide employee bicycle parking racks and/or showers at the worksite and 2) an employee tax
credit of $15 per month for commuting by bicycle at least ten days in any given month.  VBF strongly supports both proposed tax credits, but we have suggested expanding the employer credit to include rented as well as purchased facilities, to include all
types of suitable bicycle parking facilities (not just racks), and to include employee clothes changing and storage facilities as well as employee showers.

The bill has been referred to the House of Delegates Finance Committee and will be heard by Finance Subcommittee #1 on Monday, Jan. 22.  A favorable fiscal impact statement has already been issued by the Virginia Department of Taxation.

But I think all of these goals (parking, showers and lanes) can be pursued in parallel. And since bike lanes are questionable (due to the intersection issue) I think going slow and studying them as you go makes sense too.  But I do think there is a build-it-and-they-will-come aspect to bike lanes.

I saw a presentation recently about bike safety where they mentioned one problem with bicycle accident statistics is that the police fill out a paper form with limited information entry in it. The same form is used for all accidents so it's a jack-of-all trades, master of none. In Denver we were told, they have a digital form, so if it's a bike-car collision, for example, it brings up questions specific to that accident (helmet use? bike lane use? etc...) Another problem is that the police often enter a block or intersection for an accident, but that may not be specific enough. I read something (and I can't find it now - but I did find this satisfying article) about how the police in Chicago were using GPS receivers to enter the exact co-ordinates where the accident occurred (braking started here. Collision here. etc...) Maybe it's just the science nerd in me, but more - and better - data can only help.

*There have been some comments about wearing racing gear and how unnecessary it is (though I don't recall anyone saying it was necessary). You don't need racing clothes. You don't need clothes at all. You can ride in a tutu. You can ride in a box. You can ride with a fox. Some people "like" to wear racing gear, and that should be OK with others (freedom and all). What matters is not what they're wearing, but how they ride (safely & courteously).

Comments

[Michael Ross]

bike lanes are all over arlington. arlington is by far, in this entire region, the most bike firendly area around. what in the world is the matter with DC and Maryland following Arlingtons example on bike lanes, bike trails and sidepaths, speed bumps that dont punish bikes, and easy bus access by bikes, and creating city scapes and urban village settings that make life unlike (and better) than any area in the region?? (and I grant that the corporate nature of the arlington spaces is regrettebale, but...)

also, does anyone of importance read this bike blog?

the (same) people who post all the time seem to know almost nothing about "space" as that concept has been interrogated and menaingfully practiced in by the disciplines of art, city planning, philosophy, biology (esp learning theory) and psychology.

does anyone on this list even know what use permit is? are they aware of such rudimentary texts as Suburban Nation or The Geography of Nowhere?

[Nancy]

The only important person I know of who reads washcycle is Michael Ross.

Arlington bike lanes aren't necessarily that good. Quantity doesn't equal quality. Many of these bike lanes are adjacent to parking lanes and actually demarcate the SPACE that is dangerous for bikers to ride in, unless they like to be doored.

[Contrarian]

I recently had the chance to ride through Arlington. The bike lanes are nice there -- because the roads are nice there. I marvelled that a road like Old Glebe Road has one travel lane, a bike lane, a parking lane, and a shoulder. And the intersections are far apart and all controlled by traffic signals. Even without a bike lane it would be a snap to ride there, there's so much room that there's no reason for contention with other road users for the pavement. In the city that much pavement would be three or four lanes in each direction.

The thing about bike lanes is that they don't make the road any wider. If the only safe place to ride on a road is in the middle of a travel lane, as it is on K street, putting a stripe of paint on the road isn't going to change that.

Oh, and I don't wear racing clothes, I wear biking clothes. There is a difference.

[Mike]

ok, Im done.

good luck wash cycle...with the usual anti-intellectual sentiment paraded by most Americans as some sort of badge of honor, it would be nice if nancy and Contrarian knew some of the history that moved arlington to where it is today (no pun intended).

thanks for the assertions, here in the land of the Stipulative Universe, USA...

the remarkable thing about arlington's roads is that many of *were* two or three lane race tracks, where lanes were taken out, the single remaning lane widened, a wide bike lane put in, and on street parking reninstated (a "natrual" traffic calmer..."

you know, Jeff Peel of WABA told me about this blog, and he had high hopes for it; apparently WABA does too...this blog cant hurt, but I cant imagine how it will help...

[washcycle]

Well Mike, it would be too bad if you stopped commenting. I don't expect everyone here to agree. If they did, then no one would be learning anything. Readers and I rarely see eye to eye, but I think I learn from them - at least by making me question why I think what I think. I haven't read Suburban Nation or The Geography of Nowhere and we need people who know about urban planning.

[Chris]

Wow, for the sake of my own piece of mind, I will assume that Mike isn't as arrogant in real life as he comes across online here.

I have read Suburban Nation and The Geography of Nowhere and they are interesting reads. Ultimately, however, it should be understood thata they are educated commentaries. In other words, those books state a particular point of view, albeit in an reasonably intelligent way. What's weird to me is the fact that the original post here by WashCycle came across to me as extremely balanced, recognizing that there are several sides to viewing the utility of bike lanes. Using Richard Layman's comments, who knows a hell of a lot about city planning issues, I thought, was a good place to begin. In other words, I really don't see anything here that's particularly objectionable. Nor do I see anything here that particularly contradicts those two books.

[w]

am I hearing this right- or are people in this blog suddenly all for bike ways/paths? I've always thought it to be suicidal to bike on the streets downtown - and have regarded the ban on bikes using sidewalks as terrible.Michael Ross certainly is coming across as very rational here.Bike ways and paths in DC- especially in downtown- will allow everyone to ride in a safer fashion- not just messengers and the hardcore speed bikers.We need to be more like Arlington in DC- as far as the bike friendliness.I want to see old and young- all kinds of people - bicycling in downtown- not just the most daring among us.I know lots of people who would bike- but will NOT ride in the streets here.We need to bring them in- and make them feel safer.

[Chris]

If you went on my daily commute, W., you would see that, in fact, there ARE all kinds of people who ride their bikes on the streets downtown, not just "messengers and the hardcore speed bikers." And, while I am for whatever would encourage even more to join in on the fun, I just don't agree that allowing bikes on the sidewalks is a terrific idea. But, hey, go for it, W. - I seriously doubt any cops are going to give you a ticket.

[Nancy]

For anyone who thinks bike lanes in DC are a panacea, check out Self-Righteous Biker's blog. She has great video showing the complete disregard motorists (and even the police) have for plainly marked bike lanes. Her video also shows motorists passing her illegally ON THE RIGHT while she was using the bike lane.

http://self-righteous-biker.blogspot.com/2006/11/video-of-cars-passing-on-right-hand.html

While some of you wait for bike lanes to appear in DC, you could take a class in how to ride on the road safely. [Really--you can learn how to do this. None of us was born with this knowledge, and you don't have to be a racer or messenger to ride on the street.] Classes are offered frequently by WABA, one as soon as Jan 27th:
http://www.waba.org/