Indicator Species

Fenced Bridge, originally uploaded by M.V. Jantzen.

Comments

[Michael]

I love the "Indicator Species" heading.

I often think the true test of bike path usability is "would you feel safe having your mother bike this?" For instance, if your mom were to bike from P St WFM to U St, would you worry about her? Do those "sharrow" signs make you feel more secure? I know my mom would have trouble being vigilant for both opening doors (from parked cars) and crazy drivers from behind, and the thing about biking on a roadway is you must be very very very vigilent, because the stakes are so high. And both risks require high awareness levels - drivers about to open a door after parking are difficult to notice, and most cyclists do not have the means to see vehicles approaching from behind.