Old 07-24-19, 05:34 AM
  #41  
livedarklions
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Originally Posted by genec
Only because what does or doesn't work in New England, right where you are is not the case everywhere. I understand that.

But my whole point is "everywhere" is not the same. So I am not saying to you specifically, but to those that can't see beyond their own neighborhood... that cyclists CAN ride sidewalks/sidepaths... and that a general rule against that, should not apply.
I'm pushing back because I think you're wildly overstating the case for riding on sidewalks. Obviously, there are situations where the probabilities are different, but in general, there's no real doubt that sidewalk riding is more dangerous. I am making the "regional" observation only because a few posters have named cities where they live that have sidewalk riding as the norm. I've never seen that, and I assume they aren't lying or wrong about what they're seeing, so I have to assume there's something about those cities that reverses the usual probabilities.

I've lived (and ridden) in cities in Minnesota, California, New Orleans, New Hampshire, and Maine. In none of those places have I observed significant numbers of adult riders using the sidewalk for more than a few feet. Nowhere have I seen has large numbers of people staying on the sidewalk from block to block. The reason for this is obvious. By far, we experience the biggest likelihood of being hit at intersections, and riding on sidewalks provides absolutely no additional protection there, and your position to the side almost certainly makes it worse. Sidewalk riding just makes the likelihood of getting hit between the intersections more likely, plus it adds a very high probability of hitting a pedestrian or stroller as they emerge from behind a shrub, or from a door or gate, for example.

As far as drivers in driveways without looking, by far my greatest protection is my ability to see them coming so I can avoid. Riding on the sidewalk just reduces my time to observe this both because I am now crossing the driveway instead of being at the end of it and because it's much more likely that my view of the driveway is going to be obstructed by a bush or tree if I am on the sidewalk. If you're riding at 10 mph or less, these might not be serious considerations, but for anything faster, these reductions in reaction times is going to matter a lot.

I get that there are bad drivers everywhere, but the last thing people should do is take on a strategy that limits their ability to anticipate and avoid.

I mentioned two places where I habitually ride a short distance on sidewalks. Both of those involve a left hand turn or merge where street riding would involve dealing with cars coming at me in two or more different directions. I'm sure places like that exist in a lot of places, but that is likely an exceptional situation on almost anyone's ride.
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