Originally Posted by
cyccommute
As an example of how poorly designed these facilities are, look at your second picture in your self quote above. It’s the typical floating parking lane and shows all of the flaws of that design. It’s too narrow and the cyclist is trapped against the curb if someone opens a car door or if the rider has to maneuver to avoid an obstacle or debris. At the intersection, the cyclist is masked from traffic that might be turning right. I don’t mind bike lanes on the other side of cars because I have room to maneuver if the need arises.
I'm all for a critique of a poor design. But critique, don't stereotype.
So let's review your "critique:"
There is not even a bike lane, not a sharrow, not nothing on
the segment of Mass Ave leading up to the parking protected bike lane.
The entrance to the parking protected bike lane. Note the speed limit is 20 mph! Note no masked by parked cars.
The first intersection - daylighted by a loading zone. But no matter, even when there is a commercial vehicle loading/unloading there, it's a one-way road, can't get right hooked here.
The second intersection. I usually am turning left here, guess which lane I've been riding in? Absolutely, the left lane. Honked at for "riding in the road?" I remember once? Heaven help me, I can't stand such stress.
But no matter, let's continue on straight ahead. (While we are here, how big are car doors? Which is why buffer.)
The problem "intersection." Note the delivery vehicle parked in no-parking. But it is just a driveway into a church. I pray to the local diety for protection from the congregant who is going to ZOOM into the sacred driveway, but see that my prayers have already been answered by
a narrow driveway entrance guarded by granite fence posts.
Another daylighted low vehicle count driveway.
And now, my trip of horror is over. BTW, MBTA operators are trained to operate where there are people on bikes and people on foot.
BTW, at the intersection,
Uber operators are apparently untrained.
Scared for life, because of this "poorly designed" bike facility and one M******* who honked, I now avoid Harvard Square all together.
-mr. bill