Marcus_Ti

As far as awareness efforts go...this one does make me smirk a bit...

Mysterious plungers pop up along Wichita bike lane | KSN-TV

CB HI

So the cyclist who put the plungers down and the cyclist who was interviewed do not know jack about cycling safety. They would rather get right hooked at the last second rather than have a motorist properly merge into the bike lane for a safe right turn. The city also does not know jack since the bike lane was not painted with dashed lines near the intersection.

Sad what the pro-bikelane advocates have given us.

howsteepisit

I have lived in places that allow early entry into the bike lane for right turners and those that prohibit until the stop line. Overall, the dashed line let them enter well before the intersection seems to work better to me. CB_HI is correct about the right hook enhancing nature of the do not cross the solid line places.

kickstart

I also agree the solid to the intersection bike lanes are inferior to the dashed line bike lanes that encourage motorists to move right to turn.
Some motorists don't have the sense to check for bikes in the bike lane before turning, and some cyclists don't have the sense to not pass on the right in the intersection

genec

Yeah, too bad we as a society do not train all road users in a consistent manner on how to share the road with one another. Nor do we, as a nation, have consistent rules and markings from state to state.

CB HI

The national guidelines are consistent for rules and markings and are mostly accepted. It is the learning and following of the national guidelines that is lacking by some states but mostly by local traffic engineers and road painters. The understanding of and placement of sharrows is the best example I can think of - the guidelines and meaning are very clear but the local implementation is terrible.

genec

The lack of consistent instruction to all road users is what is largely lacking... neither drivers, or cyclists are taught how to properly deal with one another in any overall meaningful way; the end result is "terrible local implementation," as you put it... or every road crew interpreting the rules as they think they work.

The solution is teaching "road use" in a consistent manner in schools, and including bikes and cars as "traffic," throughout the lessons.

Cyclist0084

Someone is trying to raise safety awareness and the police could possible ticket those responsible? Really?

howsteepisit

I think that littering would be getting off easy. Allowing people to place their own traffic control devices on public roads is a very bad and highly dangerous activity. At least traffic engineers make some attempt at standardization and reasoned logic before placing control devices. before I am flamed we all may not agree with the logic or standards used, but there is some effort.

kickstart

Placing unauthorized traffic control devices on a public road is illegal.

howsteepisit

Apparently in Indiana its a respected and sought after behavior.

FenderTL5

just for fun on-topic discussion look up "Tactical urbanism"
Some (certainly not all) cities/mayors/officials actually encourage the concept.

howsteepisit

OK I did. My impression is that this concept does not involve single or small groups of citizens deciding to violate the laws governing street barricades without discussing and seeking approval of the controlling jurisdiction. However, if it is the case that tactical urbanism has become a anarchic "I govern my spot how I please" it seems like a foolish idea whose time will pass.

Edit: BTW I did not find it to be a fun exercise so I will not be discussing the concept further.

FenderTL5

Tactical Urbanism is also commonly referred to as guerilla urbanism, pop-up urbanism, city repair, or D.I.Y. urbanism.

https://the-city-space.com/2013/08/1...m-or-activism/

"One of the key assets of guerrilla urbanism is its element of surprise. I would never think to paint my own bike lane in a street.. Yet guerrilla urbanism invites this subversive act. Guerrilla urbanism says, “Don’t wait for someone else to fix it. Do it yourself.”

mr_bill

The world is not binary.

For example, PARK(ING) DAY began when someone fed the parking meter all day long and setup a pop-up park in the parking spot. Now, it is a semi-organized, with permitted events around the world:


Technically, "yarn bombing" a bridge is littering, yet removing such litter seems to be very low on the priority scale (sigh, the domain got go-daddied , facebook page at www.facebook.com/thejoiningproject ):


And when the city was *very* slow to put in flex posts, one local took matters into their own, uh, flowerpots.

The temporary "as-built" definitely was different than the designs, but the city wisely let the ad-hoc remain until the semi-permanent posts were installed.

(And even more wisely, learned to be tactical themselves. After the paint goes down, the city workers themselves now place temporary cones as needed while waiting for the more-permanent install.)


When done well, with mutual respect, with formal or informal planning, it can be effective.

Executed poorly (like the OP) on the other hand, and you'll make the local evening news, but the install will probably be gone before the broadcast is aired. It might even be gone before the TV crews get to the location.

-mr. bill

howsteepisit

Yes and I find painting of your own traffic control lines as a foolish idea. Not trying to get too political but this example is a fancy name for failure of local government to be responsive and a anarchic response to the same.

Cyclist0084

Okay, good point.

Cyclist0084

You bet'cha!! Us Hoosiers are a stubborn and rebellious lot.

italktocats

u new on this planet?

Cyclist0084

Nope, I've been around for quite a while.

Have a nice day.

Viich

So - back in reality - I understand what the masked plunger bandit was trying to do, but it really is better to pass a right turning car on the left (if a full right turn lane to right of bike lane), or follow behind them after they merge into the bike lane if no right turn lane.

This is why separated bike lanes are treacherous unless left AND right turns are heavily restricted.

Rollfast

Toilet plungers seem to pop up in A&S at least 1-2 times a year, no big surprise to me...

mr_bill

Bikeyfaced?

-mr. bill

RogerB

The right turn lane is to the right of the bike lane.

CB HI

No, look closer. What you are calling a right turn lane, is in fact a parking lane.