Ray9

I naively expected deserted roads during this shelter-in-place advisory but it’s just the opposite. There is heavy traffic everywhere. I am certain that the extra traffic is not seeking food or necessities. There are just people who consider furloughs a vacation and they drive like it. I’m wondering what part of “stay home” they don’t understand. I know I’m out on my bike. Am I as bad as they are? My wife and I (retired) have not been out of our house in a car for three weeks-she goes for walks-I ride. Are we part of the problem?

Retro Grouch 

What if you're not personally making the situation worse? Assume it is the other people who are absolutely 100% at fault. What then are you going to do about it?

spelger

Kettle calling the teapot black?

Wileyrat

So you're upset that other people aren't doing what you aren't doing.

Car, bicycle, honestly I don't see a lot of difference. Not staying home is not staying home regardless of your chosen mode of transportation.

Trevtassie

There is a bit of a difference you can cover a lot of ground in a car.(yes I know bikes can too, but a lot don't) Our government here in Australia doesn't have it's head up it's but and has introduced some sensible rules. You need exercise so you can ride your bike, or go for a jog, but not stupidly far from home. You must socially distance. Groups of unrelated or non households can't exceed 2 people. You can't just drive around randomly, you have to have a reasonable excuse. You can go to the beach, but if the beach gets crowded it gets closed immediately. Some states allow fishing, but again near home and with social distance. Basically if the mob stuff it up, it gets closed down and people get fined or locked up.
Since I need to drive for work sometimes I can definitely see way less traffic. The "great" thing for us here is that the USA is a perfect example of how not to deal with CV-19, the government goes "we don't want to end up like the USA" and the population on average goes "nope, that would be a bad idea" and toes the line.

Moe Zhoost

Streets/roads around Durham have very light traffic, about 25% of normal. This is great because it's become a real challenge to ride on the local rail-trails/MUPs. They are so crowded now with folks out exercising/enjoying Spring that it's impossible for a cyclist to navigate using the distancing guidelines.

Bassmanbob

You are not part of the problem, at least in Florida. People are encouraged to go out for a walk or bike ride as long as they stay away from others. But perhaps the other people are not part of the problem either. Maybe they are just going out for a drive without stopping anywhere. Cabin fever can be hell.

indyfabz

How are you certain? My car will turn 4 in early July. Just went over 10,200 miles today while I was picking up my cat from the hospital. Drove him there Monday for an emergency and then went to a grocery store.

I think you are just trying to spawn a contentious thread.

tyrion

Very light traffic in my neighborhood.

Steve B.

Very light traffic here as well - Long Island near NYC. So light I've seen my avg. speed pick up a good 1/2 mph as I generally slow and look at lights and proceed if clear. On Sat. there were far more people walking in the residential neighborhoods then driving and I really noticed that. OTOH, the MUP's and parks are jammed with people and the local governments are starting to crack down and close things up.

Thing about "stay at home" is it really means - in my mind, don't travel where you will be having many interactions with others. Go drive to a place where you generally will be alone if you get out and walk ?, I'm OK with that. I think that after 3 weeks now, people need to get out of the house for mental health reasons alone, just don't stop and chat. Make lunch at home, eat a picnic somewhere with nobody nearby.

themp

The Greenways/MUP around Raleigh, NC are totally packed with people walking or riding. I went to the furthest Greenway that ends in Clayton, NC and it was worst than ones around the city. So, I decided to try a Rail-Trail up in Virginia just across the border that starts in La Crosse, VA(Tobacco Heritage Trail) . I checked all the restrictions and it was clear to cross the NC/VA state line(some states required quarantine if you cross into their state). The Rail-Trail was also open based on their website. Takes me about an hour to drive. I did not stop for any breakfast, and ate a bag lunch on the MUP. I never saw another cyclist. I saw around three groups of teenagers off school, that were walking on the trail. All the restrooms on the Rail-Trail were locked. Interstate 85 was packed with trucks, so commerce seems to be running. In the end, I was glad I did this trip, even though I was concerned about the distance from my home. It would take me at least 45 minutes to make it over to Durham's rail-trail

Litespud

Very light traffic where I am - once I get out of town, I might see a car every 10 mins. As for the "problem or solution" issue, if you're not interacting with others, what does it matter whether you leave the house on foot, by bike or in a car? I try to do the right ting re social distancing, but if I go for a 30 mile solo ride and I hardly put my foot down, let alone interact with another living soul, what harm am I doing, apart from the remote possibility of coming off my bike and potentially taxing our medical infrastructure at a time when it doesn't need any extra burden? We can only be responsible for our own actions - if you're doing your best to social distance, then don't worry about what others are doing - your disapproval won't change their actions, and you just make yourself feel bad.

AdkMtnMonster

My family lives in the Adirondacks of northern NY state. 80% of the houses in our part of the county are non-year 'round residents. Ski homes, vacation homes, many just summer homes... and they're nearly all occupied right now. These properties are owned by people who do not reside in the area, and many of them are from NYC and CT/NJ. This is still a VERY sparsely populated area (with fewer than 11 people/sq mile) and few of these properties are occupied for more than a vacation week here and there, lots of ski weekends in the winter, some summer weeks. Right now, with so many people cramming themselves into these places, groceries at our little grocery store are non-existent. There is still no toilet paper, no cleaning supplies, no meat, very little in the way of fruits/vegetables, and even bread/milk/eggs is frighteningly scarce. Forget finding things like canned veggies or flour/sugar. We have to drive a half hour or more to get to the nearest grocery stores that have any food, and even there it's slim pickin's. This hoarding has got to stop. It's excessive, and in my opinion, is endangering more elderly people as they, too, must drive much further and shop at much larger grocery stores with lots more interpersonal contact. Not a rant, not a complaint, just factual observations from April 8th, 2020.

thumpism 

^ Yeah, it's been noted that those with second/vacation/remote homes have fled to them. I don't blame them but it's too bad they can't be with David Geffen on his $590M yacht.

Kapusta

They are all looking at you thinking the same thing.

It’s like the saying “You are not IN traffic... You ARE the traffic”

tkamd73 

It’s deserted in my area, great time to drive, bike, or kayak. The only silver lining in this whole covid mess.
Tim

VegasTriker

Heavy traffic? Not the case here. The local newspaper published pictures of Las Vegas Boulevard in the resort corridor and there were just a few cars on it. Normally it would be choked with cars and taxis but not now. I think dogs are loving it. I bet they have not been getting this much time out of their yards ever before. Ditto for people just walking. About the only time I would see this many people walking is when the nearby elementary school was letting out. What is different is the number of cars parked along residential streets. It's been a great time to ride. It is much easier to cross busy streets. Rarely a wait at all. The only downside so far is all of the restrooms in local parks are closed. You can still get water and wash at the outside sinks but can't use them otherwise. On my own street it is almost as though the Pied Piper came through and snatched up all of the young children. Parents must be keeping them inside or in their back yards. That's starting to change though. Yesterday I saw a dad who had set up a course for his three kids to ride their bikes on the now quiet street.

asgelle

You're not as bad as they are. You're worse. In a car, the exhaled droplets and aerosols are virtually entirely confined within the passenger compartment. On your bike, you're spewing possibly virus laden material into the atmosphere for others to inhale.

livedarklions

I'm also in New England and I'm solo riding as is specifically permitted under the rules in place in the two states I ride in (I live a few miles from the border). Cars and bikes scattered on the road is not a problem outside, groups of people congregating are. If you're riding close to someone else than you're a problem. If you're keeping your distance from everyone, than you're not. I'm not sure anything can be done safely outside in a crowded urban environment, but I don't live in one and I'm avoiding riding to or through them right now.

The big issue with driving is more about where you're going to get out of the car than it is with the actual driving.

Long story short--are you riding somewhere where you are in close proximity with other people? If not, you're not a part of any problem. If so, maybe take a break or change your route.

friday1970

For Michigan, not so much on the roads. But the MUP's? Man, stocked full of walkers, dogs, and casual cyclists. It's a constant stream of "On your left' when I ride now. Makes me wonder what people did before the whole scare started.
For auto traffic, it does seem that the stay-at-home orders seem to apply mostly on weekdays. I can ride the roads after work mon-fri and hardly get passed by a car. Same roads on Sat-Sun, far more cars pass me.

HerrKaLeun

It is actually a problem that hospitals in such areas are even less prepared for the above average population numbers. So an outbreak of COVID will be even worse in such seasonal areas. In addition, those seasonals don't isolate themselves for 3 weeks after coming from the big city.

cyccommute 

Until you get out of the car. Then those trapped and condensed droplets are concentrated on your person. The drops are also trapped in a container that allows them to to survive for a period of time.

In to a turbulent atmosphere that is bathed in ultraviolet light. The concentration goes down significantly because the human is punching a human sized hole through the atmosphere and leaving a turbulent wake. Any droplets get mixed with air, dry out and get irradiated. Their survival time is significantly decreased in addition to a decreased concentration. In a car, the virus could last for hours while their survival in open air is on the order of minutes.

There is also the level of risk to consider. Spain has said that they don’t want cyclists out because of the possibility of accidents. I haven’t heard the same argument made for motorists, however. While occasionally a bicycle accident can result in severe injury, the rate of severe injury goes up significantly with speed and weight of the vehicle. Car accidents regularly take up far more resources in medical situations then bicycle accidents do. About 40,000 people are injured in bicycle accidents per year, most of them not life threatening. 3 million people are injured in automobile accidents per year, many with injuries that require lengthy hospital stays.

Finally, if you are showing symptoms, stay home.

krecik

HerrKaLeun

yeah, a long time ago there was an article in the Onion saying that 99% of car drivers are in favor of public transportatation....for all the OTHER drivers to be used.

HerrKaLeun

yeah, a long time ago there was an article in the Onion saying that 99% of car drivers are in favor of public transportatation....for all the OTHER drivers to be used.