bogydave

5 lane road, 2 traffic & a center turn lane
Bike/Cart lane on each side
Sidewalk on both sides

Public roads thru
Gated communities/ security guards,
45 mph
No much use but lots of CA State $$
to build
See an occasional rider on the sidewalks, locals.

Favorite Palm Springs bike loops thru the desert
Roads are
55 mph, no bike lanes, rough , narrow , 2 lane cracked roads,
With narrow or no shoulders
A “Share the road “ sign now & then

Humm, ? CA a bike friendly state
Palm Springs area
Talk the talk but not walk the walk.

Wildwood 

I don't get your point.
Infrastructure where the majority of Palm Springs residents might use it.
No infrastructure in the middle of the desert.
Makes sense to me.

fietsbob

Your place too posh for me, I live in a Fishing town. It rains a lot, here..

Gerryattrick

First world problems, don't you just love them.

sch

well there is that 6 mo of the year where lows are in the upper 80s and highs are >>100F
Of course one can always climb out of the valley, once you get to 4000' or so elevation
the temps moderate, but lack of facilities can be a problem.

Roads can be a problem in Cali for cyclists, and even cars. Priorities are elsewhere.

JanMM

I wouldn't like having to share a lane with golf carts.

350htrr

That sounds suspiciously like cagers saying, I don't, even shouldn't, have to share the road with bicycles...

BlazingPedals

So, you believe that bike lanes = bicycle-friendly and the converse is no bike lanes = bicycle-unfriendly?

A "slow traffic" lane may make some sense when traffic is heavy; but where traffic is lighter, cars have no problem going around us so the lane becomes more superfluous. I have no problem with the concept of sharing a lane with other 'slow' traffic such as golf carts. As long as I'm allowed to leave the lane to make a pass.

JanMM

Just don't like to share.

And, afraid that the golf cart driver might whack me with a nine iron as he zooms by me.

Around here, "Golf Car Crossing" signs are common by golf courses. Golf cage?

bogydave

Well if the road were smooth with wide shoulders on the 30 , 45 & 62
mile Desert loops , it would be a
crowded place in the winter
&
Local hotels would be full of cyclist
wanting to ride in sunshine & 75°
temperatures

Not a scenic ride thru the walled
communities , just walls to look at
About 4 miles on a 45 mile loop to connect me to the desert roads .

Retro Grouch 

But look at the photos. It doesn't look to me like he is having to share the lane with ANYBODY. Wouldn't blip my radar.

Retro Grouch 

You're right. There are a lot of bad things that could happen. Most of them won't.

bogydave

Last week when I ride thru,
I saw a lady on an E bike
riding the sidewalk .

Not much use on the bike lanes
They’ll last longer that way

TimothyH

Golf cart operators are a scourge. Most have little to do with golf and there is something about them which makes people act as if they are on a go-kart track.

Teenagers on the wrong side of the road, pulling into traffic without looking and not stopping to yield right of way. Young children driving while the mother sits in the passenger seat talking on the phone. The men in my area who actually use them for golf never, ever look before crossing the street to get to the next tee. I've seen the operators drinking beer while operating them on public roads.

Unfortunately this is the norm where I live and I make my presence known forcefully whenever I see one.


-Tim-

indyfabz

Explain to me how you have a public road through a gated, private community.

Retro Grouch 

You know that you're sounding just like an old retro grouch.

Just substitute the word "bicycle" for "golf cart". I have no doubt t that every single thing that you have mentioned happens. I also know for sure that there is a body of bike riders who behave similarly. That doesn't mean that we all do and it doesn't mean that all golf cart operators behave inappropriately either.

There is no "they". There is only a myriad of individuals.

TimothyH

You are right, of course, and there is probably a guy at golfcartforums.net posting the same thing about cyclists right now.

I guess the ones operating safely pass unnoticed. Reckless cyclists certainly exist and are one of the reasons I am very careful about whom I ride with and mostly ride solo. I hope I'm one of the cyclists who pass unnoticed.


-Tim-

Retro Grouch 

Exactly!

bogydave

I’m in SoCal for cycling & golf.
The walled security housing/ golf course communities are on private roads
I’ve golfed both, private ones & courses/subdivisions on public roads.
FYI:
Most of us ole guys don’t ride fast enough to cause a hazard to golf carts & drive our carts on the public subdivision roads in a safe manner to not cause a hazard for cyclists.
Most vehicles in the
subdivision drive with respect for bikes & carts & vice-a-versa.
A 3way street, respect going
all directions

Wildwood 

If Palm Springs drivers are like Las Vegas drivers from the 90s (when I was there) then there is NO safe place for a cyclist on a public street with a 45+ mph.

bogydave

Lots of cycling here
Normal for the area drivers
to see riders on the desert roads.
My last ride I saw 8 or so riders
(Even passed 2 “whoot whoot “)
Most all are courteous

caloso

I know this thread has something to do with golf carts but it's unclear whether they're seen as positive or negative.

bogydave

Yea
Golf carts & bike lane :
a Different kinda sign on bike lanes

Neither + or - ,
just a pic I took on a ride to show
some of the area I ride in.

& the many
Walls on Borders in the Palm Springs area.

Digital Gee

Still unclear what this post is about. Lots of haiku, though, from the OP. Can't tell if he's ranting or just posting a day in the life of...

bogydave

Just a couple pics of
a 44 mi bike ride .
Thru narrow desert roads &
walled housing communities with great golf cart/bike lanes.