Scarbo

Ravings from the Central Coast of California . . .

Former San Luis Obispo mayor calls bikeway an "urban ****" | The Tribune

BobbyG

NIMBY PIMBY namby pamby.

DrIsotope

A laundry-list of European capital nations are all going completely car free-- Oslo will have no car access to downtown by 2019. Paris has already started the process gradually. Meanwhile, SLO is like OMG NOT BICYCLES! WE NEED MORE LANES FOR MORE CARS!

Sigh.

jimincalif

Well, he's a former mayor, and the city did actually approve this. They are apparently going to create a protected bikeway, but the middle section of this is residential, and it would require eliminating street parking in the residential area. So the city council modified it to not eliminate the residential parking for now.

Having spent a fair amount of time in the area, I can see the homeowners' point, as the downtown area is older and parking is an issue. I've not had any issues riding in the older areas of SLO, but have had a couple close pass/road rage incidents with drivers there on major roads. One where the guy stopped and I feared might come after me to the point that I called 911. Doubt they found him though.

CB HI

Sounds like it was written from a mental facility.

Raise your hand if you feel more tranquil when cycling vs motoring. See, the former mayor has no contact with reality.

genec

Maybe that opion piece was a bit wacky, but check out this viewpoint...
SLO?s bike boulevard on Broad, Chorro streets is unsafe | Viewpoint | The Tribune

Richard Schmidt is an architect, planner, eight-year veteran of the SLO Planning Commission, and a one-time resident of Davis, America’s biking capital.

He also believes the plan is flawed... but for different reasons...

jimincalif

I didn't know they were proposing a two-way bikeway with bikes riding against traffic. I agree this is a terrible idea for all the reasons in the article. As a driver I have almost hit a bike rider twice, both times when exiting shopping center driveways where the bike was riding the wrong way.

DrIsotope

But which is worse, the bi-directional bikeways, or the proposed sharrows with street parking? I mean, I ride in an area that runs the gamut of bicycle friendliness-- for every mile of nice buffered bike lane, there's a mile of "how close will that pickup truck's mirror come to my head." I'd take my chances on the bikeway.

tyrion

Something tells me Ken Schwartz isn't fond of bicycling.

jimincalif

I'd ride the bikeway with traffic. Other direction I'd prefer the street. If there is street parking and the road is narrow I will take the lane. Speed limits within SLO aren't that high. In a residential area it's likely 25mph max. Might use a different approach on a faster road.

CB HI

So now we know that both the former mayor and current SLO leadership are all wacko.
The Honolulu mayor is also wacko with the 2 way bike lane he and the city administrator put in on the main one way street in downtown Honolulu.

At any rate, cycling is still more tranquil than motoring.

rydabent

Git off my lawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

prathmann

I'm surprised they refer to this as a "bicycle boulevard" which usually signifies a local neighborhood street set up to encourage use by through bicyclists while restricting through travel by motorists. Generally that's done by giving priority to this street with stop signs only on cross streets and traffic lights at intersections with major arterials. Through use by motor vehicles is discouraged by partial barricades every few blocks so wide vehicles are blocked from going straight but cyclists and pedestrians can still get through. That results in very light motor vehicle traffic (i.e. primarily only local residents) and therefore no need for designated bike lanes or restrictions on parking. My experience with that type of bicycle boulevard has been very favorable and I would certainly prefer it to the 'protected bidirectional bike lane' currently proposed.

rydabent

When you open the picture of the ex mayor in the OP, since he doesnt bike you will not be surprised that he is only 32.

Scarbo

Good article. Thanks.

mcours2006

Choice of wording is a little extreme...and disgusting. Using such metaphors doesn't punctuate his point further in any positive way. In fact, just the opposite.

jon c. 

Bi-directional bike lanes seem like a terrible idea to me. Drivers are not going to give sufficient attention to riders traveling "the wrong way".

mcours2006

No, not ideal, but still better than not having one. But I agree about the hazard of travelling the 'wrong way'. Friend of mine was hit on just such a lane by a right-turning car. Yes, he was travelling the 'wrong way', as you put it.

trailangel

Water colors... white piano....Oh My!

CB HI

I disagree, No bike lane is better than a wrong way lane, especially in mandatory use cities and states. They lead to new and uninformed cyclist believing that wrong way riding is OK, including outside the lane, and they are intended to make these folks FEEL safe when it actually makes them less safe.

mcours2006

Depends on how the lanes/trail is constructed. Downtown Toronto there's a segregated trail that runs on one side of a busy 4-lane, sometimes 6-lane, road. The two-lane trail is used by thousands of cyclists every day and I doubt any one of them would think it be okay to be riding on the wrong way on a 'regular' street, uninformed or not.

Like I said, not ideal or perfect, but I'd still take it.

jimincalif

What they're proposing in SLO is OK for the right-way riders, but looks to be a disaster in the making for wrong way drivers. I may be up that way Sunday/Monday. Might take my bike if the weather looks OK (right now they are predicting gale-force winds, not so much fun for riding). If I get a chance I may ride by this area to get a feel for it.

CliffordK

The neighborhood would be far more quiet and safe if they installed bollards and blocked off car access, while letting the bicycles in.