Oak Park Biker

This morning myself and a handful of other bikers got a warning from the Golden Gate Police - basically cyclists (the locals not the rentals) have injured too many people so effective immediately they will strictly enforce the traffic rules. In other words, they are going to hide by the stop signs and issue tickets for even slow roll stops. Even though I stopped completely, I was detained and got to hear it anyway. It was an interesting way to kill 10 minutes. Sounds like they may be looking for a revenue source.

UmneyDurak

Pretty much all traffic tickets are a revenue source. IMHO

citizenerased

thanks, I'll keep that in mind when I roll through.

nachomc

Yeah it's funny how when the state and local governments are in trouble for money, suddenly there's tons of complaints about something and the police step up issuing citations to make sure the public is safe Sure have seen a drastic increase in speed traps on 80 through Sacramento over the past 6 months..

steeleman

maybe they can ticket the locusts (blazing saddles) who ride staring in every direction except straight ahead, who ride on the wrong side of the path and swerve all over the place. Yes, I'm sure it is the "locals" who are injuring everyone. Right.

pelikan

Good to know, tickets & Presidio aside, I'm actually a fan trying to slow things down around there.

I know I'm in the minority, but I still find the tourists completely tolerable & manageable as long as I take it easy. What I find more dangerous are people trying to haul ass and getting all agro, yelling at people etc. The GGB is world wide famous monument, aka tourist trap, us locals should be recognize it and remember what's like to be a tourist awed by new sites and doing stupid things. If the Prius I had in La Jolla a month ago could talk, they might revoke my NCNCA license. That being said I have the luxury of not having to ride the GGB often, Pier 39, Union Square, etc...

I do feel Blazing Saddles makes quite a bit of money putting sight seeers in precarious positions. Namely going down Sausalito Hill.

Sorry, just my two cents.

johnny99

I haven't ridden on the bridge recently, but I don't remember any stop signs on the bridge the last time I was there. Are the stop signs new?

What other traffic rules are they talking about? There are no lane markings or speed limit signs as far as I remember.

I have read that a big saftey problem has been construction equipment on the east sidewalk causing traffic jams. The construction work is ending soon, so the east sidewalk should be getting safer.

subframe

On my paradise loop ride last weekend, there was a fire engine and ambulance in the parking lot on the sausalito side of the bridge, and a couple of officers standing at that really sharp turn onto the bike path at the SF side.

Maybe somebody got hurt?

I tend to agree that everybody needs to be a bit more cautious/sensible around the bridge. The 'hard men' treating the bridge as their personal time trial course most of all. The problem is, the tourists have no idea what is going on, and certainly will never hear any advice to calm down and ride safely and pay attention - they're only in town for a few days, after all!

Better signage would be a good start to keeping things safe, in my opinion. Big signs on the approach to the bridge, and the first few hundred yards of the bridge, reminding everyone to keep right, look behind you, don't stop, etc.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up.

uspspro

What stop signs are you talking about???

Dchiefransom

Hmmmmm, touring cyclists and pedestrians, both looking all over the place and not watching where they are going. This is causing problems?

jinws

There are stop signs in Presidio, on the way to the bridge. I'm assume that's the only place the "golden gate police" has any authority.

citizenerased

There's also one if you come from the west side route to Sausalito grade, right before the descent starts. You've got auto traffic and tourists coming from that bay side route. That's the only other one I can think of.

subframe

There's one at the bottom of Conzelman Road, when you turn right out of the bridge parking lot to head down the hill into sausalito.

Oak Park Biker

The stop signs I think the Officer referred to are anywhere on the Presidio where they apparently have jurisdication. Also, when you come off the bridge on the east side there are three stop signs before the main road. He was waiting at the first stop sign by the tourist shop immediately after the bridge.

bluegoatwoods

This thread has reminded me of something I haven't though of in a while. About 25 yrs or so ago.

I was riding through the Presidio after dark. A large blacktop area with "roadways" painted on it in white. It even had stop signs on those roads that didn't have right of way. I was riding along, with ROW, and a car was stopped at the stop sign. For quite some time. I had been watching him as I approached. Just as I was passing by he hits the gas and leaps at me, then hits the brakes. An MP jumped out and ordered me to stop. Then he started chewing me out because my light "wasn't bright enough".

I don't even remember what I said to him. But I know I didn't argue. I was not much more than a kid, not sure of my standing on a military base, afraid of being thrown in a military brig, etc.

Wish I could have the chance now. I'd play along and let him show his superiors what an idiotic jerk he was.

I had a small run in with a guy from the "Federal Protective Service" by the B of A building. No need to take up a bunch of space describing it; it was a very similar story.

Sometimes I wonder how many people out there aren't really big enough for the badge they carry.

msincredible

Riding across bridges in Vancouver this week was soooo much nicer than riding across the GG.

GaryNoTrashCoug

But as far as "generating revenue" goes, wouldn't warning cyclists about a potential trap actually reduce the number of potential citations that could be written?

I think it's more likely that someone "important" had an altercation with a cyclist. I hear that on Bike to Work Day, the bike cops were stopping people crossing GG, making them take a flier and listen to the same 10 minute lecture.

cmburch

I have had locals out for their daily walk yell at me for going too fast on the bridge.

I do not normally blow stop signs unless no one around.

Whenever there are problems in an area, if enough manpower will monitor for a while.

peculiarplanet

I got nailed in the Presidio late last year. The Presidio Park Police (Federal), or whatever they are, nailed me and another cyclist at the same time for blowing through a stop sign. It's a great little S turn leading into the back parking lot of the GGB. It was a $100. He had been slowly tailing us and probably knew we wouldn't stop. I'd say about 70% of the cyclists don't stop.

No doubt our ticket revenue went to Bank of America...

BoodBianchi

No way I'm stopping for those losers. They are gonna have to catch me haha.