Originally Posted by
cudak888
19 posts and only one of you kvetching luddites even mentioned protected bike lanes.
-Kurt
Name calling? I'll skip over that.
On my typical 15 mile ride, there is 2/3 mile of "protected" bike lane. That is preceded by and followed by stretches of "bike path". Were I to use them, those three sections would be the most dangerous portions of the ride. I do not use them. Here's examples of why I've made that choice.
An ebiker going well over 20 mph was riding southbound on the bike path. He blew by me (I was only going ~15 mph), passing me in the left (NB) lane, just as I was passing someone on their left in the SB lane.
A group of typically oblivious pedestrians were standing in and completely obstructing the north bound lane.
Just as the ebiker approached the pedestrians, one woman snapped a 180* about face just as the ebiker passed. The timing was perfect. They missed each other by only 1-2 inches.
He turned and yelled at her while not watching where he was going as he progressed about 100 feet south on a crowded bike path, but he never slowed. She unleashed a tirade of profanity at him as she proceeded to obstruct the southbound lane.
All that, as I was braking and had to come to a stop.
The uncivil nature of it all is memorable. What happened to stopping and asking, "Are you okay?" What happened to the adult version of, "Watch both ways before you cross?"
Here's another - our PBL has numerous driveways into the hotels and restaurants along the way. Cars have to stop in the street and wait for a break in the cycling traffic to cross the bike path. That is, IF they see you coming.
Finally, 3 different sections of the bike path require you to dismount and walk your bike. When you ride, there is an 8 mph posted speed limit. That same bike path is over run with pedestrians, skaters, scooters, ebikes, motorized skateboards and those motorized unicycle jobies. I just stay away.
I ride the roads, as I always have - my C&V approach to bike riding.