Urban Riding: The Sanctity of the Bike Lane
There was a time when the world was painted in hues of black and white. Right and Wrong were separated by lines painted in such a thick, heavy paint that even to wander close was to already alter your very nature. The Elders taught us on which side we were to dwell and what evils would descend upon us if we were to transcend into the void. Little was known of what dwelt on the other side; the mind imagines the most horrific beasts in the unknown.
As Cyclists, we dwell in the space between black and white; everything we know is confined within the shades of gray that exist between two absolutes. Nowhere is this more true than when we subject ourselves to the roads to ply our craft at the mercy of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and the department of transportation’s ability to place potholes and manhole covers in the most inopportune locations. A moment’s inattention and our fortunes could shift dramatically.
The bike lane is shrouded in an air of false security. The white line painted a few meters from the edge of the road offers little by way of providing a barrier or any other kind of physical protection. Nevertheless, we wrap ourselves in a blanket of wishful thinking and pedal merrily along our way. The biggest problem with the bike lane is the total disregard that people, traffic, and road crews have for how few options we have outside of our narrow strip of tarmac in the event that the way is blocked, often unaware of the dangers their behaviors impose upon us. These are normally not intended as threats; it is simply a lack of exposure and appreciation of the risks we as Cyclists endure. In the spirit of Rule #3, I will outline some of the greatest risks.
- The bike lane is not a turning lane. In many cases – at least in Seattle – the bike lane will be sandwiched between traffic on the left and a parking lane on the right. Traffic will use our humble strip as a turning lane, or use it as a runway for their futile efforts to parallel park.
- The bike lane is not a parking lane. If there is no dedicated parking lane, the bike path serves double duty for this purpose in the eyes of the driver. I have had the unpleasant experience of entering a suddenly stopped car through its rear windshield; it is an experience I prefer to limit to a single occasion.
- The bicycle lane that was crossed in order to park your car may occasionally contain a person riding a bicycle. Please look behind you prior to opening your door.
- Bike lanes are not construction tool collection areas. Cones, shovels, gravel, loitering workers have all sent me diverted into traffic. What’s so attractive about using the bike lane for this purpose? Surely the grassy bit between the sidewalk and the street is equally suitable.
- Please repair the tarmac with the same care given to the car lanes. I understand that water mains, power lines, and sewers might need to be accessed by way removing the tarmac in the bike lane. But that lumpy patchwork with the long seam along the edge that runs parallel to the direction of travel is lethal.
Too many Cyclists are being killed doing what they love. We all understand what we risk and accept those rather than not ride our bikes, but I think I speak for all of us when I say I’d rather live to ride again tomorrow. We all have to come together with our fellow motorists to understand how best to work together. But most of all: be careful and diligent, my fellow Cyclists.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
Ah, the humble bike lane: food carts, delivery trucks unloading, taxi hailers (they love to get a high 5 on their hail-hand as you pass), police car napping, crazyman pushing grocery cart with the accumulated detritus of life, dumbasses stepping off the curb looking at the phone, joggers, skate boarders, scooters, garbage collectors, pedi-cabs, wheel-chair guy begging change, mounted police and equine leavings.
We are truly not alone.
Frank I’m away from home and you brought me back. Thanks for that.
@xyxax
NYC is the wild west of bike lanes. And now with the city bikes, every clueless person can head down a bike lane in the wrong direction, just because. It might be safer riding in traffic, at least most of it is going in the same direction. I do admire NYC for carving out all those bike lanes though, it’s like outlawing smoking in Irish pubs, one would never, ever think it would happen, then it does, and people get used to it.
@Gianni
It’s Dustin Hoffman pounding on the hood of a taxi, “HEY, I’m WALKING here!!” You gotta love it even when you don’t.
Funny thing about Citi Bikes is it’s losing money because it is TOO popular with the locals (who can pay a relatively cheap year-round fee) instead of with visitors buying expensive short term passes.
Rule #3 there is at the root of it all.
I was in NYC a few weeks ago and I got to ride around on a rental bike. I didnt think it was all that bad. I had a blast.
I need about 2.5 km of bike lane to make riding out of my front door suitable. My “no outlet” neighborhood, dumps my on a shoulder-less, narrow even for motorized vehicles, two lane bit of pot hole riddled tarmac, where the motorists push the 100 km/h mark. It might be the only bit of bike lane I ever use in this town, but it would be my sanctum pathway to happiness.
Otherwise, the location of our “bike lanes” (using the term loosly) are somewhat of a head scratcher….
As a humble redneck I am content to ride in locales sans bike paths and to accept the inherent dangers. However, on visiting some friends in Qubec City I was floored by the infrastructure devoted to bikes. Hundreds of kilometers of bike paths so busy they have freakin traffic lights and many separated nicely from regular traffic. Of course the locals were treated to the hazards of me and my ginned up buddies zipping around on our racing rigs like we were on some Belgian farm road.
Pity that the people this is aimed at will never read it. but education is the name of the game.
The roads in London are so dangerous it’s a wonder more people aren’t killed cycling on a daily basis.
I think they need to change the signage on my routes downtown from “bike lane” to Bike Lane / Snow Storage lane” as our city council although they have great intentions of building $20million worth of separated pathways in the next while still can’t get their act together and clear to the curb where painted lanes exist… I think the grader operator goes out of his way to completely fill the bike lane nice windrow of snow when he is plowing …..
Living in the boonies, every spring I am in high dudgeon–it gets my dander right up–when the road shoulders on every climb and descent are covered with the gravel that is unnecessarily layered over the dry, ice-free roads so that retirees, who make up 90% of the local population, can feel safe when they careen about the area towing goose-neck camper trailers behind their Ford F-350s and that is then swept cursorily into what the county workers no doubt refer to as the “breakdown lane.”
I’m sure everyone has seen Casey Neistat’s bike lane video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ
My fave so far is the once beautiful bike lane in Surrey, BC (not the lovely english one, the sketchy canadian one) that was dug up for some kind of service work and poorly recovered for almost 2km. The roadway – pristine, the parking lane – pristine, the sidewalk – fully intact, the bike lane – turned into a goddam goat track.
A NYC bike lane
In Bath there are a few metres of bike lane on one of the busiest stretches of road , the bit used by lorries passing through , once in the bike lane the biggest problem is you have to soon re enter the main part of the road either by coming to a complete stop and waiting for a gap or attempting to keep up with traffic flow and slide out amongst the cars lorries etc , after a while you realise they are best avoided altogether.
I have had several near misses with peds on my fixed gear because it’s well maintained and pretty much silent except for the tires and the (insanely stupidly heavy fashion statement 43mm deep) rims singing. Maybe the squeaky MTB commuters have something going for them in the form of a sonic warning device? Now if people would just LOOK before stepping out….
@Gianni you must mean wild wild east. Don’t lump us westerners in with those clown-car abode dwellers.
My favorite part about bike lanes is how they often suddenly and mysteriously disappear for 50 meters or so, seemingly just to cause me to careen out into traffic right when it is most dangerous.
Excellent, Frank! I commend you for always having such a nice balance of writing about the PROs, the spirit of cycling, and this piece on the dangers. Really great!
My city is booming as I write. Five high rise condos are going up within spitting distance of where I live. Life is about to get much more dangerous for cyclists. Adding to the problem is that many folks are moving from bigger, more established U.S. cities and think they’ll get similar respect (I use that lightly!) from drivers. Ugh uh. I see more and more cyclists daily, but most of them are helmetless, wearing ear buds, and pedaling a creaky bike in flip flops.
I’m actually part of a local cycling advocacy group but I find myself torn. Do I encourage new cyclists when I see so many dangerous cyclists? Heck, even a fellow board member rides without lights, choses the worst/busiest roads, has awful handling skills…and has already been hit!
One interesting development to note: the entire state of Delaware has replaced “Share the Road” signs with “Cyclists My Take Full Lane.” They’ve conducted studies that the “Share” signs tell drivers, “Right, you fucking douche in Lycra, outta my way.”
Will be interesting to see how many states follow. I’ve always tried to share with drivers. But yep, this doesn’t seem to work that well. Lately I’ve been taking the lane more and more, or taking up enough when in the country that drivers MUST cross the center double yellow (why don’t more drivers understand what a double yellow means?!) and it seems to have been working. I’ve been buzzed a lot less.
Defensively aggressive is definitely the way to go. Ride safely and definitely assert your right to be on those roads. I’ve found it works better than trying to be overly courteous.
Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?
Owen – Yup, gotta love the disappearing lanes. “So, do I just call the boss and tell them my commute is finished…here?” I also do not like the lanes between the driving and turning lanes at all. Makes me very, very uncomfortable. I don’t trust drivers on one side, much less both.
I also have been aging in dog years in terms of cycling lately. Not that long ago I didn’t mind screaming it out with drivers. Now, I can’t be goddamn bothered. I ride loops with the lowest amount of traffic, the biggest shoulders, and go at times when traffic is light. If I can’t road ride at a good time, I hit the woods or park on the cx bike. Most Saturdays and Sundays I’m heading in when I see groups just heading out, to deal with the late-yet-early weekend go-getters or the church goers. The dogs get me up early anyway, so I just head out at 6 or 7, beat the heat, beat the crazy drivers.
And us Followers are like PROs in at least one other way – one second of inattention can spell doom. No matter how skilled or how long you’ve been at it, you have to assume the worst and be prepared.
And, I always remember what Turtle told Rick Kane when I see a driver or bus driver thinking about right hooking me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6spBu2XAk4A
“When the bus driver abruptly pulls over/turns here, don’t be there.”
@Fausto Crapiz
Fausto: since you are a junior (reportedly) several points: 1. I suspect that the photo has been taken by Frahnk and was done quickly and without a web search for the nearest douche. 2. The photo shows the classic hand position when riding one handed for greatest stability, such as when drinking from your bidon (assuming one does not need to touch the brakes abruptly) 3. if one does need to brake abruptly, the phone’s getting ejected tout suite because you should always assume the philosophy of “fuck everyone and everything” of staying upright in an emergency and 4. Rule #43.
@Gianni
No part of the world is immune to this absurdity. Joggers, bicyclists (not Cyclists) riding the wrong fucking way. Holy fucking Merckx, its hard enough to try to steal glimpses of myself in the shop windows without crashing, I can’t also be dodging oncoming riders!
@xyxax
Down by one of the ferry terminals here in Seattle, a car pulled out and hit a pedestrian who appeared to be Andre The Giant’s big-boned brother.
The car hit him, and the giant did a full fucking somersault over the hood and slid lazily off the side before jumping up and exclaiming, “HOW DID YOU NOT SEE ME???? I’M THE SIZE OF A SMALL BUILDING!!!”
He wasn’t wrong.
@VeloSix
By and large, I consider roads with bike lanes no safer that roads without. On some of the big urban roads they are a life saver, but the best routes in town lean lightly on them; most of the roads used have no such thing and I might argue they are safer without the riders and car telling each other a lie about where they should live and just working it out like civilized beings.
Back when I was growing up, though, the general consensus was that if it was marked as a “Bike Route”, you should stay the fuck away. City planners by and large appear to have little in the way of an understanding of what it means to ride a bike alongside traffic that moves at 100-150kmph.
@Ccos
Sounds like the Netherlands.
Including the Ginned up twats on racing rigs. I.e. me.
@GogglesPizano
Classic example of cluelessness with no ill-intent.
@PeakInTwoYears
A class post. Perfectection, in fact. +1 badge to you, my good man.
Bikes lanes might be great for commuting. But there is an element behavior manipulation or social engineering. Like bike lanes are the only place to ride and if there isnt a bike lane we shouldnt be riding thete. Just my initial take on it after 5 minutes of thinking.
@frank
Most grateful, and I beg you to consider attending the Hurricane Cogal on 23 August, the announcement of which is in @Gianni’s hands presently.
The worst “salmoning” event that ever happened to me was a drunk, possibly homeless, guy with a REAR blinky light (red) on the FRONT of his bike heading towards me. At first glance I thought I was closing on him super fast because I was actually fast (not true), followed by a sh*tshow of swerving.
The fact that he was on a semi legit Trek full-sus MTB and drinking a King Cobra 40 made more sense when I realized our local bike coop is drowning in parts from “i’ll ride this year! oh hell, donate that thing” people from the burbs.
@Wah-Balls I ride on a daily basis through London, mostly on a Boris (i.e. city rental) bike. I do not find it dangerous. The worst are pedestrians who step out without looking, but that doesn’t happen near busy traffic (as they can hear the big lorries coming!).
However, I regularly see riders doing stupid things – jumping red lights (where they clearly haven’t been watching the phasing, so head straight into traffic) and riding up on the inside of ‘big things’ at junctions.
Frankly, my view is that London drivers are doing a pretty good job of not hitting many of the idiots-on-bikes that I see on a regular basis!
Bike lane? Oh the luxury.
Reading this is kinda of like a the starving african kid reading a whine about the quality of food someone in the west has. Just saying…
The internet is loaded with great examples………………..
@Teocalli the internet is full of crap like this also
+1 to both Portemat and Puffy.
London isn’t so bad but I’m with Puffy on the “first world problems” point of view.
In the lovely UAE they build fantastic bike paths. There’s 85km of perfectly-surfaced traffic-free biking out in the desert with the occasional view of a herd of oryx, which is great if you want to ride 85km in the desert with oryx but crap if you want to ride to work or down to the supermarket.
I was once riding to the off-road cycle path near where I live when I was stopped by a police car and told I wasn’t allowed to ride on the road to get to the cycle track, I should drive there with my bike.
Happily mostly the police ignore us and the drivers don’t go out of their way to endanger us – that comes through inattention and not expecting to see people on bikes.
But in general this is a place where cycling is for training or on dedicated circuits. The idea of taking the bike just to go somewhere, let alone doing it in a bike lane of good, bad or indifferent quality, is simply not feasible.
@RedRanger You mean everything on the internet is not true, I’m shocked. On the other hand this could go a long way to improving cycling safety…….
@Teocalli Cycling Weekly linked to this a while ago –
http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/
Well worth a look as lots of examples of bad cycle planning, and how campaigning can make a difference.
@Fausto Crapiz
Hey, someone’s gotta risk life and limb for the sake of making a point. And don’t worry, I was economizing my activities by also taking a few selfies while I was at it.
Okay Frank, you’ve done it – I’ve finally seen a s**fie that doesn’t piss me off. And, that one actually makes me smile. Strong work! Thank you!!
There is a church down the block from me. Not only do perpetually late parents use my block as a cut through zone for drag racing at 7:56 weekday mornings, en route to drop off their little fuckers BUT every Sunday they use the bike lanes on the main street for parking. No joke. A mile in either direction and across a bridge, they fill up the entire bike lane, pushing cyclists into traffic. It’s insane. The police station is also across the road, but I think they let this slide.
Do unto others, eh…goddamn Catholics. (relax, I was raised and confirmed Catholic, I’ve just come to my senses.)
Bike lanes, what a luxury! To quote Sinead, “I do not want what I have not got”, or something like that.
This article makes me really admire those who live in urban areas, it really takes a different commitment to ride when so populus dense. Chapeau for you all
Conversely, living in a rural town of 12k, there are no bike lanes. I have had to educate/enlighten the mayor and council on what bike lanes even are, and still we have none these years later, as they see it a waste of time…I mean who even rides a bike when you can drive a car…right??? So much for city admin and planning
But, I’ll take it, the trade off from population density, to just a few drunks in ford pickemups, once in a blue moon. The roads are shit, but there is no traffic either, so all in all, a fair trade
I think in Utopia/Merckx in the sky, there is the marriage of both no traffic and all bike lanes, er…open roads
@frank
Is this the start of a “who can make their helmet look the biggest in a selfie” competition?
@Teocalli
Having been a hood ornament with a taco’d front wheel to show for it, as well as crashed by a foolish non-cyclist riding on the wrong side of my local bike trail, I can say, unequivocally: the only truly safe road is one that’s closed, generally for a race. Bike lanes, bike trails, whatever, if there are other people, on bikes or in cars, danger lurks…constantly
We like to make it just a little more tricky in Belfast
but this is my favourite, just across the road from my surgery – I just ride on the road where it is safer
This a nice little snapshot of bike lane blockage in Washington D.C.
http://whosblockinglsttoday.tumblr.com/
I like the cop cars in the lane the best…
First point to the individual that thinks riding in London isn’t dangerous. I appreciate there are plenty of bad bicycle users out there. I add those to the list of numerous hazards I should be wary of every second of the circa 2 hours I spend commuting in and out of our great city every day. There should be greater education and stiffer penalties for those caught riding badly. However the ineptitude by motorists or the simple lack of the value of life by motorists can ultimately result in a life changing event for a cyclist, or pedestrian for that matter. How on earth do you begin to justify:
Passing a cyclist at way beyond the legal limit just inches from me.
Passing at high speed just to then make a turn right in front of me.
Pulling in to my path, whether I’m in a cycle lane or not, because the car in front of you is making a right turn. Indicating optional (obviously!)
Speeding past me to the traffic at standstill in front only then to close the gap so you know I can’t pass you.
Driving, at speed, with your bumper just inches from my side or my rear wheel because your life is soooo important and you MUST get passed.
Rant over.
@Soxfan04 When the police are stopped in the lane it’s possible they’re doing something urgent where parking is not the absolute priority , like ” shall we detain the violent offender , no not until we found a bay to park in , oh while we were doing that he got away ”
@Ron
Interesting! I have share the road plates and Velominati stickers on my car; I always feel extra foolish after I disrespect a Cyclist in my gas guzzler.
I take the lane a lot; any time I feel uncertain about the shoulder, the path, or whether a driver will have the insight to judge when it is safe to pass me, I take the lane.
@Triathlete
This boulevard in town has the bike lanes in the middle, along the nice grassy bit. You have to cross the lane of traffic on your way in and out. I appreciate them trying to make it nice and pretty but fuck me if that doesn’t cause a load of problems of its own!
@Ccos
Why thank you, good sir.
@sinikl
Quite enough to make anyone shit, I believe.
@Souleur
So……….Velomitopia is in Southwestern Wisconsin?
@Nate
I asked for that, didn’t I?
@Cogfather
Racer pose their own threat. The only safe place is on your sofa.