Here’s what S. Kimbrough Ave. between Sunshine and downtown looks like now.
The road has been re-striped so that it is now three lanes. This is an excellent development for bicyclists. Three-lane roads are very pleasant routes — especially with a 30 mph speed limit.
Proper lane positioning here is from the right tire track to the center of lane. The lanes are narrow, so it is proper for bicyclists to take the lane. Cars can easily pass using the all or part of the center lane.
I’ve been told the city might be putting a white stripe along the gutter. Any such striping should not be considered a lane for bicycles. The purpose will merely be to designate the road edge.
Comments 8
That’s cool! When I come across town from the Cox South Fitness Center (a wintertime activity), I’ve been taking the Holland bicycle route. The problem with that is the number of stop signs and the “meandering” you have to do to get between there and here.
Granted, Kimbrough has a lot more traffic at 7:00 in the morning, but for those days when I’m running a little behind, that will be a good option to get across town a little quicker!
Posted 20 Jul 2009 at 1:19 pm ¶Tracy… I’m going to get some use out of this, too
Posted 20 Jul 2009 at 1:59 pm ¶Passing a cyclist by using the center lane in Texas would be illegal. That’s a left turn lane here, not a passing lane, unless it is so signed.
Luckily for me, the rule is rarely observed by motorists, so I agree with Andy. Thank goodness the overwhelming majority of motorists are shameless scofflaws, despite their lack of leather jackets and gang insignia.
Just make sure the city paints that white stripe close enough to the edge that nobody mistakes it for anything BUT the edge. Better yet, convince them to use the money to plant some carbon-grabbing trees between the sidewalk and the curb. Shade is BICYCLIST FRIENDLY!
Posted 20 Jul 2009 at 7:31 pm ¶Steve… Hmmmmm… I need to check the law in Missouri.
Posted 20 Jul 2009 at 8:30 pm ¶If you find out it’s illegal to pass cyclists in Missouri in that configuration, just keep your durn pie hole shut!
Posted 21 Jul 2009 at 4:36 am ¶I too am a Texas boy, and I note that down here it is also a’gain the law to straddle the lane; That is, to fail to completly change lanes when passin’.
Ya’ll might do yer laws diffrn’t up there, seein’ hows yur so close to them yankees!
Posted 21 Jul 2009 at 6:54 am ¶Steve and Chip… When we discussed this re-striping at our advocacy committee meeting (one of the members is a city traffic engineer) no mention of the rules for the center lane ever came up. I’ll check on the MO law later today. Hmmmmm… what to do about my pie hole?
Posted 21 Jul 2009 at 7:13 am ¶Steve, “…motorists are shameless scofflaws, despite their lack of leather jackets and gang insignia.”
Hilarious. It reminds me of the Monty Python sketch about gangs of leather clad old ladies attacking defenseless young men.
Posted 22 Jul 2009 at 12:36 pm ¶