I’ve read the Bicycle Tracks and Lanes Study (actually an older study, so this isn’t news) and spent some time thinking about it today. I’m not at all sure I have much to add. This doesn’t mean that I agree with all the findings. It simply means that the findings appear to me to be in line with what I’ve experienced on the road.
But, then, I’ve never bicycled in Copenhagen.
Further, this study has nothing to say about fully separate systems such as those we see in the Netherlands and in our Greenways system in Springfield.
The damning evidence seems to indicate that bicycle lanes/tracks that do not integrate with intersections create hazards for bicyclists.
This is empirically true based upon experience. It appears painfully obvious (to me, anyway) the last place you want to be in a line of cars is stuck in a right-hand guttler lane. You’re just asking for conflict.
So the upshot for me is this: The study offers me a little more evidence in my continued fight against painting gutter lanes on Springfield roads. This study helps me argue that sharrows on the bicycle route system — a project coming under the CIP renewal — is a far better way to go in terms of the safety of bicyclists.
I have a moral problem with this conclusion from page 14 the study:
“The positive benefits [of bicycle tracks and lanes] may well be much higher than the negative consequences caused by new safety problems. It will be reasonable to sum up costs and benefits in order to identify roadways that are relevant for implementing bicycle facilities.”
What the author of this study fails to note is that the burden of injuries and deaths will be borne by inexperienced bicyclists. I won’t pay the price. I won’t be affected. I know when to avoid those lanes. I am comfortable taking a commanding lane position in traffic. I know that it is safer to be a part of traffic intellectually. And I know it is safer to be a part of traffic experientially.
Far too many novices (and roadies with limited urban experience) still believe you will be “run down” if you ride in a commanding lane position. A few miles of urban travel — and surviving same — usually cures this condition.
So, ultimately, I am against lanes and tracks because I believe them to be immoral; they put the inexperienced at greatest danger.
Comments 8
Interesting paradox? I’ll quote the from page 13 and 14
“These bicycle facilities are perceived to more safer and satisfying to bicyclist compared to mixed traffic situation. Seen in this perspective, the results of this study are somewhat controversial. Constructing bicycle tracks and marking bicycle lanes in urban areas resulted in a increase in crashes and injuries of approximately 10 percent in Copenhagen, Denmark. Bicyclist’s safety has worsen due to these facilities.”
I totally agree cycle tracks and bicycle lanes: immoral. Educate the inexperienced cyclist, they’ll go further
Posted 07 Jul 2010 at 7:31 pm ¶The road in the photo has ample room for a Dutch-style fully-segregated cycle road. It is simply a matter of doing it.
There is a reason why Dutch roads are 17 times safer than US roads.
Posted 07 Jul 2010 at 11:27 pm ¶Andy,
You may have noticed that in Columbia we end the bicycle lanes before the intersection. For about the last 100 feet they are typically marked with a sharrow. This allows the bicyclist to signal, scan and take the lane as they approach the intersection. That seems very common sense but I do not know of anywhere else that does it.
Posted 08 Jul 2010 at 6:24 am ¶Robert… Yes. I think it’s necessary to do something to integrate traffic at intersections — such as adding sharrows.
Posted 08 Jul 2010 at 6:35 am ¶Robert, have you done any observation to see if this treatment is encouraging proper behavior? I’m trying to encourage that here.
We have several places where a bike lane ends because there wasn’t enough road width to continue it. In my observation, most cyclists go up on the sidewalk while some others skim the gutter (or in one case, the parked cars).
Kevin, Here is the satellite view of that road. The photo was taking on Thomasville at Timberlane, looking South. Where are you going to put the dutch path, how are you going to mitigate the intersection conflicts and how are you going to build it past the freeway ramps?
Posted 08 Jul 2010 at 9:14 am ¶Keri… I forgot where that picture came from
Posted 08 Jul 2010 at 10:14 am ¶Keri,
There are lots of people in Columbia who take the lane at the intersections but we also have (maybe) the largest LAB Traffic Skills 101 programs in the United States.
So there are a few hundred graduates rolling around the streets of Columbia. I see many others riding properly but folks learn from others.
Its doubtful that anyone would be able to figure out what to do at intersections on their own without a strong educational component.
I’ve heard people ask if signs telling folks what to do when the bike lane ends would work. I cannot see how and it might even be potentially dangerous. Teaching someone how to scan without veering, signal without veering and take the lane is not something that you can teach people in a few minutes and you certainly cannot on a road sign.
Those are skills that have to be taught and practiced.
Posted 09 Jul 2010 at 9:33 am ¶The bike lane in the photo has all the debris of segregated lane. It is simply a matter of teaching someone to ignore and work with other traffic instead of fearing it.
Posted 09 Jul 2010 at 7:37 pm ¶