Bike Lanes: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Minneapolis is certainly moving full speed ahead in its support for cycling. NiceRide is expanding its stations; the city is considering hiring a full-time cycling & pedestrian coordinator; bike lanes are freshly restriped in bright green (at least in Dinkytown, anyway); and last year Minneapolis surpassed Portland as the nation’s #1 biking city. As an urban enthusiast, ardent supporter of Minneapolis’ pro-cycling efforts, and downtown resident, I should be excited to be biking every day in my city. But I’m not! I walk, or drive, for all my trips. But I don’t bike.
Why, you ask?
I am afraid of being hit by cars, that’s why!
(A green-striped bike lane with no grade separator)
Despite all the efforts to increase awareness of bikers, and despite all the prominent restriping of bike lanes, the fact is that cars can still quite easily strike, injure, and kill cyclists. I have no intention of being one of them (the injured cyclists, that is).
I found myself ruminating on this on a recent trip to Paris. In that city--and in Montreal, as well (apparently Francophones really like bikes)--most of the bike lanes are grade-separated. There is a large curb, about 8 inches high and 18 inches wide, marked with regular 3 foot tall posts, that separates the car lanes from the bike lanes (look at a Google StreetView of Rue Cherrier, Montreal for a good example). This configuration is marvelous for promoting biking. Bikers can freely move down the road, confident that cars will not casually destroy their undercarriages by sweeping into the bike lane.
(A two-way, grade-separated bike lane)
The effect was particularly pronounced when I looked at two portions of the same street in Montreal. On one side, the bike lane was grade-separated. On the other, it was not. On the grade-separated side, a fair number of bikers were happily cruising down their lane. On the non-grade-separated side, not a single biker was present. This was probably because a large number of cars had parked in the bike lane. This included, frustratingly, a cop car. Even the cops park in the bike lanes!
The only way to truly get cars to respect bikes is to make it impossible, or at least sufficiently damage-inducing, to cross into bike lanes. The Netherlands has taken this truly to heart, and even has bike-specific traffic lights for its bike lanes. Ridership in that country is astonishingly high.
Grade-separated bike lanes also prevent cars from using the shoulder to quickly make right turns, another harrowing event for cyclists. Right hooks, as they’re called, have an insidious way of making bikers’ lives unpleasant. If the configuration of the road prevents this, the road becomes safer for everyone.
Minneapolis is on a decent path, but there’s a ways to go. If--and hopefully when--the city finally understands the bikers deserve a protected lane, I’ll be happy to join in the fray.
Comments
I agree that there are many
I agree that there are many people in addition to yourself who won't cycle because they don't feel safe on our roadways. I disagree, however, that "The only way to truly get cars to respect bikes is to make it impossible, or at least sufficiently damage-inducing, to cross into bike lanes." I think separating cars from bikes is a great idea in many contexts, but separation doesn't guarantee respect. And in many cases, separation increases the risk of crashes (sidepaths anyone?).
Separation is an important tool, but not more important than education, confidence, or enforcement.
Interesting points
* I agree that we need a holistic approach that includes education, confidence, and enforcement.
* Can you explain "sidepaths"? I'm not familiar with that...
* You're right: separation does NOT guarantee respect. It does, however, guarantee repair bills for damaged suspensions.
Not "grade separation"
I'll quibble about terminology a bit -- "grade separation" would imply elevated or sunken bike lanes, like the Midtown Greenway. I think you're probably looking for "protected" bike lanes (and there are probably a few other names I can't remember at the moment).
good observations! we need
good observations! we need lanes that can pass the Steve test.
I do appreciate the irony of
I do appreciate the irony of someone saying that cars are dangerous so they won't bike - and instead they'll drive a car. I for one see the millions of injuries from car accidents every year and think that cars are too dangerous, so I drive a tank.
The simple fact is that we will never have these separate facilities for bicycles until there is demand for them, and we will never have demand for them if people just give up and drive because things aren't perfect. I don't want to dismiss your safety concerns, but you have to acknowledge that any type of transportation has its risks, and ignoring the really high accident rate cars have just compounds the problem.
Followup
* Ok, good to know about the term "grade separated". So is "protected" the correct term in the industry?
* Yeah, I probably should bike. It scares the hell out of me. I'm not very good at it; it makes me extremely nervous to have cars zooming by constantly. I'll do it when it feels safe.
* Walking feels safe because I've got a side walk. The curb is a decent deterrent for cars, along with things like benches, trees, etc. I'm not going to be a pioneer in biking. I'll do it when it's safe, and I'll walk as much as I can.
I'm not sure if "protected"
I'm not sure if "protected" is exactly the correct term. "Separated" or "physically separated" is fine -- just don't say "grade separated" unless the corridor actually is.
Maybe you should stop walking
Maybe you should stop walking too. Crossing all those busy streets with those automobiles is just downright dangerous.
I'm all for building
I'm all for building cycletracks in our cities, but don't wait for them give biking a try! It is a great way to experience a city.
Amen to Steve
I've been cycling in Minneapolis for 10 years, and it still sucks. Yesterday I nearly got hit twice, once in a bike lane when a motorist tried to park right through me. If that had been a physically separated lane (a class I lane or a cycle track, whatever you want to call it) he obviously couldn't have done that.
Throwing some paint down (or polypreform) and pretending everyone is safe may get you elected mayor, but at some point a choice will have to be made between on-street parking everywhere or safety for everyone.
"but separation doesn't
"but separation doesn't guarantee respect"
I disagree, I think crossing over into the bike lane causing physical damage to ones car does in fact create at least as much respect for the bike lane as cars have for other cars, if not more.
What I would really like to know, and at the moment I personaly think is the biggest obstacle, is - how do they deal with snow on the road? With a painted lane they just handle snow normally - the plow comes through and shoves it up onto the grass beside the road (or, unfortunately, sometimes shoves it into the bike lane, but nonetheless). But with a physically seperated bike lane there - there's no shoulder to "easily" plow the snow up onto.