Am I the only one who thinks it is really odd and dangerous to have a bike lane running between two automobile lanes (see William D. Fitch just east of the bypass in front of the Exxon)? The way they have that set up just seems like a cyclist is going to end up splattered. The entrance to the right turn lane, going across the bike lane, is just past the new intersection at Lakeway. However, most cars seem to be crossing the bike lane much later, up around the Exxon to get into the turn lane. Earlier this week I saw a lady along with a small kid on their bikes riding through there. I couldn't imagine how nervous I would have been to be in her place.

nope, I am with you, someone is going to get splattered. Also one might ask the question - since the bike lane doesn't lead anywhere - why would there be a biker in it if you have to stop at the frontage road anyways ?

You don't have to stop just because the bike lane ends.

Its great that you are aware of the safety concerns for cyclists even when there are marked lanes available! You'll remember to look for multi-modal transportation forms.

http://www.americantrails.org/resources/trans/completestreets08.html

Legally, regular lanes in streets are available to a variety of transportation devices. A shortened reader friendly snippet regarding cycles is here http://transport.tamu.edu/bicycles/statelaw.aspx

Many auto drivers cycle, drive a motorcycle, have a child with a moped, or even walk...

I have always failed to understand the outrage directed towards cyclists for exercising their legal access to a variety of forms of transportation... How is this any different than a tractor? What if you resided in a region with a larger population of horse and buggy drivers? Would you nurture the same concerned animosity towards them?

What about the individual walking? What about the individual who uses a transportation mode outside your perceived norm due to health restrictions on driving, financial costs associated with maintaining an auto, or a desire for better personal health , or to reduce his fuel usage?

Driving a car is an earned privilege not a right. Roads were originally created for horse and buggy and later cycles, and still later a variety of autos. These access rights have never been rescinded.

Take a look around at a few other countries, or even a few cities within the USA. Multi-modal transportations is once again a topic , intertwined with terms like urban revitalization, obesity reduction, family friendly neighborhoods. Its an ugly circle that specific infrastructure won't exist without demand and demand cant increase without infrastructure irregardless of the fact that built up areas may not have available space for segregated infrastructure, nor entities the funds to in-build sidewalks with wheelchair ramps or bike lanes.

Someone may be biking, walking, skateboarding or riding a horse on the 'road' because it is the only structure available that legally supports these transportation modes. Personally, I'll be grateful that you've given this some thought, and politely share the road with me, while you drive by me pedaling or walking.

Thanks!

I had a hunch what this topic would be about before I even clicked on it, and I was right.

I cross this bike lane every day. It makes no sense to me, I think it's very dangerous, but I'm just a layman. Maybe an engineer can come along and explain the points I don't see as a an inexperienced observer. And explain why the lane isn't next to the curb.

Envirogisgirl, I support multi modes of transportation and I don't think many others posting here disagree on that. The issue regarding this particular lane, however, is about safety. The bottom line is who's dead and who isn't. Who's to blame and whose rights are at stake are a very distant second to that.

Last night I was driving back from Houston on 290 and came upon a half dozen cars stopped in the road with people leaning over a motorcycle rider laying in the outside lane. Going with the percentages, it's probably not his fault either but I'll lay odds that if he's in a freezer or a hospital bed this morning he's probably not thinking about that right now. It's already dangerous enough out there, why make it more dangerous?






[This message has been edited by AgDotCom (edited 5/21/2010 12:32p).]

Enviro,

I'm not complaining that there is a bike lane or that there are bikes on the road...that's all good. My concern is, as DotCom pointed out, that the design of that particular situation looks awfully unsafe to me. I am certainly not anti-cyclist. Not sure how my questioning the design triggered your little rant about the privileges of driving and sharing the road.

My post wasn't intended to be a 'rant'.

My key point may be that the engineer designing the infrastructure may not personally know anything regarding cycling on streets, or that the entity in charge of creating such structure may 1) not have the funds, 2) may not prioritize funds if the are available, 3) may be limited by existing infrastructure or lack of space, or interest.

It used to be thought that driving cars was 'dangerous'. The actuality is cars kill more than other modes of transportation regularly. Perceptions of 'danger and the degree of danger are affected by societal acceptance of what is 'normal' too. So the more often more people ride a bike anywhere, the more acceptable it will once again be perceived to be.

As a silly example: for many eras it was deemed 'dangerous' for a woman to ride a horse astride or for a woman to exercise during pregnancy. Varied factors have put these once societal 'normal thoughts out of vogue.

Wait until the new HEB opens up. There is a bike lane on Arrington to turn on Decatur, and it is on the wrong side of the vehicle turn lane. You have to cross the bike lane to turn, and the bikes have to cross the vehicle lane!

Mebbe the road painter dozed off that day while painting that stretch of the road??? I saw that area the other day and it does look like an accident waiting to happen.

At least urban bicyclists have more sense than half the idiots riding bikes on campus.


[This message has been edited by Hammerheadjim (edited 5/21/2010 3:11p).]

Enviro,

Are you saying that driving an automobile is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle?

Because otherwise the claim that cars kill more people than other modes of transportation is pointless due to the sheer number of automobiles on the road today.