I think it's true that there's room for both cyclists and motorists to learn about laws, best practices, etc. Remember too that cyclists also drive cars. This is a great resource for BOTH cyclists and drivers: share the road safety tips.
In many cities in Texas, there are many signs across the city that state "Bicycles May Use Full Lane". This helps educates drivers. College Station lacks such signs.tx_prof said:
Maybe I'll add one more about the 2-3 abreast thing - in some cases this is a judgement call what is the safest or most appropriate for a given road, but here's the law and I think it's relevant to Rock Prairie and other similar roads (as understood by sharetheroadtexas.org):
A bicyclist traveling on a roadway moving slower than other traffic must ride as near as possible to the right curb or edge of the roadway. There are a few exceptions. Bicyclists can take the full lane of travel when:
- passing another vehicle moving in the same direction,
- preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway,
- there are unsafe conditions on the roadway that prevents the cyclists from safely riding next to the curb or edge of the roadway, or
- a lane is less than 14 feet in width with no designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane, making it unsafe for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side.
Consider moving to the east side of Bryan instead of CS... with an emphasis on access to Old Reliance. We're in Austin's Colony. Old Reliance is one of the best kept secrets in cycling in the area (in my opinion). South of town they have to cross 6, or ride feeder roads from time to time and it's just getting busier and busier there.aggie1819 said:
I am a cyclist and am moving back to CS this summer. I was a dumb college kid once and probably wouldn't have paid much attention to cyclists back then. Driving around town makes me nervous. Especially considering I was in town and saw the ambulances at the crash site last weekend. Most of my rides have moved to the trainer unless I am with a group, but nothing beats riding outside.
Lakeway Drive has them too, with the paint on the roads past where the bike lane officially ends at Agate Drive.tx_prof said:
Totally agree that more of these would help! I know of only two roads with these signs (Agronomy Rd near campus and Cavitt Ave. near Hensel Park). We could use a lot more in places where roads lack bike lanes or even safe shoulders.
That's because county roads barely saw any traffic. Heck, I remember back in the 1990s many of the roads west of 2818 were dirt. The town has grown a lot since that time too. In Google Earth, you can see even in 2003 the town pretty much stops south of Graham Road except for some disconnected subdivisions along Barron and Greens Prairie. Not only has that pretty much filled in now, there's been substantial development west of the railroad and in-fill in areas you would never thought of being developed.SARATOGA said:
I try to give a little courtesy honk to let cyclists know that I'm approaching them from behind. But there is barely room for 2 cars to pass each other on most county roads, let alone adding a bike to the equation.