Why Bike Lanes Are a Problem
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to bicycles in traffic. Whenever the Tulsa World publishes a story about bicycles, whether it is a good story (meaning that bicyclists are involved in some event that improves the lives of others) or a bad story (a cyclist has been involved in a crash involving a motorist), people offer their opinions on bicycles as vehicles. Some question the legality of bikes on the road, others question the wisdom of it.
One thing that always comes up is the subject of bike lanes. Mostly non-cyclists suggest that if only there were bike only lanes on roads, we wouldn't have all these problems. Some cyclists agree, and want to see transportation dollars allocated to build more bike lanes. Other cyclists believe that bikes and cars get along best when bicycles operate in the same lanes as the rest of traffic.
I have heard both sides, and honestly, don't have an opinion either way. From a practical standpoint, riding on bike paths is preferable (although by no means 100% safe). Bike lanes tend to be dangerous, for a number of reasons, especially at intersections. Cars feel overconfident when bikes are in bike lanes, which can be bad for those of us on two wheels.
There is one street near the shop that has bike lanes in each direction. Archer runs the length of downtown, east and west, from the ballpark to the jail. I never use it.
Sometimes motorists will shout at me and tell me to get in the bike lane (where I belong). They must think that bikes belong in the bike lane, and cars belong in the regular lane of traffic. If that is true, then explain this:
Every morning on my ride in, these three cars are parked in the bike lane. Every evening on my ride home, they are there. There is another car parked in the west bound bike lane as well. No one ever gets ticketed or towed.
Why have bike lanes, if people are just going to use them as a place to park?
One thing that always comes up is the subject of bike lanes. Mostly non-cyclists suggest that if only there were bike only lanes on roads, we wouldn't have all these problems. Some cyclists agree, and want to see transportation dollars allocated to build more bike lanes. Other cyclists believe that bikes and cars get along best when bicycles operate in the same lanes as the rest of traffic.
I have heard both sides, and honestly, don't have an opinion either way. From a practical standpoint, riding on bike paths is preferable (although by no means 100% safe). Bike lanes tend to be dangerous, for a number of reasons, especially at intersections. Cars feel overconfident when bikes are in bike lanes, which can be bad for those of us on two wheels.
There is one street near the shop that has bike lanes in each direction. Archer runs the length of downtown, east and west, from the ballpark to the jail. I never use it.
Sometimes motorists will shout at me and tell me to get in the bike lane (where I belong). They must think that bikes belong in the bike lane, and cars belong in the regular lane of traffic. If that is true, then explain this:
Every morning on my ride in, these three cars are parked in the bike lane. Every evening on my ride home, they are there. There is another car parked in the west bound bike lane as well. No one ever gets ticketed or towed.
Why have bike lanes, if people are just going to use them as a place to park?
Hi Jason,
I don't blame motorists for parking in bike lanes--where are they supposed to park? I say this as someone who bike commutes every day. Someone once suggested bike lanes on Cherry Street--now how many business owners would feel good about the loss of all those parking spots? Are you more likely to stop at a store when there's no place to leave the car?
Insofar as cars stay out of them, though, bike lanes collect everything that you'd ever hope to see on a roadway--dirt, sand, gravel, glass, nails, screws, bolts, rebar, wire--trash and debris of all sorts. It's like a clearing house for all the junk you'd never want to ride your bike through. But don't worry, the city will clean bike lanes every 3 months or so.
These aren't even the worst aspects of bike lanes. Intersections. Eighty-percent of accidents happen at intersections. But BL's complicate intersections. I'm going straight in a bike lane. You're turning right in a car. Who has the right of way? Well, it should probably be me, right? I mean, I do have a through-lane. Odds are much greater when bike lanes are present that you pass me, cut me off abruptly, and possibly hit me. Why? Because I wasn't in the traffic lane, but off to the side, with a small profile, traveling faster than you realize. Not everyone has to make this mistake--just 15% more frequent conflicts (as a Danish study showed) make a bike lane highly undesirable. So to the general public--please stop asking for these unhelpful painted stripes. How about a right-hand lane for slower traffic and a left-hand lane for faster traffic? But wait, that's how we do it now. Hhmm.