Do we have good Cycling Routes already?
There are many dimensions for judging a route's suitability for cycling, but I want to focus on a single dimension that sums up a number of factors: car-oriented vs. pedestrian-oriented. Bicycle-oriented falls between these two extremes as shown below.
This list progresses from car-oriented to pedestrian-oriented:
- Expressways and controlled-access highways - non-motorized traffic is prohibited and minimum speeds are enforced.
- Busy full-speed 4-lane - cycling permitted, but cycling here isn't pleasant. Dangerous for pedestrians.
- Busy Street - Cycling is fine if traffic is moving around 30MPH, experienced cyclists have no issues, pedestrians may venture into the street when it is quiet.
- Low-traffic, Neighborhood Streets - Cycling with kids is fine, pedestrians are commonly seen on the street.
- Multi-use Trails - Cars prohibited, cyclists and pedestrians share space, youngest pedestrians and cyclists still need to be careful.
- Sidewalks - Bicycles prohibited (typically), pedestrians need to be careful at intersections
- Shopping Malls - pedestrians only, no threats of collision with any vehicles.
I do admire the efficiency of putting a Mall next to an interstate highway. This encourages us however, to live either as a motorist or a pedestrian while squeezing out the middle.
What can be done to encourage more cyclists?
I sometimes hear would-be cyclists lament that car-restricted facilities "don't go anywhere". What I think this means is the cyclist is unwilling to consider sharing the road with traffic. Certainly experience helps us feel more comfortable with a given route, so perception does affect route suitability.
We could expand the car-free facilities so multi-use trails go places. This would be sweet, but this would effectively duplicate the existing network of streets and roads.
An alternative is to encourage cyclists to take advantage of the existing road system. In that case, we already have cycling routes. We just need practice taking advantage of this resource.
Commute Summary
Round Trip Distance: 12.7
Number of Cyclists seen: 8
In-bound Route: Goofin' 9.6
Out-bound Route: Swung by Home Depot to run some errands
Weather: A little below freezing on the way in, no need for gloves on the way home but I did turn on my lights.
Labels: MUP, Road Confidence
posted by Jett @ 6:29 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
People at work always comment on how it is too dangerous to ride, but I tell them picking your route is the secret. Being car-oriented, they don't have the knowledge of neighbor streets, alleys, paths, and other bike-friendly routes--all they think of is either riding on a high-speed multi-lane arterial road or recreation bike path. Education is the key.
Yes, education is the key, but I often wonder what's the best way to communicate good routes to the people who would need to know? So much of the education seems to be just getting on the bike and riding.
My general rule is that if a road was laid out before the advent of the automobile it's usually pretty good for bicycling. BTW: Out west you can ride on the shoulder of some expressways. With their controlled grades they actually make pretty good bike routes if you can stand the traffic whizzing by you at 90 mph.
Post a Comment
<< Home