07-13-2016, 11:50 AM
(07-13-2016, 11:28 AM)clasher Wrote: I won't fault anyone for riding on the sidewalk; Tiberiu David was killed riding in the bike lane on University Avenue. Bike lanes aren't really anything more than illusions of safety. Often times around here they're full of broken glass and other detritus. I don't really condone riding on the sidewalks and it's not something I do myself but I think a lot of people have well-justified fears about riding in bike lanes along the busy roads in this region. There's also the demographics of sidewalk cyclists to consider, many people have no other choice but to ride their bikes and they aren't the kind of people that have time to take a cycling safety class or ever had the opportunity to get online and use strava or something to figure out the best bike routes.
I definitely have the same feeling, even as a pedestrian I try not to be annoyed by cyclists on the sidewalk, and I'm perfectly happy if they move out of my way (I've nearly been run down by one moving at high speed with no lights on, that I was a little peeved about), and although I don't do it while riding, every time I'm passed by a car while in a bike lane and watch them drift in and out of the bike lane, and then catch up and see they're on a phone, or searching for something, or eating food with a knife and fork (I kid you not), I think, gosh, any moment, that could just be it for me.