06-05-2018, 10:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-05-2018, 10:44 PM by danbrotherston.)
(06-05-2018, 09:10 PM)Canard Wrote: I would never, ever ride in the traffic lane here - there's no reason to. I always ride to the side, which is perfectly reasonable - sure, we could argue it's not technically a bike lane... but it effectively is. There's only one symbol of paint that is missing and that doesn't somehow make it not functional as such.
The problem is, as you say, just before Union. I just look over my shoulder, signal and give a friendly "Thank you" wave and people are generally reasonable and it all works out.
The real problem in this area is heading North, at Allen - that is an absolutely terrible transition. I always shift over to taking the lane (signaling left) and sometimes hold my arm out to make it well known I'm about to make a sharper-than-normal turn across the tracks... then hug to the right again, and give a big "thank you" wave as the cars go past me.
As you say, you do seem to have different experiences. Perhaps you are more tolerant.
To be fair, I've only ridden this road two or three times each way, so my experiences aren't so reliable...it may even have improved as drivers have figured out that they shouldn't bother driving it up King anymore.
As you say, north of Allen and at Moore are the worst places. At Moore I jump on the sidewalk. It is supposed to be a MUT, but clearly engineers didn't get the message.
At Allen, both times I've crossed there, while trying to achieve the necessary angle to safely cross the tracks, the car behind me has interpreted that as me turning left, and had a close call as they try to pass me on the right. Both times the driver apologized, but it's clear the design is completely broken.
I run into a similarly awkward angled crossing when proceeding eastbound on Erb across Caroline, but I haven't had any close calls there yet.
On the other hand, this is an example of where drivers shouldn't be upset following bicycles. Both times I have biked down it, (admittedly, I was in a rush, which is why I biked on King, and it was during rush hour), I was able to easily match pace with the traffic, arriving in downtown along with the same cars who I left uptown with. There was no need for the drivers to pass me on the shoulder (as well as cut me off around the hospital).
I will say, that because traffic is going so slowly, it's not nearly as uncomfortable feeling as when I come up behind cars parking the bike lane on say Columbia. But, after being hit I am far more uncomfortable with the sound of a car coming up behind me than I was before, to the point that, I'm no longer comfortable riding around parked cars, and will usually jump onto the sidewalk. This is the same uncomfortable experience I get every time the bike lane disappears.