05-13-2022, 03:08 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2022, 03:10 AM by danbrotherston.)
(05-12-2022, 02:43 PM)KevinL Wrote: Indeed, most motorists' perception of 'narrow area at edge of road demarcated by solid white line' is 'bike lane', even though that's not necessarily true in many cases. It needs to be signposted and lane-marked as such, but motorists generally don't think to check for that.
We do need clearer and more thorough signposting of shared pathways; I don't think this one is marked as such.
Yeah, I've told engineers at the region that they need to put hatch marks on edges that are not bike lanes. I've told them not doing so is professional malpractice...
They don't care...they feel that they are protected by the standards which tell them it's not necessary, and they don't care beyond that.
Honestly, Strong Towns is a revealing organization, because it shows just how entrenched modern road engineers are. I think it's going to take a legal precedent to change thing, someone, with enough money, is going to have to find the right case and sue an engineering firm. "Yes, you followed the standards, but you knew, from data, from first hand accounts, that those standards were dangerous, so you are still legally liable for the harm which resulted." Their internal ethics certainly isn't going to do it, so the legal system is going to have to be involved.
It will only take one successful lawsuit. It seems like most engineers (hell most people) these days are employed to minimize risk to establishment. As soon as a risk like that appears, they will change very quickly to minimize the risk. Whether it will be the right change, I have no idea, but it will absolutely get the ball moving in a hurry.