Boston Biker
Step By Step, The Little Things
I love getting emails like this, thanks Rik!
If you want to drop me a message click here.
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Fyi,
This one just appeared outside the gate of the Round Hill St community garden (at the cor of Day St) in JP.
This spot used to be a favorite of cars that parked on the sidewalk, so it’s nice to see bike parking instead!
Rik
Related Posts:Red Bull Witch Hunt Part 2
Last year this got….insane. Like people told me “this is the most drunk I have ever been in my life…ever” insane. You should for sure check it out, because as I mentioned before, it was pretty crazy last year. Press release below.
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CYCLISTS TO TAKE HALLOWEEN-THEMED RIDE FROM BOSTON TO SALEM DURING RED BULL
WITCH HUNT
2nd Annual Costumed Ride Concludes at Secret Location Party in Salem
Red Bull is giving Boston-area cyclists the opportunity to celebrate
Halloween early by taking a spirited bike ride from Boston to Salem, Mass.,
as part of the second annual Red Bull Witch Hunt event on Oct. 28, 2009.
During the evening, tricked-out bikes will soar through the Boston streets,
serving as riders’ “broomsticks” as they trek to the home of the
infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The ride will conclude with a private
costume party at a secret location in Salem.
The Halloween-themed ride will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Fourth Wall
Project Gas Station, located at 1301 Boylston St. in Boston. Once cyclists
arrive in Salem, they will be directed to the costume party’s secret
location.
To participate in the free Red Bull Witch Hunt event, cyclists must be 18
years of age or older, be dressed in a Halloween costume, and abide by
proper bicycle safety. Refreshments will be provided at stops along the
ride. Red Bull will take riders’ “broomsticks” back to the Fourth
Wall Project Gas Station, and all participants will be given bus
transportation back to the station to pick up their bikes at the end of the
night.
Red Bull Witch Hunt info
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
Time: Meet-up at 6:30 p.m.; ride from Boston to Salem 7:00 – 9:00
p.m.; party is from 9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (Note: Only those who take the
bike ride will be allowed into the party)
Roxbury Main Streets Bike Ride
Got this in the email, looks like fun
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Tune up your bikes and come for one more ride around Roxbury. On today’s ride we’ll visit Roxbury’s four Main Streets programs, hear their directors explain why each is unique, and receive recommendations on places to eat and shop. Our tour will begin in Grove Hall and travel through the foliage of Franklin Park to emerge at Egleston Square. From there we’ll bike along the Southwest Corridor Park to Mission Hill and then finish our ride in Dudley Square. The 4-mile ride is open to bikers of all skill levels, but HELMETS ARE REQUIRED.
Co-presented with the Franklin Park Coalition.
Saturday, October 17, 10am-12pm. Limit 20 people. Weather permitting.
Free with RSVP to info@discoverroxbury.org.
The tour meets at the park next to the Flames restaurant in Grove Hall, 469 Blue Hill Ave.
David Filipov Covers Pedestrians
I think David Filipov is trying to prove me wrong, and I couldn’t be happier. I am glad he followed through on his insinuation that he would cover other road users groups. His recent article about pedestrians highlights the problem with j-walking in Boston, and by it existence (not that it implicitly says this in the article) seems to highlight that not ONLY bikers are to blame for the problems on our streets.
Shortly after 11 a.m. on a sunny Thursday, a most astounding thing happened on the busy intersection of the Boston University Bridge and Commonwealth Avenue. Alexandra Slender, a BU sophomore, stopped at a crosswalk, waited for the white gleam of the “Walk’’ sign, and crossed.
It was a rare act of civil obedience for a pedestrian in Boston, repeated by almost no one else on this day at this intersection. Throngs of iPod-wearing, cellphone-texting walkers blew through the red “Don’t walk’’ signs, barely acknowledging the flustered drivers who slammed on the brakes and banged on their dashboards in futility.
He also seems to avoid the things that I thought he was guilty of in his first article. He makes it clear that the pedestrians j-walking are mostly endangering themselves, and stays away from junk statistics. He still makes it seem like only pedestrians are breaking the law, but in the context of the two articles together a grander picture is emerging. I doubt that people will look at both together, but at least both are there. I can only hope that the next group he tackles are motorists.
Thanks David, and if you do come out with an article highlighting the problem with motorists, or even better yet an article about motorists and then a follow up about ALL user groups and how they are ALL to blame, I would gladly eat crow and offer a public apology that I ever got snippy with you. Highlighting all of these problems will go a long way towards changing the culture of road use in the city, and allowing us all to get around safer and quicker.
Related Posts:Repair Classes At Ferris Wheels
Got this in the email today, if you are in the market for some repair classes, check out Ferris. Has anyone taken these classes want to leave impression in the comments?
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Take one, take them all! Repair classes are hands-on and limited to seven
people. All classes are led by experienced cyclists and mechanics.
Repair Classes – $30
Monday 10/12: Brakes
Monday 10/19: Gears
Monday 10/26: Bearings
Monday 11/2: Wheels
Lecture/Discussion – $5
Wed 10/14: Flat-fixing demo
Wed 10/21: Riding safety
Wed 10/28: Bike advocacy
Wed 11/4: Winter riding
Get 10% off your next accessory purchase at Ferris Wheels after you enroll
in a class. Call 617-524-BIKE to register.
All classes listed at http://www.ferriswheelsbikeshop.com/
Related Posts:This Is A Tragedy, Not Only Because Of What Happened, But Because It Could Have Been Prevented
This little girl is at her parents funeral, both of whom were killed when they were struck by a truck in Texas while riding a tandem. I look at this picture and frankly it brings me to tears, the row of cyclists like an honor guard and that tiny little bike pin on her dress makes me cry even as I write this. You can read the details on this story here.
As hard as it is to take a step back from such a visceral shock to our emotions as a situation like is I am going to try. This poor little girl is going to spend the rest of her life without a mother or father because of a crash that most likely could have been avoided. In popular language we call them Car accidents, or bike accidents, but in reality almost all crashes are avoidable. Either through better infrastructure, better upkeep of vehicles, better behavior, avoiding drunk driving, better choices etc. There is very little reason that we should ever have to read about people like that little girl.
If you drive a car, or know someone who drives a car you need to take a good hard look at that little girl. She is all alone, and will never grow up with the love of a mother or father, because a truck struck and killed both her parents. The driver of which is not being charged because the police claim he “lost control” of his truck. Which personally I don’t understand. I mean if you lose control of your vehicle and kill two other people isn’t it your fault no matter why you lost control? On top of that if the road had been designed for safer bicycle use it would have been harder for the truck to have struck the couple. If education would have been better drivers would have been more careful around cyclists. If this driver had been charged with vehicular homicide it would have sent a message to other drivers. If laws had been better the speed limit might have been lowered in this area… The list goes on and on, there are so many things that could have been done to make this situation come out different, I find it shocking that it be called an accident.
If you drive a car, and you find yourself honking at cyclists, driving close to them on purpose, harassing them, or even failing to pay attention while talking on your phone or making turns, you could be the cause of another picture like the one above. If you ride a bicycle and you run red lights, take unnecessary risks, and behave in an aggressive way you might also be to blame. But what both groups need to understand on a very deep level, is that most of these behaviors are driven by the absolutely inane desire to “get where you are going faster.”
Cars honk at cyclists, and endanger them so they can get to the next red light several seconds faster. Bikers run through intersections and blow past stop signs endangering themselves and pedestrians simply to get to the next stop several seconds faster. None of which makes any damn sense. Drivers honk at cyclists for “slowing them down” and cyclists hate this. Cyclists run red lights and drivers hate this. But the thing is all these behaviors are driven by the desire to go faster. The result of which is little girls with no parents.
And that is where I stop being even handed and start addressing only motorists. I am talking to the Monique Spencer’s of the world here. Several studies and a lot of personal experience has led me to conclude the vast majority or crashes are being caused by motorists failing to yield to cyclists when turning, opening doors into their path, and striking them when pulling out of driveways and side streets. You might get up in arms about the red light running, and the rest, but all the data seems to point to a very clear thing. Motorists kill cyclists because they fail to be safe around them.
It is going to be hard for motorists to accept this because they react in a visceral and illogical way to cyclists running red lights (yet another reason for cyclists to stop doing it), but the vast majority (in some studies as much as 90%) of crashes are caused by motorists. I have the following simple list of things that you can do as a motorist to make cyclists safer, and to save yourself the tragic consequences of killing someone.
- Before you make a right hand turn do your best to look behind and to the side of your vehicle to make sure no cyclists are there.
- When making a left turn remember that you have to YIELD to oncoming traffic, including but not limited to cyclists.
- Do not pass a cyclist then quickly turn in front of them.
- Before pulling out of a driveway or side street scan the sidewalk and the side of the road for cyclists IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. I know it is wrong but some Cyclists ride the wrong way down the street, and don’t always ride in the center of the lane where you might be looking.
- Before opening your door look behind you.
- The next time you are tempted to honk or harass a cyclist remember that they are a human being, and that even if they appear to be doing something wrong, killing them, or harming them will not help you go faster, or help them change behavior.
- SLOW DOWN. Speed is not a value, being late is not as bad as being a murderer, being slowed is not as bad as hurting someone, and being delayed for a couple of seconds is not as bad as being an asshole.
If all else fails take another look at that little girl, look into her eyes, and remember that everyone is someones mother or father or brother or sister or son or daughter…
Related Posts:Dear Pedestrian…
Dear Pedestrian:
When we locked eyes this morning I knew it was going to be magic. You looked at me, made a quick mental calculation as to just how to most endanger yourself, and walked out exactly when I wouldn’t have. Much to my joy and amazement though you did not lounge across the street like many other J-walkers would have. Not you sir! You huffed and puffed and moved your impressive bulk with the speed and agility of a gazelle.
While I was both impressed that a gentleman of your size could move with such ballerina like precision, might I suggest that next time you simply wait an extra 30 seconds until I have passed before entering the street illegally from between two parked cars.
Yours in walking,
Boston Biker
How To Use A Door Zone Bike Lane Part 2: Attack Of The Door Zone!
A while ago I wrote about how to use door zone bike lanes. In which I posited the following argument: Bike lanes are good because they draw out more cyclists, and if you are against door zone bike lanes you can either use them properly (as outlined in the article), use streets without bike lanes, or lobby for the removal of on street parking. For the most part no one disagreed with my arguments.
However, some of you responded, “But what about Columbus Ave!” The Columbus Ave. bike lanes are completely door zone (!!), or so some of you said. Being the person of science that I am, I decided to go investigate for myself.
First off I want to set the scene: Wednesday, mid-day. Slightly overcast, with a threat of rain, your typical October day in Boston. I rode down most of the bike lane on one side and did a bit of track back on the other, overall I covered most of the new bike lane.
I have to say that I was pretty shocked by how poor the enforcement was of parking the bike lane, I saw dozens (literally) of cars parked in the bike lane.
A fine example of taking up the entire bike lane! I wish a cop was around to issue you a ticket...hmmm
Yes I know it's a meals on wheels van, but come on there is a parking space RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU...can't you be bothered to pull in, at least the lights are on to warn people...if only a cop was around to fix this...
Yes Officer Car NUPD 18 was parked in a tow zone and had a good chunk of the car hanging out into the bike lane, something the rest of the people in front of him managed to avoid.
The other thing that seemed strange to me was that the bike lane came and went, replaced in portions with sharrows. For those not “in the know” sharrows, are street markings to indicate that cars are supposed to share the road with bikers (share arrows). These also seemed to be, umm lets say, poorly placed…
Here we have the classic 'twofer', we got the sharrow being PARKED ON, and behind that a car blocking the bike lane.
Another car parked directly in front of a sharrow.
That looks like a disaster waiting to happen, lets get a closer look...
Frankly I was appalled with just how much a disaster the sharrow placement seems to be…how is allowing parking OVER the sharrows (not to mention the rampant double parking) supposed to help bikers? I mean…why waist the paint? I think something must have gone wrong someplace because these don’t look like they are placed correctly, or the parking ordinance hasn’t been updated to remove on street parking in these locations…right? This couldn’t have been planed this way? Please someone tell me this was not the plan.
Ok but what about the first question. Is the entire bike lane on Columbus Ave. “in the door zone” as so many have claimed. Lets see.
Here is a good example of the bike lane width (ignore the giant pot hole for now), looks kind of dicey...looks pretty narrow...
It did look pretty narrow, I would estimate from the picture above that the door zone would be something like this.
But that wasn’t enough for me, I didn’t want “probably door zone” I was hunting for “actual door zone.” I needed some hard science, so I started asking people “hey can I take a picture of you with your door open?” A normal enough thing to ask people, right? And they were more than happy to help out. I want to make it clear, each of these people opened their door for me, at my request, they are all helpful nice people and were not trying to kill me. (I have highlighted “actual door zone” on each of these in red, the green would thus be the “non-door zone”)
Note: I added a bit more red to this because this guy had managed to get his car pretty far over, but as you can see you have room on the left.
But “that’s a car” you say, but “he is pulled way over” you say. What about a truck? Well I was lucky enough to run into this guy, who was very helpful and actually really nice.
As you can see even with a truck door there is still space on the left hand side for a biker. When I explained to this guy what I was doing he did something that really made me happy.
He got out his freaking measuring tape, seriously this is my kind of guy. Here is what he found.
It’s kind of hard to see, but there was 26 inches of clearance from the end of his door to the left of the white line.
So what does all this mean? Basically there are some serious problems with double parking and sharrow design on Columbus Ave. But the Columbus Ave. bike lane is NOT all door zone. It is narrow, but it most certainly is not all door zone. If you use the same strategy I suggest in my first post about door zone bike lanes you should be just fine. I would recommend you ride on the left white line when using this bike lane, if used in this way you will easily avoid opening doors.
I have talked to a lot of people and a large majority (almost all of them) want more bike lanes. The bike lanes might make them safer, they might not (I honestly don’t know) but what I do know is that painting bike lanes makes more people feel comfortable riding. And that is a very good thing. Clearly however poorly designed infrastructure (sharrows with parking on them?!) can lead to confusion and injury, but a “door zone” bike lane, even a narrow one like Columbus Ave. can be safely used if the people are educated. In a perfect world, all bike lanes would be wide as the street and no cars would be allowed to park near them. We of course do not live in a perfect world, so we deal with what we have. It is embarrassing how poorly laid out the sharrows are and how bad the double parking is on Columbus Ave. But that in no way makes the bike lane “all door zone” or unusable.
Because education is needed to use these facilities safely (you had to get educated to drive your car safely as well) and not everyone is going to read this blog, I suggest that for all door zone bike lanes a sign like this be posted.
Ride to the left people, stay out of the door zone!
Related Posts:Portland Police Safety Video
First Chicago, and now Portland, ummm Boston we need one of these…
Related Posts:
Act Now, Free Foliage Bike Tour Of Boston Parks!
BostonBiker is happy to be able to give you all a heads up on this fun offer, get in before the crowds do!
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Saturday, October 17th.
“Down 2 Earth(D2E) is happy to partner with Urban Adventours on a great bike ride during one of New England’s best seasons!
Discover Frederick Law Olmsted’s famous system of parks on this bicycle tour of the historic Emerald Necklace. From the shaded boulevard on Commonwealth Avenue to the popular shores of Jamaica Pond to the winding paths of the Arnold Arboretum, this chain of gardens, reserves, and open space displays some of the most colorful flora as the fall sets in. Come enjoy a route that’s a favorite among locals and the best way to see thegreen side of Boston.
The extensive tour, specifically designed to show you the best foliage in Boston, will ride along and through:
* Boston Common
* Boston Gardens
* Commonwealth Mall
* Fenway Victory Gardens
* Arnold Arboretum
* The Southwest Corridor
* And more!
Your tour includes an individually-fitted bike, helmet, water, and, of course, a friendly and knowledgeable guide who will lead you on your travels. The tour is 2.5-3 hours long and covers 10-12 miles. From the Charles River Esplanade to Jamaica Plain you will see the best of Boston’s foliage, by bicycle!
The tour is FREE, but space is limited to 20 reservations. To make a reservation, call (617) 670-0637.
For more information about Down 2 Earth, visit www.d2eboston.com
For more information on this tour and others by Urban Adventours visit www.urbanadventours.com
Related Posts:More Tweed Goodness
So how cool is this:
Massachusetts bicycle club circa 1888
Sweet tweed riders circa 2009 (aught 9 to those in the know)
For those interested in the route it was:
View Tweed Ride Boston in a larger map
Really this was a smashing good time, and will be attended next year, most definitely.
Related Posts:Boston Tweed Ride: Capital Idea Lads And Ladies, Capital Idea!
Wow, something like 100+ people showed up in their very finest attire for what was one of the most successful and fun rides I have done in a long time. Prizes, contests, fine tweed riding, and so much more. Bravo chaps, and ladies, capital ride!
If you didn’t get a chance to make it see below.
Related Posts:It’s The Little Things: Cambridge Going Nuts With Bike Infrastructure (And Photo Contest)
I have been riding around Cambridge lately and noticing a lot of new things going on. Potential new bike lanes on river street (although they come with some problems as the right hand side of the street is a shit show). The Mass. Ave. Bridge bike lanes have gotten a new coat of thermo plastic. The bike lanes on western ave look like they got a new coat of paint. It looks like the lanes got narrowed on prospect near Mass. Ave. and it also looks like they are putting in bike lanes there. Harvard square seems to be getting some new bike lanes. Various other bike lanes around town (Hampshire off Broadway, and various parts further north) seem to be getting re-painted, or parts that have worn off redone. Over all it looks like there are new bike lanes going in, old ones being fixed up, and a whole lot more. Thanks Cambridge. It is the little things that matter, and I congratulate you on keeping up the good work.
(Anyone that can take a picture of everything I just mentioned and send me the pics will get a prize, use the contact form to drop me a line and I will tell you where to email the pictures)
Related Posts:Recap: Getting Schooled AlleyCat
What do you do if you go through all the trouble of planning a race, getting prizes, getting cp workers, and all the rest and mother nature delivers a crap ton of rain…you race anyway! As the immortal Danny Rocks said “good luck y’all! Race it damnit, even if it is damp. wet racing builds character!” Boy was he right, a lot of character was built last Sunday.
A group of 20 or so damp (it hadn’t started pouring yet) riders assembled at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, ready to get racing. As soon as the manifests were handed out, the sky opened up in a show of anger. About an hour later and 25 miles later my manifest was a sloppy damp rag, with vague ink spots on it that were once signatures. But boy was it fun.
Drafting behind anyone without full fenders meant you got a face full of road water (with bonus road grit!), I nearly ate shit on several utility hole covers, and there was more than one frantic skid as the brakes failed to stop in the rain….but boy was it fun. I don’t think I have ever had so much fun riding around in the rain, and the fact that everyone was suffering together meant that everyone was having a good time.
After the race we went back to someones house, and a mass striping down to skivys followed by a mad dash for whatever dry cloths we could find. All of our shoes went into the dryer, along with all of our wet cloths (which by the way means that nothing got dry). When the dryer was turned on it sounded like a rock tumbler. As we sat drying off the room soon filled with a jungle like atmosphere as a bunch of very warm and very wet rider started to create a lot of water vapor.
The awards party was at The Otherside Cafe on the patio (in the rain) and a good time was had by all. You can find pictures of the after after after party here.
Overall this was a great event, no one got hurt, everyone got drenched, and it all ended in smiles! A+ would do again.
Related Posts:How To Use A Door Zone Bike Lane
Many times when people start talking about bike lanes, some cyclist in the back pipes up and says “yea but they are no good cause you are in the door zone!!!!11!1!” These people area almost allways confident experienced cyclists. They have no problem ridding down any road. But to a brand new rider, or to people thinking about riding (you know the people currently in cars that we would love to see on a bike) the bike lane offers the promise of “safer” biking. Bike lanes on the street might be just that little extra that gets them riding.
We could argue all day and night (and a lot of people do) about bike lanes, and if they make you safer, but really that isn’t the point. The point is people don’t “feel safe”, you can argue all day and night about that, but no amount of logic or well thought out study is going to make people “feel” different. Many people need an actual physical “something” to make them feel safer, if a little stripe of white paint will do that, well then by god paint some white stripes on the ground! If hanging waffles around their neck made them feel safer I would do it…I want to see more people out on the streets on bicycles, and less people in cars.
Experienced cyclists fail to realize that they would be driving down the same exact street even if there was no bike lane on it. They also fail to realize that bike lanes are to keep cars OUT not to keep bikes IN. Let me say that again…bike lanes are to keep cars out, not to keep bikes in.
You are allowed to leave a bike lane whenever you want. In fact you are encouraged to leave the bike lane for safety, or if you want to make a left hand turn, or if you see some debris in the bike lane, or if you want to pass a slower rider, or some jerk pulled half into the bike lane, or if someone is getting out of their car, or if someone looks like they might be getting out of their car, or if a pedestrian is walking out, or…well you get the idea.
Boston and surrounding towns are absolutely in love with on street parking, and it is very unlikely that they will fall out of love anytime soon, so here is how you use a “door zone” bike lane. By door zone I mean, “the area by which an opening car door would cause a biker to be struck by said opening door.” An easy way to find out if you are in the door zone is to ask yourself the following question “if that car door opened would I run into it?” If the answer is “yes” you are in the door zone.
Here is an example of a typical bike lane in this area.
So let me clarify where the door zone is.
and here is where I personally would ride in this bike lane.
Right away new cyclists are going to balk at this suggestion, stating something like
“But how can being over on the left hand side with the moving cars be safer than over on the right near the parked cars, surely moving cars are more dangerous than parked ones!”
I would respond them by saying that while this might seem true, it isn’t. Parked cars have a nasty habit of sprouting doors, and pedestrians like to sneak out between them. If you ride in a nice straight line (this is actually really important), and are predictable (signal your turns, stop at red lights etc), being on the left hand side of the bike lane allows cars to plan for what you are going to do. They will move over a bit, go past you, then continue on there way. It might seem loud, as cars often give it some gas to get past you faster, but they are not being malicious they are just trying to get by.
You are going to have to trust me on this, but having two predictable vehicles (car and bike) interacting in a predictable and planned way (bike stays in a straight line, car moves over slightly passes then resumes position) is MUCH MUCH safer, than a car door randomly opening and breaking your face, collar bone, or worse. People get tossed into traffic and run over by doors opening, people swerve into cars and are run over when doors open. There is no easy way to predict when a car door will open, and getting doored is horrific (even at low speed) so the best method of dealing with it is to STAY OUT OF THE DOOR ZONE.
Imagine would would happen to this person if the car in front of them opened the door…
Would they end up under the wheels of that truck?
You can see that the truck has moved over to go past the cyclist ahead of the one closed to me (click the image for the bigger version). The person in the foreground is smack in the door zone. You will also notice that they would be just fine (even with this wide truck) and have plenty of space if they were on the left hand side of the lane. It would take some getting used to but by moving over to the left they would avoid the door zone, and still have plenty of space to use the bike lane. Giving them the best of both worlds the safety (perceived or actual) of the bike lane, without the danger (real) of the door zone.
It took me a couple of weeks of riding to get comfortable with the feeling of being on the left hand side of the lane. But in that couple of weeks more than a few people opened their doors in front of me and I never had to swerve into traffic, or even really make any avoidance maneuver at all. Being on the far left of the bike lane has saved my skin more times than I can count.
So the next time you hear someone complaining about bike lanes because they have parked cars next to them simply explain to them that they are allowed to leave the bike lane, and that the far left of the bike lane is the safest place for them to be. If they are not happy with that tell them to lobby for the removal of on street parking, or perhaps ride down streets without bike lanes on them.
How To Use A Door Zone Bike Lane
Many times when people start talking about bike lanes, some cyclist in the back pipes up and says “yea but they are no good cause you are in the door zone!!!!11!1!” These people area almost allways confident experienced cyclists. They have no problem ridding down any road. But to a brand new rider, or to people thinking about riding (you know the people currently in cars that we would love to see on a bike) the bike lane offers the promise of “safer” biking. Bike lanes on the street might be just that little extra that gets them riding.
We could argue all day and night (and a lot of people do) about bike lanes, and if they make you safer, but really that isn’t the point. The point is people don’t “feel safe”, you can argue all day and night about that, but no amount of logic or well thought out study is going to make people “feel” different. Many people need an actual physical “something” to make them feel safer, if a little stripe of white paint will do that, well then by god paint some white stripes on the ground! If hanging waffles around their neck made them feel safer I would do it…I want to see more people out on the streets on bicycles, and less people in cars.
Experienced cyclists fail to realize that they would be driving down the same exact street even if there was no bike lane on it. They also fail to realize that bike lanes are to keep cars OUT not to keep bikes IN. Let me say that again…bike lanes are to keep cars out, not to keep bikes in.
You are allowed to leave a bike lane whenever you want. In fact you are encouraged to leave the bike lane for safety, or if you want to make a left hand turn, or if you see some debris in the bike lane, or if you want to pass a slower rider, or some jerk pulled half into the bike lane, or if someone is getting out of their car, or if someone looks like they might be getting out of their car, or if a pedestrian is walking out, or…well you get the idea.
Boston and surrounding towns are absolutely in love with on street parking, and it is very unlikely that they will fall out of love anytime soon, so here is how you use a “door zone” bike lane. By door zone I mean, “the area by which an opening car door would cause a biker to be struck by said opening door.” An easy way to find out if you are in the door zone is to ask yourself the following question “if that car door opened would I run into it?” If the answer is “yes” you are in the door zone.
Here is an example of a typical bike lane in this area.
So let me clarify where the door zone is.
and here is where I personally would ride in this bike lane.
Right away new cyclists are going to balk at this suggestion, stating something like
“But how can being over on the left hand side with the moving cars be safer than over on the right near the parked cars, surely moving cars are more dangerous than parked ones!”
I would respond them by saying that while this might seem true, it isn’t. Parked cars have a nasty habit of sprouting doors, and pedestrians like to sneak out between them. If you ride in a nice straight line (this is actually really important), and are predictable (signal your turns, stop at red lights etc), being on the left hand side of the bike lane allows cars to plan for what you are going to do. They will move over a bit, go past you, then continue on there way. It might seem loud, as cars often give it some gas to get past you faster, but they are not being malicious they are just trying to get by.
You are going to have to trust me on this, but having two predictable vehicles (car and bike) interacting in a predictable and planned way (bike stays in a straight line, car moves over slightly passes then resumes position) is MUCH MUCH safer, than a car door randomly opening and breaking your face, collar bone, or worse. People get tossed into traffic and run over by doors opening, people swerve into cars and are run over when doors open. There is no easy way to predict when a car door will open, and getting doored is horrific (even at low speed) so the best method of dealing with it is to STAY OUT OF THE DOOR ZONE.
Imagine would would happen to this person if the car in front of them opened the door…
Would they end up under the wheels of that truck?
You can see that the truck has moved over to go past the cyclist ahead of the one closed to me (click the image for the bigger version). The person in the foreground is smack in the door zone. You will also notice that they would be just fine (even with this wide truck) and have plenty of space if they were on the left hand side of the lane. It would take some getting used to but by moving over to the left they would avoid the door zone, and still have plenty of space to use the bike lane. Giving them the best of both worlds the safety (perceived or actual) of the bike lane, without the danger (real) of the door zone.
It took me a couple of weeks of riding to get comfortable with the feeling of being on the left hand side of the lane. But in that couple of weeks more than a few people opened their doors in front of me and I never had to swerve into traffic, or even really make any avoidance maneuver at all. Being on the far left of the bike lane has saved my skin more times than I can count.
So the next time you hear someone complaining about bike lanes because they have parked cars next to them simply explain to them that they are allowed to leave the bike lane, and that the far left of the bike lane is the safest place for them to be. If they are not happy with that tell them to lobby for the removal of on street parking, or perhaps ride down streets without bike lanes on them.
Related Posts:Boston Announces Plan For Upcoming Bike Lanes!
Got this in the email….seems that Boston is running cycling as fast as it can to catch up with more bike friendly cities like New York and Cambridge.
I for one am very impressed with the amount of effort they have put in over the last couple months. The problem was how far behind we started. If they can keep up this level of infrastructure improvement in a couple years Boston will be a pretty kick ass town to ride a bike in! Huzzah to the city, and huzzah to keeping up this pace!
Interesting things to note about this press release
“bike network currently being designed” and “This project is part of a greater project to create a complete network, with accessibility to existing facilities in the network including the South West Corridor and Arnold Arboretum.” = WEEEE! A bike grand plan yes, we have needed one of these for a long time, lets hope they involve the local neighborhood bike groups and MassBike, Livable Streets and others in the planning.
“At the northern end, 12 on-street parking spaces will be removed between Arboretum Way and Ukraine Way” = YIPPY! I have come to the conclusion that on street parking is a bane to everyone (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and businesses) anytime we can kill a couple is a good time.
Press release below.
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Mayor Menino’s Boston Bikes to install bike accommodations on Belgrade, Corinth, South and Washington Streets
What are bike lanes?
Bike lanes are sections of road designated for exclusive use by cyclists.
What are shared lanes?
Shared lanes are sections of roadway designated to be shared between bikes and cars. A bike symbol is added, but no lines to indicate an exclusive bike lane. These are often used when there is not sufficient space for a dedicated bike lane.
Why install bike lanes?
Belgrade, Corinth, South and Washington Streets are important parts of the bike network currently being designed by the City. These roads in particular, help cyclists traveling between West Roxbury, Roslindale, Forest Hills and ultimately downtown Boston. It is only fitting to make this road as safe as possible, for all users.
What about safety?
Bike lanes are proven to make the roads safer for all users. They do so in the following ways: Provide guidance for vehicles wishing to pass cyclists; Designate safe riding zone for cyclists; Encourage cars to drive at slower, safer speeds; Encourage cyclists to bicycle more respectfully and predictably; Reduce the number of cyclists biking on the sidewalk; Make pedestrians and vehicles more aware of cyclists.
What are the project limits and scope?
The City will install bike accommodations on Belgrade, from West Roxbury Parkway to South Street; on South Street from Belgrade to Washington; on Washington from south Street to the Forest Hills T and Corinth, from Belgrade to Washington. This project is part of a greater project to create a complete network, with accessibility to existing facilities in the network including the South West Corridor and Arnold Arboretum.
What is involved with installation?
Work will take place over 1-3 days, in October, typically between 7 AM and 3 PM. Parked cars may need to be temporarily removed.
Will parking be impacted?
With the exception of the northern end of the project, parking will not be impacted by the bike lanes. At the northern end, 12 on-street parking spaces will be removed between Arboretum Way and Ukraine Way. Impacts are anticipated to be minimal as off-street parking is generally available in this area.
Will traffic be impacted?
In general, traffic will not be impacted by this project. Changes are proposed between Arboretum Way and the Ukraine Way. Currently Washington Street operates as two lanes southbound from the Forest Hills Orange Line station to just north of Arboretum Way where it becomes one lane southbound. To accommodate bike lanes in this area, the lane switch from two lanes to one will be moved north as the center southbound lane at Ukraine will become a left turn only lane and one southbound lane will be provided south of this point.
Contact Nicole Freedman, Bike Programs Director, 617-918-4456,
nicole.freedman.bra@cityofboston.gov
Boston Bikes is part of Mayor Menino’s vision for a vibrant and healthy city that benefits all its citizens. It seeks to make Boston a world-class bicycling city by creating safe and inviting conditions for all.
Related Posts:17th Annual Tour Of Somerville
Got the following in the email, looks like a good time!
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Join the Somerville Bicycle Committee for our 17th annual fall Tour de Somerville. This year’s theme is “Somerville: City of Seven (Or More) Hills”.
We’ll meet on Saturday, October 17 at 10 am at Seven Hills Park (behind the Holland Street T entrance in Davis Square), leaving promptly at 10:15.
Our ride will be approximately 11 miles, and visit each of Somerville’s hills, both those that still exist and those that have been removed. Riders should wear helmets and be prepared for hill climbs and descents. We will make brief stops at the tops of most hills so that riders stay together as a group, but we won’t have extended history lectures or speeches.
The Somerville Police will escort the ride on bicycles, and Redbones will provide refreshments at the halfway point.
For more info (and a list of hills), visit http://somervillebikes.org/events.html . A route map is at http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/312795 , and a cue
sheet at http://www.bikely.com/cuesheet/route/312795 .
If it rains, we’ll try again the next day, same time and location.
Related Posts:Who Are These Goofballs
Metrotuned: Geekhouse x Igleheart from metrotuned on Vimeo.
Could it be Marty Walsh from Geekhouse. If you haven’t checked them out yet, you so should.
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