A tale of a bike lane

[Dirtyhip]

It was decided that a few of our streets would have a protected bike path installed to increase health and safety for riders.  What they did was narrow the street for the two way traffic and used the excess to give us a protected bike lane.  Great idea, right?  Locals are all pissed and even one of our long standing council members penned this childish letter to the editor.  The writer is an older guy.  He thinks that bikes are toys and don't belong on the road.  He refuses anything progressive.  This is the letter:

https://www.heraldandnews.com/members/forum/letters/spandex-mafia-arrives-in-klamath-falls/article_837b9ae0-dc76-5f2c-a0b3-e91feaac90be.html

The comments are the usual to be expected.  No one wants to slow down to protect our lives.  

[shootingstar]

58 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

It was decided that a few of our streets would have a protected bike path installed to increase health and safety for riders.  What they did was narrow the street for the two way traffic and used the excess to give us a protected bike lane.  Great idea, right?  Locals are all pissed and even one of our long standing council members penned this childish letter to the editor.  The writer is an older guy.  He thinks that bikes are toys and don't belong on the road.  He refuses anything progressive.  This is the letter:

https://www.heraldandnews.com/members/forum/letters/spandex-mafia-arrives-in-klamath-falls/article_837b9ae0-dc76-5f2c-a0b3-e91feaac90be.html

The comments are the usual to be expected.  No one wants to slow down to protect our lives.  

What has helped.....slightly in our city is our Transportation Dept. did instill counter equipment in the pavement at different points to demonstrate use of bike lane.  Anyone can go on the internet and see the statistics. It demands that the local cycling advocacy groups mount a sustatained campaign effort to educate the public, etc. 

The intent in some road areas IS to slow down some car traffic.....our Transport. Dept. is also trying to respond to neighbourhoods who are furious with fast moving cars that exceed the speed limit in their area which has resulted in deaths/injuries.  Such neighbourhoods have demanded for controls to slow down local traffic.

[maddmaxx ★]

Part of the problem is also at the root of democracy.  One has to measure the numbers of people served on both sides of any equation and realize that they all get a vote.  Sometimes great ideas come at the expense of others.  For example, almost every time someone tries to bring in a new industrial complex that would benefit our town's tax base and employment, those who live near the proposed site vote the "not in my back yard" ticket.

There is a balance to everything, but not everything is in balance.

Sometimes just the opposite happens and an environmental regulation is passed that costs jobs and business opportunity.

One thing is a constant.  Very few things will please everyone.

[donkpow]

I rather prefer a "share the road" ethos. It's easier to garner wide spread support, IMO. I think a lot of the infrastructure changes for cyclists that are occurring are more or less a money grab. Federal highway money is available if you add improvements for bikes. I'm pretty sure @Razors Edge will back me up when I say these "improvements" along with gov't supported 'rent-a-bike' programs are a huge waste of taxpayer money.

[Square Wheels]

I like that they are putting barriers.  In Boston, a former mayor was so proud of all the bike lanes he put in, miles and miles of them.  Nothing more than simple painted lines, when they were convenient, otherwise, you were simply forced into traffic.

[Razors Edge ★]

56 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

It was decided that a few of our streets would have a protected bike path installed to increase health and safety for riders.  What they did was narrow the street for the two way traffic and used the excess to give us a protected bike lane.  Great idea, right?  Locals are all pissed and even one of our long standing council members penned this childish letter to the editor.  The writer is an older guy.  He thinks that bikes are toys and don't belong on the road.  He refuses anything progressive.  This is the letter:

https://www.heraldandnews.com/members/forum/letters/spandex-mafia-arrives-in-klamath-falls/article_837b9ae0-dc76-5f2c-a0b3-e91feaac90be.html

The comments are the usual to be expected.  No one wants to slow down to protect our lives.   

Are you having pizza tonight?  Pick up some bumper stickers for the group.

---------------------------

David Scott:

This is amazing. And so.....I have designed and ordered "Spandex Mafia" bumper stickers. They should arrive later next week. You can get yours (free, of course) at Rodeos Pizza & Saladeria. I'll put a screenshot on the Rodeos Pizza facebook page too. I have used the new bike lane probably 15 times since it opened. It's close to my home and my business. It's safe and fun and a huge improvement for our neighborhood with minimal impacts for driving (just slow down, y'all). Such a great move for K.Falls and we're already seeing more and more usage only a couple weeks after the opening! So proud of Klamath Falls!

---------------------------

Tom

[shootingstar]

34 minutes ago, donkpow said:

I rather prefer a "share the road" ethos. It's easier to garner wide spread support, IMO. I think a lot of the infrastructure changes for cyclists that are occurring are more or less a money grab. Federal highway money is available if you add improvements for bikes. I'm pretty sure @Razors Edge will back me up when I say these "improvements" along with gov't supported 'rent-a-bike' programs are a huge waste of taxpayer money.

I don't support taxpayer supported programs for bikeshare.  YOu might be able to convince for lst yr....but that's it.  Our city will get a bikeshare program....dockless.  I seriously question how this will be used on a wide scale...our city (1.2 million people) is still heavily suburbabn sprawl where it cycling infrastructure is weak.  It's better in the inner city area...in a skeletal way.  A liveable community is literally being to walk iwthin 15 min. safely to key services, a few shops. 

I DO believe the transportation dept. must work with local planning and development dept. on long term plans that accommodate design of communities for walking, transit and cycling in addition cars....so that whole communities aren't car dependent..  The developers don't give a SHIT....they just want money in their pockets and to hell with surburban sprawl.

[shootingstar]

It shocked me last weekend, when I went cycling with dearie on the fringes of our prairie city.  Many new neighbourhoods highly car dependent and more agricultural land ploughed under.  We did way too much cycling just to get from 1 neighbourhood to another and whole swaths of wasteful, ugly strip malls that don't invite people to walk nor cycle. THis is not designing neighbourhoods for long term health of residents.

And ridiculously wide residential streets in quiet, new neighbourhoods that were 4 lanes and with houses with garages.  Waste of money and VERY costly for a municipality to maintain in terms of snowploughing, etc.  building and maintain water uitlities undground for single family dwelling homes.

 

[Razors Edge ★]

And please look into this one for me!  I am willing to put up $100 or maybe a $1,000 if this dude will take my bet on someone getting killed.  I'll even give him 2:1?  I can't control idiots in cars, so the increase in traffic "crime" would be sort of unrelated to the bet.

---------------------------------------

Ed Medina

I have a running bet that someone is killed on there within the first 6 months. That is, if anyone ever uses it.
Also in that bet is that traffic accidents on that strip, increase dramatically. I believe they already have. I have to say i agree in full with mr. Adams on this one. Except one part. Its not the spandex mafia. Its the sky lakes/blue zones mafia that controls this town. Completely. Including the city council and county commissioners.
Not a crap given about the wishes of the people. Only those who donate to the projects. Times are changing though. Some people are awake and aware. And making plans for change...

[donkpow]

Planners involved with existing cities have a tough job in making change to include non-motorized conveyance. I live in a suburb with 4 grocery stores within 5 miles. Each of the grocery stores is situated on a major thoroughfare. Even the small mom and pop grocery store is on a 4 lane street. It's the way the stores want it, easy in/out for the largest number of customers. The trouble is that people who are not into cycling would never take a bike to any of those stores from where I live, even if they would be better served by riding a bike. There is no 'safe' route to any of them.

[maddmaxx ★]

Unfortunately I've seen planning done poorly.  Around Mashpee MA the planners put in protected bike lanes on a few of the busy streets.  They didn't ride bikes so what they built were elevated sidewalks with sharp curbs above the side of the street.  In many cases they straddled the phone pole line so there was a little half circle around each pole.  They were just narrow enough that you had to be on the very edge to pass an oncoming bike and worst of all they gave up the right of way at each cross street and driveway.  Nobody rides on them.  They became the property of walkers as the bikes are back in the street sharing a narrower road.

IMO if it's a busy road, high speed or multiple lanes I'd like to have a separate bike lane with protection and barriers to keep people from parking or double parking for deliveries in the lane.  If they are quieter roads I'd rather share them.

 

[dinneR ★]

We had the same thing here. The road had a painted bike lane. As an experiment they put up bollards. People complained how the driving lane was narrowed. The fact is they still had the same paint on the street but the bollards gave the impression of wider lanes. The bike lane did not expand one inch. People complain about change. Ignore it. The alternative is more cars on the streets adding to congestion.

I'd recommend Pedaling Revolution.