tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post4364406893698706593..comments2024-03-28T18:57:15.124-06:00Comments on Wash Park Prophet: Bikes Belong On SidewalksAndrew Oh-Willekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537151821869153861noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post-82016543676665784282010-06-24T06:15:23.828-06:002010-06-24T06:15:23.828-06:00I'll agree with Michael on all his points. I ...I'll agree with Michael on all his points. I used to commute from Wash Park to the Tech Center also, and found my biggest challenge to be dealing with fast traffic on Evans -- that being the best way to cross I-25 on days when I came from DU.<br /><br />Andrew, you seem to be coming at this from a view that cycling on bike paths and sidewalks is safer than on streets. No study that I am aware of has proven this. <br /><br />Bicycle lanes & paths are put in place in the name of bike safety, but many are created at the behest of auto & highway interests who just want bicycles out of the way. They sometimes contribute to poor cycling habits, which don't help cyclists once they get off the trail.<br /><br />I would urge you to read John Forester's excellent book, "Effective Cycling". He is a planning engineer who is considered the father of the vehicular cycling concept. His research suggests that cyclists who ride on roads with cars make better choices and end up being safer. He has a very informative website at http://www.johnforester.com<br /><br />I endeavor to bike more than drive most of the time, and have found that if I behave in a more vehicle-like way, motorists generally treat me that way. IMHO, most cyclists who are reluctant to ride in traffic have never learned how.<br /><br />Bike Denver offers a very good course called Traffic Skills 101. It is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. Having commuted by bike for years, I thought I wouldn't learn anything new when I took the course last December. I was wrong -- I learned a lot, and highly recommend it to anyone.BSRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466735916045536836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post-36083845058865118452010-06-23T17:19:04.813-06:002010-06-23T17:19:04.813-06:00While I don't see the value of ticketing bicyc...While I don't see the value of ticketing bicyclists, the safety of riding on sidewalks is overrated. The right-of-way with respect to cars at intersections is confusing, and visbility of bicycles to car drivers is poor.<br /><br />I used to ride 1000 miles per year from 1992-2002, and frequently advocated for bicycle accommodations.<br /><br /><br />I limit myself to roads signed for 35 MPH or less. And I ride on sidewalks only when there are no intersections -- either "within a block" or on a dedicated trail like Cherry Creek or Platte River. By sticking to low-speed roads, I am able to avoid the intersection dangers posed by sidewalk riding.<br /><br />I avoid high-speed roads by identifying parallel low-speed roads, even if some additional distance is involved. Parallel routes are plentiful in and near Denver, due to Denver's extensive grid. It's more difficult in the suburbs.<br /><br />The biggest needs for bicycle infrastructure are bridges over major linear barriers: Interstates, railroads, and rivers. In some cases, bridges exist but they disallow bicycles. For example, when I bicycle to work from Wash Park to the Tech Center, I cross I-225 by way of the pedestrian bridge at the Dayton Light Rail station. It's not permitted without a light rail ticket, but I do it anyway. There are a bevy of such RTD bridges that could be opened up to bicycle use, especially across I-25 for those who live in Littleton and Greenwood Village and work in the Tech Center. It would cost practically nothing to implement -- just a web site where bicyclists could apply for bridge passes.<br /><br />For city riding, "vehicular cycling" is safest, where the bicycle follows the regular rules of the road. And in the city it's trivially easy to find parallel routes to busy roads. No special accommodations are needed, except for more bicycle bridges across I-25, the Platte River, and the BNSF tracks.Michael Malakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10007582156392845677noreply@blogger.com