How's the bike infrastructure where you ride?

[stompandgo]

The quintessential American 'bike lane battle' is underway -- the Chesapeake Bay Bridge proposed re-do connecting Maryland's Eastern and Western Shores. Current status: no bike access. In a recent internet skirmish: 'My tax dollars shouldn't fund your hobby,' or 'you think you can get out of paying tolls.' In fact: EZPASS is required for cyclists on the Hatem (US40, Susquehanna River) Bridge, currently Sundays-only for bikes. MD MTA is required by law to collect a toll eastbound for all vehicles, not just cars. Facts are terrible things!

Interesting. EZPass for bikes? Who would have thought that was possible.

We are having the same battle here over the new bridges to Cape Cod. One side wants bike lanes, the other doesn't. One of the current bridges has an elevated 8 foot wide sidewalk. That's good enough for me. Why take away motor vehicle lane space when all it does is piss drivers off and get abused? The other problem with a bike lane is that by adding it, they want to have traffic flow on-Cape on one bridge and off-Cape on the other. They will be separated by about 3 miles. That's a disaster in my mind. The way it works now, drivers coming from the west (RI, CT, MA, NYC, PA, FL, etc.) use the western most bridge, and those coming from the northeast (Boston, NH, ME, etc.) use the eastern most bridge. It will cause all sorts of traffic issues. One thing's for sure, our governor will not pass up the opportunity to e-toll these bridges. What that means for residents, I don't know.

 

[Art Deco]

An urban planner who rides bikes wrote this.

American cities have a hoarding problem

There are some practical ways to reclaim the public realm so it isn't crammed with too much of something that's underused.

open.substack.com

 

[stompandgo]

It's a good take. Out here on the Cape, we are not a city per se, but 220,000 of us live here year round. That population triples for the six weeks during the high season, so we have a lot of the same problems that the article focuses on. I also live in the historic district, which was designed for horses, not cars. Even the more modern buildings that have been put up recently have limited parking compared to the historic shops. Not having enough parking, by design or by historic precedent, creates different issues.

There is a coffee shop in the historic district a bit over a mile away from my house. They created and patented a marshmallow latte that some dumbass TikTokker turned into a viral sensation. Now there's lines out the door all day, and a traffic and parking disaster at times. The other shops around the coffee shop are pissed because they suck up all of their parking spaces, severely affecting their business. There is no way to design around things like this. Maybe CCRTA should start a latte bus route. Cycling on that road is a deathwish.

 

[stompandgo]

I don't drink coffee, so I couldn't tell you. I'm sure it's all about the TikTok crap and taking a selfie having one outside the shop. The owner is local and is a very nice lady who has built her business up with a line of hot sauces, dips, bake mixes, and stuff like that which are co-packed and distributed. I'm sure that she is a multimillionaire just from that alone. She used to be a bigwig at a major US food company.

I hate TikTok and the TikTok culture.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I don't drink coffee

Wait, a serious roadie who doesn't drink coffee?? Is that even legal?

 

[stompandgo]

Tea. Coffee upsets my stomach.

 

[Watana Bob]

Wait, a serious roadie who doesn't drink coffee?? Is that even legal?

My son in law doesn't drink coffee but he pounds down Red Bull then goes out for a 150-mile ride, non e bike, while my registered dietitian daughter barks at him that his heart is going to explode. I guess everybody has their vice.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I guess everybody has their vice.

Why stop with just one?

 

[stompandgo]

My son in law doesn't drink coffee but he pounds down Red Bull then goes out for a 150-mile ride, non e bike, while my registered dietitian daughter barks at him that his heart is going to explode. I guess everybody has their vice.

GenX?

 

[dblhelix]

Interesting. EZPass for bikes? Who would have thought that was possible.

We are having the same battle here over the new bridges to Cape Cod. One side wants bike lanes, the other doesn't. One of the current bridges has an elevated 8 foot wide sidewalk. That's good enough for me. Why take away motor vehicle lane space when all it does is piss drivers off and get abused? The other problem with a bike lane is that by adding it, they want to have traffic flow on-Cape on one bridge and off-Cape on the other. They will be separated by about 3 miles. That's a disaster in my mind. The way it works now, drivers coming from the west (RI, CT, MA, NYC, PA, FL, etc.) use the western most bridge, and those coming from the northeast (Boston, NH, ME, etc.) use the eastern most bridge. It will cause all sorts of traffic issues. One thing's for sure, our governor will not pass up the opportunity to e-toll these bridges. What that means for residents, I don't know.

Yes, bikes pay the $8 2-axle toll eastbound. Since MD's tolls are 100% electronic, it's EZPASS or mail a check to MD MTA in ... Philadelphia. Make it make sense!

What do bikes do now to get to Cape Cod? Are you referring to the Sagamore Bridge sidewalk? That's doable. The CBB is over 4 miles long with no bike/ped access and no reasonable detour option.

 

[Chazmo]

My son in law doesn't drink coffee but he pounds down Red Bull then goes out for a 150-mile ride, non e bike, while my registered dietitian daughter barks at him that his heart is going to explode. I guess everybody has their vice.

I actually was going to do the laugh emoji on this, but that’s actually a serious concern, Bob. Does the guy carry some drink(s) when he rides with electrolytes at least? If he’s really out doing huge rides without some carbs in his system, he might be hurting himself. Just thinking out loud, buddy.

 

[stompandgo]

Yes, bikes pay the $8 2-axle toll eastbound. Since MD's tolls are 100% electronic, it's EZPASS or mail a check to MD MTA in ... Philadelphia. Make it make sense!

What do bikes do now to get to Cape Cod? Are you referring to the Sagamore Bridge sidewalk? That's doable. The CBB is over 4 miles long with no bike/ped access and no reasonable detour option.

Both the existing Bourne and Sagamore bridges have elevated sidewalks, but the Sagamore sidewalk is wider. I'm all for safer bike access, just not at the expense of motor vehicle traffic as in dedicated bike lanes on these bridges taking a lane.

The idea of one way bridges, except in the case of an emergency, makes zero sense. I was at a local brewery with friends last night and we got into a spirited discussion about the topic. Neither of us are going to have our homes taken, but we are both residents and will be affected. He thought that by adding flyovers on both sides that local traffic could be separated from the rest, and that one-ways could work. I say that with one ways, some number of travelers get screwed.

 

[Watana Bob]

GenX?

Gen Y, millennials

 

[Watana Bob]

Does the guy carry some drink(s) when he rides with electrolytes at least?

Yes he rides with all the fancy gels and electrolytes, plus picks up Subway sandwiches along the way. He reminds me of Rab only on an acoustic bike, 100 plus miles with 7000+ feet of climbing. He does use the sugar free Red Bull and only carries a couple with him on rides.

 

[Watana Bob]

He's a "Rambo" till he isn't,I would bet that he is a moody fellow( been around some of these guys,controlled explosion till its not)

Not moody at all. He's a great guy, goes out of his way to help complete strangers, always willing to lend a hand. I could not have wished for a better son in law.

 

[Art Deco]

Well, it's not really infrastructure, but I switch my iv drip from coffee to beer around lunchtime, but use water only when riding.

 

[Art Deco]

A speed and impact visualization. Attempt to link ...

ArtDeco (@artdeco)

Very good illustration. I will add that age multiples the potential damage by a similar factor. Roughly speaking, while a 20 year old might recover quicklya 40 mph crash today, a 40 year old can suffer death or permanent disability from a 20 mph crash. Visualize a grandma climbing that ladder …

substack.com

 

[Underdog]

I'm in PA and where I live it is a rural setting, no bike lanes or bike infrastructure of any kind. If you visit the larger cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburg, or Reading there are some bike lanes through out. Where I live we have a few rails to trails paved or smooth bike paths, that's it. I do almost all of my riding on back country roads early in the morning before the cars get out there. I don't visit any of the larger cities as I fear I might not make it back alive, Sad but True.

 

[Art Deco]

I also live in rural PA, where the best/only riding is often the county roads whitch rarely have a shoulder even as wide as my handlebars. And of course, crumbling edges without even a painted line remaining. The pickups don't mind that, and the horse and buggy folks don't vote anyway.
Both sides of intown streets are for car parking, noone looks before opening car doors. I've become a back alley cruiser.

 

[CanNik]

Aberystwyth, Wales (the REAL Wales, UK)

Perfect cycle ways, paths, routs.