Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Riding a Bike in America Should Not Be This Dangerous https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/...cVOLL9K3Mjf8n9grYXAg94PXoZHue7a1c3a8JjMv45kno
How to improve bike and pedestrian safety
- Thread starter Alaskan
- Start date
tomjasz
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Minnesnowta
The Minnesota city I live in created a 4 lane street through the middle of town. It became a speedway and a dangerous street to cross. Numerous pedestrian hits and kills lead to obtaining grants for a new "road diet" with bicycle lanes and pedestrian signals. The local asshats booted the council supporting it and voted in dullards that haven't walked across a busy street or ridden a bike in decades. And so we continue to deal with the mean streets.
chunk
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Not to mention, fast, clean, safe, 21st century public transportation that is accessible by everyone, including people who don't reside in major cities. I would love to hop on a maglev train or other modern type train and bebop to S.F. for the weekend, and be able to catch a train locally.
yes. definitely. I can't imagine happily living anywhere without transit options.
chunk
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
I think in California, the die was cast by the corrupt powers to be when they did away with the Red Cars and influenced everyone to buy a car. We here are hopelessly addicted to our cars and any talk of public transportation is quickly shot down. Very depressing but I try to do my part, mostly ride e bike and motorbikes, but I still can't live without my truck at times. The distances are just too far between in California with no good public transportation options.
To me it is depressing to read about alternative to car solutions being implemented in Warshington, but it is actually only to be done in the Puget Sound area. Then, (and I have to get political, sorry) the Governor and others wonder why they are disparaged so much in the outlying areas of the state. Or, and I really think this is it, don't care.
An example--the "bullet train" which is proposed to run between Seattle and Portland. For the cost of this thing perhaps that money could be spent on restoring or providing good rail and bus service to the less populated areas. Where I live, we could have train access to the main lines because the tracks are there and they get used a bit by a freight train. A once or twice a day run to Wenatchee? Where there is Amtrak service? How about that?
Cars are always the priority. I'm thinking most people can't think otherwise and will fight against any different planning. It sounds like the town of Wenatchee, which has a great bike trail that is a big loop along the Columbia River and then also accesses two state parks with camping, is going to lose part of it to another car route into town. Then the trail will run right next to the new highway.
Omak, where I live, has a 100 year old bridge. They've tried to get it replaced. The State has declared it to be sound so the plan is to demolish the sidewalks to make the lanes wider, which got my blood boiling until I saw the next bit. A pedestrian bike bridge is to be built near the old bridge.
I saw where in many places in Europe, the priority is for pedestrians and bicycles followed by mass transit with individual cars at the last place. In the US, it is the opposite in most of the country. It's going to take more deaths of kids to maybe change this. That seems to be one way to get change to happen here, or not.
An example--the "bullet train" which is proposed to run between Seattle and Portland. For the cost of this thing perhaps that money could be spent on restoring or providing good rail and bus service to the less populated areas. Where I live, we could have train access to the main lines because the tracks are there and they get used a bit by a freight train. A once or twice a day run to Wenatchee? Where there is Amtrak service? How about that?
Cars are always the priority. I'm thinking most people can't think otherwise and will fight against any different planning. It sounds like the town of Wenatchee, which has a great bike trail that is a big loop along the Columbia River and then also accesses two state parks with camping, is going to lose part of it to another car route into town. Then the trail will run right next to the new highway.
Omak, where I live, has a 100 year old bridge. They've tried to get it replaced. The State has declared it to be sound so the plan is to demolish the sidewalks to make the lanes wider, which got my blood boiling until I saw the next bit. A pedestrian bike bridge is to be built near the old bridge.
I saw where in many places in Europe, the priority is for pedestrians and bicycles followed by mass transit with individual cars at the last place. In the US, it is the opposite in most of the country. It's going to take more deaths of kids to maybe change this. That seems to be one way to get change to happen here, or not.
totally get it. the issue is not individualistic but systemic.
Our community is starting to add bike lanes; takes a while to get it done.
When I ride my bike, just like when I rode a motorcycle, I assume everyone is out to get me.
My perception is many bicycle incidents have a big "bike rider fault" component because bikers think they own rather than share the road. Hate to say it, but the tragic accident described in the story was the riders fault; "he rode alongside a construction truck waiting at the light to turn right". Yes it would be nice if all roads were more bike friendly, but they are not, and bikers need to protect themselves or suffer the consequences when they don't follow the rules of the road they share.
Experience shows there is usually a route that avoids faster roads. I also don't give up the lane at intersections at stop lights/signs and don't pass vehicles at stops. . . that's how you get hurt.
When I ride my bike, just like when I rode a motorcycle, I assume everyone is out to get me.
My perception is many bicycle incidents have a big "bike rider fault" component because bikers think they own rather than share the road. Hate to say it, but the tragic accident described in the story was the riders fault; "he rode alongside a construction truck waiting at the light to turn right". Yes it would be nice if all roads were more bike friendly, but they are not, and bikers need to protect themselves or suffer the consequences when they don't follow the rules of the road they share.
Experience shows there is usually a route that avoids faster roads. I also don't give up the lane at intersections at stop lights/signs and don't pass vehicles at stops. . . that's how you get hurt.
PedalUma
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Petaluma, CA
I gave up my car in favor of electric bikes just over four years ago. We elected a good team on the City Counsel and even have a Climate Action Manager. We are setting up people on each block to do trainings with their neighbors. It takes me seven minutes to cross my town on an electric bike but 22 in a car. Then you need to drive around to find parking. Then walk from a parking spot. Basically a car takes four times longer. Let's all give Putin, the Saudi Princes, an the Texans the finger by not buying what they are selling. The SF Chronicle was here today doing a piece on a local who gave big oil the finger. The article should come out Friday. Ironically, this is the same town where American Graffiti was filmed. There will be a huge stinky car rally on May 22nd, cruising the Boulevard and racing to the next red light.
www.coolpetaluma.org
Cool Petaluma
Cool Petaluma is a grassroots effort that focuses on building up our social networks to help neighborhoods become more planet friendly, disaster resilient, and community rich.
www.coolpetaluma.org
| Rhianna Frank Climate Action Manager City of Petaluma | City Manager's Office office. 707-778-4544 | [email protected] 11 English St, Petaluma, 94952 |
chunk
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Yep, spoken like a motorcyclist, as a 40 plus year M/C rider I thought the same thing. The sad fact here was that a 13 Y/O was in a unsafe situation and didn't have the experience to recognize it.
There's a really scary graph in that article.
How the hell are death rates of pedestrians going up at the same time we have vehicles capable of detecting / stopping for pedestrians? ( In Australia, about 30% of new vehicles sold now have pedestrian detection technology https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/research-report-153.pdf , I'm not sure of US figures? )
My instinct is mobile phone distracted drivers, but I suspect it's also the pedestrians at fault? Does the US use mobile phone detection surveillance to catch morons texting / browsing whilst driving? In Australia it's a $350- 450 fine, plus 5-10 points off the licence ( so loss of licence if caught twice in a 3 year period) . I was never a fan of speed cameras , but I definitely support cameras detecting mobile use.
How the hell are death rates of pedestrians going up at the same time we have vehicles capable of detecting / stopping for pedestrians? ( In Australia, about 30% of new vehicles sold now have pedestrian detection technology https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/research-report-153.pdf , I'm not sure of US figures? )
My instinct is mobile phone distracted drivers, but I suspect it's also the pedestrians at fault? Does the US use mobile phone detection surveillance to catch morons texting / browsing whilst driving? In Australia it's a $350- 450 fine, plus 5-10 points off the licence ( so loss of licence if caught twice in a 3 year period) . I was never a fan of speed cameras , but I definitely support cameras detecting mobile use.
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
No, that would be an invasion of privacy to monitor people's use of their Android/Apple devices. (Says the American, unironically)
Since Covid began, drivers started going faster, because there was/is no enforcement of speed limits, at least in my area. For a while, law enforcement was not pulling drivers over because they might catch Covid. They don't seem to have improved much in that respect and people are still going over the limit. I would think that would increase deaths and injuries. Heck, we had a county deputy rear end another car. I don't know how that turned out. I think they kept it rather quiet.
Four pedestrians have been killed in less than a year here while walking along, or in, the highway at night.
mschwett
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
well, yes and no.
Americans like to complain that there isn’t any good public transit, that traffic is bad, and there isn‘t good cycling infrastructure… but then they make choices that reinforce those very problems. good public transit either a) requires high densities or b) is fantastically expensive. cities and regions with good public transit around the world have much higher population densities. americans choose to live in bloated houses on bloated lots on bloated streets, shop online and at bloated big box stores, eat at bloated chain restaurants with bloated customers and then they complain that there isn’t good public transit and there‘s too much traffic. these are personal choices. nobody is forcing any of these things. one COULD choose to live in a walkable neighborhood with transit, but that’s not the choice most people are making.
if you actually care about such issues, vote with your money, your feet, and your votes. move to a place which has transit first and walk/cycle friendly policies. don’t vote for people or parties who regularly oppose transit infrastructure and regularly support subsidies for the automotive and petrochemical industries. i don’t know a single American who was forced to live anywhere, just like I don’t know a single American who walks to work/school/shops that gives a rat‘s ass about traffic.
My perception is that in addition to distracred drivers, there are more targets. Seems like there are more walkers, runners, bikers over the last decade.
Do you really think the people that " choose to live in bloated houses on bloated lots on bloated streets," care about public transportation? Really love the transit when I visit Europe, Montreal, NYC, but wouldn't want to live there.
PatriciaK
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Pacific Northwest and Piedmont Triad
I would live in Europe, with its higher densities and exponentially better public transportation (and health care systems) in a second, if I could. For the present, family keeps me here, but that's the only reason.
We made a lot of bad infrastructure and lifestyle choices here in America, and I'm not optimistic about us being able to repair the damage we've done.
We made a lot of bad infrastructure and lifestyle choices here in America, and I'm not optimistic about us being able to repair the damage we've done.
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