On bikies, Mitchell Nussbaum said: > ... bikes can't ride on most sidewalks without endangering others. Most > sidewalks in Madison are too narrow for bikes traveling in opposite > directions, or for bikes and pedestrians. >
Not unless they slow down, that is. Sidewalks are only "too narrow" for both when bicyclists don't slow down when approaching these situations. Bicyclists need to be going "SLOW" (just above walking speed?) when bicycling on sidewalks as they approach pedestrians or other bicyclists. Bicyclists should also ALWAYS use the audible in approaching and passing pedestrians and other bicyclists on sidewalks and bike/pedestrian paths. Wisconsin law requires that they do that. If you fail to let them know you're approaching or attempting to pass you would be in violation of Wisconsin's rules of the road by my reading of the law. > And sidewalks tend to be filled with pedestrians ... > Where are you referring to? Certainly this cannot be Madison! The UW campus is one of the only places I know of that sees the sidewalks filled with pedestrians (in between classes). A close second may be State Street on a warm spring day. But other than in those two places, Madison's sidewalks are seldom, if ever, "filled with pedestrians". > In some neighborhoods, sidewalks are filled with children, who use them as a place to play. Should we tell kids to get off the sidewalks, where they are blocking bike traffic, and play in the street instead? > If there are kids playing on the sidewalk, it only stands to reason that the bicyclist should get off of his or her bicycle and walk through the area. A bicyclist who continues to ride through a stretch of the sidewalk where numerous children are playing is not only being callous but lacks common sense as well. I'd tell the bicyclist to slow down and get off his or her bicycle. We all have an obligation to see that today's children remain protected and safe, regardless of the circumstances. > Also, sidewalks are dangerous for bikes, for lots of reasons that have been mentioned by others. Perhaps bikes would be safe if they stopped at every intersection to check for cars, and to make sure motorists see them. > ... Or at least slowed down. > But how many bikers will do this, especially if we think of every driveway as an intersection? > When I'm bicycling on a sidewalk, I will generally slow way down in approaching the driveways where I can't see up the driveway, to determine whether a car is backing out of the driveway or not. I don't think you need to come to a stop at every driveway. You just have to be paying attention to what the situation is (like John said). > There are some sidewalks that are safe for bikes, and some that have been specifically modified to handle bike traffic. But most sidewalks are not. > Again, I believe most of Madison's sidewalks are safe for bicyclists to use provided they hold their speed down (to at least half the speed of light) and approach each intersecting street and driveway (and play area) with the appropriate level of caution that is warranted by the situation (as John said). > It really annoys me to see bikes riding at 10 mph. on the sidewalk in front of my house, instead of using the street, which is usually empty. > 10 mph is probably too fast for your sidewalk situation I would guess. Have you thought about putting a yard sign up? > I think it's true that many adult bikers ride on sidewalks because they think they are safer there. But usually, they are not safer on the sidewalk, and they can usually find a safe route, on streets and bike paths, to wherever they want to go. > I would guess that many of the adults who use the sidewalks lack confidence in their bicycling skills, or just don't have that much experience in riding in the street. Another factor is that some bicyclists simply do not feel safe when having to ride faster than a few miles per hour. I know someone who's like that, and I would not consider it advisable to encourage her to ride in the motor vehicle traffic lanes on the streets. However, the bicyclist instructors in this city seem oblivious to that problem. They don't seem to realize that some people will never be comfortable riding in with the flow of motor vehicle traffic on streets, mainly because they not only don't feel comfortable riding at higher speeds, but also because they don't like get pressured by impatient motor vehicle drivers in the rear following too close and blowing their horns. > It's different for kids, but I don't think we can defend adults riding on sidewalks by talking about the needs of 8 year olds. > I don't believe that was what was being said. Anyway, I believe the situation for an 8 year old is similar to the situation of the person I was discussing above. Most parents would be irate with someone advising their 8 year old bike rider to ride in the flow of traffic on the street rather than riding their bike on the right side of the road, next to the flow of traffic, or on the sidewalk. In fact, I feel the same way when I have to bike up a long hill, and I can't ride as fast as I know the cars in back of me want me to go. Faced with that situation, I usually choose to ride on the right side of the street, as close to the curb as the condition of the street allows. But sometimes, of course, there are cars parked there. If the street is wide enough to allow me to ride on the left of parked cars without having to merge into the lane of street traffic, I will usually choose that area to ride in. If the street is NOT wide enough for there to be enough space for a bicyclist next to the flow of traffic and left of the parked vehicle (3 ft. minimum), then I ride on the sidewalk (if there is one). Mike Neuman _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
