Personally, I take refuge in the dedicated bike paths as much as I can during the snowy winter season. This comes at the cost of efficiency and speed, but I consider it well worth the trade-off when I consider the unpredictable and treacherous road conditions. My confidence in the bike paths took a blow this morning, however, when I saw a big green SUV actually DRIVE ONTO THE BIKE PATH and use it as a cut-through from Ingersoll to Brearly St. This was while auto traffic on Willy St was backed up due to road conditions. I tried to get close enough to get a license #, but the driver took off too soon. My concern is that this may become more common; someone tries it and it works, then starts doing it more often, then others see them do it...
Brad On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 1:38 PM, India Rose Viola <[email protected]> wrote: > Paul, > > In theory I agree, but when I think about it I end up coming up with: > > a) You can't see lane markings v. well in this kind of weather, so widening > a particular lane amounts to just widening the street in general- and we can > refer back to recent posts to debate what the impact of this will be. > > b) We can't be choosy about where plowed snow ends up (at least AS it's > being plowed). The plows are a certain width and push the snow off to the > sides- and that's where it ends up. If plows are required to make multiple > passes on roads, then the cost of plowing in Madison would balloon even > higher than it already is. > > So I end up back with what Robbie said. Ride in the lane if the bike lane > is impassable. Cars "should be" driving more slowly right now, and also are > required by law to respect our need to take a lane when it's necessary. > > During the winter I think that car drivers and bike riders need to be even > more careful and respectful of each other. > When I'm on my bike in the cruddy weather I do have empathy for the folks > trying to get around town in their autos in the muck. I don't expect them > to be able to see as well, stop as well, etc. I try to be an assertive > (taking the lane, making my maneuvers predictable and visible) as well as > extremely defensive cyclist. If I meet a driver who is unwilling to respect > my safe zone I may mutter under my breath, but I don't take any unnecessary > chances just to prove to them that they are in the wrong. My years of > biking year round have reinforced my belief that many drivers are very > courteous, if not as attentive as they ought to be, and the ones who aren't > aren't going to change on my behalf. > > -India > > On 12/13/10, "Paul T. O'Leary" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > So for a bike lane to be a true all-season bike lane, the road also needs > some width for > > the "snowy crud", separate from the bike lane. Is that ever taken into > consideration in > > road design? > > > > From: Robbie Webber <[email protected]> > > > > > Just a reminder to those using roads with bike lanes: You are not > required > > > to use the "bike lane" if the conditions are not safe. If the right > portion > > > of the roadway is unsuitable for riding, move left, even if this means > not > > > using the "bike lane." You are not restricted to that lane; you are > simply > > > permitted to use it. > > > > > > Another option would be to ask the city to plow all the way to the > curb, > > > using the Report a Problem link on the front page of the city's web > site. > > > > > > However, it is unlikely that the far right portion of any road will > ever be > > > as clear of snow, ice, slush, salt, debris, and sundry stuff as the > middle > > > portion. When cars drive over a street, the gunk that falls off of them > acts > > > like salt, both making the melting point of the resulting mixture > lower, and > > > also making the whole mess darker in color, so absorbing more sunlight, > and > > > melting. Friction from the cars' wheels also heat up the pavement and > lead > > > to faster melting. > > > > > > Cars also throw snow, slush, salt, dirt, etc to the sides as they pass, > and > > > that stuff then ends up on the right of the roadway, and refreezes, or > > > creates a pile of loose dirt/salt, which can be hazardous in and of > itself. > > > Much of the non-frozen stuff remains until spring, or a mid-winter rain > > > storm, when rain washes it all down into the storm sewers and our > lakes. > > > > > > Sweeping would help, but it's pretty hard to predict when the streets > will > > > be snow-covered vs. dry vs. wet, but above freezing, so the city only > sweeps > > > April/May(?)-Nov. I'm assuming the sweeping equipment is simply put > away for > > > the winter, and staff assigned other tasks, even if we have a > particularly > > > warm year. > > > > > > Most of us intuitively know all this, but every year someone asks, "How > come > > > the bike lanes are never clear?" So I thought I'd post that answer in > > > advance. > > > > --------------------- > > Paul T. O'Leary > > Desktop Insurgent > > Madison WI USA > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > -- > India Viola > Stretton Lab > 115 Zoology Research > 1117 W. Johnson St. > Madison, WI 53706 > 608.262.3336 > > "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge them?" > -Anonymous > > Corporations are not citizens. Money is not speech. > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >
_______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
