I live in Copenhagen (shown in most of the pictures) and I ride my bike 99% of the time. It takes no time and gives you a sence of freedom like nothing else. I only take the public transportation if I have to go further than 15-20 km. I have had some americans staying, who borrowed bikes, and they too loved the many bikelanes in Copenhagen. So go on New York, get some more bikelanes, its worth it.
Good video. As somebody who engages in all different kinds of personal transportation (walking, cycling, and driving), I've learned that having dedicated passageways for distinct modes of transportation (roads, sidewalks, and even bike lanes) is a great idea. Although it happens, it's never a good idea to drive on the sidewalk or walk down a highway. The more protected bike lanes, the fewer incidents of accidents resulting from cyclists in car lanes. It'll just take LOTS of education to succeed.
It almost brings tears to my eyes thinking of the kind of cycling infrastructure New Yorkers like me could enjoy if only the politicians gave a shit. Instead I have to deal with motorists who try to run me off the road on a daily basis.
@coyoteself that's why there's supposed to be road signs for both motorist and cyclist. For example. Certain intersections don't allow a cyclist to make a right turn.
Makes a great argument for separated bike lanes. The narrow bike lanes that currently exist are useless (6th Ave, for example). The problem is that ultimately, there would need to be less room for cars. Seems like the case can be easily made for that trade off.
@dmitriy40 , Cycling IS a year round, all weather, mode of transit. Only exceptions are extreme weather that even motorists give pause about driving in. It's amazing how little it actually takes to keep warm in the winter or dry during a thunderstorm. And for the record I use my bicycles almost entirely for commuting to work or for my shopping. Very rarely do I bicycle just for fun.
Pedestrians aren't a problem till you reach inner city areas. Lanes allow for overtaking other cyclists (dependant on size, otherwise shout that you're coming through ). Tow parked cars away.
thanks for raising issues of bikers safety in cities, bikers rights w.r.t. urban space, suggesting practical solutions n covering on street everyday experience....time India too got its bikers n pedestrians' revolution.
@samten10a no you don't, bicycle lanes are pretty small and road signs for all three modes of traffic (public, motorist, cyclist) help the congestion and safety of traffic.
I like the barriers because it separates the bike from the other traffic. Cars don't behave like bikes; bikes don't behave like cars. If you are waiting for everyone to stop running lights, talking on their cell phones, etc., good luck. There are just some places I won't go on my bike, some places I can ride with the traffic, and some where I have to behave like half bike/half ped in order to be safe.
I've cycled in Europe where they have separated bike lanes. They simply don't work. They basically turn cyclists into pedestrians because the bike lane essentially ends at every intersection. At those points, cyclists are in greater danger because cars don't look for cyclists. The safest policy is to treat bicycles as cars. This policy is currently the law and it works fine as long as cyclists aren't too timid.
Nice, but remember, the intersections are STILL a problem where a lot of times neither the cyclist nor the motorists are paying attention and you end up with a bike/motorist accident.. Especially when a car is making either a right or left turn.
Great! My gf and I just bought two bikes and thinking of going to work by them. However, the traffic is really scary. If drivers and cyclists can learn to respect each other. This could be a great city to ride bike and make it greener.
Buffered bike lanes seem better than protected bike lanes because if a pedestrian steps out into a protected bike lane, you're screwed; you have nowhere to go. Also, it's difficult for cars to see you in a protected bike lane so they frequently cut you off on turns.
Denmark perfected bike lanes. Their driveways are much longer than US driveways which allows cars sometime before crossing the sidewalk. Intersections has strobe lights that light up when a pedestrian/cyclist is crossing. The street lights favor pedestrians/cyclists. Pedestrians and Cyclists get to move first before the car move. This gives more time for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the street. Cars making right turns (Denmark drives on the same side as America.) have to make a long right turn which gives more time to notice pedestrians and cyclists. th-cam.com/video/ZtX8qiC_rXE/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/NAr5sB6aivk/w-d-xo.html
For the longest time cyclists have had a "share the road" mentality where bikes should be able to have the same freedom as cars and trucks and do this on the same piece of road. One of my cyclist customers had this same view until a little ole lady ran over him while he was making a left turn from the left turn lane at an intersection. He won the arguement in court but lost the arguement with the bumper of her car.
Which cyclists are have the best mobility and the lowest crash rates? The cyclists who learn to use the rules of the road and ride with traffic, or those who look to the bike lane and segregation? This question has never been asked and no study has ever been conducted to find the answer, although it would be very simple to do. Obviously, we do not want the answer. David Smith
You've got some wide ranging concerns/questions in your post which are great. First, we don't think that all bike lanes should become physically separated, but many of the ones on the busy streets of NYC would benefit from separation treatment. The goal is to increase the number of cyclists and make it safer for all to ride. There are ped concerns to be addressed and at intersections as well. No question there. But people going over 15 mph in them would have to be careful of others...
I'd like the answer. I can't figure it out myself. Not that it's nescessary in a country where cycklists are supposed to know the rules too. We separate cycklists in "those who read the traffic" and "those who learned that everybody else must take care of bikes". The last group dies or get beaten up.
We have a little drive along a winding road where bikers (I, myself, included) enjoy riding. There is enough road to ride single file but most of the time you will see two to three bikes abreast. This place has a 50 mph speed limit. Sure enough someone was going 50 around one of the curves and ran over two bikers. The driver of the car survived.
@JaneRoth that's why I used to ride on sidewalks only back when I didn't have a car... and that's when there is even a freaking sidewalk to begin with since here in Miami public transit is so bad. If I would have known back then that I had to go through grass, gravel, ROCKS, mud, I would have bought a mountain bike lol.
Separated bike lanes are much more dangerous at intersections. Sidewalk bike lanes are even worse, you will hit pedestrians. What is needed is proper traffic law enforcement, make people learn that park where you can't park = fine.
Untill you get the optimized bikelanes, equip the bikes with a large hammer. Here you'd get a licence remark for cardriving in the bike lane. 3 remarks takes your licence for 1$ year. Driving a truck in the bikelane takes the licence right away.
The Dutch are removing some bike lanes as they are too dangerous. In some locations they are a great idea, in others just waste of time. Badly executed lanes just cause more hazards.
I think this is a great thing. There needs to be more protection for bikers. Just like cars, bikes have a stopping distance much longer than expected. You can't stop on a dime, these quick events, doors opening, cars turning, ect can cause accidents. Cycling is a great option for everybody, and I'm sure it will be more popular if it was safer.
@coyoteself I mean they do it effectively every were else without any excuses. Since most people cant rely on crappy u.s. transit they have to ALL rely on autos.
you are absolutely right, i'm sorry for talking like that. as for the disscusion, i don't see why motorists have rights just because they pay road taxes. cyclists are citizens also and pay taxes. in an another way of thinking, motorists should pay taxes because they pollute and generate noise (things that cyclists don't do)
its not uncomn of me to do 25mph. if i feel up to it on open road i will break 30 sometimes, esp if i have to merge with traffic. i live in boston. i have read in mags and online people talking about cambridge as being a national sucsess for its bike lanes. i hate riding in cambridge. there are afew places that i refuse to use the bike lanes esp. central sq.
Why it is just accepted as a fact that cars park on the bike lane? Why aren't they getting high enough fines? Why aren't motorists effectively enforced by law, and held responsible to take enough care for the weaker? The only solution is to massively increase the number of cyclists. As a first step separated lanes can be helpful. But be aware, that the space for separated lanes is very finite, so after a certain point, the idea that separation = safety is a real obstacle.
The blessing of low gasoline price turn into curses of endless traffic jam, automobile accidents, highway high-speed police chases, terrorism, road-rages and global warming.
@coyoteself well that's why their must be fines and SERIOUS law inforcment concerning these rules and regulations and like you said properly designed and constructed infrastructure and not just some stickers on the ground. I mean, this just doesn't happen. What I mean is that if the Gov. really wanted to enable people to choose efficiently between public transit, personnel transit, and transit by cycle wouldn't they do it?
Tax Payers in the States are Motorists, Cyclists & Pedestrians. The local/city governments have set aside funds for the planning, implementation & maintinance [sp] of cycle paths & 'shared roadways'. State D.M.V. sets laws for the safe operation of ALL vehicles on the roads there in. It is not an either or funding & has always been there for the benefit of the citizens. If London had thought to tax in-city drivers long ago it may have saved the argey-bargey we see today. Riding ON! =gDz=
The re-education of NYC drivers and the better enforcement of the "Rules of the Road" by the NYPD is the first step in this issue! The Police and the DOT must make the effort here and should be mandated by the Mayor, City Legislature and the State House. It is one of the most abused and disregarded set of DMV regulations in the state and more so, The City! Many, Many Wrongs when all we need is the "Right Of Way" and a Shared Roadway! Riding ON! =gDz=
I wish every city would be like this...it would mean more trees more parking... Put trees up in the buffer with little crosswalks and trashcans. I don't even ride a bike!
@dmitriy40, I bring a change of cloths and arrive with time to spare(to cool down), though honestly I go at a slow enough pace (generally 15kph tops) that I rarely sweat. I live in a city that is FAR hotter and FAR more humid than NYC and have never had a problem with sweat. By your logic people that drive cars without air conditioners would not be able to hold down a job and I know that is not true.
well putting the bikelane beside or onto sidewalk is almost as dangerous as the road itself, this is budapest, the pedestrians are careless, they tend to walk on it,despite it has a different colour,benched and railed.(pls put together the addr.)" bringaut(DOT)hu /files/images/stiggs/szf-bajcsybacsiolvas.jpg "
@dmitriy40 , also most of what your claiming can only be done in a car I do all the time on my bicycle. Many people in this and other countries also get along just fine with just their bike. Now it may not be for you and that's fine, but I still strongly think cycling would fit most people just fine.
Road Tax is a 'motor vehicle tax', bikes are not motor vehicles and DONT need 40ft tarmac roads,bikes can be riden on dirt tracks, only cars need tarmac roads to run on, therefore cyclist, and horse riders DONT need to pay tax.
Oh yes. Watch closely. A lot of these "Bike Paths" are actually "Multi-Use" Paths with a lot of other users and not only cyclist. So instead of bike/motorists issues, you may now have bike/pedestrian issues. But that's okay because it's out of the way of the motorist
your talking about people who ride to work when its mostly when its nice outside or would think that it would be quaint to ride to whole foods on a sunday. i think that we are on the same page on most of it. my point is that the citys do thing like put in a bike lane make a dusting motion with their hands and are done. cambridge MA is seen a model, i think its a disaster/death trap. you can discount me, but i eat sleep and breath bike as do many of my friends. i am not alone.
@harshbarj Although you evade the question, I assume you have a job which allows you to arrive SWEATY at the beginning of the day. My experience of over 18 years in NYC tells me that most people (probably 90%) in this city cannot do that. I will simply never accept your argument that you are NOT sweaty and at least somewhat disheveled at the end of your commute -- that is if you make this argument.
i think its a good idea. it helps beginner cyclist. but imagine someone a bike moving at anything more than 15mph on any of those shown. i think that these lanes would also make a war between pedestrians and cyclist. i am a messenger in boston. the thing that i worry about most at work is pedestrians steping infront of me esp. around 5pm. its really bad, i meen reaaally bad. and this puts you closer. but it helps slow moving cyclist, so thats good.
@harshbarj I have a hard time understanding what sort of lifestyle you lead, if you think "automobiles days ... are numbered". You're 31? So I guess you think all ages can ride a bike? Regularly? Shopping? Going on dates? Opera? Wall st and Madison av executives meeting with clients? What do you do? Are you sweaty, when you get to your job on a bike? How about in the summer, 95F and 98% humidity? Heavy rain? Cold? Do you think Wall st guys can hack that? They pay 25% of city's taxes, remember?
@dmitriy40 , honestly no because one is a activity for fun and the other is for transportation. The two can't even be compared. You keep saying no one /almost no one rides in winter and that is not true. People in Europe do it ALL THE TIME! The numbers here in the states are going up every year and it is time for you to just accept bicycles as transportation. You don't have to ride one yourself, but they will be on the road in increasing numbers every year.
Read my article "DIY Geurrilla Bike Lanes, Sharrows, and Separated Bike Lanes" on Fixpert, unfortunately TH-cam won't let me post a link to it, but I'll try to put a readable version here if you're interested: fixpert . com/bike-lane/separated-bike-lanes-diy/
@harshbarj In Coney Island, there are 2 groups of "Polar Bears", who dunk themselves in the Ocean in front of cameras in January (usually January 1, actually). The existence of these groups (and god bless them) does not justify the statement: PEOPLE SWIM IN THE OCEAN IN THE WINTER. Only some do. And millions of public funds should not be used to build special beaches for winter swimming, taking away space from normal summer beaches. Do you understand where I am going with this?
@harshbarj The 13,000 yellow cabs make a combined MILLION trips every 24 hours. I do not know how many trips car services and limos make (about 100,000 cars), but they are also constantly working. People have to wait for taxis at Penn Sta, Grand Ctr, Port Auth, airports. Of course, MTA is transporting MANY TIMES more. So... these people just need is a bike lane, and they will all get on bikes, right? Why do million people fight over cabs on EVERY Saturday night? Why are they not biking now???
@dmitriy40 , dude, traffic is traffic. This story may be about NYC but the idea is country wide and the fight for equality is also country wide. If anything NYC should have an easier time implementing bicycle infrastructure due to the flat terrain and the far greater number of cyclists.
Of course, you could always - I don't know - LOOK before you get out of your car. You know, PAY ATTENTION to your surroundings. Of course, if you are currently having problems seeing dogshit [sic] on the sidewalk (not known for its ambulatory properties) then you likely have other problems.
@harshbarj Actually, I do ride a bike. I have an old Mongoose hanging on the wall of my studio, and I'm about to sacrifice another wall, because I really like Fuji Classic Track. So I want to have both. I do not use a bike to commute now, but I did a couple of years ago for about a year. I did not see the need for bike lanes then, and I don't see the need for them now.
One person drive a machine that has only 20%~30% energy efficiency. I understand if I am hauling something, but for daily commute to work? Tell me if everybody in the world live like the automobile-America, the earth will not go to hell in less than a month.
I think you'll find (in the UK) as a car owners and Council tax payer we do contribute. And are usually insured under our house contents. Who campaigned for sealed roads in the firstplace... The roads can be shared quite successfully with care skill and consideration. If you are being glared at its because you are driving like a muppet.
@dmitriy40 , Given proper protected lanes and bike sharing programs, yes some of them may just jump on a bicycle. NYC is very flat and a perfect city for cycling. Will everyone jump on a bike? No, but that's not the point. Use of bus systems is low across the country, yet we still fund those and they don't produce the same health and environmental benefits that cycling produces.
Should we even be having this sort of study? Why not just install bike lanes intelligently and be done with it. People who park/drive cars in the bike lane will be ticket, fined, towed, etc, and people who bike in traffic (when a bike lane is present) will likewise be ticketed, fined, bike confiscated, etc.
Its a great vid, if governments want us to be green then they need to provide safe cycling.I'm in Manchester U.K, we have painted lanes, they are useless, segregated lanes are the only way forward.
ok, you're right about the taxes, you are more familiar with the subject. i don't have a problem with cars either. they are usefull but people use them too much (even when they don't need them). what is a fact though, is that 'lifestyle' is the number 1 cause of the misery of modern societies.
True everyone (Motrist, cyclist and pedstrians) needs to know all the laws and follow the rules of the road. Sadly it doesn't work that way, so our next option is to try and segregate everyone by mode of travel, even then we still have problems. Don't get me wrong as a cyclist with over 30 years of road riding and commuting experience in traffic, I do agree with "Bike paths," but only so long as they are both properly designed and constructed. Sadly, there's no easy, cheap solution tho
Cyclists pay taxes for roads and oil wars too. Cyclists don't have any protection from cars when using the same lanes. Are motorists expected to be courteous to cyclists? It just doesn't happen. You saw the video?
i guess my point is the space is more akin to a playground than anything that is actualy usable for transportation. watching the video of people using them looks like chaos to me. slow moving chaos. i think that its great for people who want to get into riding or taking their kids out. but this isn't going to fix any thing for me or anyone else i know. and it will cost millions to implament. i think education of drivers is more realistic. apathy seem to be the problem.
Maybe car drivers can also stop running red lights, speeding , car drivers ignore the laws of the road as much as anyone else, thing is ... cars are lethal machines that murder innocent people each and every day.
PS: New Yorkers need to get with the rest of the world & protect those who choose to pedel & walk instead of allowing the free-for-all of road-rage we have now! Cheers, =gDz=
@harshbarj It is appropriate for you to respond NOW, when it is freezing outside. As I said above, some nut cases will ride year-round, but those are EXTREME exceptions. You exist in a fantasy bubble if you believe that bikes can be adopted as main mode of transport by large number of New-Yorkers. I'm in the city every day, and never once have I seen a bike lane FULL of bikes. In NYC, bike use is well under 1%, but in many places bike lanes take up to 50% of street space?!?!? ...insane.
@joe2grand yea but at least your in an urban setting with lots of other cyclist and you don't have to worry about how in the world you'er going to be able to pay all the medical bills if you do survive the accident. Here in the u.s. it mostly all suburbs with few sidewalks were available and many large busy highway like streets with no side walks or any body else on bicycle because no ones stupid enough to get on a u.s. street lol since they know they'll most likely get ran over.
Safe cycling requires a good bike, surface conditions, biking skills and a helmet. Why would some who want the first 2 (or 3?) conditions make fun of the 4th? My boys wear theirs all the time-and ride defensively. We should show only riders wearing helmets and encourage children to wear theirs--it's the law where I live.I value protecting my skull--but I have a lot at stake in my happy little life. I hope you do in your happy little skull-- and life.
@harshbarj I think one of the biggest responsibility of a big city government is TO FORCE RESIDENTS AWAY FROM CARS and into a public transport system. I admire what they do in London, where one pays a pretty penny to enter the city by car. They also have shared bus/bike lanes, which I think is great -- I would welcome that! Your position looks selfish to me -- you only care about your own needs, not the city's.
amazing how far we've come...
This was absolutely OUTSTANDING!
Bravo, great thinkig and ideas, I totaly support this stuff.
I live in Copenhagen (shown in most of the pictures) and I ride my bike 99% of the time. It takes no time and gives you a sence of freedom like nothing else.
I only take the public transportation if I have to go further than 15-20 km.
I have had some americans staying, who borrowed bikes, and they too loved the many bikelanes in Copenhagen. So go on New York, get some more bikelanes, its worth it.
Good video. As somebody who engages in all different kinds of personal transportation (walking, cycling, and driving), I've learned that having dedicated passageways for distinct modes of transportation (roads, sidewalks, and even bike lanes) is a great idea. Although it happens, it's never a good idea to drive on the sidewalk or walk down a highway. The more protected bike lanes, the fewer incidents of accidents resulting from cyclists in car lanes. It'll just take LOTS of education to succeed.
I'm all for this. It would certainly encourage more people to ride and it would get my mom to shut up about the dangers of riding my bike.
thank you so juch for this clip. very informative.
It almost brings tears to my eyes thinking of the kind of cycling infrastructure New Yorkers like me could enjoy if only the politicians gave a shit. Instead I have to deal with motorists who try to run me off the road on a daily basis.
this is an awesome idea!
Bicycle infrastructure is safe when your 8 year old can confidently ride to school.
By himself. Without a helmet.
@coyoteself that's why there's supposed to be road signs for both motorist and cyclist. For example. Certain intersections don't allow a cyclist to make a right turn.
Bikes are a great way to commute, stay fit and stay green. It gets people outside which is amazing too (:
Makes a great argument for separated bike lanes. The narrow bike lanes that currently exist are useless (6th Ave, for example). The problem is that ultimately, there would need to be less room for cars. Seems like the case can be easily made for that trade off.
@dmitriy40 , Cycling IS a year round, all weather, mode of transit. Only exceptions are extreme weather that even motorists give pause about driving in. It's amazing how little it actually takes to keep warm in the winter or dry during a thunderstorm. And for the record I use my bicycles almost entirely for commuting to work or for my shopping. Very rarely do I bicycle just for fun.
Pedestrians aren't a problem till you reach inner city areas. Lanes allow for overtaking other cyclists (dependant on size, otherwise shout that you're coming through ). Tow parked cars away.
thanks for raising issues of bikers safety in cities, bikers rights w.r.t. urban space, suggesting practical solutions n covering on street everyday experience....time India too got its bikers n pedestrians' revolution.
In Copenhagen we clap on the cars if they are in the way.. cars gotta learn mayn!
@samten10a no you don't, bicycle lanes are pretty small and road signs for all three modes of traffic (public, motorist, cyclist) help the congestion and safety of traffic.
Seperated cycle lanes need NOT be compulsory, which means you can use normal car lanes if you want to.
I like the barriers because it separates the bike from the other traffic. Cars don't behave like bikes; bikes don't behave like cars. If you are waiting for everyone to stop running lights, talking on their cell phones, etc., good luck. There are just some places I won't go on my bike, some places I can ride with the traffic, and some where I have to behave like half bike/half ped in order to be safe.
I've cycled in Europe where they have separated bike lanes. They simply don't work. They basically turn cyclists into pedestrians because the bike lane essentially ends at every intersection. At those points, cyclists are in greater danger because cars don't look for cyclists. The safest policy is to treat bicycles as cars. This policy is currently the law and it works fine as long as cyclists aren't too timid.
Nice, but remember, the intersections are STILL a problem where a lot of times neither the cyclist nor the motorists are paying attention and you end up with a bike/motorist accident.. Especially when a car is making either a right or left turn.
Great! My gf and I just bought two bikes and thinking of going to work by them. However, the traffic is really scary. If drivers and cyclists can learn to respect each other. This could be a great city to ride bike and make it greener.
Buffered bike lanes seem better than protected bike lanes because if a pedestrian steps out into a protected bike lane, you're screwed; you have nowhere to go. Also, it's difficult for cars to see you in a protected bike lane so they frequently cut you off on turns.
Denmark perfected bike lanes. Their driveways are much longer than US driveways which allows cars sometime before crossing the sidewalk.
Intersections has strobe lights that light up when a pedestrian/cyclist is crossing.
The street lights favor pedestrians/cyclists. Pedestrians and Cyclists get to move first before the car move. This gives more time for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the street.
Cars making right turns (Denmark drives on the same side as America.) have to make a long right turn which gives more time to notice pedestrians and cyclists.
th-cam.com/video/ZtX8qiC_rXE/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/NAr5sB6aivk/w-d-xo.html
For the longest time cyclists have had a "share the road" mentality where bikes should be able to have the same freedom as cars and trucks and do this on the same piece of road. One of my cyclist customers had this same view until a little ole lady ran over him while he was making a left turn from the left turn lane at an intersection. He won the arguement in court but lost the arguement with the bumper of her car.
For the most part bike lanes in the Netherlands are not on sidewalks, they are separate. Not sure what they guy is talking about.
Which cyclists are have the best mobility and the lowest crash rates?
The cyclists who learn to use the rules of the road and ride with traffic, or those who look to the bike lane and segregation?
This question has never been asked and no study has ever been conducted to find the answer, although it would be very simple to do. Obviously, we do not want the answer.
David Smith
Yes, yes, YES! Let's get some more separated bike routes.
"A true bicycle network is one that can be safely used by a child."
You've got some wide ranging concerns/questions in your post which are great. First, we don't think that all bike lanes should become physically separated, but many of the ones on the busy streets of NYC would benefit from separation treatment. The goal is to increase the number of cyclists and make it safer for all to ride. There are ped concerns to be addressed and at intersections as well. No question there. But people going over 15 mph in them would have to be careful of others...
I'd like the answer. I can't figure it out myself.
Not that it's nescessary in a country where cycklists are supposed to know the rules too. We separate cycklists in "those who read the traffic" and "those who learned that everybody else must take care of bikes".
The last group dies or get beaten up.
Couldn't agree more...take a look at Bogota or Copenhagen.
Can we have these in Boston too please?
We have a little drive along a winding road where bikers (I, myself, included) enjoy riding. There is enough road to ride single file but most of the time you will see two to three bikes abreast. This place has a 50 mph speed limit. Sure enough someone was going 50 around one of the curves and ran over two bikers. The driver of the car survived.
@JaneRoth that's why I used to ride on sidewalks only back when I didn't have a car... and that's when there is even a freaking sidewalk to begin with since here in Miami public transit is so bad. If I would have known back then that I had to go through grass, gravel, ROCKS, mud, I would have bought a mountain bike lol.
what about streets? only avenues have lanes. still we have to get between cars on the streets and they are fast as well.
No door zones, either.
Separated bike lanes are much more dangerous at intersections. Sidewalk bike lanes are even worse, you will hit pedestrians.
What is needed is proper traffic law enforcement, make people learn that park where you can't park = fine.
Who do we write to to support this idea?
Typical driver response.
Untill you get the optimized bikelanes, equip the bikes with a large hammer.
Here you'd get a licence remark for cardriving in the bike lane. 3 remarks takes your licence for 1$ year. Driving a truck in the bikelane takes the licence right away.
The pessimist in me says that in the U.S., this will never happen.
@1bmxdude I don't even wear a helmed when i go bmx in the skade park!
Good film but you really don't want to use London (or the UK) as an example, try Holland.
The Dutch are removing some bike lanes as they are too dangerous.
In some locations they are a great idea, in others just waste of time. Badly executed lanes just cause more hazards.
I think this is a great thing. There needs to be more protection for bikers. Just like cars, bikes have a stopping distance much longer than expected. You can't stop on a dime, these quick events, doors opening, cars turning, ect can cause accidents. Cycling is a great option for everybody, and I'm sure it will be more popular if it was safer.
where are we at on this in the city?
@coyoteself I mean they do it effectively every were else without any excuses. Since most people cant rely on crappy u.s. transit they have to ALL rely on autos.
you are absolutely right, i'm sorry for talking like that. as for the disscusion, i don't see why motorists have rights just because they pay road taxes. cyclists are citizens also and pay taxes. in an another way of thinking, motorists should pay taxes because they pollute and generate noise (things that cyclists don't do)
Acá en Argentina, la bicisenda... es opcional !!
jaja por favor espero correcciones
its not uncomn of me to do 25mph. if i feel up to it on open road i will break 30 sometimes, esp if i have to merge with traffic. i live in boston. i have read in mags and online people talking about cambridge as being a national sucsess for its bike lanes. i hate riding in cambridge. there are afew places that i refuse to use the bike lanes esp. central sq.
Why it is just accepted as a fact that cars park on the bike lane? Why aren't they getting high enough fines? Why aren't motorists effectively enforced by law, and held responsible to take enough care for the weaker?
The only solution is to massively increase the number of cyclists. As a first step separated lanes can be helpful. But be aware, that the space for separated lanes is very finite, so after a certain point, the idea that separation = safety is a real obstacle.
The blessing of low gasoline price turn into curses of endless traffic jam, automobile accidents, highway high-speed police chases, terrorism, road-rages and global warming.
@coyoteself well that's why their must be fines and SERIOUS law inforcment concerning these rules and regulations and like you said properly designed and constructed infrastructure and not just some stickers on the ground. I mean, this just doesn't happen. What I mean is that if the Gov. really wanted to enable people to choose efficiently between public transit, personnel transit, and transit by cycle wouldn't they do it?
Tax Payers in the States are Motorists, Cyclists & Pedestrians. The local/city governments have set aside funds for the planning, implementation & maintinance [sp] of cycle paths & 'shared roadways'. State D.M.V. sets laws for the safe operation of ALL vehicles on the roads there in. It is not an either or funding & has always been there for the benefit of the citizens. If London had thought to tax in-city drivers long ago it may have saved the argey-bargey we see today.
Riding ON! =gDz=
The re-education of NYC drivers and the better enforcement of the "Rules of the Road" by the NYPD is the first step in this issue! The Police and the DOT must make the effort here and should be mandated by the Mayor, City Legislature and the State House. It is one of the most abused and disregarded set of DMV regulations in the state and more so, The City!
Many, Many Wrongs when all we need is the "Right Of Way" and a Shared Roadway!
Riding ON! =gDz=
I wish every city would be like this...it would mean more trees more parking...
Put trees up in the buffer with little crosswalks and trashcans.
I don't even ride a bike!
@dmitriy40, I bring a change of cloths and arrive with time to spare(to cool down), though honestly I go at a slow enough pace (generally 15kph tops) that I rarely sweat. I live in a city that is FAR hotter and FAR more humid than NYC and have never had a problem with sweat. By your logic people that drive cars without air conditioners would not be able to hold down a job and I know that is not true.
well putting the bikelane beside or onto sidewalk is almost as dangerous as the road itself, this is budapest, the pedestrians are careless, they tend to walk on it,despite it has a different colour,benched and railed.(pls put together the addr.)" bringaut(DOT)hu /files/images/stiggs/szf-bajcsybacsiolvas.jpg "
@dmitriy40 , also most of what your claiming can only be done in a car I do all the time on my bicycle. Many people in this and other countries also get along just fine with just their bike. Now it may not be for you and that's fine, but I still strongly think cycling would fit most people just fine.
Road Tax is a 'motor vehicle tax', bikes are not motor vehicles and DONT need 40ft tarmac roads,bikes can be riden on dirt tracks, only cars need tarmac roads to run on, therefore cyclist, and horse riders DONT need to pay tax.
Oh yes. Watch closely. A lot of these "Bike Paths" are actually "Multi-Use" Paths with a lot of other users and not only cyclist. So instead of bike/motorists issues, you may now have bike/pedestrian issues. But that's okay because it's out of the way of the motorist
your talking about people who ride to work when its mostly when its nice outside or would think that it would be quaint to ride to whole foods on a sunday. i think that we are on the same page on most of it. my point is that the citys do thing like put in a bike lane make a dusting motion with their hands and are done. cambridge MA is seen a model, i think its a disaster/death trap. you can discount me, but i eat sleep and breath bike as do many of my friends. i am not alone.
Great doc! Sydney, we need to catch up and stop being the worst cycling city in Australia!
we have it in rio de janeiro! :-) it's called ciclovia.
@harshbarj Although you evade the question, I assume you have a job which allows you to arrive SWEATY at the beginning of the day. My experience of over 18 years in NYC tells me that most people (probably 90%) in this city cannot do that. I will simply never accept your argument that you are NOT sweaty and at least somewhat disheveled at the end of your commute -- that is if you make this argument.
i think its a good idea. it helps beginner cyclist. but imagine someone a bike moving at anything more than 15mph on any of those shown. i think that these lanes would also make a war between pedestrians and cyclist. i am a messenger in boston. the thing that i worry about most at work is pedestrians steping infront of me esp. around 5pm. its really bad, i meen reaaally bad. and this puts you closer. but it helps slow moving cyclist, so thats good.
@harshbarj I have a hard time understanding what sort of lifestyle you lead, if you think "automobiles days ... are numbered". You're 31? So I guess you think all ages can ride a bike? Regularly? Shopping? Going on dates? Opera? Wall st and Madison av executives meeting with clients? What do you do? Are you sweaty, when you get to your job on a bike? How about in the summer, 95F and 98% humidity? Heavy rain? Cold? Do you think Wall st guys can hack that? They pay 25% of city's taxes, remember?
@dmitriy40 , honestly no because one is a activity for fun and the other is for transportation. The two can't even be compared. You keep saying no one /almost no one rides in winter and that is not true. People in Europe do it ALL THE TIME! The numbers here in the states are going up every year and it is time for you to just accept bicycles as transportation. You don't have to ride one yourself, but they will be on the road in increasing numbers every year.
Read my article "DIY Geurrilla Bike Lanes, Sharrows, and Separated Bike Lanes" on Fixpert, unfortunately TH-cam won't let me post a link to it, but I'll try to put a readable version here if you're interested:
fixpert . com/bike-lane/separated-bike-lanes-diy/
@harshbarj In Coney Island, there are 2 groups of "Polar Bears", who dunk themselves in the Ocean in front of cameras in January (usually January 1, actually). The existence of these groups (and god bless them) does not justify the statement: PEOPLE SWIM IN THE OCEAN IN THE WINTER. Only some do. And millions of public funds should not be used to build special beaches for winter swimming, taking away space from normal summer beaches. Do you understand where I am going with this?
@harshbarj The 13,000 yellow cabs make a combined MILLION trips every 24 hours. I do not know how many trips car services and limos make (about 100,000 cars), but they are also constantly working. People have to wait for taxis at Penn Sta, Grand Ctr, Port Auth, airports. Of course, MTA is transporting MANY TIMES more. So... these people just need is a bike lane, and they will all get on bikes, right? Why do million people fight over cabs on EVERY Saturday night? Why are they not biking now???
@coyoteself that would maybe explain our traffic problem lol
@dmitriy40 , dude, traffic is traffic. This story may be about NYC but the idea is country wide and the fight for equality is also country wide. If anything NYC should have an easier time implementing bicycle infrastructure due to the flat terrain and the far greater number of cyclists.
oops.. sorry, it's not a comment on the video,i wanted to answer to someone's comment on the video
That's the ponit. NYPD do not ticket drivers as they are drivers too.
Of course, you could always - I don't know - LOOK before you get out of your car. You know, PAY ATTENTION to your surroundings. Of course, if you are currently having problems seeing dogshit [sic] on the sidewalk (not known for its ambulatory properties) then you likely have other problems.
@harshbarj Actually, I do ride a bike. I have an old Mongoose hanging on the wall of my studio, and I'm about to sacrifice another wall, because I really like Fuji Classic Track. So I want to have both. I do not use a bike to commute now, but I did a couple of years ago for about a year.
I did not see the need for bike lanes then, and I don't see the need for them now.
One person drive a machine that has only 20%~30% energy efficiency. I understand if I am hauling something, but for daily commute to work? Tell me if everybody in the world live like the automobile-America, the earth will not go to hell in less than a month.
@1bmxdude These drivers in this city are out of control it's a must a lot of the time, Im even thinking of getting one
Only seperat bike lains is the rigth way... Come to Denmark....
I think you'll find (in the UK) as a car owners and Council tax payer we do contribute. And are usually insured under our house contents. Who campaigned for sealed roads in the firstplace...
The roads can be shared quite successfully with care skill and consideration. If you are being glared at its because you are driving like a muppet.
E-cars not going to fix this problem.
I want you to know that.
It only gives you false impression that you are doing something good.
You aren't.
@dmitriy40 , Given proper protected lanes and bike sharing programs, yes some of them may just jump on a bicycle. NYC is very flat and a perfect city for cycling. Will everyone jump on a bike? No, but that's not the point. Use of bus systems is low across the country, yet we still fund those and they don't produce the same health and environmental benefits that cycling produces.
Should we even be having this sort of study? Why not just install bike lanes intelligently and be done with it. People who park/drive cars in the bike lane will be ticket, fined, towed, etc, and people who bike in traffic (when a bike lane is present) will likewise be ticketed, fined, bike confiscated, etc.
Ticket,ticket, ticket! I say ticket the violators. and they will stop violating.
Doesn't seem to work that way. Only physical barriers will keep them out.
Maybe when I don't feel like I'm going to get run over at every corner.
Its a great vid, if governments want us to be green then they need to provide safe cycling.I'm in Manchester U.K, we have painted lanes, they are useless, segregated lanes are the only way forward.
Dude. Which point is completely irrelevant?
ok, you're right about the taxes, you are more familiar with the subject. i don't have a problem with cars either. they are usefull but people use them too much (even when they don't need them). what is a fact though, is that 'lifestyle' is the number 1 cause of the misery of modern societies.
True everyone (Motrist, cyclist and pedstrians) needs to know all the laws and follow the rules of the road. Sadly it doesn't work that way, so our next option is to try and segregate everyone by mode of travel, even then we still have problems.
Don't get me wrong as a cyclist with over 30 years of road riding and commuting experience in traffic, I do agree with "Bike paths," but only so long as they are both properly designed and constructed.
Sadly, there's no easy, cheap solution tho
Cyclists pay taxes for roads and oil wars too. Cyclists don't have any protection from cars when using the same lanes. Are motorists expected to be courteous to cyclists? It just doesn't happen. You saw the video?
i guess my point is the space is more akin to a playground than anything that is actualy usable for transportation. watching the video of people using them looks like chaos to me. slow moving chaos. i think that its great for people who want to get into riding or taking their kids out. but this isn't going to fix any thing for me or anyone else i know. and it will cost millions to implament. i think education of drivers is more realistic. apathy seem to be the problem.
Maybe car drivers can also stop running red lights, speeding , car drivers ignore the laws of the road as much as anyone else, thing is ... cars are lethal machines that murder innocent people each and every day.
io nn cò capito nulla!
PS: New Yorkers need to get with the rest of the world & protect those who choose to pedel & walk instead of allowing the free-for-all of road-rage we have now!
Cheers, =gDz=
I thought NY is zero tolerance?
So, bikelane parking = 1000$ and loose the license.
Problem solved.
@harshbarj It is appropriate for you to respond NOW, when it is freezing outside. As I said above, some nut cases will ride year-round, but those are EXTREME exceptions. You exist in a fantasy bubble if you believe that bikes can be adopted as main mode of transport by large number of New-Yorkers. I'm in the city every day, and never once have I seen a bike lane FULL of bikes. In NYC, bike use is well under 1%, but in many places bike lanes take up to 50% of street space?!?!? ...insane.
@joe2grand yea but at least your in an urban setting with lots of other cyclist and you don't have to worry about how in the world you'er going to be able to pay all the medical bills if you do survive the accident. Here in the u.s. it mostly all suburbs with few sidewalks were available and many large busy highway like streets with no side walks or any body else on bicycle because no ones stupid enough to get on a u.s. street lol since they know they'll most likely get ran over.
Safe cycling requires a good bike, surface conditions, biking skills and a helmet. Why would some who want the first 2 (or 3?) conditions make fun of the 4th? My boys wear theirs all the time-and ride defensively. We should show only riders wearing helmets and encourage children to wear theirs--it's the law where I live.I value protecting my skull--but I have a lot at stake in my happy little life. I hope you do in your happy little skull-- and life.
@harshbarj I think one of the biggest responsibility of a big city government is TO FORCE RESIDENTS AWAY FROM CARS and into a public transport system. I admire what they do in London, where one pays a pretty penny to enter the city by car. They also have shared bus/bike lanes, which I think is great -- I would welcome that!
Your position looks selfish to me -- you only care about your own needs, not the city's.