On Saturday, I rode my bicycle from Harlem to the Theatre District using the 7 Av and Columbus Av bike lanes. I encountered a few obstacles, such as pedestrians standing or walking in the lanes and, where the lanes were not physically separated from the roadway (mainly on 7 Av in Harlem), an abundance of parked vehicles. The separated lane on Columbus Av was generally pleasant, but I quickly became frustrated with the frequent red lights for the bike lane to allow a left-turn signal for other traffic (regardless of whether there was any) which greatly reduced the green time for bicycles. I dealt with this by changing into the traffic lane approaching the intersection, then merging back into the bike lane which worked well. Near 81 St, there was a farmers’ market immediately adjacent to the bike lane, with produce crates sitting around and people crossing the lane to access parked trucks. There were cones and signs to caution shoppers and cyclists, and I left the bike lane for a few blocks to find more room and better visibility. When I reached 66 St and Broadway, a massive intersection with lots of traffic, I felt momentarily unsafe among speeding and turning vehicles, and I kept an eye over my right shoulder to watch for left-turning vehicles. I successfully reached the other side where the bike lane resumed. Clearer pavement markings may be needed to remind drivers of the presence of bicycle traffic, highlight conflict zones, and guide cyclists across the intersection. (Sidewalk extensions could also slow traffic and increase pedestrian safety.) Farther south, there was construction in the bike lane. In one location, it was completely blocked, and cyclists had to dodge speeding traffic to navigate around the obstacle. In another location, a bicycle right-of-way had been established around the area with flexible plastic posts.
On my ride back uptown, I used the 8 Av/Central Park West bike lane. At Columbus Circle, the lane abruptly ended, and I navigated through the circle to get from the left side of 8 Av to the right side of Central Park West. While startling at first, traffic in the circle was slow-moving and merging was not difficult. The ride up Central Park West was pleasant, until I reached Frederick Douglass Circle and had a close call with a driver who ignored a red light. That would be enough to scare some people away from bicycling altogether.
While it is encouraging to see bicycling infrastructure being installed, a lot more needs to be done to make cyclists feel safe if the city is to continue to attract people to such a healthy and sustainable mode. I am a lifelong rider and regularly find myself in uncomfortable situations in traffic; small wonder that so many people continue to ride on the sidewalk.
On my ride back uptown, I used the 8 Av/Central Park West bike lane. At Columbus Circle, the lane abruptly ended, and I navigated through the circle to get from the left side of 8 Av to the right side of Central Park West. While startling at first, traffic in the circle was slow-moving and merging was not difficult. The ride up Central Park West was pleasant, until I reached Frederick Douglass Circle and had a close call with a driver who ignored a red light. That would be enough to scare some people away from bicycling altogether.
While it is encouraging to see bicycling infrastructure being installed, a lot more needs to be done to make cyclists feel safe if the city is to continue to attract people to such a healthy and sustainable mode. I am a lifelong rider and regularly find myself in uncomfortable situations in traffic; small wonder that so many people continue to ride on the sidewalk.
Matthias, In many years to come, people will not believe that roads were constructed that did not separate opposing traffic traveling at high speeds (read that to be surface roads). The only thing separating oncoming traffic is a painted line. Future generations will look back at our reckless ways and find it hard to believe so many of the hair brained actions that we accepted as normal when observed from rational perspectives were allowed to exist.
ReplyDeleteSo is it any wonder that those who are in charge of the three R’s: rules, regulations and restrictions don’t or from future generations perspectives didn’t separate bike lanes from thousand pound vehicles?
Those who relish and mark success as their ability to restrict so many actions as well as compromising the very freedoms that our Founding Fathers sought to create ignore their duty with respect to respectable rider’s freedom from danger.
The citizenry sit back and allow the three R regulators to ignore the things they are expected to pay attention to while those very regulators focus on things like the name of a sports team.
Color me disgusted as long as those same pinheads who can’t even properly salute a soldier who signs up to voluntarily risk his or her life to defend the freedom of this country are in charge.
Your post illustrates why so many rational people, those who are all for utilization of the greatest invention of non-carbon footprint transportation don’t use it to get around the center of the universe (Manhattan). Me being one.