It's all about the bike

[Allison Slater]

This might actually be a good idea. I've several friends who've told me that they never realised that the red blinking light means bicycle until I told them.. instead they always reacted as "What the heck is that" when they saw the red blinking light. With this, the bicycle symbol is clearly displayed behind.

However, the lines can be odd for those times when joining directly into a traffic lane, and the bicycle symbol may not be very pbvious as to what it is until getting closer. A safety jacket with a bicycle symbol on the back may be better, perhaps -- but I've not seen one.

[Veloise]

Veloise,

What about them? I don't think this product is meant to illuminate potholes or address any of those other issues. It's to reinforce for automobile drivers the space they need to give while passing someone riding in the street where they are supposed to be. I imagine it would be added to the proper lighting a well prepared cyclist is already using.

Having actually looked at the link's images (broadband is a challenge), this would seem to fall into the neverending category of products designed to solve an imagined problem; most car-bike crashes are not in the "overtaking from behind" category.

This product projects lighting onto the pavement behind the rider. The video depicts a cyclist riding with a small headlight, wearing fairly dark clothing. On the website, the stills make it look like the projected illumination is big and bold. The dashboard shots sometimes obstruct the lighting (it's on the pavement, where motorists typically aren't looking).

Couple years back I located some research indicating that motorists respond best to illumination/safety devices that help outline the human form, whether cycling or afoot. Hey, how about a Michael Jackson illuminated jacket with a big sign reading

DON'T HIT ME

I HAVE A GOOD LAWYER

?

[fotoman311]

Having actually looked at the link's images (broadband is a challenge), this would seem to fall into the neverending category of products designed to solve an imagined problem; most car-bike crashes are not in the "overtaking from behind" category.

This product projects lighting onto the pavement behind the rider. The video depicts a cyclist riding with a small headlight, wearing fairly dark clothing. On the website, the stills make it look like the projected illumination is big and bold. The dashboard shots sometimes obstruct the lighting (it's on the pavement, where motorists typically aren't looking).

Couple years back I located some research indicating that motorists respond best to illumination/safety devices that help outline the human form, whether cycling or afoot. Hey, how about a Michael Jackson illuminated jacket with a big sign reading

DON'T HIT ME

I HAVE A GOOD LAWYER

?

Haha, that would be a safer bet.

I do agree about the problem being a primarily an imagined one, since cases where motorists crash into cyclists from the rear are relatively rare. Any gadget that gets people excited about riding their bike is okay by me, even if it's not necessarily making them much safer, assuming they do not use it to replace other lighting sources, which I suppose could be a valid concern.

In my experience, good pedal reflectors moving up and down are one of best visibility tools a cyclist can have from the rear, in addition to a bright red reflector or light and/or reflective clothing.

[fotoman311]

[crinzema]

I have to go on one of these bike rides one of these days. Just to confirm the fact that you see and recognize things better on a bike; at 1:45 in the video I recognize that neighborhood even though I have only been through there once on my bike and only on my bike. I believe it's 2286 Tremont Blvd NW, Grand Rapids right off of 7th Street. I'm starting to believe I have photographic memory. And I'm not even familiar with NW part of GR, I'm a proud SE grandrapian, born and raised. I trying to formulate a bike route to downtown so that I have a safe low traffic route to travel to GRCC, and the last route I tried had me going through that neighborhood.

[fotoman311]

I have to go on one of these bike rides one of these days. Just to confirm the fact that you see and recognize things better on a bike; at 1:45 in the video I recognize that neighborhood even though I have only been through there once on my bike and only on my bike. I believe it's 2286 Tremont Blvd NW, Grand Rapids right off of 7th Street. I'm starting to believe I have photographic memory. And I'm not even familiar with NW part of GR, I'm a proud SE grandrapian, born and raised. I trying to formulate a bike route to downtown so that I have a safe low traffic route to travel to GRCC, and the last route I tried had me going through that neighborhood.

You are right. That ride went out the Blandford Nature Center and we went on Tremont on the way back. I love riding on 7th St. It's such a nice wide road with relatively low traffic. And that little Shawmut Hills neighborhood is nice to ride around.

The next three rides are summarized here: http://www.pedalgr.com/2009/07/16/pedalgr-on-rgtv/

Here's a short look at our upcoming rides:

July 22

[arcturus]

Here's a pretty nice bicycle map I pulled from the city ...

http://bit.ly/REj4q

[fotoman311]

Our bicycle culture in GR is growing and I'm glad that Daniel Koert is a part of it.

[Allison Slater]

http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2009/0...rail_biking.php

Combining bicycle safety and a sense of whimsy, Contrail is a tool that sends a colorful message to the mobile community. The small apparatus attaches to any bike's seat tube and applies a thin layer of chalk powder in one of several colors to the rear tire.

Although I question its usefulness in terms of safety, it does sound kinda neat. I imagine it'd be a good way of gauging where bicycle traffic is heavier. That and with, say, PedalGR rides or any other group bike ride, it could eliminate issues of people getting separated and becoming confused as to where they are supposed to head.

[jbr12]

Very cool picture I saw on one of the blogs I follow today:

Matthew Blackett of Spacing writes:

Sometimes it takes a visual illustration to make the strongest argument.

The above image is 42 Brompton folding bikes placed in one parking spot. The image below is the amount of space needed for the same amount of people to take a car, bus, or bike.

[fotoman311]

Very cool picture I saw on one of the blogs I follow today:

I've seen the poster before, but I really like the folding bike example. That's great.

BTW, if anyone is interested in a lower-end Dahon folder, I know that RadicalJoy on here is still selling one.

[Kib]

This just opened in my 'other' hometown... of couse I thought of Veloise:

Portland opens downtown cycletrack

EDIT: It appears there are additional articles about it elsewhere on the Oregonian website.

[Veloise]

This just opened in my 'other' hometown... of couse I thought of Veloise:

Portland opens downtown cycletrack

EDIT: It appears there are additional articles about it elsewhere on the Oregonian website.

Veloise doesn't like this.

How do you turn left from it? How does a motorist turn right? (Yes, it says the seven-block-long test area is on a street where that's not an issue.)

Cyclists fare best when they act, and are treated as, drivers of vehicles...not "special needs" cases requiring weird street layouts and their own reserved places to ride. (I have a bikeway. It's called the road.)

HTH. (Thanks for sharing, and thinking of moi.)

[fotoman311]

Thought it was funny when I went to the website for this company that sells bicycle parking racks and my first thought was "I know where that is".

http://www.theparkcatalog.com/items.asp?cc...CFQEhDQodMSSwJw

The photo in their banner is the Cycle-Safe racks at the Ryerson Main Library.

[fotoman311]

So, I know not as many people read the GR Press on paper these days, but last Sunday there was an article on bicycling in Grand Rapids that tried to give an overview of where Grand Rapids is compared to some other cities.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ind...ay_to_go_b.html

I am embracing my new title of "cycling evangelist", or as Ted Lott put it, "cyclevangelist".

[Raildudes dad]

So, I know not as many people read the GR Press on paper these days, but last Sunday there was an article on bicycling in Grand Rapids that tried to give an overview of where Grand Rapids is compared to some other cities.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ind...ay_to_go_b.html

I am embracing my new title of "cycling evangelist", or as Ted Lott put it, "cyclevangelist".

The GR map looked out of date to me. Some of the non - motorized trails seemed to be missing. The article didn't give credit for the 4 lane to 3 lane restripings that are occurring ie Plainfield - Sweet to 3 Mile. They seem to be pretty bike friendly and all it costs is some paint and some marking removal. Leonard - Walker to Kinney looks pretty bike friendly to me as very occasional bike rider (but a non- motorized trail design manager )

[Veloise]

The GR map looked out of date to me. Some of the non - motorized trails seemed to be missing. The article didn't give credit for the 4 lane to 3 lane restripings that are occurring ie Plainfield - Sweet to 3 Mile. They seem to be pretty bike friendly and all it costs is some paint and some marking removal. Leonard - Walker to Kinney looks pretty bike friendly to me as very occasional bike rider (but a non- motorized trail design manager )

Since those de facto bike lanes have no signage nor pavement markings, they tend to be overlooked. There's a hold-out in a certain City department...

...

This was the theme of my Park(ing) Day installation. At one point I had five bikes, with room for a couple dozen more. Most passers-by got the message.

[fotoman311]

The GR map looked out of date to me. Some of the non - motorized trails seemed to be missing. The article didn't give credit for the 4 lane to 3 lane restripings that are occurring ie Plainfield - Sweet to 3 Mile. They seem to be pretty bike friendly and all it costs is some paint and some marking removal. Leonard - Walker to Kinney looks pretty bike friendly to me as very occasional bike rider (but a non- motorized trail design manager )

A few of the non-motorized trails do appear to be missing. There are two sections of trail along Plaster Creek and I only see one on this map, and also the new trails in Millennium Park are missing.

The reason the 4 to 3 lane stripings are not on there is because they are not considered bicycle facilities by the city. They certainly are more bicycle friendly, but until the traffic safety dept. and the planning dept. get their acts on the same page and start actually designating a bicycle network in the city, these are not considered bicycle facilities. Also, some of these stripings are not being done in the proper way for bicycle facilities according to AASHTO standards (there is a new, expanded AASHTO guide on bicycle facilities being published very soon--as I'm sure you know, the last was in 1999 and a lot of new designs have been piloted since then--and the MUTCD is also being updated with some new bicycle signage). They need dotted lines leading into major intersections, to let cyclists know that they will be merging with right turning car traffic. Also, the stripes on Knapp NE actually curve into the curb ( http://bit.ly/3QLi5F ) which is confusing for cyclists. Or the striped lane just ends suddenly: http://bit.ly/njmE8 (this particular spot may be different after the construction at this intersection, but it definitely happens elsewhere)

Also, by not designating them as bicycle lanes the city can "get away" with putting those stripes down the side of a road like Maryland between Fulton and Michigan and leaving only about 12-18" to the curb side of the stripe, but still call it a striped "lane", even though it would be ridiculous to expect a bicycle to ride in that "lane". Google Streetview: http://bit.ly/podQs or here on Knapp: http://bit.ly/u06FZ I can't find it on the city website now, but I know that I saw a map during the Green Grand Rapids process that showed all the roads that had been "striped" with unmarked bike lanes and on this map, areas with this 12-18" stripe were considered the same as areas with a full bicycle lane width, like the fantastic one on Michigan east of Plymouth.

So, while I applaud the city taking these steps, in order to have a real bicycle network they need to actually acknowlege and label these as bicycle facilities, put them on a map as such, create appropriate signage, and use other means such as sharrows to connect areas where the limited right of way does not allow a lane to be striped. We also need to work with neighboring municipalities to integrate these bicycle networks so they don't just deadend at the city limits.

My impression is that the planning dept. and others in city gov't are working towards this end and it is something that the new Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition will be advocating to make our city more bicycle friendly. The way I see it, part of it is a funding problem, and part of it is a mindset problem. I am confident we can bring everyone around to realize that streets can and should be designed to accommodate more than just cars. And like you said, a lot of the solutions are pretty low cost, just involving some paint and some signs.

I'll end with a quote from a recent Parade magazine (yes, the one in the Sunday paper usually featuring some celebrity on the cover) "special report" ( http://www.parade.com/news/2009/09/27-a-fr...eling-city.html ) on how Columbia, MI has transformed itself using a pilot non-motorized funding program that was in the last federal Transportation Funding Bill:

While it may be too soon to guage the success of early efforts, bicyclists in Portland, OR are setting the pace. Since 1992, the city has spent almost $60 million--or roughly the cost of building one mile of an urban highway--to enhance its cycling infrastructure.

So, for the cost of 1 mile of an urban highway you can create arguably the most comprehensive bicycle transportation network in the United States with well over 200 miles of bicycle routes. Just another example of how our transportation spending priorities need to be shifted to accommodate and encourage lower cost alternatives like bicycling and walking.

*gets down from soapbox*

[Explorer55]

So, I know not as many people read the GR Press on paper these days, but last Sunday there was an article on bicycling in Grand Rapids that tried to give an overview of where Grand Rapids is compared to some other cities.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ind...ay_to_go_b.html

I am embracing my new title of "cycling evangelist", or as Ted Lott put it, "cyclevangelist".

Go ask the Grand Valley Metro Council if the MPO has a regional bike plan or something similar to integrate specific bike (and ped) facilities into federal-aid highway projects on a routine basis. If they don't, read to them several portions of planning regulations found in 23 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 450.300 (metropolitan planning) and refer them to 23 USC (US CODE) 217. And ask MDOT officials if they ever let the DOT's bike/ped program facilitator out of his/her closet office in Lansing. Oh, and there's the transportation enhancement program, CMAQ-funded projects to reduce air pollution emissions, and the Safe Routes to School program.

Just some advice from someone who knows how much potential an opportunity there is to improve non-motorized transportation, but realizes it's an uphill battle to "shift paradigms" on the part of those who think transportation only means cars (SUVs, trucks, etc.) on streets and roads.

[Allison Slater]

Wanting to link an image I saw from a news article posted on Veloise's facebook, but facebook seems to be down and I can't find it via google. Was a typical bike lane at intersection, only changed so the bike lane was shown as a vehicle lane, with the text "Does this make sense to you?"

[Veloise]

Wanting to link an image I saw from a news article posted on Veloise's facebook, but facebook seems to be down and I can't find it via google. Was a typical bike lane at intersection, only changed so the bike lane was shown as a vehicle lane, with the text "Does this make sense to you?"

This is not the image you were wanting, but the Scientific American article.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article....sts-on-the-road

It needs editing by someone who's passed Bicycle Facility Design 101.

Title: How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road

Photo caption:

CYCLE TRACK [a striped bike lane], here along New York City's Ninth Avenue, keeps bicyclists physically separated from motor vehicle traffic. Such designs make riding safer and could boost the number of women cyclists.

Excerpts:

"In the U.S., most cycling facilities consist of on-street bike lanes, which require riding in vehicle-clogged traffic... And when cities do install traffic-protected off-street bike paths..."

"Women were less likely than men to try on-street bike lanes and more likely to go out of their way to use

[fotoman311]

Conversion of the Lowell to Greenville rail corridor to a shared use path is mired in some legal issues.

From my blog at PedalGR.com:

Plans for an abandoned rail corridor from Greenville to Lowell to be purchased and land banked for conversion into a future shared-use trail have been mired in some legal issues. It seems that an enterprising lawyer from St. Louis has made it his specialty to sue organizations trying to convert former rail rights of way into shared-use rail trails.

You can read Barton Dieters' in depth article on mLive.com to get more information.

It's an unfortunate case where a technical legal loophole on contracts that were written in the 1860s and 1870s may prevent new trails from being built. I'm not a legal expert, nor have I done the necessary due diligence, so I don't feel qualified to say who is in the right. If this precedent is set, it's hard to know what effect it will have on future trail development.

I just hope a sensible solution can be worked out and this sort of legal battle can be avoided in the future so that we can continue to expand our invaluable trail network. It is one important part of encouraging bicycling for recreation and transportation purposes. To use a bad clich

[Veloise]

Tell the Google trike where to go

https://services.google.com/fb/forms/street...s-svn-com/trike

[jbr12]

Darn it! You beat me to it! I love Google Maps. I just wish the Rapid would get out of Beta testing and into the normal Google Maps..

[John E]

The Rapid has been out of beta for some time now and using google maps.

http://www.ridetherapid.org/ride/routes/1/map-and-stops

~John