<p>I am talking about trucks and buses who already (bikes aside) shift AWAY from the direction of their turn to allow for a wide enough turning radius. Even a box truck, when turning from a down hill onto an uphill street has to slow significantly and turn wide so as not to tip. During that process a bicyclist can be in the wrong spot when the turn happens if both parties are not really attentive and expecting the other person’s action.</p>
<p>"…they should move right somewhat, putting their right wheels in the bike lane, to allow straight-through cyclists to pass them on the left."</p>
<p>CF, come to our city and you will see that in many instances, this is impossible! Many streets here have been built long before cars became ubiquitous on the roads. Narrow, one way, hilly. The city is spread over several massive hills, and combined with rain, they present extra challenges to everyone, even pedestrians! Sure, there are “bike lanes” on side streets, but they are not what you normally would call bike lanes: they are simply markings on the same narrow 2 lane streets mostly for warning the drivers that bicyclists may be present, and that bicyclists are supposed to ride there and stay off the sidewalks. </p>
<p>I would be all for closing off some parts of the downtown to cars and even closing certain streets to cars and bicyclists in favor of transit, but given the location of many businesses and apartments, that would not be possible. We even opened that measly part of Westlake center back to traffic after extensive business lobbying. </p>
<p>I take umbrage at drivers who do dangerous things that might kill me, and I take umbrage at scofflaw cyclists. I think drivers who get upset about other lawful traffic on the road delaying them should realize that they don’t own the roads, and they have to share with the rest of the people using the roads. </p>
<p>Resenting cyclists who behave themselves is like resenting someone in the grocery line who has a big order. People are entitled to buy lots of groceries, even if it delays you. And people are entitled to ride their bikes on the road, even if you have to slow down for 15 seconds to pass them.</p>
<p>If I were riding in your city, Bunsen, I’d take the lane. Lanes that are too narrow to share are too narrow to share. Often in such cases, cyclists can find parallel routes with lower traffic, and often in such cases, cities develop those parallel routes with signage and signalling. The issue for cyclists crossing the busy arterials: cities need to install lights, so that cyclists can safely cross. </p>
<p>Design makes a huge difference. On street bike lanes in New York actually ended up speeding up traffic, while being safer for bikes!
<a href=“Bike lanes have actually sped up car traffic in New York City - Vox”>Bike lanes have actually sped up car traffic in New York City - Vox;
<p>Our city is long and narrow and the parallel routes are equally congested . . . particularly as they have been closing the main alternate N/S elevated hwy. More cars are on surface streets than ever. The N/S streets are moderate hills and the W/E streets are very steep hills so any turning motions are further impacted by grade differentials - not to mention cobble stones and whatnot 
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<p>Just because something is legal does not mean it is safe.</p>
<p>Another observation. People here for most part observe traffic rules, but the light synch stinks. So many pedestrians and bike riders jaywalk because stopping at red lights quite often doubles the travel time. :(</p>
<p>In my area, intersections are often signalized so that to cross a street on foot, instead of just crossing from a corner to the adjacent corner, the pedestrian has to go around the square the long way, making three crossings and waiting three times for a green light. It’s absurd, and of course people jaywalk in a situation like that.</p>
<p>Emeraldkity: I agree. I was on PCH yesterday and there were groups of bicyclists. Yes, it is legal. But riding a bicycle on a road with little or no shoulder with heavy traffic going 50mph, with tourists gawking at the view, is just foolish. And further along that section is a long beach bicycle path exclusively for bicycles. </p>
<p>We have a wonderful trail that connects MSFT all the way to the city. It would be much safer for someone to ride on that trail than on the parallel road that has awful traffic. However, there is a speed limit of bicyclists in some parts of it (15 mph) because the trail is mixed use, and the parts get crowded at certain times, and I suspect that some people do not like to use the trail possibly for that reason.</p>
<p>It’s hilariously predictable to hear drivers explain to me what roads I shouldn’t ride on. By the greatest coincidence, the roads I shouldn’t ride on are always the roads that person drives on. Frequently, as in the case of the Pacific Coast Highway, the roads I “shouldn’t ride on” turn out to be roads that cyclists come from all over to ride, roads that cyclists regard as wonderful roads for biking. People come from all over the world to bicycle the Pacific Coast Bike Route.</p>
<p>And the roads I should ride on, if the person ever even names any such roads, turn out to be some three mile badly paved path clogged with people pushing strollers or something equally unattractive and useless. And then, of course, if I should venture onto the three mile poorly paved bike path, the women pushing baby strollers have some rationalization of why I shouldn’t be there.</p>
<p>TatinG, I don’t need you to tell me where I should ride. You don’t appear to have any conception of what makes a road good for riding.</p>
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<p>Have you looked at accident statistics for that trail, or are you just guessing? Typically, busy multi-use paths are dangerous to ride bikes on. I may complain about drivers, but in the main drivers are predictable. People on multi-use paths are unpredictable. I</p>
<p>t’s difficult to ride safely at any speed when you are surrounded by other people and you don’t know where they are going to go or what they are going to do. One doesn’t want to ride on a busy multi-use trail at 15 mph for the same reason one wouldn’t want to drive on that trail at 15 mph-- people are swerving all over without looking behind them for traffic, little kids on bikes or on foot dart out in front of one, people stop in the middle of paths for a chat. It’s no way for a cyclist to get where he wants to go. It’s not just slow; it’s slow and dangerous.</p>
<p>Also, in general, though I don’t know if this is true for the path in question, sight lines on multi-use paths are poor.</p>
<p>Multi-use paths are only good for cycling if they are not much used. Busy paths are crummy paths.</p>
<p>The bike path along PCH is much longer than 3 miles. I think it’s 15 or 20. And of course we mention roads we drive on. Those are the roads we know. There are a lot of things that are legal to do that are dangerous. I’m just saying riding a heavily traveled road is too risky for my tastes. And I wouldn’t want to be sucking up the exhaust from the cars while I’m deep breathing either. </p>
<p>^^ See how easy it is to dismiss some roads/tails because they do not suit your style, right? The Burke-Gilman trail is not a 3 mile baby stroller route, but it is a mixed use “road”. See where I come from? I have as much right to run a marathon on that trail as you to bike on it to work or for pleasure. I do not have to get out of your way when I run, and neither do strollers. Not saying “personally you CF”, just using the analogy and applying the logic that you used to the drivers’ reactions to bike riders on “their” roads.</p>
<p>Well, just as you proclaim you have every right to be on the road with cars, it seems to me that the rollerskaters, joggers, and families out for a stroll with their strollers, tricycles and dogs have just as much right to be on those paths as you do. </p>
<p>Part of my H’s morning bike ride is on a winding parkway. We had a scare last spring when a school bus got too close and basically had him tightly trapped between the bus and the curb along a tight curve… He thought he was going to come out okay except as the bus sharply curved to the left, the back end of the bus bumped H and he was was thrown for a hard landing. Cracked tooth, cracked helmet, cracked bike frame and he has no memory of it, so prob was knocked out for a moment - of course he doesn’t mention this to me until much later. Bus didn’t stop nor did the cars behind the bus. Fortunately other bikers witnessed it and stopped to help.</p>
<p>I always give the riders room, but it really does stress me out to drive anywhere near a bike rider. I also tick off my H by suggesting that he would be safer if he would lose the toe clips…</p>
<p>Actually, they don’t. At least on the bike path along the beach or parts of it. They are painted with Bicycles Only on the path itself, but beach goers ignore them, especially when it’s crowded. I would lilke to see more dedicated bike paths away from roads. I’ve been on almost all of them in my area and it’s a very pleasant way to exercise. Being on the road with cars whizzing past would be too nerve-wracking for me to enjoy it.</p>
<p>I prefer to give a cyclist six feet or more whenever I can. What irritates me is how cyclists do whatever they want, ignoring traffic laws. I don’t get that. I was at a major intersection stoplight in the right turn lane and a guy comes barreling down the bike path, ran his stop sign and ran into me! I looked up and out my right window just in time to see a person going down. Scared the crap out of me. Bent his wheel making bike unrideable. He was okay. I had to just leave him there as I was on my way to work.</p>
<p>Bad, obnoxious drivers think they have a superior right to the road. They are incorrect. Roads are for traveling. I have as much right as a driver to be on the road, and I have no obligation to get off >>>>>>>>>>>>>></p>
<p>But you are holding up traffic, not going the speed limit. I’m sure you understand that it’s frustrating. But I get a feeling that you really don’t care if you look around and there is 5 miles of cars behind you. LOL. I live in a very congested area. I’m always happy to see bike paths being built and used. Cyclists scare me as they often don’t obey traffic laws. And what’s up with riding on the highway when there is a parallel bike path??! </p>