Space Hogs Where You Live

It’s time for another slide show from the Streetsblog Network. Last time, we asked you for images of bike traffic from around the country. You can see the result here.

This time, we were looking for pictures of cars and other motor vehicles hogging space. And boy, did you deliver. We had dozens of submissions to consider, coming from as far away as Russia.

Here’s a look at what you all are seeing out there on the car-choked streets of America — and the world:

Many thanks to Streetsblog Network members Bicycle Fixation, Portlandize, Project for Public Spaces, Cyclosity, Cyclelicious and Bike San Diego, as well as all the rest of the contributors and everyone who participated.

Here’s your next assignment: We’d like pictures of bikes at work. Cargo bikes, delivery bikes, bikes that get the job done — whatever the job may be. International submissions are welcome.

Send them to me at sarah [at] streetsblog [dot] org, or tag them with "streetsblog" and "workbike" in Flickr.

Keep those pictures coming.

  • So taking a hammer to that Hummer is legal, right?

  • mmhm

    I like it! The SF Caltrain one is particularly gratifying to see here. Let’s just say that my metal pedal used to accidentally really slam into the back of that massive maroon SUV parked there jamming the hell out of everyone.

  • Larry Hogue

    Great slide show!

    Just want to point out, with regard to that photo of a car turning right in the bike lane: if it’s within 200′ of the intersection, that’s where it’s SUPPOSED to turn from, according to the California Vehicle Code. That’s why the bike lanes, if painted properly, have dashed lines as they approach the intersection. Through-travelling bikes and right-turning cars are supposed to perform a “weave” at intersections. Not many bicyclists or drivers understand this.

    I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a driver on my left turning into me as I go straight through the intersection.

  • Sarah Goodyear

    Larry,

    Thanks for that clarification. But the person who submitted the photos said they were in the bike lane a full block from the right turn, and that cyclists were actually riding on the sidewalk at that point.

  • Paul

    I think NY could benefit from bollards along the sidewalk edges to prevent car parking.

  • Lars

    I am a big fan of the slideshow. I enjoy being entertained by this.

  • So when cars are parked ILLEGALLY on the sidewalk is it legal to walk over the cars, foot on sheet-metal?

    I’m not saying that I have (lots of nervous eye rolling and whistling … just kidding) but I’m seriously wondering.

  • Troy

    Stretch limos in New York City. These things should be limited to a reasonable length. Perhaps slightly bigger than a regular Town Car. The stretch Hummers and Navigators plague the city (especially around prom season) with clueless suburban drivers trying (and failing) to turn in the Village and Soho with ensuing not-so-comic results. Can anyone think of an easier win-win for a billionaire mayor than to ban these congestion machines and environmental disasters on wheels?

  • poncho

    andy b, a similar situation…

    once i saw a car in portland parked along the streetcar line blatantly obstructing the tracks (haphazardly parked diagonally in a parallel street spot, sticking way out into the travel lane). this was clearly no misunderstanding as the cars behind were all parked parallel. since the streetcar was stuck they let off passengers right where they were. about 6 or so people then surrounded the car and started picking up the car. the car owner came out while the crowd was just about to lift the car (i suppose when a crowd is surrounding your car with their hands on it, it is smart to be nice and apologetic to them as he was). i was certainly expecting a bit of a heated confrontation.

  • Kaja

    Andy – You might say that’s legal under natural law. And then the cops, better understood as a criminal street mafia under natural law, will arrest your ass for damage to the car.

    The slideshows are wonderful, thank you Sarah.

  • poncho
  • Felix

    Great show! If anyone reading this works at Erasmus Hall, please take a picture of all the principals’ and AP’s cars parked in the courtyard – one of the city’s most beautiful and historically significant spots.

  • I must confess that I actually did walk over an illegally parked car once. There was this car that kept on parking in a crosswalk at my college. Every week as I walked to class this car was always there. Finally after having to walk around it for nearly the tenth time, I had enough and walked right over the hood with purposely muddy shoes. The car never parked in the crosswalk again.

    True story!

  • Andy, I almost did the same. Every day a car was parked in front of a ramp (the crosswalk wasnt marked but still legally a crosswalk, as indicated by the corner and the ramp). I was planning to draw a crosswalk on the car with removable ink or paint – I never got to find what material I would need as the car was finally given a ticket and did not park there again.

  • Jass, Any sort of water soluable paint would work. I would recommond the powered tempura. It is unlikely to damage the paint via scratching and washes off with only a little bit of water.

  • There are often cars on the sidewalk in front of the Speedy Car Rental Agency in Park Slope, Brooklyn. (The last couple of photos) I was once almost run over by one of the employees there. I could not imagine a conversation that would not have turned ugly. Soon they are gonna find boot prints on the roofs of their rental cars.

  • Lars

    SPACE HOGS!

  • Kristi

    Can you now do a series of all the runners who have taken over the bike lanes? There’s a tri group on the Hudson bike path (NYC) that trains on the weekend in several packs of 10+, taking up the whole lane, and they get really nasty if you ask them to single up. Not to mention all the runners who think it’s appropriate to run down the center line or in the middle of the lane.

  • Larry Hogue

    Sarah,

    Thanks for pointing that out. Yeah, driving in a bike lane to turn right a block before the intersection would be illegal. Happens to me at one of the intersections near my house all the time.

    And did someone say runners in bike lanes? We have them here in San Diego, especially near the beach where there don’t tend to be sidewalks.

  • Clutch J

    Re: Cars in bike lane on Market in SF

    I’m still of the thinking that drivers of right-turning cars ought to merge right, into bike lanes if necessary, in advance of an intersection and that through bicyclists ought normally to pass right-turning vehicles on the left.

  • Clutch J

    Overall, the collection nicely demonstrates how instrusive vehicles are.

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