Bike Lanes Everywhere You Look
There's a lot of buzz about bike lanes around the network today.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia links to a local TV news story about how illegally parked cars and even construction materials are frequently blocking newly created bike lanes in that city.
The view from the bike lane in Philadelphia. Photo by Bikes on Transit via Flickr.Old news, right? Drivers use bike lanes as parking spots all the time. But what's really remarkable about the relatively in-depth news segment is that it treats motorists' bad behavior seriously as a safety issue, acknowledging that vehicles parked in a designated bike lane can endanger the lives of cyclists. It's worth watching, if only as evidence of a potential shift in attitude in the mainstream media when it comes to the right of bikes to share the road.
Meanwhile, our Twitter friend @keg41 linked this morning to an LA Times story about the growing number of cyclists in that city and the debate over how best to integrate bikes into an overwhelming car culture. The piece is pegged to the ongoing trial of a Brentwood physician who allegedly used his car to assault two cyclists on the road where he lived, but it goes on to provide a fairly thorough overview of some public health issues associated with biking, including the debate over whether bike lanes are good for bikers. Perhaps the most significant thing about the article is that it doesn't treat biking as something cute or quirky or trendy.
Meanwhile, Twin Cities Streets for People calls out a Prius driver who couldn't seem to stay out of a Minneapolis bike lane. And The WashCycle breaks down a proposed DC zoning change that could mean more bike parking.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
What is the Life of a Dead Pedestrian Worth?
A cop laughed that a normal person is only worth $11,000 — and that figure was partly due to his racism, but also how little we value the lives of people on foot.
Monday’s Headlines: ‘What is Up With All These Flip-Flops, Mayor?’ Edition
It's the same old story with this mayor and his chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin. Plus other news.
Why Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Long COVID
Covid-19 transformed many U.S. cities' approach to sustainable transportation forever. But how did it transform the lives of sustainable transportation advocates who developed lasting symptoms from the disease?
Analysis: ‘Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program’ is a Failure By All Measures
The Department of Transportation wants the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program to simply expire in part because it did not dramatically improve safety among these worst-of-the-worst drivers and led to a tiny number of vehicle seizures.
School Bus Driver Kills Cyclist in Boro Park, 24th Bike Death of 2023
Luis Perez-Ramirez, 44, was biking south on Fort Hamilton Parkway just before 3:15 p.m. when he was struck a by school bus driver making a right turn.
