image from copenhagenize.com
Here's the
question-from Tim Halbut at Planetizen
I am a bicycle commuter in Los Angeles, which on the face of it is a pretty tricky proposition. The major boulevards here are designed like freeways, and people use them as such. Pico, Highland, Sepulveda, Olympic- these streets were built for speed and make commuting not a little tricky for your serious bicycle commuter.
But there's the difference- I'm not a serious bicycle commuter. I don't shave my legs, seal myself up in neoprene, and take my fixie out zooming like a Tour de France athlete. My bike of choice is an Electra Townie, a sort of more flexible cruiser with a big cushy seat and a not insignificant weight. I'm lucky that I live only 1.5 miles from work, so I can take it easy, ride slowly, and enjoy the show as I roll past the La Brea Tar Pits.
So should I, at 10 mph tops, be forced to compete with the cars on streets like La Cienega? At a Los Angeles Transportation Committee meeting last week, the committee began to propose just that (LAist).
Many people don't know that as the law currently stands, bicyclists are A-OK on the sidewalks of Los Angeles County. As long as you don't show "willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." And in my experience, pedestrians are always willing to scoot over for a cyclist, and do not see them as nuisances. I try to be as courteous in return, slowly edging up on people so I don't freak them out, and using my bell quietly when necessary.
I submit that there are really two classes of cyclists, and they naturally sort themselves out on the roadway. Faster commuters on road bikes use bike lanes and weave through traffic because the sidewalks are too slow for them, while bikers like me use the sidewalks because it's safer and can easily navigate any obstacles at our slower speeds. And each type is suited for their chosen environment.
Bicycle planners, what do you think? Can we create a two-tiered system?
image from copenhagenize.com
Here's what I think
As both a neoprene clad roadie, and a casual kid carrying errand-runner, I understand your point. Having guys who can average 20mph, on the same badly designed facility as a kid with training wheels, is a recipe for bike carnage. I disagree that a 2-tier system is the answer though.
Dividing these groups up, and encouraging one to ride in high speed traffic, and the other ride with low speed pedestrians on the sidewalk is not the answer. Riding in high speed traffic is no fun. Riding on the sidewalk can be dangerous at intersections (where cars are not expecting to see you), and can lead to conflict with pedestrians. The stop-and-start at each intersection makes for a very slow, uneconomical trip.
We have to elevate the status of riding a bike and design 'just for cyclists' if we are serious about encouraging people to ride.
We must consider the needs of all cyclists when designing bike infrastructure, and your 2 groups have many more similarities than differences. We both like smooth surfaces, the most direct route, we are most vulnerable at intersections, we don't like to have to stop too much, we don't like being forced to ride too close to parked cars (everyone has been doored at least once), and feel unsafe when being passed by high speed traffic. We need somewhere dry to store our bikes (plastic bag on the saddle anyone?), and when we arrive at our destination a changing room, and a shower would be great too!
There are some differences, as you point out. Roadies and the fixed gear guys seem to be more comfortable in relatively low speed traffic, but most of the time that is a function of necessity. I am willing to bet creating a direct, prioritized bike lane system, free from traffic would be popular with these guys, because it will speed up their journey, and create safer, more relaxing conditions. Do it wrong though, and you discourage, and endanger cyclist even more.
If we create bike lanes that are NOT smooth, direct, continuous, swept clean of puncture causing debris, and clear of stray pedestrians, they will not be used. This will lead to more driver/cyclist confusion, confrontations and worse.
I do feel that as cycling conditions improve, and people start to use their bike as transport, the 'Utility Cyclist', a person in everyday clothes, in an un-aerodynamic position, with a basket, on a heavy, comfy bike, perhaps carrying more than 1 child, with an average speed of 14kmph, will become the most common kind of cyclist. This has happened all over Europe, and we are starting to see them more in our Bike Friendly Towns over here.
Facilities should be designed to encourage people to ride bikes by making them feel safe and important. We don't need a 2-tier system because cyclists understand that people ride at different speeds. If there are a few painted signs on the path that say 'keep to the right' people who don't undersand straight away will, after they recive a few friendly bell ringing reminders from behind.
However, the 1-tier system will only work if the facility is wide enough for people to over-take, and practical enough for people to use.
