Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Duppie on December 3, 2012 at 6:33am

Nah, I wouldn't try to. You clearly won that title already with this masterful entry ;)

P.S. Do I really have to spell it out that this is not a serious conversation from my side, and that if anything I am lamenting CDOT's ridiculous decision to start calling it "Buffer Protected Bike Lanes"??

h' said:

Are we competing for the dumbest argument in internet history here?

What's the prize?

Painted lines on a street are perhaps better than nothing but they do not "protect" anyone. The original dialogue when all this was announced had to do with grade-separated lanes or some other physical barrier.

Duppie said:

Not according to CDOT. The bike lane has a buffer between the cars and bicyclists, therefore it is "protected". Not sure what is not clear about that ;)

(Note the emoticon)

h' said:

Not sure my point got across. To refer to a buffered bike lane as "protected" is basically a lie.

Duppie said:

I'm with you. Let's call 'em Buffer Protected Bike Lanes instead, just like CDOT calls them. There is no confusion in that designation.

http://gridchicago.com/2012/jackson-boulevard-bike-lane-downgraded-...

h' said:

We need to stop referring to them as "protected bike lanes." We were promised protected bike lanes and what we ended up with was buffered bike lanes.  

I would like to see the eradication of the use of "protected bike lane" or "pbl" to refer to anything other than a truly protected bike lane, i.e. one which has a physical barrier to prevent, or at least significantly minimize the likelihood that cars or parts thereof will encroach into bicycle travel space.

Who's with me?

mike w. said:

i can think of few lane/street configurations more dangerous than a PBL. Who thought that was a good idea?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Barish on December 3, 2012 at 6:33am

I think its a reasonable concern.  I don't see Bill's post as a complaint but as a warning that simply being in a PBL is not a magic potion to ensure your safety. You still have to have your wits about you.  I was in the evanston lane yesterday and felt a myriad of conflicting but distnict feelings- 1) Its great that there is such a lane and that the city wants to do something for cyclists. I like the green coloring to let everybody know that there really is something different about the lane.  2) Meh.  its no big deal. I don't feel much safer. 3) This is great- it may encourage kids and less experienced riders to run errands in Evanston via bike as I was doing yesterday. 4)where was that car? Where was that pedestrian? Is he/she going to cross the street?...still have the eyes wide open... 5)Cool. I see other bikes in my mirror. Enjoy the ride guys!

 

I think the Evanston lane makes this less of an issue as there is a protected distance and the plastic barrier thingies.  Dearborn may be another issue. I plan to try it tomorrow.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on December 3, 2012 at 6:48am

What would you think of making a coordinated push to get the city to distribute a share the road/bike lane-related educational brochure through more than one channel that would reach a large portion of the city, such as with city sticker renewals and property tax bills?  I'd like to see a similar push to get the Secretary of State to distribute same/similar brochure with driver's license renewals, because many people driving in the city do not live in the city.  Thoughts?

KatieP said:

I've almost been doored a few times in the lanes. I think you are not crazy!

This speaks to a need for greater driver and passenger education about the lanes and looking before dooring. I'm working with some Chainlinkers on driver and cyclist focused education but we hadn't included the passenger focused information. 

Anyone know if CDOT is planning education on this?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on December 3, 2012 at 7:51am

We've worked with the SOS office in the past and gotten them to distribute some material at their Chicago locations. We'd love to get them to mail out information to all drivers (as the City Clerk did in 2008,) but I think that outside pressure would maybe get them to take more action on this.

By the way, as soon as the Dearborn lane is done, we'll be doing education outreach along the entire route.

Anne Alt said:

What would you think of making a coordinated push to get the city to distribute a share the road/bike lane-related educational brochure through more than one channel that would reach a large portion of the city, such as with city sticker renewals and property tax bills?  I'd like to see a similar push to get the Secretary of State to distribute same/similar brochure with driver's license renewals, because many people driving in the city do not live in the city.  Thoughts?

KatieP said:

I've almost been doored a few times in the lanes. I think you are not crazy!

This speaks to a need for greater driver and passenger education about the lanes and looking before dooring. I'm working with some Chainlinkers on driver and cyclist focused education but we hadn't included the passenger focused information. 

Anyone know if CDOT is planning education on this?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on December 3, 2012 at 8:04am

Charlie - Good to know about the planned outreach along the route. 

I think we should ask ATA and LIB about a campaign to get SOS to mail "share the road" info about laws and bike lanes/signage to all drivers across the state.

Charlie Short said:

We've worked with the SOS office in the past and gotten them to distribute some material at their Chicago locations. We'd love to get them to mail out information to all drivers (as the City Clerk did in 2008,) but I think that outside pressure would maybe get them to take more action on this.

By the way, as soon as the Dearborn lane is done, we'll be doing education outreach along the entire route.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Charlie Short 2.9 on December 3, 2012 at 8:12am

We can talk next week at MBAC.

Anne Alt said:

Charlie - Good to know about the planned outreach along the route. 

I think we should ask ATA and LIB about a campaign to get SOS to mail "share the road" info about laws and bike lanes/signage to all drivers across the state.

Charlie Short said:

We've worked with the SOS office in the past and gotten them to distribute some material at their Chicago locations. We'd love to get them to mail out information to all drivers (as the City Clerk did in 2008,) but I think that outside pressure would maybe get them to take more action on this.

By the way, as soon as the Dearborn lane is done, we'll be doing education outreach along the entire route.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on December 3, 2012 at 8:38am

Would also be great if the city SOS offices has a poster or two about driving etiquette and dooring reminders.  I was there last month to renew my driver's license and I remember seeing posters about donating your organs.

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Permalink Reply by Mark on December 3, 2012 at 9:03am

My concern is the downtown area of the Evanston PBL on Chuch Street.  I felt like I might as well have been riding on the sidewalk.  Pedestrians don't treat the PBL as an active traffic lane and wander out not looking up from their phones until they get out to where the "real" traffic is out in the street.  Another problem is that cars were allowed to park right up to the intersection, so cyclists are hidden behind parked cars until the very end after a car has started to make the the right turn.  With a buffered lane, cyclists are visible to right-turning cars and can maneuver around a stopped line of right-turning cars.

These are my concerns with the Dearborn PBL, where there will be lots of pedestrians.  The PBL's in NYC have long turn lanes where turning cars are directed over next to the PBL, and away from the thru trafic lanes.  Then the turning cars need to wait for a left turn arrow before they are allowed to turn.  I hope these features are part of the Dearborn PBL.

David Barish said:

I think its a reasonable concern.  I don't see Bill's post as a complaint but as a warning that simply being in a PBL is not a magic potion to ensure your safety. You still have to have your wits about you.  I was in the evanston lane yesterday and felt a myriad of conflicting but distnict feelings- 1) Its great that there is such a lane and that the city wants to do something for cyclists. I like the green coloring to let everybody know that there really is something different about the lane.  2) Meh.  its no big deal. I don't feel much safer. 3) This is great- it may encourage kids and less experienced riders to run errands in Evanston via bike as I was doing yesterday. 4)where was that car? Where was that pedestrian? Is he/she going to cross the street?...still have the eyes wide open... 5)Cool. I see other bikes in my mirror. Enjoy the ride guys!

 

I think the Evanston lane makes this less of an issue as there is a protected distance and the plastic barrier thingies.  Dearborn may be another issue. I plan to try it tomorrow.

• ▶ Reply

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