Tag: Bike Lanes

If you are a road bicyclist, at some point, you must teach yourself to trust that motorists in two-ton vehicles will not run you off the road or try to kill you when you go out for a ride. Unfortunately, as cyclists, we spend a lot of time on roads (sometimes not by choice) that are either not in the best condition or are busy with traffic.  That depends on the time of day you elect to go out for a ride, early morning or late afternoon being the best.  

Motorists, on the other hand, like to blame cyclists for riding two or three abreast and taking up a road lane, ignoring traffic signals, blowing through stop signs, and not practicing good road etiquette. So, are bike lanes useful and safe or just there to convince bicyclists they are safe?

The Problem With Bicycle Signage

While it’s exciting to see bike lanes or “Share The Road” signs get installed, they are often treated as an afterthought by most cities (and they aren’t given much credence by motorists either). What results is that these painted in lanes are sometimes too short, quickly become littered with debris, or cars park in them.

When bicyclists do get to ride in a bike lane or where a “Share The Road” sign is present, cars and other vehicles can still drive by too fast and get too close. But in most cases, these signs are a rarity.  They either appear on just one side of a road, or if it is a long street or road, may only appear once.

Cyclists Have The Same Rights As Motorists

Most drivers see cyclists as a nuisance and will let their point be known by yelling obscenities, throwing objects, tailgating, or “buzzing” (the act of not observing the 3 feet rule, which is a generous 1.5 meters (5 feet) in the U.K.) as we cyclists like to call it. Probably, in a lot of cases, these motorists are not aware that bicyclists have every right to be on the road.

Bicyclists often think that motorists should see us anyway and that signs and lanes are not necessary. If that were the case, an emphasis wouldn’t be placed on wearing reflective gear or mounting lights to one’s bike. When it comes to motorists, road bicyclists must ride defensively and assume that most motorists are uneducated about the law. The truth is many motorists believe that bicyclists are an infringement on their rights to the road. 

Common Myths About Bike Lanes

Bike lanes and “Share The Road” signs are meant to function as warnings to drivers that there may be bicyclists on the road. It’s a signal to them to be aware and use caution.

The truth is some drivers are inherently cautious and appreciate the presence of bike lanes and signs while other drivers are just annoyed by cyclists altogether.  That particular group likes to invent reasons why bike lanes, signs, and especially bikes themselves aren’t safe and shouldn’t be on the road. Here are some of those myths.

• Bike lanes cause congestion or more traffic than necessary.
• Hardly any bicyclists use them.
• Bike lanes aren’t good for businesses.
• They’re a hazard to pedestrians.
• Bicyclists don’t think traffic laws apply to them.
• Bikes are impractical and can’t carry or haul anything.
• This is the U.S. and not the Netherlands or Denmark.
• Bikes are expensive.
• Bikes don’t serve any real purpose.

Some of the points above are practical while some of them are ridiculous. True, there are more bicyclists than ever now, but most bicyclists try to avoid main roads. And if there is a large group of bike riders, those groups aren’t always large and consistent.

Businesses are usually happy for the traffic that bikes create for them and see it as a positive. The truth is bicycling is good for the environment and one’s health. So far, the United States hasn’t become like Europe where bicycles are more prominent and the activity is more respected.

The Truth about Bike Lanes

Neither bike lanes nor “Share The Road” signs are a perfect solution for bicyclists or drivers.  They won’t protect a bicyclist if a driver decides to be aggressive. However, symbolically, the primary purpose of bike lanes is to keep motor vehicles separated from bicyclists and to offer safety to both.

The truth is that whether bike lanes are separated by physical barriers or just painted on the road, what most determines a bicyclist’s safety is the condition of the road and how bike lanes are constructed.

Street-level bike lanes are impacted by pedestrians who use them, debris, and encounters with motorists if a bicyclist needs to stop or cross a major road. Bike paths or bikeways made specifically for bike traffic are always best and result in the least fatalities.

Infrastructure Promotes Bike Safety

As road cyclists, we tend to seek out roads with low traffic that offer a challenge with hills to climb and that are in good condition. And it’s a nice gift when roads that are in bad shape gets repaved. However, cyclists can also encounter busier roads where we might be forced to ride in traffic or alongside it, even if that is for a short period of time.

That is why the investment cities place in bicycling infrastructure is so important. Recent research pulled from 13 years of data about 12 large cities where cycling infrastructure is emphasized noted a 51% increase in bike to work activities. That is the result of bike lanes being built in cities like Denver, Dallas, Portland, Oregon, and Kansas City, MO. If you’ve ever been to Portland, bike lanes are everywhere, even on streets with a low amount of traffic.

Bike lanes do provide some level of safety for bicyclists. More bike lanes means that our beautiful sport will become an accepted part of daily life. As bicyclists, this is what we would all like to see. No bike-supported infrastructure only means that bicycling and motorist fatalities increase.

In the past 10 years, bicycle and motorist incidents have increased 37%. In 2019 alone, 1,089 bicyclists lost their lives to run-ins with cars. In 2020 (during the pandemic), which forced more people to stay at home, 675 cyclists were still killed.

Last Thoughts

Bike lanes and “Share The Road” signs are a good thing for a city, town, or community when they get added. They are the places where cyclists can have some measure of safety while partaking in their favorite activity. While some cities are investing more in cycling and installing bike lanes, and others are turning old railroad lines into designated bike paths, coverage is still spotty at best but steadily improving

So, do bike lanes and “Share The Road” signs offer “real” safety to bicyclists? For the most part, I would say yes. The best thing we can do as bicyclists is all be aware of the environment, the roads, motorists, and pedestrians while out on the ride so that using them is safe for everyone.