BIKE: Re: bike safety

[Lane S. Wimberley]

FWIW...

http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/insight/faqs/bicycle_facilities.htm

-Lane

Dave W writes:
> Jeff, thanks for the info and link; I bookmarked it.
> 
> > 2: There has been no significant demonstration that 
> > either bike paths or bike-lane stripes have reduced
> > the cyclist crash rate. On the contrary, bike paths 
> > have several times been shown to be the most
> > dangerous facilities we have.
> 
> As for bike paths, I don't dispute that they're
> dangerous, maybe even more dangerous than cycling on
> (some) streets.  I can only relate my experience on
> several bike paths in the Washington, DC area.
> 
> On most of my commutes on the Mount Vernon, Martha
> Custis, and Capital Crescent Trails, there were no
> other users around, maybe a jogger or two.  A simple
> bell ring and loud "passing on the left" let them know
> I was coming.
> 
> I never had any problems because there was rarely
> anyone to crash into.  But on the first warm sunny
> spring day, you can bet all the runners, walkers,
> cyclists and whatnot were out clogging up *my* trails
> :).  Another very rare problem was the "gorilla"
> cyclists out doing training on the bike path.  They
> usually didn't give much audible warning they were
> coming.  But I'd rather be hit by a gorilla than a
> car.
> 
> Besides the mixing of high and low speed traffic, bike
> paths also suffer from their accessibility to
> all--including people with no riding skills or
> etiquette.  Children slaloming from one lane to the
> other.  People passing without an audible signal.  And
> walkers and joggers who execute U-turns on the path
> without even looking behind them (with or without
> headphones).  But, once again, I'd rather collide with
> a path user than a motor vehicle (I've done both, so I
> know ;) ).
> 
> Dave Westenbarger
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Get on or off this list here:  http://BicycleAustin.info/list




-- 
_______________________________________________________________________
Lane Wimberley, Wayport, Inc.,  512.519.6195 (voice)  512.519.6200 (fax)
Southpark Commerce Center II, 4509 Freidrich Lane, Austin, TX 78744