tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332182569899163409.post3824070854826602473..comments2023-10-26T06:05:05.956-04:00Comments on Bloominghagen: Christiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955862990285904297noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332182569899163409.post-9089062796779864502013-01-20T13:22:11.836-05:002013-01-20T13:22:11.836-05:00Thank you, Sadie for your comment! I agree with mu...Thank you, Sadie for your comment! I agree with much of what you say, but in my experience, it has sometimes been the vehicular cyclists who have obstructed efforts to create designated cycling lanes. And I have heard from many friends who have said that they would ride if it felt safer--i.e. no sharrows or otherwise expectations of riding with traffic. Christiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17955862990285904297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332182569899163409.post-50031442325041997852013-01-10T09:41:48.054-05:002013-01-10T09:41:48.054-05:00Please don't fall into the trap of dividing cy...Please don't fall into the trap of dividing cyclists against cyclists. It is hardly the case that vehicular cyclists are a significant force impeding cycling infrastructure. And vehicular cycling does not mean *opposing* designated infrastructure-- it just means that wherever cars go, cycles should be allowed to go, as long as they follow the same rules. That's pretty essential for cycling before the infrastructure is built, and even after-- there's never going to be a bike lane on every road, but a cyclist shouldn't be limited to bike lanes only.<br /><br />It's pretty clear that the city's attitude toward bicycling infrastructure is that it's a leisure activity of the middle class. For example, I ride the Polly Grimshaw trail daily, and it's been impassible for two weeks, because it was not properly cleared after the snowfall, and is now a sheet of solid ice (even after three days above freezing). I contacted the city to ask them to open it up, and they sprayed a tiny bit of blue snow-melt on the first thirty feet or so of the trail. Not helpful. In addition, most of the bike lanes the city has put in are on downtown streets where the speed limit is already 25 mph or less. Those streets are already some of the safest for biking. Meanwhile, many of the biggest employers in town and most-visited shopping areas are completely without cycling infrastructure (anything on Liberty Drive or Whitehall Plaza is a nightmare to get to; even the mall on the east side is pretty intimidating unless you're fairly experienced with vehicular cycling). Since I only bike or walk, I have really benefited from the advice and education of vehicular cyclists; there are a lot of places I just wouldn't go if I didn't know how to share the road with cars safely. <br /><br />Truthfully, I am skeptical of how dangerous vehicular cycling is made out to be in that (rude and condescending) Copenhaganize post. Everyone I know who has ever been hit while cycling got hit coming off of a sidewalk to cross a road. Cycling with traffic does feel more intimidating, and that matters for future planning, but VC advocates are right-- statistically, it's the safest (currently available) way to bike in the U.S. Sadiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11118190693184491316noreply@blogger.com