Something about a separated bike path
I’ve never shied away from riding on city streets. I prefer a road with a striped bike lane to one without, and I like the 3rd Street bikeway, but it is not often between where I am and where I want to be. And I won’t go that far out of my way to ride an official bike route. I use my bike to actually get places, not to exercise, so I tend to take the easiest way to get where I am going.
But I recently moved and my commute now includes a significant stretch of the Santa Cruz River Path. I noticed the other day that after my meandering route through quiet residential streets (I often get on the River Path at 19th Street), the instant I get on the bike path it is as if a giant load is lifted from my shoulders. I suddenly feel much more relaxed and at ease, and . . . happy.
It’s because I don’t have to worry about cars. I can ride along and look at the lizards and roadrunners and rabbits and groundsquirrels and I don’t have to think a bit about getting doored, left-hooked, hit from behind, yelled at, honked at, pushed over, made fun of, turned into, and run over.
Until I started crossing this boundary-line from street to bike-path on a daily basis, I didn’t realize how my own brain responds to riding a bike on the street with traffic. Judging from the sigh of relief that comes out of me every time I get on that bike path, it’s a pretty heavy kind of a deal. It stresses me out. I guess I just got used to it.
So you can mark me down as a convert to separated bike infrastructure. But of course I’d rather see separated car infrastructure. Separate those infernal things out to the edges of town where they belong.
Update: My friend B characteristically chastises me for this post:
Hi Erik,
I was very heartened to read your column yesterday about the bike path. As you know, a good portion of my commute was along the bike path when I lived in Tucson, and I always felt that either I was an inadequate or you were an alien when you pooh-poohed my extreme preference for the path and my disdain/fear of the street. On the path, I would daily see roadrunners, lizards, quail, hawks, snakes, creosote, flowers, etc, all doing their thing, while I pedaled along feeling like my commute was a much-needed break from the hectic day. On the road all I felt was tension. To be fair, it’s not just about the lack of cars; it is also all the things that flourish in the absence of cars.
Say hi to the roadrunners for me.
B
Erik Ryberg
June 14th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I like that greenways allow cyclists
to avoid intersections, bettering
their odds against incidents.
I think the multi-use paths have the
potential to serve the greatest
number of cyclists (at all riding
abilities) than any other facility.
The Rillito’s numbers are quite high
now and when it’s connected as far
South as you can think of, the residential
and business access will be extremely
well-served. This really can’t happen
fast enough. Just that part of the
entire planned connection would serve
thousands of city and county residents
for a fraction of the cost of that tracked,
toy-attempt at alternate transportation
that may serve hundreds of mostly students.
Harrumph!
June 14th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
[...] through the West. The sky’s the limit for a 14-year old Arizona bike racer. Tucson Bike Lawyer discovers the joys of a separated bike path, while his Chicago counterpart looks at the joys and risks of alleycat [...]
June 15th, 2010 at 7:31 am
I’m always amazed at how much stress I feel when I leave the santa cruz bike path to get on saint mary’s in order to get across I-10. I wish we had greenways running in a network all over town so that they could serve more of the population. But in dense residential neighborhoods bike boulevards are the best we can do — far better than bike lanes on, say, speedway. It would be interesting to see the actual numbers for commuting cyclists: the rillito greenway vs. 3rd street vs. speedway, etc. I think because of density alone that 3rd street would come out on top. My feeling is: greenways where we can, bike lanes where we must, and bike boulevards everywhere else!
June 15th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Yes, it’s good to win a convert. However, to push things a bit, every time Red Star performs the thought-experiment of separated bike paths between downtown and UA/UMC, the grid gets in the way. Seems the grid always wins. Have the local professional planners considered this issue? What were their findings? Did they lose? Have they solicited research from one of USA’s “top universities?”
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I have a spot on my commute in the AM where I’m on a narrow 4 lane road to 1/3+ mile. This is in a section where there is no bike lane and cars/trucks/whatever are coming off a 45, read 50, mph sectio to go 35… I’ve noticed an increase in adrenaline for the run.
There are only 2 major problems I have with bike paths here. The maintenace issue. Once in place, no cleanup or fixup. Crossing major roads is an issue. Usually a crosswalk in midblock. Bad design.
The other issue is here they are mixed use. AM commute is good nice clear road. After that and weekends, good luck. Too many meandering people of all kinds, many with corks in their ears and their tunes at full blast…
July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
I am in Phoenix and I figure many of you ‘pedal power people’ might very well have disdain for someone riding a motorized bike like me, but you really shouldn’t.
If we could get from here to there for 2 cents a mile in a timely fashion without a drivers license and dropping dead from the heat in a mile we would.
Well, maybe not, they are pretty fun to ride ;-}
Personally I have had no issues riding on any surface street, large or small, but I do feel much move comfortable with the buffer zone on the right even a simple bike lane provides.
I also use the canal paths whenever possible, even if they are a little out of my way.
Though I always show consideration and coast by pedal bikers at idle, when it’s just me it is like my own private Autobahn highway.
I think the real difference between how a typical driver sees a pedal bike compared to a motorized bike is
1. We scoot along at a pretty good clip, and
2. (while it lasts) a bit of a ‘That’s Cool!’ factor and they notice you.
I am all for making a little more road room for all of us people on bikes, all I ask is when you see one of us, especially when it’s over 100F out, show us the same respect we show you as well as the vehicle road traffic.
Thanks ;-}
KC