4 ms·

Where I live they have been using really bright green paint to designate certain spots for bicycles. For example, where a bike lane crosses a car lane. Lately

Where I live they have been using really bright green paint to designate certain spots for bicycles. For example, where a bike lane crosses a car lane. Lately I've noticed that with the accumulation of road grime and/or with the paint fading in the sunlight, the green no longer stands out. The painted areas are getting less and less obvious. Point being, the idea has a lot of potential, but it is going to require a lot of maintenance. All that paint needs to be redone (cleaned and/or repainted) periodically. Whereas if you put in a curb or physical barrier to demarcate where pedestrians can stand or where bikes should be, that lasts longer / is more permanent.

LukeShu 8y ago
Not all "paints" are equal. In Indianapolis, for a while they were primarily using "Ride-A-Way", but recently switched to "CycleGripMMAX", which is more expensive per square foot, but lasts longer. Additionally, there were complaints that the Ride-A-Way would wear down to where it was difficult for bikes to get good enough traction to safely take curves; CycleGripMMAX is way grippier. For smaller sections (like crosswalk-type "dotted" strips, like these[3]), they might actually be strips of thermal-plastic melted in to the asphalt. That should last as long as the asphalt does; yeah, it will eventually need re-done, but at about the same time that the asphalt needs re-surfaced. Then you'll talk to a city council person from another town who says that they tried doing green bike-lanes, but they wore out very quickly... and reveals that they just used outdoor paint from the hardware store. [Ride-A-Way]: https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/1032/category/81 https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/1... [CycleGripMMAX]: https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/945/category/81 https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/9... [3]: https://www.google.com/maps/place/New+Albany,+IN+47150/@38.2895109,-85.8129673,38m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88696c3c70677891:0x69e372d31b3e1b7a!8m2!3d38.2856247!4d-85.8241312 https://www.google.com/maps/place/New+Albany,+IN+47150/@38.2...
ummonk 8y ago
As a car driver, I love the brightly painted bike lanes. Helps decrease my cognitive load for knowing where I should and shouldn't drive, and where I should expect bicycles to be when turning right.
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LukeShu 8y ago

Not all "paints" are equal. In Indianapolis, for a while they were primarily using "Ride-A-Way", but recently switched to "CycleGripMMAX", which is more expensive per square foot, but lasts longer. Additionally, there were complaints that the Ride-A-Way would wear down to where it was difficult for bikes to get good enough traction to safely take curves; CycleGripMMAX is way grippier. For smaller sections (like crosswalk-type "dotted" strips, like these[3]), they might actually be strips of thermal-plastic melted in to the asphalt. That should last as long as the asphalt does; yeah, it will eventually need re-done, but at about the same time that the asphalt needs re-surfaced. Then you'll talk to a city council person from another town who says that they tried doing green bike-lanes, but they wore out very quickly... and reveals that they just used outdoor paint from the hardware store. [Ride-A-Way]: https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/1032/category/81 https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/1... [CycleGripMMAX]: https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/945/category/81 https://www.ennisflintamericas.com/catalog/product/view/id/9... [3]: https://www.google.com/maps/place/New+Albany,+IN+47150/@38.2895109,-85.8129673,38m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88696c3c70677891:0x69e372d31b3e1b7a!8m2!3d38.2856247!4d-85.8241312 https://www.google.com/maps/place/New+Albany,+IN+47150/@38.2...

ummonk 8y ago

As a car driver, I love the brightly painted bike lanes. Helps decrease my cognitive load for knowing where I should and shouldn't drive, and where I should expect bicycles to be when turning right.

deleted 8y ago

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