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After Spike in Deaths, New York to Get 250 Miles of Protected Bike Lanes

british_india 7y ago
We need to move on from using the Internal Combustion Engine. Also, we need to shed the idea that every one of us needs a 4,000lb car to ride around in.
kylek 7y ago
I wonder if they can do better than $12 million per mile a la seattle[0] [0] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/12-million-a-mile-heres-how-bike-lane-costs-shot-sky-high-in-seattle/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/12-...
- greglindahl 7y ago
  I read the article you cite and the section in question is 4.5 blocks long. And the project included drainage, street lights on the far side away from the bike lane, paving the whole road, sidewalks, etc. The Seattle city-wide average was $2mm/mile. Very informative article, and it is completely different from what I thought I'd read based on your summary.
- Someone1234 7y ago
  Good article. Misleading title. As the articles goes on to point out, only that single section in the entire project will be that expensive, and that includes a lot of city upgrades that were otherwise needed and rolled into this (like new lighting, adding additional drainage, upgraded sidewalks, and new crosswalks). To be honest the project sounds fantastic and I hope they keep at it. If they're able to roll in other upgrades at the same time, so much the better. The 12m figure is borderline clickbait (even if it is technically true).
- xyzzyz 7y ago
  Seems like they redid the whole street, sidewalks, street lamps, etc for those $12 million, and bike lane was just an excuse to do all that work. But yes, everything here is much more expensive than it should be. The "city overhead" itself was just above $1M.
- yourapostasy 7y ago
  This [1] is a good overview of the general costs and trade-offs of various kinds of bike lanes in the US. Some benchmarks to get a feel for ballpark numbers [2] for US cities to start an analysis in your area. Basically in built-up areas in the US, options are pretty limited without overwhelming public demand for ejecting car drivers from an area in favor of pedestrian and cycling traffic. I'm still looking for what it looks like when a city design favors pedestrian, cycling, e-assisted human-powered/assisted mechanisms (e-bikes, scooters, Segways, skateboards, skates, etc.) traffic, then on-call PRT-to-GRT-scale people/cargo/freight movers within neighborhood-scale distances in dense (40-50,000 people per sq km) developments, subways for inter-neighborhood connections, and vehicles are restricted to the city borders (kind of like restricting specific traffic at the network border) for large-scale commercial cargo and passenger transport. I'd like to see a breakdown of where the capex and opex expenses come from for elevated and subterranean bike lanes. Building up and down seems currently a significant cost barrier. [1] https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/protected-bike-lanes-do-not-cost-1-million-per-mile/ https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/protected-bike-lanes-do-not-... [2] https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch.org/files/Dill_Bicycle_Facility_Cost_June2013.pdf https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch....
eatbitseveryday 7y ago
Why do deaths have to be the trigger to prioritize safety? Examples: Boeing, this article, and a recent HN post [0], etc. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21374525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21374525
- save_ferris 7y ago
  Because big money talks until public deaths bring these scandals into the spotlight.
- smt88 7y ago
  Because you don't win points for prevention of hypothetical harm. See: vaccine "debate". Pro-vaccine policies saved millions of people who are alive right now, but you can't run on a pro-vaccine platform until people start dying again.
  - mschuster91 7y ago
    You can run a pro-vax platform - if the populace is not too dumb and uneducated. Anyone with a slice of a brain understands that anti-vaxx is a deadly game. The problem is that (not only in the US!) education funding has gone way downhill and the "free speech!!!" absolutist crowd does not realize that truly free speech depends on an audience intelligent enough to separate facts from quackery (such as homeopathy, antivaxx and bleach enemas) or fascism - in a totally free-speech society with a dumb populace the profiteers will exploit whatever they can. And yes, I am of the opinion that antivaxxers and other quackers should be jailed, for they are a danger to public health.
    - philwelch 7y ago
      The problem with this argument is the assumption that “smart people” with whom you agree will be the ones policing speech. This is rarely the case. This is also why fascists themselves are the ones who tend to embrace violence and censorship; fascism isn’t typically capable of surviving in an otherwise free and peaceful society.
    - 7y ago
pwthornton 7y ago
This is big time for America. If our biggest city can’t show leadership on pedestrian and bicyclist safety, we can’t expect any other city to as well. New York is really lagging behind where it should be. Despite being by far the biggest American city, it is overrun with cars. Protected bike lanes, street improvements to make crossing the street safer, and dedicated bus lanes will improve the city for all New Yorkers. If these changes take off in New York, they will trickle down to the rest of American cities. New York is marveled at for being such a safe big city from the standpoint of crime, but when you factor in all of the carnage caused by cars, it’s a lot less safe than you might think. Violent crime has been falling across the country, but pedestrian and bicyclist deaths have been surging. This is a sign of some very bad policy making. Walking should be one of the safest and healthiest things a person can do.
- iamalexm 7y ago
  The fact that they have outlawed and happily tweet about confiscating e-bikes is digusting. NYC has a long ways to go.
  - nickles 7y ago
    > The fact that they have outlawed and happily tweet about confiscating e-bikes is digusting. NYC has a long ways to go. e-bikes have been legal in NYC for 1.5 years [0] [0] https://mashable.com/2018/04/04/electric-bicycle-nyc-ban-ends/ https://mashable.com/2018/04/04/electric-bicycle-nyc-ban-end...
    - 120photo 7y ago
      Also many electric bike riders don't take the extra power into consideration when they speed down those bike lanes. I overheard a conversation at the office recently where the topic was the number of bike deaths this year (I work/live in Manhattan) and they did point out that many of those might actually be electric bike riders.
      - CydeWeys 7y ago
ptaipale 7y ago
Where do bike deaths happen in New York? On streets when riding straight, or in intersections? (On both, of course, but what is the distribution?)
- Eric_WVGG 7y ago
  I don't have any numbers, but my impression is that it's mostly turns, although there's also a big problem with people getting "doored" (which would easily be solved by putting bike lanes between parking lanes and sidewalks, instead of between parking lanes and automobile lanes). I was surprised to learn that left turns account for "more than twice as many serious injuries and fatalities as right turns." https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/leftturnstudy.shtml https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/leftturnstudy.shtml
  - schrodinger 7y ago
    > putting bike lanes between parking lanes and sidewalks This is how all of the new NYC bike lanes work!
    - rossitter 7y ago
      On major avenues in Manhattan, but not necessarily on side streets[0] or in other boroughs[1]. [0] - https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7740039,-73.9587169,3a,75y,124.31h,82.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shneI-pDZtuS8pCvx0yEiCw!2e0!5s20190501T000000!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7740039,-73.9587169,3a,75y,1... [1] - https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6757116,-73.9532197,3a,75y,20.35h,89.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1susJ9ZdFrMnGjZsdcZF4Y8A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6757116,-73.9532197,3a,75y,2...
  - comicjk 7y ago
    I signal turns with my arm when biking, especially left turns. Otherwise I would be slowing and moving unpredictably, which doesn't seem safe. Unfortunately this isn't common behavior in NYC - even cars often fail to signal their turns, let alone cyclists.
  - 7y ago
viburnum 7y ago
Even when America traffic engineers mean well, they screw up bike infrastructure terribly. They get all the details wrong. Generally their designs are too complicated, too cheap, and rely on paint instead of common sense about how bikes actually work. However, good design is possible. There’s even a book that explains how to do it well, in case anyone actually cares: https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/the-worlds-best-bikeway-manual-just-updated-and-its-in-english/ https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/the-worlds-best-bikeway-manu...
- schrodinger 7y ago
  One thing I like about the newer NYC bike lanes is they put them inside of parked cars. It means you’re generally protected from traffic by a row of parked cars. And there’s a large enough buffer that you don’t have to worry about getting hit by an open door.
  - viburnum 7y ago
    I know, right?! It’s sooo much nicer that way. That’s a good demonstration of how bikes are really just slightly faster pedestrians and not slow cars.
    - u801e 7y ago
      Cyclists typically move between 10 to 30 mph. Pedestrians move between 2 to 6 mph. That's not slightly faster.
      - randyrand 7y ago
        A fast jogger will go from 8-12mph.
        u801e 7y ago
        Yes, but they can quickly stop/turn if needed to avoid getting hit. It takes a bit longer to slow down or turn on a bicycle even from the same speed.
choeger 7y ago
Is there any sound comparison of protected bike lanes vs., for instance, 30kp/h zones with mixed bike/car traffic and sensible spacing? When cycling I find the cramped and the fast streets the most dangerous. And the pedestrians that cross into bikelanes. And slippery surfaces. So from my very private pov (I go around 25 to 30kph) there are much cheaper methods that I would want to give a try firat.
- amalcon 7y ago
  American drivers (especially in places like New York) generally just ignore 20MPH speed limits (~=30km/h).
  - the_gastropod 7y ago
    This is solvable by narrowing the lanes. Wide, comfortable lanes invite speed.
  - schrodinger 7y ago
    In my experience, cars actually go pretty slow in NY (Manhattan at least), even when there’s not a lot of traffic. I’m usually able to easily keep up with traffic on my bike.
    - CydeWeys 7y ago
      This is definitely not true on the multi-lane avenues. You're thinking of the single-lane streets. One good solution for the avenues would be to time their rolling green waves for an average of 15 mph. They just recently started doing this in Brooklyn on a particularly dangerous road.
      - schrodinger 7y ago
        I’m referring to 5th and 6th ave near the village which I commute on every day. Some aves are worse.
        7y ago
hsnewman 7y ago
Didn't read because of the paywall, but I question if these changes will go far because of the long winters, and where the bike lanes will be. Again, I didn't read the article, but if the 250 miles are in areas that are not in a congested area of the city they will do no good (a bike lane from Austin to Dallas is 250 miles, but would be used infrequently).
joegahona 7y ago
> The dangers came into focus this year after 25 cyclists were killed on city streets — the highest toll in two decades. The "highest toll in two decades" gives some context, but I wish writers would share ratio metrics rather than absolute numbers in cases like this. I.e. the number of active cyclists on the road might be outpacing the deaths, but we don't know when you just say "25 cyclists were killed in 2019." Also, how does that stack up to the number of pedestrians killed accidentally, etc.
- product50 7y ago
  And I wish they also tell us how many accidents do bikers cause themselves as they are notorious for not following any traffic rules - thereby endangering the live of others.
  - sgillen 7y ago
    You're being down-voted for the tone of your post I think. But I think it's an interesting point. If there is evidence that US bikers have a culture that does not following traffic laws that can and should seriously impact policy decisions. It's possible some of the great suggestions here that work well in other cities wouldn't work in the US for this or any dozen of other reasons. Not saying that there for is such a culture, only that it is certainly a popular complaint, and if there is truth for it we should factor that into our decisions.
    - james-mcelwain 7y ago
      It's not an interesting point because this topic has already been studied. Cyclists break traffic laws at roughly the same rates as motorists.
      - sgillen 7y ago
        Thanks, I wasn't aware of studies in this area. Do you know of studies that compare breaking traffic laws of cyclists in different countries?
Silverwood 7y ago
It's insane that a large part of our public infrastructure is reserved for free private car storage. It's important that these lanes are protected because without barriers the bike lanes would become obstructed by parked cars.
- bagacrap 7y ago
  The biggest offenders are actually cops and delivery vehicles, both of which are legally allowed to park wherever they want (the latter due to contracts with the city).
trenning 7y ago
Don't get your hopes up, Uber drivers will still find a way to block the bike lanes.
- fennecfoxen 7y ago
  And the cops. And the firefighters parking outside the fire station. And when a car does hit a bike and NYPD shows up... well... https://twitter.com/joemewler/status/1177042296900071425 https://twitter.com/joemewler/status/1177042296900071425
  - alephnan 7y ago
    Is the tagged @nytrafficpolice official? It’s suspended.
    - fennecfoxen 7y ago
      Doesn't look like it. https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:joVJgcf37j0J:https://twitter.com/nytrafficpolice%3Flang%3Den+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:joVJgc... If you prefer: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/09/30/cops-blow-off-witnesses-to-brooklyn-crash-that-injured-cyclist/ https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/09/30/cops-blow-off-witness...
  - btrettel 7y ago
    I've been thinking about starting a cyclist-oriented "neighborhood watch" type organization because the police don't do much anything about violence against cyclists, much less more "minor" issues like parking in the bike lane. At the very least volunteers could document things like this properly.
    - pedantsamaritan 7y ago
      For NYC twitter helps a bit https://twitter.com/reported_nyc https://twitter.com/reported_nyc https://twitter.com/copsinbikelanes https://twitter.com/copsinbikelanes What else do you have in mind for a cyclist-oriented neighborhood watch?
aqme28 7y ago
I doubt it. > To gain Mr. de Blasio’s support, Mr. Johnson’s office agreed to push back the start date for the first streets plan, from this month to December 2021, around the time the next mayor takes office. Until then, the city will keep its current commitment to build 30 miles of protected bike lanes each year.
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  Yup. de Blasio clearly doesn't care about this because he's not even doing it during his term. And it could all easily be canceled and not ever happen depending on who the next mayor ends up being (I'm pulling for Corey Johnson personally). This news isn't nearly as good as it appears at first blush; de Blasio is completely abdicating his duty.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
OutsmartDan 7y ago
As an avid cyclist in NYC, this is a huge step forward into cyclist protection. I can't tell you how many times i've almost been hit, or doored, by a car. Sometimes, it's a lot safer to run a red light to get in front of a car versus waiting for the light to turn- but of course that's not legal. Honestly, as huge and condensed NYC is, I am surprised this hasn't happened years ago. It's much, much more efficient to get from Point A to Point B on a bike vs taking the Subway, bus, or car. Would love to see something like the 14th street car ban to allow buses and cyclists only more widely adopted across the 5 boroughs.
- e40 7y ago
  As a pedestrian, I've often thought that. There are no cars coming (in the direction that has the right of way), but if I wait, the cars waiting to turn might not yield to me. My threshold for cars entering my personal space is clearly different than drivers. I've had drivers accelerate toward me and pass me with 1-2' of space. Way too close. My rule, as a driver is simple: never accelerate toward a pedestrian. That means I have to stay on the break until they are not in front of me. The law, btw, says that you can't go into the crosswalk until the pedestrian is has made it onto the sidewalk. At least, in CA that is the law. I was warned once, by a LEO about this.
  - mumblemumble 7y ago
    There seems to be something about being cocooned in a thousand or so kilos of steel and glass that causes people to forget that some of the things outside of your moving box aren't just obstacles to get around, they're actually sentient beings that deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect.
  - pedantsamaritan 7y ago
    Leading Pedestrian Interval is what NYC calls the getting ahead of cars. https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/infrastructure/leading-ped-intervals.shtml https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/infrastructure/leading-pe... People riding bikes will be able to follow LPIs at intersections that have them soon (sometime in December, I think)
- 7y ago
msoad 7y ago
If you don't live in NYC you should know that a lot of bicycles in NYC are delivery guys riding electrified bicycles that go up to 20MpH. Many of them don't wear helmets and ride dangerously. I don't have anything to back this tip but the raise of deaths can be linked to raise of electric bicycles
- 120photo 7y ago
  I'll second this. Many of them are fine but there are a lot of jack @$$3s out there on ebikes not considering they now have a motor powering their bikes.
- CydeWeys 7y ago
  Negative, the good majority of the deaths are not people on e-bikes.
- TulliusCicero 7y ago
  I mean, 20mph isn't actually that fast. It's pretty easy to exceed that on a road bike, even if you're not in the best shape. Their stronger acceleration is probably a bigger problem.
  - kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
    It's more they they habitually run red lights and go the wrong way. It's very easy to not see them coming from a direction that a car can't come from when they're obscured by parked vehicles.
- bluntfang 7y ago
  just curious what your observations are on people in cars wearing seat belts.
- pedantsamaritan 7y ago
  I see only 3 of the 26 deaths in NYC this year as e-bike riders: https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/these-14-cyclists-died-nyc-crashes-2019 https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/these-14-cyclists-d... My reading of NYC data links motor vehicles to deaths and injuries: From mid 2012 to mid 2019, there were 940 reports of a crash with a bike as the primary vehicle and 1+ pedestrians injured. In the same time period, there were 69776 reports of a crash without bicycle as primary vehicle injuring 1+ pedestrians.
insickness 7y ago
I'm amazed at some of the places where there are no bike lanes. For example, on 7th avenue between 34th and 30th--going past MSG/Penn Station, the bike lanes simply disappear. It's a five lane road and one of the most heavily trafficked in the city. There's lanes North and South but not on the throughway. Who's idea was that? Instead of putting rinky-dink unprotected lanes on all these minor roads, they should lay out fewer, uninterrupted, protected through-ways that travel the length of the city. There's a few that run up and downtown but hardly any that run east-west.
gok 7y ago
This will get more people on bicycles, which will almost certainly make the problem worse, unfortunately. No amount of lane protection prevents collisions in intersections, which is where nearly all the deaths happen. The problem isn't the amount of protected lanes; it's the rampant amount of comically unqualified drivers. The two tearjerkers from the article are typical: an 18 year old blowing a red light and someone driving without a license.
- jdnenej 7y ago
  More people riding a bike is less people driving a car so the situation has already improved.
- TulliusCicero 7y ago
  Protected intersections are also a thing. They didn't exist in the US at all until like 2015, but they're starting to become more common. They don't make safety 100% perfect, obviously, but they do make things substantially better.
  - gok 7y ago
    That just means they add bicycle setbacks in an attempt to scare drivers. It doesn't solve the problem when people are routinely allowed to drive without demonstrating an understanding of how a traffic light is supposed to be interpreted.
    - TulliusCicero 7y ago
      It does partially solve the problem. Protected intersections make lanes of walking and biking much more obvious to drivers, and the curbs are such that drivers slow down more and have better visibility.
      - u801e 7y ago
        Except for the fact that the bike lane is hidden by parked cars until shortly before getting to the intersection. What do you see in this image: https://imgur.com/a/JcS4RK5 https://imgur.com/a/JcS4RK5 The other thing is that if you go by the figures and text in https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/dont-give-up-at-the-intersection/ https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/don... on pages 12 and 13, you'll find that a right turning driver can only see about 8.2 feet to their right when making a turn. That's the only opportunity they have to see an approaching cyclist who comes from behind them moving at 16 feet per second. A half second to react to a cyclist appearing in the driver's field of view (as shown as the picture on page 13) is not enough time for a driver to yield.
nemo44x 7y ago
With more bikes because of bike lanes, I hope the city will begin enforcing bike infractions more seriously. So many people on bikes are going way too fast in the bike lanes (and pedestrian pathways) and do not stop at red lights, etc. I was happy to see a person get stopped and ticketed for riding down a walkway to a bike path when there was a sign explicitly stating that riding on the path was not allowed. I've seen so many pedestrians hit by people on bikes, in bike lanes that did not stop at red while someone was crossing the walk. It's invariably a Lance Armstrong type or a tourist on a City Bike with no idea what they are doing. With the loss of revenue from parking tickets it will have to be made up somewhere and people on bikes should be the targets for fines. There should also be stricter requirements on registering bikes for a fee to be used in the city with unlicensed bikes being fined.
- TulliusCicero 7y ago
  Mandatory bike registration is a terrible idea, but I got no problem with fining people who ride dangerously.
  - nemo44x 7y ago
    Make it simple with a 5% tax on any new bike purchased in the city. Call it the “bike lane preservation fund”.
    - TulliusCicero 7y ago
      Why would we want to make it more expensive to bike, when it's better for the environment and saves the city money as it is? Some German cities are going in the opposite direction, giving subsidies for people to purchase electric cargo bikes.
      - nemo44x 7y ago
        Lost revenue from parking tickets. The city is in a very precarious situation right now with debt of 81k per resident and high tax paying citizens leaving the city faster than they are being replaced. Pension obligations are exploding and since 1% of the population funds 50% of the tax revenue, we can’t afford to lose anymore. Building bike lanes is very kumbaya but these types of things are not sustainable as-is. Someone has to pay for it, why not the ones that use it? Make it great to attract more bikers and raise more money. Or maybe just raise taxes on the place with the highest tax burden in the country? Will only chase out the small group of people that actually pay the bills even more. I suppose we could also setup red light cameras for bikes but this would require registrations and license plates. The alternative is to tax bike sales.
yalph 7y ago
I dont really want to hurt people’s feelings but why do we care about this topic so much? I am kind of confused about why people are so passionate about bike lanes. Isn't it better if we focus on improving the subway and the bus lines before anything? I would like to see an open minded discussion about the pros and cons of this.
- unethical_ban 7y ago
  It's easier to get around on bikes than walking. The easier "not using a car in an urban area" is, the better. Building bike lanes can also be used for scooters and other kinds of non-auto transport. Finally, mass transit is an order of magnitude more difficult to plan and implement, as effective MT needs to not only coexist with vehicles, but pre-empt them at intersections. Otherwise, they're slow and no one uses them. Most cities in the US will never have a subway, so the only option is light-rail or protected bus lanes.
- TulliusCicero 7y ago
  Bikes are good/useful in a number of ways. They're a form of individual transport, like walking or driving, with the advantages that that has over public transport -- namely, less waiting, point to point, not beholden to a schedule that might not match your schedule -- and they slot in nicely between walking and driving as a compromise between the strengths and weaknesses of both. Much faster and longer range than walking, more cargo capacity, but still much cheaper than driving, and without most of the issues cars have with things like generating noise, pollution, and danger. Bikes are also healthy for people, and they're certainly more space-efficient than cars. Oh, and they're vastly less expensive for the city as well; building subways is enormously capital intensive, and buses have high ongoing operating expenses. Good quality bike infrastructure isn't exactly cheap...except that compared to high quality car or transit infrastructure, yeah it is relatively cheap. So, altogether, replacing car space with bike space makes a ton of sense, especially for a city as dense as NYC. Sure, bus and subways improvements should happen too, but there's so much car space that's wasteful, and bike stuff is so cheap, that it's really low hanging fruit. No good reason not to develop it.
- randyrand 7y ago
anonu 7y ago
The "horrifying" crash mentioned in the article is indeed horrifying. I bike a lot in NYC (consistently for 10+ years now) and I think I am pretty cautious and defensive. But there's absolutely nothing the guy could have done in the video. I linked it below because its a good reminder that your fate is never 100% in your hands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0kqsUnpGlU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0kqsUnpGlU
- thatswrong0 7y ago
  As a pedestrian in SF, I'm _always_ keeping my eyes peeled for bullshit like this, esp. when I'm standing on the corner like that other fella was (he could easily have been taken out instead). It just takes one idiot to ruin your day / life. I usually try to keep at least one somewhat substantial object (post / utility box) between me and the road.. but otherwise I'm keeping an eye out for an errant turn or red-light runner in case I need to book it. Another thing I'd like to see are narrower roads along with wider sidewalks.. hopefully that would somewhat help deter speeding like in the above video.
- randyrand 7y ago
  I purposely avoid intersections on big streets and go round about. That’s the one thing in your hands. The intersections of big roads are always very dangerous.
rapnie 7y ago
This is great! For inspiration: "From The Netherlands to America: Translating the world's best bikeway designs" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp3s2EP0zVo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp3s2EP0zVo
- adventured 7y ago
  The US is in a fortunate position with regards to public transportation. It doesn't need to invent anything new at all to dramatically improve its position: copy the things in Europe and places like Japan that work. It makes it all the more annoying that we're lagging so hard on the copying when it's so obvious.
  - rapnie 7y ago
    Yes, true. Here is an overview (pdf) of bicycle infra design guidelines as they are used in a number of countries: https://sutp.org/files/contents/documents/resources/F_Reading-Lists/GIZ%20SUTP%20Overview%20Cycling%20plans%20and%20strategies_July%202016.pdf https://sutp.org/files/contents/documents/resources/F_Readin...
kristo 7y ago
I moved from NYC to Amsterdam a bit more than a month ago because getting around in NYC is too unpleasant and dangerous. Have been hit on my bike thrice in 5 yrs. Have been run down by psycho drivers. Have been doored. In the last month in Amsterdam I’ve had more pleasant interactions on the streets than in my entire time in nyc. It’s pure magic what cities are like when they embrace the fact that they are a city.
- cylinder 7y ago
  NYC just sucks, man. Left overseas after five years myself, and I sometimes watch ActionKid's NYC walking videos on youtube and cannot believe I used to live there.
m3at 7y ago
Too little too late? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21330761 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21330761
steelframe 7y ago
Former road cyclist chiming in. I've been a regular bicycle commuter for over 10 years. Earlier this year I was hit by a motorist who demonstrated extreme lack of judgement when passing me earlier this year, leading to some injuries that will probably mostly heal in another year or so. I seriously dodged a bullet and recognize how lucky I've been doing what I was doing. In short, my platform now is that meatbag-controlled multi-ton steel boxes hurling along at up to 60mph and meatbags sitting on top of some tubes stuck together don't belong on the same infrastructure. It will never work. I am categorically opposed to bike lanes delimited only by some paint on the ground. If it is physically possible for a motor vehicle to occupy a space designated for a bicycle, it isn't safe. It won't work. The marginal increase in bicyclist safety isn't nearly enough. Any lobbying to try to build that type of bicycle infrastructure out is a distraction from what actually needs to be lobbied for. By consenting to bike lanes, the government has an "out." They can say that they are "doing something" for bicyclists, so it's a fair deal, and their job is done. In reality, it isn't anywhere close to fair, and the job isn't anywhere close to done. Until bicycle tracks completely separated from vehicular traffic are ubiquitous across all major metropolitan areas of the United States, the country won't be able to begin to claw its way out of its self-inflicted transportation apocalypse. Anybody who attempts to commute by car during rush hour in a major United States metropolitan area knows what I'm talking about. Millions are wasting away years of human life and productivity stuck in their cars in stop-and-go traffic every single day. There needs to be a will to spend billions, not millions, on infrastructure only for pedestrians and bicyclists. Something on the scale of the the Federal Aid Highway Acts of 1921 and 1956 needs to happen today, in 2019. Congress needs to authorize federal funds to create something on the magnitude of 50,000 miles of paved separate cycle/pedestrian tracks. There needs to be a National Urban Mobility Trust Fund with a $100 billion infusion, for starters. I for one will demand nothing less, and I won't ever stop demanding it. We need to stop messing around with these in-the-trenches, one-city-council-at-a-time battles that bicyclist clubs are trying to fight to eek out their pathetic and ineffective lines of paint on the road.
pg_is_a_butt 7y ago
There are already Protected Car Lanes, but that doesn't stop everyone from double parking.
bufferoverflow 7y ago
Paywalled. Here's a mirror: http://archive.li/Hyxyf http://archive.li/Hyxyf

We need to move on from using the Internal Combustion Engine. Also, we need to shed the idea that every one of us needs a 4,000lb car to ride around in.

kylek 7y ago

I wonder if they can do better than $12 million per mile a la seattle[0] [0] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/12-million-a-mile-heres-how-bike-lane-costs-shot-sky-high-in-seattle/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/12-...

greglindahl 7y ago
I read the article you cite and the section in question is 4.5 blocks long. And the project included drainage, street lights on the far side away from the bike lane, paving the whole road, sidewalks, etc. The Seattle city-wide average was $2mm/mile. Very informative article, and it is completely different from what I thought I'd read based on your summary.
Someone1234 7y ago
Good article. Misleading title. As the articles goes on to point out, only that single section in the entire project will be that expensive, and that includes a lot of city upgrades that were otherwise needed and rolled into this (like new lighting, adding additional drainage, upgraded sidewalks, and new crosswalks). To be honest the project sounds fantastic and I hope they keep at it. If they're able to roll in other upgrades at the same time, so much the better. The 12m figure is borderline clickbait (even if it is technically true).
xyzzyz 7y ago
Seems like they redid the whole street, sidewalks, street lamps, etc for those $12 million, and bike lane was just an excuse to do all that work. But yes, everything here is much more expensive than it should be. The "city overhead" itself was just above $1M.
yourapostasy 7y ago
This [1] is a good overview of the general costs and trade-offs of various kinds of bike lanes in the US. Some benchmarks to get a feel for ballpark numbers [2] for US cities to start an analysis in your area. Basically in built-up areas in the US, options are pretty limited without overwhelming public demand for ejecting car drivers from an area in favor of pedestrian and cycling traffic. I'm still looking for what it looks like when a city design favors pedestrian, cycling, e-assisted human-powered/assisted mechanisms (e-bikes, scooters, Segways, skateboards, skates, etc.) traffic, then on-call PRT-to-GRT-scale people/cargo/freight movers within neighborhood-scale distances in dense (40-50,000 people per sq km) developments, subways for inter-neighborhood connections, and vehicles are restricted to the city borders (kind of like restricting specific traffic at the network border) for large-scale commercial cargo and passenger transport. I'd like to see a breakdown of where the capex and opex expenses come from for elevated and subterranean bike lanes. Building up and down seems currently a significant cost barrier. [1] https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/protected-bike-lanes-do-not-cost-1-million-per-mile/ https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/protected-bike-lanes-do-not-... [2] https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch.org/files/Dill_Bicycle_Facility_Cost_June2013.pdf https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch....

eatbitseveryday 7y ago

Why do deaths have to be the trigger to prioritize safety? Examples: Boeing, this article, and a recent HN post [0], etc. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21374525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21374525

save_ferris 7y ago
Because big money talks until public deaths bring these scandals into the spotlight.
smt88 7y ago
Because you don't win points for prevention of hypothetical harm. See: vaccine "debate". Pro-vaccine policies saved millions of people who are alive right now, but you can't run on a pro-vaccine platform until people start dying again.
- mschuster91 7y ago
  You can run a pro-vax platform - if the populace is not too dumb and uneducated. Anyone with a slice of a brain understands that anti-vaxx is a deadly game. The problem is that (not only in the US!) education funding has gone way downhill and the "free speech!!!" absolutist crowd does not realize that truly free speech depends on an audience intelligent enough to separate facts from quackery (such as homeopathy, antivaxx and bleach enemas) or fascism - in a totally free-speech society with a dumb populace the profiteers will exploit whatever they can. And yes, I am of the opinion that antivaxxers and other quackers should be jailed, for they are a danger to public health.
  - philwelch 7y ago
    The problem with this argument is the assumption that “smart people” with whom you agree will be the ones policing speech. This is rarely the case. This is also why fascists themselves are the ones who tend to embrace violence and censorship; fascism isn’t typically capable of surviving in an otherwise free and peaceful society.
  - 7y ago

pwthornton 7y ago

This is big time for America. If our biggest city can’t show leadership on pedestrian and bicyclist safety, we can’t expect any other city to as well. New York is really lagging behind where it should be. Despite being by far the biggest American city, it is overrun with cars. Protected bike lanes, street improvements to make crossing the street safer, and dedicated bus lanes will improve the city for all New Yorkers. If these changes take off in New York, they will trickle down to the rest of American cities. New York is marveled at for being such a safe big city from the standpoint of crime, but when you factor in all of the carnage caused by cars, it’s a lot less safe than you might think. Violent crime has been falling across the country, but pedestrian and bicyclist deaths have been surging. This is a sign of some very bad policy making. Walking should be one of the safest and healthiest things a person can do.

iamalexm 7y ago
The fact that they have outlawed and happily tweet about confiscating e-bikes is digusting. NYC has a long ways to go.
- nickles 7y ago
  > The fact that they have outlawed and happily tweet about confiscating e-bikes is digusting. NYC has a long ways to go. e-bikes have been legal in NYC for 1.5 years [0] [0] https://mashable.com/2018/04/04/electric-bicycle-nyc-ban-ends/ https://mashable.com/2018/04/04/electric-bicycle-nyc-ban-end...
  - 120photo 7y ago
    Also many electric bike riders don't take the extra power into consideration when they speed down those bike lanes. I overheard a conversation at the office recently where the topic was the number of bike deaths this year (I work/live in Manhattan) and they did point out that many of those might actually be electric bike riders.
    - CydeWeys 7y ago

ptaipale 7y ago

Where do bike deaths happen in New York? On streets when riding straight, or in intersections? (On both, of course, but what is the distribution?)

Eric_WVGG 7y ago
I don't have any numbers, but my impression is that it's mostly turns, although there's also a big problem with people getting "doored" (which would easily be solved by putting bike lanes between parking lanes and sidewalks, instead of between parking lanes and automobile lanes). I was surprised to learn that left turns account for "more than twice as many serious injuries and fatalities as right turns." https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/leftturnstudy.shtml https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/leftturnstudy.shtml
- schrodinger 7y ago
  > putting bike lanes between parking lanes and sidewalks This is how all of the new NYC bike lanes work!
  - rossitter 7y ago
    On major avenues in Manhattan, but not necessarily on side streets[0] or in other boroughs[1]. [0] - https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7740039,-73.9587169,3a,75y,124.31h,82.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shneI-pDZtuS8pCvx0yEiCw!2e0!5s20190501T000000!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7740039,-73.9587169,3a,75y,1... [1] - https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6757116,-73.9532197,3a,75y,20.35h,89.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1susJ9ZdFrMnGjZsdcZF4Y8A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6757116,-73.9532197,3a,75y,2...
- comicjk 7y ago
  I signal turns with my arm when biking, especially left turns. Otherwise I would be slowing and moving unpredictably, which doesn't seem safe. Unfortunately this isn't common behavior in NYC - even cars often fail to signal their turns, let alone cyclists.
- 7y ago

viburnum 7y ago

Even when America traffic engineers mean well, they screw up bike infrastructure terribly. They get all the details wrong. Generally their designs are too complicated, too cheap, and rely on paint instead of common sense about how bikes actually work. However, good design is possible. There’s even a book that explains how to do it well, in case anyone actually cares: https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/the-worlds-best-bikeway-manual-just-updated-and-its-in-english/ https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/the-worlds-best-bikeway-manu...

schrodinger 7y ago
One thing I like about the newer NYC bike lanes is they put them inside of parked cars. It means you’re generally protected from traffic by a row of parked cars. And there’s a large enough buffer that you don’t have to worry about getting hit by an open door.
- viburnum 7y ago
  I know, right?! It’s sooo much nicer that way. That’s a good demonstration of how bikes are really just slightly faster pedestrians and not slow cars.
  - u801e 7y ago
    Cyclists typically move between 10 to 30 mph. Pedestrians move between 2 to 6 mph. That's not slightly faster.
    - randyrand 7y ago
      A fast jogger will go from 8-12mph.
      - u801e 7y ago
        Yes, but they can quickly stop/turn if needed to avoid getting hit. It takes a bit longer to slow down or turn on a bicycle even from the same speed.

choeger 7y ago

Is there any sound comparison of protected bike lanes vs., for instance, 30kp/h zones with mixed bike/car traffic and sensible spacing? When cycling I find the cramped and the fast streets the most dangerous. And the pedestrians that cross into bikelanes. And slippery surfaces. So from my very private pov (I go around 25 to 30kph) there are much cheaper methods that I would want to give a try firat.

amalcon 7y ago
American drivers (especially in places like New York) generally just ignore 20MPH speed limits (~=30km/h).
- the_gastropod 7y ago
  This is solvable by narrowing the lanes. Wide, comfortable lanes invite speed.
- schrodinger 7y ago
  In my experience, cars actually go pretty slow in NY (Manhattan at least), even when there’s not a lot of traffic. I’m usually able to easily keep up with traffic on my bike.
  - CydeWeys 7y ago
    This is definitely not true on the multi-lane avenues. You're thinking of the single-lane streets. One good solution for the avenues would be to time their rolling green waves for an average of 15 mph. They just recently started doing this in Brooklyn on a particularly dangerous road.
    - schrodinger 7y ago
      I’m referring to 5th and 6th ave near the village which I commute on every day. Some aves are worse.
      - 7y ago

hsnewman 7y ago

Didn't read because of the paywall, but I question if these changes will go far because of the long winters, and where the bike lanes will be. Again, I didn't read the article, but if the 250 miles are in areas that are not in a congested area of the city they will do no good (a bike lane from Austin to Dallas is 250 miles, but would be used infrequently).

joegahona 7y ago

> The dangers came into focus this year after 25 cyclists were killed on city streets — the highest toll in two decades. The "highest toll in two decades" gives some context, but I wish writers would share ratio metrics rather than absolute numbers in cases like this. I.e. the number of active cyclists on the road might be outpacing the deaths, but we don't know when you just say "25 cyclists were killed in 2019." Also, how does that stack up to the number of pedestrians killed accidentally, etc.

product50 7y ago
And I wish they also tell us how many accidents do bikers cause themselves as they are notorious for not following any traffic rules - thereby endangering the live of others.
- sgillen 7y ago
  You're being down-voted for the tone of your post I think. But I think it's an interesting point. If there is evidence that US bikers have a culture that does not following traffic laws that can and should seriously impact policy decisions. It's possible some of the great suggestions here that work well in other cities wouldn't work in the US for this or any dozen of other reasons. Not saying that there for is such a culture, only that it is certainly a popular complaint, and if there is truth for it we should factor that into our decisions.
  - james-mcelwain 7y ago
    It's not an interesting point because this topic has already been studied. Cyclists break traffic laws at roughly the same rates as motorists.
    - sgillen 7y ago
      Thanks, I wasn't aware of studies in this area. Do you know of studies that compare breaking traffic laws of cyclists in different countries?

Silverwood 7y ago

It's insane that a large part of our public infrastructure is reserved for free private car storage. It's important that these lanes are protected because without barriers the bike lanes would become obstructed by parked cars.

bagacrap 7y ago
The biggest offenders are actually cops and delivery vehicles, both of which are legally allowed to park wherever they want (the latter due to contracts with the city).

trenning 7y ago

Don't get your hopes up, Uber drivers will still find a way to block the bike lanes.

fennecfoxen 7y ago
And the cops. And the firefighters parking outside the fire station. And when a car does hit a bike and NYPD shows up... well... https://twitter.com/joemewler/status/1177042296900071425 https://twitter.com/joemewler/status/1177042296900071425
- alephnan 7y ago
  Is the tagged @nytrafficpolice official? It’s suspended.
  - fennecfoxen 7y ago
    Doesn't look like it. https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:joVJgcf37j0J:https://twitter.com/nytrafficpolice%3Flang%3Den+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:joVJgc... If you prefer: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/09/30/cops-blow-off-witnesses-to-brooklyn-crash-that-injured-cyclist/ https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/09/30/cops-blow-off-witness...
- btrettel 7y ago
  I've been thinking about starting a cyclist-oriented "neighborhood watch" type organization because the police don't do much anything about violence against cyclists, much less more "minor" issues like parking in the bike lane. At the very least volunteers could document things like this properly.
  - pedantsamaritan 7y ago
    For NYC twitter helps a bit https://twitter.com/reported_nyc https://twitter.com/reported_nyc https://twitter.com/copsinbikelanes https://twitter.com/copsinbikelanes What else do you have in mind for a cyclist-oriented neighborhood watch?

aqme28 7y ago

I doubt it. > To gain Mr. de Blasio’s support, Mr. Johnson’s office agreed to push back the start date for the first streets plan, from this month to December 2021, around the time the next mayor takes office. Until then, the city will keep its current commitment to build 30 miles of protected bike lanes each year.

CydeWeys 7y ago
Yup. de Blasio clearly doesn't care about this because he's not even doing it during his term. And it could all easily be canceled and not ever happen depending on who the next mayor ends up being (I'm pulling for Corey Johnson personally). This news isn't nearly as good as it appears at first blush; de Blasio is completely abdicating his duty.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

OutsmartDan 7y ago

As an avid cyclist in NYC, this is a huge step forward into cyclist protection. I can't tell you how many times i've almost been hit, or doored, by a car. Sometimes, it's a lot safer to run a red light to get in front of a car versus waiting for the light to turn- but of course that's not legal. Honestly, as huge and condensed NYC is, I am surprised this hasn't happened years ago. It's much, much more efficient to get from Point A to Point B on a bike vs taking the Subway, bus, or car. Would love to see something like the 14th street car ban to allow buses and cyclists only more widely adopted across the 5 boroughs.

e40 7y ago
As a pedestrian, I've often thought that. There are no cars coming (in the direction that has the right of way), but if I wait, the cars waiting to turn might not yield to me. My threshold for cars entering my personal space is clearly different than drivers. I've had drivers accelerate toward me and pass me with 1-2' of space. Way too close. My rule, as a driver is simple: never accelerate toward a pedestrian. That means I have to stay on the break until they are not in front of me. The law, btw, says that you can't go into the crosswalk until the pedestrian is has made it onto the sidewalk. At least, in CA that is the law. I was warned once, by a LEO about this.
- mumblemumble 7y ago
  There seems to be something about being cocooned in a thousand or so kilos of steel and glass that causes people to forget that some of the things outside of your moving box aren't just obstacles to get around, they're actually sentient beings that deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect.
- pedantsamaritan 7y ago
  Leading Pedestrian Interval is what NYC calls the getting ahead of cars. https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/infrastructure/leading-ped-intervals.shtml https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/infrastructure/leading-pe... People riding bikes will be able to follow LPIs at intersections that have them soon (sometime in December, I think)
7y ago

msoad 7y ago

If you don't live in NYC you should know that a lot of bicycles in NYC are delivery guys riding electrified bicycles that go up to 20MpH. Many of them don't wear helmets and ride dangerously. I don't have anything to back this tip but the raise of deaths can be linked to raise of electric bicycles

120photo 7y ago
I'll second this. Many of them are fine but there are a lot of jack @$$3s out there on ebikes not considering they now have a motor powering their bikes.
CydeWeys 7y ago
Negative, the good majority of the deaths are not people on e-bikes.
TulliusCicero 7y ago
I mean, 20mph isn't actually that fast. It's pretty easy to exceed that on a road bike, even if you're not in the best shape. Their stronger acceleration is probably a bigger problem.
- kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
  It's more they they habitually run red lights and go the wrong way. It's very easy to not see them coming from a direction that a car can't come from when they're obscured by parked vehicles.
bluntfang 7y ago
just curious what your observations are on people in cars wearing seat belts.
pedantsamaritan 7y ago
I see only 3 of the 26 deaths in NYC this year as e-bike riders: https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/these-14-cyclists-died-nyc-crashes-2019 https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/these-14-cyclists-d... My reading of NYC data links motor vehicles to deaths and injuries: From mid 2012 to mid 2019, there were 940 reports of a crash with a bike as the primary vehicle and 1+ pedestrians injured. In the same time period, there were 69776 reports of a crash without bicycle as primary vehicle injuring 1+ pedestrians.

insickness 7y ago

I'm amazed at some of the places where there are no bike lanes. For example, on 7th avenue between 34th and 30th--going past MSG/Penn Station, the bike lanes simply disappear. It's a five lane road and one of the most heavily trafficked in the city. There's lanes North and South but not on the throughway. Who's idea was that? Instead of putting rinky-dink unprotected lanes on all these minor roads, they should lay out fewer, uninterrupted, protected through-ways that travel the length of the city. There's a few that run up and downtown but hardly any that run east-west.

gok 7y ago

This will get more people on bicycles, which will almost certainly make the problem worse, unfortunately. No amount of lane protection prevents collisions in intersections, which is where nearly all the deaths happen. The problem isn't the amount of protected lanes; it's the rampant amount of comically unqualified drivers. The two tearjerkers from the article are typical: an 18 year old blowing a red light and someone driving without a license.

jdnenej 7y ago
More people riding a bike is less people driving a car so the situation has already improved.
TulliusCicero 7y ago
Protected intersections are also a thing. They didn't exist in the US at all until like 2015, but they're starting to become more common. They don't make safety 100% perfect, obviously, but they do make things substantially better.
- gok 7y ago
  That just means they add bicycle setbacks in an attempt to scare drivers. It doesn't solve the problem when people are routinely allowed to drive without demonstrating an understanding of how a traffic light is supposed to be interpreted.
  - TulliusCicero 7y ago
    It does partially solve the problem. Protected intersections make lanes of walking and biking much more obvious to drivers, and the curbs are such that drivers slow down more and have better visibility.
    - u801e 7y ago
      Except for the fact that the bike lane is hidden by parked cars until shortly before getting to the intersection. What do you see in this image: https://imgur.com/a/JcS4RK5 https://imgur.com/a/JcS4RK5 The other thing is that if you go by the figures and text in https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/dont-give-up-at-the-intersection/ https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/don... on pages 12 and 13, you'll find that a right turning driver can only see about 8.2 feet to their right when making a turn. That's the only opportunity they have to see an approaching cyclist who comes from behind them moving at 16 feet per second. A half second to react to a cyclist appearing in the driver's field of view (as shown as the picture on page 13) is not enough time for a driver to yield.

nemo44x 7y ago

With more bikes because of bike lanes, I hope the city will begin enforcing bike infractions more seriously. So many people on bikes are going way too fast in the bike lanes (and pedestrian pathways) and do not stop at red lights, etc. I was happy to see a person get stopped and ticketed for riding down a walkway to a bike path when there was a sign explicitly stating that riding on the path was not allowed. I've seen so many pedestrians hit by people on bikes, in bike lanes that did not stop at red while someone was crossing the walk. It's invariably a Lance Armstrong type or a tourist on a City Bike with no idea what they are doing. With the loss of revenue from parking tickets it will have to be made up somewhere and people on bikes should be the targets for fines. There should also be stricter requirements on registering bikes for a fee to be used in the city with unlicensed bikes being fined.

TulliusCicero 7y ago
Mandatory bike registration is a terrible idea, but I got no problem with fining people who ride dangerously.
- nemo44x 7y ago
  Make it simple with a 5% tax on any new bike purchased in the city. Call it the “bike lane preservation fund”.
  - TulliusCicero 7y ago
    Why would we want to make it more expensive to bike, when it's better for the environment and saves the city money as it is? Some German cities are going in the opposite direction, giving subsidies for people to purchase electric cargo bikes.
    - nemo44x 7y ago
      Lost revenue from parking tickets. The city is in a very precarious situation right now with debt of 81k per resident and high tax paying citizens leaving the city faster than they are being replaced. Pension obligations are exploding and since 1% of the population funds 50% of the tax revenue, we can’t afford to lose anymore. Building bike lanes is very kumbaya but these types of things are not sustainable as-is. Someone has to pay for it, why not the ones that use it? Make it great to attract more bikers and raise more money. Or maybe just raise taxes on the place with the highest tax burden in the country? Will only chase out the small group of people that actually pay the bills even more. I suppose we could also setup red light cameras for bikes but this would require registrations and license plates. The alternative is to tax bike sales.

yalph 7y ago

I dont really want to hurt people’s feelings but why do we care about this topic so much? I am kind of confused about why people are so passionate about bike lanes. Isn't it better if we focus on improving the subway and the bus lines before anything? I would like to see an open minded discussion about the pros and cons of this.

unethical_ban 7y ago
It's easier to get around on bikes than walking. The easier "not using a car in an urban area" is, the better. Building bike lanes can also be used for scooters and other kinds of non-auto transport. Finally, mass transit is an order of magnitude more difficult to plan and implement, as effective MT needs to not only coexist with vehicles, but pre-empt them at intersections. Otherwise, they're slow and no one uses them. Most cities in the US will never have a subway, so the only option is light-rail or protected bus lanes.
TulliusCicero 7y ago
Bikes are good/useful in a number of ways. They're a form of individual transport, like walking or driving, with the advantages that that has over public transport -- namely, less waiting, point to point, not beholden to a schedule that might not match your schedule -- and they slot in nicely between walking and driving as a compromise between the strengths and weaknesses of both. Much faster and longer range than walking, more cargo capacity, but still much cheaper than driving, and without most of the issues cars have with things like generating noise, pollution, and danger. Bikes are also healthy for people, and they're certainly more space-efficient than cars. Oh, and they're vastly less expensive for the city as well; building subways is enormously capital intensive, and buses have high ongoing operating expenses. Good quality bike infrastructure isn't exactly cheap...except that compared to high quality car or transit infrastructure, yeah it is relatively cheap. So, altogether, replacing car space with bike space makes a ton of sense, especially for a city as dense as NYC. Sure, bus and subways improvements should happen too, but there's so much car space that's wasteful, and bike stuff is so cheap, that it's really low hanging fruit. No good reason not to develop it.
randyrand 7y ago

anonu 7y ago

The "horrifying" crash mentioned in the article is indeed horrifying. I bike a lot in NYC (consistently for 10+ years now) and I think I am pretty cautious and defensive. But there's absolutely nothing the guy could have done in the video. I linked it below because its a good reminder that your fate is never 100% in your hands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0kqsUnpGlU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0kqsUnpGlU

thatswrong0 7y ago
As a pedestrian in SF, I'm _always_ keeping my eyes peeled for bullshit like this, esp. when I'm standing on the corner like that other fella was (he could easily have been taken out instead). It just takes one idiot to ruin your day / life. I usually try to keep at least one somewhat substantial object (post / utility box) between me and the road.. but otherwise I'm keeping an eye out for an errant turn or red-light runner in case I need to book it. Another thing I'd like to see are narrower roads along with wider sidewalks.. hopefully that would somewhat help deter speeding like in the above video.
randyrand 7y ago
I purposely avoid intersections on big streets and go round about. That’s the one thing in your hands. The intersections of big roads are always very dangerous.

rapnie 7y ago

This is great! For inspiration: "From The Netherlands to America: Translating the world's best bikeway designs" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp3s2EP0zVo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp3s2EP0zVo

adventured 7y ago
The US is in a fortunate position with regards to public transportation. It doesn't need to invent anything new at all to dramatically improve its position: copy the things in Europe and places like Japan that work. It makes it all the more annoying that we're lagging so hard on the copying when it's so obvious.
- rapnie 7y ago
  Yes, true. Here is an overview (pdf) of bicycle infra design guidelines as they are used in a number of countries: https://sutp.org/files/contents/documents/resources/F_Reading-Lists/GIZ%20SUTP%20Overview%20Cycling%20plans%20and%20strategies_July%202016.pdf https://sutp.org/files/contents/documents/resources/F_Readin...

kristo 7y ago

I moved from NYC to Amsterdam a bit more than a month ago because getting around in NYC is too unpleasant and dangerous. Have been hit on my bike thrice in 5 yrs. Have been run down by psycho drivers. Have been doored. In the last month in Amsterdam I’ve had more pleasant interactions on the streets than in my entire time in nyc. It’s pure magic what cities are like when they embrace the fact that they are a city.

cylinder 7y ago
NYC just sucks, man. Left overseas after five years myself, and I sometimes watch ActionKid's NYC walking videos on youtube and cannot believe I used to live there.

m3at 7y ago

Too little too late? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21330761 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21330761

steelframe 7y ago

Former road cyclist chiming in. I've been a regular bicycle commuter for over 10 years. Earlier this year I was hit by a motorist who demonstrated extreme lack of judgement when passing me earlier this year, leading to some injuries that will probably mostly heal in another year or so. I seriously dodged a bullet and recognize how lucky I've been doing what I was doing. In short, my platform now is that meatbag-controlled multi-ton steel boxes hurling along at up to 60mph and meatbags sitting on top of some tubes stuck together don't belong on the same infrastructure. It will never work. I am categorically opposed to bike lanes delimited only by some paint on the ground. If it is physically possible for a motor vehicle to occupy a space designated for a bicycle, it isn't safe. It won't work. The marginal increase in bicyclist safety isn't nearly enough. Any lobbying to try to build that type of bicycle infrastructure out is a distraction from what actually needs to be lobbied for. By consenting to bike lanes, the government has an "out." They can say that they are "doing something" for bicyclists, so it's a fair deal, and their job is done. In reality, it isn't anywhere close to fair, and the job isn't anywhere close to done. Until bicycle tracks completely separated from vehicular traffic are ubiquitous across all major metropolitan areas of the United States, the country won't be able to begin to claw its way out of its self-inflicted transportation apocalypse. Anybody who attempts to commute by car during rush hour in a major United States metropolitan area knows what I'm talking about. Millions are wasting away years of human life and productivity stuck in their cars in stop-and-go traffic every single day. There needs to be a will to spend billions, not millions, on infrastructure only for pedestrians and bicyclists. Something on the scale of the the Federal Aid Highway Acts of 1921 and 1956 needs to happen today, in 2019. Congress needs to authorize federal funds to create something on the magnitude of 50,000 miles of paved separate cycle/pedestrian tracks. There needs to be a National Urban Mobility Trust Fund with a $100 billion infusion, for starters. I for one will demand nothing less, and I won't ever stop demanding it. We need to stop messing around with these in-the-trenches, one-city-council-at-a-time battles that bicyclist clubs are trying to fight to eek out their pathetic and ineffective lines of paint on the road.

pg_is_a_butt 7y ago

There are already Protected Car Lanes, but that doesn't stop everyone from double parking.

bufferoverflow 7y ago

Paywalled. Here's a mirror: http://archive.li/Hyxyf http://archive.li/Hyxyf