The Dallas Run videos on YouTube received a comment from an Austin commuter bicycle rider. I, as always (with the rare exception of insulting and abusive posts aimed at others... insulting and abusive posts aimed at me generally prove my point), approved it (unlike some who only allow supporting commentary).
This video illustrates almost everything I have been saying, but from a reverse perspective. You may know that I have no love lost for the way Austin implemented bike lanes as a political response, instead of as an engineering solution (which has much stricter warrants). As the author says, this is the real-world reality of that approach. He is also honest enough to say that many of his problems are his own fault. However, most of the problems he encounters are designed into the system, and the ones that are his own fault (parking lot and sidewalk riding... as well as the wrong way cyclists seen in the video) are actually encouraged by systems like this. Hence my opposition to systems that segregate cyclists, and my promotion of vehicular cycling.
Death Rides On My Left - urban bicycle commuting
I am a bicycle commuter. I am not a certified safety instructor. This video represents real world conditions. Not some imaginary utopian world that bicyclist hope to create. The statistics are only approximate. Don't get bogged down in the numbers. The important message is riding in the road has risk. These are some of the most common risk you will face. Much of the advice is for motorist. Motorist do not yield to bicycles in the bike lane and they should be. Cyclist are as much at fault as motorist for the situations in which we find ourselves. If you trust motorist to do the right thing and drive safely you will be disapointed. Part of the reason I am so obsessed with safety in my videos is it is so F**king crazy on the road. I have had way to many close calls. I make these videos for my own safety awareness. I have discovered that filming helps me discover my own mistakes. Hopefully others can learn from my mistakes too.
8 comments:
Pretty weird video. It's easy to see why that cyclist has been hit several times. I've had five accidents on bicycles in my life. Two simple falls on MUPs (road rash both times), a diversion fall crossing RR tracks (no injury but a wiped out wheel), a second diversion fall crossing Colleyville Boulevard (broken cycle computer), and an "over the handle bars throw" riding a trail when I was ten (significant road rash). NONE involved cars.
On the other hand, so far as I can remember, I've never ridden in a bicycle lane, so maybe that explains why none of them have involved the "danger to the left." All close calls involving cars have involved cars unexpectedly pulling out from my RIGHT.
I've seen this video before. I appreciated the information, it did scare the crap out of me even though I've been riding for many years. Mostly, like Steve said, some of this guy's frustration is self-imposed. The moves he makes are dangerous. I ride 36 miles round trip on my commute to work in Tulsa, and although I've had plenty of angry drivers flipping me off, passing without clearance, cutting right, etc., I've never had an accident with a car (knock on wood). I consider myself to be extra-cautious. And I'm glad I don't live in Dallas. That would be a whole other story, the way Dallas residents drive.
jasonk, you should watch these videos. http://cycledallas.blogspot.com/2009/03/dallas-run-seven-fold-revelation.html
Brian's comments about Dallas drivers was how deferential they were to cyclists (compared to Southern California drivers), so I think you're giving Dallas drivers an undeserved bad rap. My experience has been that Dallas and Tulsa drivers are very similar, and that they respond well to training (when we ride vehicularly, we are training motorists).
The video from Austin doesn't show bad drivers as much as it shows the deficiencies of bike-lane systems that are employed arbitrarily, ignoring standards, and without warrants.
"Feel Good" systems invariably result in "feel bad" consequences because they throw everything about traffic engineering that works out the window.
Back from my morning ride...
I don't especially like riding in Dallas - not because of safety, but because it's boring compared to Fort Worth. I've never had a problem with Dallas motorists - or Dallas roads. I've never ridden on Dallas MUPs because they've never been convenient based on my origin & destination.
The key is to ride so that motorists minimize having to THINK about the proper action. Requiring thinking or sudden action on the part of motorists is a bad strategy. That's a different approach than trying to ride "as if invisible." Overwhelmingly, people just more or less follow the rules and get by. The same strategy works well when driving a car. That's true whether riding (or driving) in Dallas, Fort Worth, Tulsa, or Seattle. It is the principle that the Dual Chase videos consistently illustrate - the motorists easily understand what actions are appropriate and just take those actions.
I suggest that jasonk keep track for a while how many POSITIVE interactions he has on his commute, his conflict points, and under what circumstances he gets harassed. I've found that helpful. My own current commute is only 28 miles round trip, but the principle of "continuous improvement" applies to reducing incidents while cycling, REGARDLESS of cyclist experience and where one rides. It has influenced my riding style and my routes to and from work.
FWIW, I'd agree with Brian about Los Angeles drivers versus Dallas ones.
I wasn't dogging Dallas drivers, as they relate to cyclists, just Dallas drivers in general. My experience cycling in Dallas is pretty limited. But I've driven there a lot, and find them to more aggressive, more in a hurry, etc. Tulsa drivers have been catching up in recent years though (again, in relation to driving, not cycling). I have some issues with drivers on my commute, but they are few and far between. Here we have very few bike lanes. We have some designated streets for shared usage, and a couple of hundred miles of bike trails. It is a great place to ride.
Jason,
I'm going to bet you base your opinion on Dallas mainly on the freeways. Lot's of folks form their opinions on driving based upon the worst places to do it (as a visitor). You can't imagine how horrifying I find that 74/44/644/244 interchange in downtown Tulsa to be. ;)
I use to lead weekly Saturday morning bike rides in Dallas, usually 25 miles or so. I had several "out-of-towners" who lived in the northern suburbs ("northern" in more ways than one, if you get my drift). They hated Dallas, especially the traffic. It turned out that all they knew about Dallas was the freeways.
News Flash! San Francisco is suxor if you don't get off the freeways! :D
Anyway, after discovering Dallas proper (and not just the Metro-Sprawl and attending freeways), several of them, who couldn't wait to get out of Dallas, ended up buying houses in the parts of town we rode through. "Wow! Mature trees! Hills! Creeks! '30s Bungalows!! Mid-Century Moderns!!!"
Yeah, I'm provincial when it comes to Dallas, but I hate the freeways too (and the suburban sprawl).
But Houston and Austin are much, much worse, and I'm not being provincial when I say so.
Make that: "You can't imagine how horrifying I find that 75/64/644/244 interchange in downtown Tulsa to be." ;-)
PM Summer,
As I was reading your response, I was thinking, "74? What is 74? :)"
Then I read the follow up.
That loop is indeed very confusing, especially if you don't live here.
You're right, most of my experience with Dallas drivers comes from freeways. My family recently left the Grand Prairie, Arlington area and moved west to Weatherford, so I'm usually either bearing west, or heading straight through Ft. Worth, and on to Austin.
I used to know a guy who was always inviting me to come down and go on a ride with him. Maybe I'll just take him up on that.
Thanks for the encouragement!
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