For most of its history, The League of American Bicyclists (a.k.a. LAB, and formerly known as the League of American Wheelmen) has been an organization controlled by, and representing, its members. That is no longer the case.
LAB has become a bicycle industry lobby, masquerading as a member-representative organization. This is what's know as an "astroturf" organization... fake grassroots politics.
If you don't understand the difference between an organization being member-controlled, as opposed to being Politburo-controlled, then so be it.
Pedal on to the glorious future, comrade. You'll like where they tell you to ride, I'm sure. Or else.
Do you see the triangle of gravel in the picture above? The 90 angle is caused by the sweeping action of south-bound and west-bound vehicles pushing the gravel to the inside. The arc-like base of the triangle is caused by right-turning vehicles pushing the gravel to the outside. There the gravel will stay until a street sweeper comes by on its annual (if ever) mission.
Imagine bike lanes again, that are seldom or never swept. What falls there stays there.
BTW: The cost of sweeping bike lanes? $1,000 a year per linear mile, plus or minus a few hundred dollars. See why they don't get swept? A 200 mile bike lane system could cost $500,000 a year just to sweep... in a City that can't even afford to replace stop signs when they get knocked down.
Welcome to the ghetto. I have been told this has been cleared by TBC for distribution, so I am complying. The gist of it is that the Texas Bicycle Coalition (BikeTexas) believes you are required by law to ride in bike lanes (and that you should if you know what's good for you), and on paved shoulders (which aren't part of the roadway). Essentially, TBC is saying that you only have a right to ride on the roadway if there is no bike lane, sidepath, or paved shoulder available. For the life of me, I can't understand why they didn't just add sidewalks to their recommended list of places cyclists should ride.
Please note that in the Tampa, Florida story from the post below this one, three of the six cyclists killed by collisions with automobiles were in "paint protected" areas (two in bike lanes, one in a crosswalk), and one was on the sidewalk (functionally identical to a side path). So much for the safety myth of magick paint and segregated facilities (side paths) these "bike advocates" continue to push. As for the "studies" TBC offers, two are by consultants selling bike lanes, and three are from the University of Texas showing cars pass cyclists closer and at a higher speed when there is a bike lane than if there isn't one. Some fun. Some advocacy.
We have tried to answer your inquiry from a “legal” point of view below. Leslie Puckett, our legal fellow, prepared the answer with some input from Mark Stine and I. This should not be construed as legal advice. Consult an attorney for that.
The short answer of BikeTexas’ interpretation of the current law is that:
“If the bicycle lane is considered part of the roadway, then, TTC 551.103, which requires a cyclist to ride as far to the right on the roadway as possible, would seem to require a cyclist to ride in the bike lane (or paved shoulder) except when it is obstructed or when turning left, since the bike lane is usually on the right side of the roadway. The law is appropriately ambiguous and leaves discretion to individual cyclists to determine for themselves if the bike lane is obstructed and is usable.”
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There will very likely be opposition, from a very small segment of the cycling population, to bike lanes in the Dallas Bike Plan. However, solid research is available that supports the use of bike lanes:
There are no examples of cities that we are aware of, in Texas or the nation, where the mainstream bicycle advocates regret the installation of, or are calling for removal of bike lane networks. However, protected bike lanes, also known as “cycle tracks”, are replacing bike lanes in many cities. Sharrows are in use in many cities where there is not enough right way to accommodate bike lanes.
BikeTexas research regarding the use of bike lanes.
BikeTexas advocates for all cyclists, types A, B and C. BikeTexas encourages cyclists to use bicycle lanes when they are clear of debris and other hazards.
Texas Transportation Code (TTC) Sec. 551.101 states “a person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle.” Also, the TTC classifies bicycles as a type of “vehicle” in Sec. 541.202(2).
TTC Sec. 551.103 states “a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless: (1) the person is passing another vehicle moving in the same direction; (2) the person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway; (3) a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or surface hazard prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge of the roadway; or (4) the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is: (A) less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or (B) too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side. (b) A person operating a bicycle on a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or edge of the roadway.”
- query: is the “bicycle lane” considered part of the roadway? If so, TTC 551.103, which requires a cyclist to ride as far to the right on the roadway as possible (when there are no safety hazards), would require a cyclist to ride in the bike lane at all times, since the bike lane is on the far right side of the other traffic lanes. This isn’t clear though.
A “hazard” could include but is not limited to bike lanes or road shoulders that have gravel, glass or other debris on the road, as well as cars that are parked in the bike lanes.
TTC 551.103 states “persons operating bicycles on a roadway may ride two abreast. Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single lane. Persons riding two abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic on the roadway.”
When a choice must be made between level of safety and traffic flow, safety factors should and do prevail. This precedence of safety factors over traffic flow is seen in requirements to stop for school buses with flashing red lights, the right of a motorist to reduce speed to fit personal comfort of control of vehicle during inclement weather, the right of slow commercial vehicles including farm vehicles to operate on the roadway, and speed restrictions defined in TTC Section 545.351. The TTC prohibits operators from driving at a speed “greater than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances then existing” and “shall control the speed of the vehicle as necessary to avoid colliding with another person or vehicle.” An operator must drive at an appropriate reduced speed if “a special hazard exists with regard to traffic, including pedestrians, or weather or highway conditions.”
Just as TTC Sec. 545.351 requires a motor vehicle operator to reduce his speed limit if road conditions are hazardous, a bicyclist also should analyze his position on the road based on safety factors. The bicyclist should determine if a safety hazard exists and is not required to ride in a bicycle lane in that situation.
Bicyclists are encouraged to ride in bicycle lanes that are well-designed with sufficient width and sound connection to other traffic infrastructure, and do not collect or contain hazards. The TTC requires a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway to ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway.
A given law, regulation or contract cannot cover every possible contingency, and vehicle operators must negotiate reasonable solutions in a given “gray area.” This negotiation exists in many situations, including when cyclists ride on roads with bicycle lanes that may contain safety hazards.
All vehicle drivers are urged to operate in a safe, lawful, predictable and courteous manner on the roadway.
Education is the most important tool to foster vehicle operation in a safe, lawful, predictable and courteous manner on the roadway. Enforcement is an important tool where education efforts are not effective.
A traffic safety cultureis key in establishing responsible attitudes as a foundation for implementation of education, encouragement, enforcement and engineering of infrastructure to reduce fatalities and injuries and foster safe and efficient operation on Texas roadways by all vehicle operators.
A few years ago, BikeDFW stirred up a wave of fear about the number of cyclists who were hit by cars in the greater DFW area in six week period, in an area about the size of an eastern seaboard state. Two cyclists died when a DUI driver mowed them down on the shoulder of a Farm-to-Market road in Grand Prairie, and four more were hit in other areas (just one in Dallas, IIRC). For convenience, BikeDFW shortened it to "Six Cyclists Hit by Cars in Dallas in Six Weeks" as they began a petition and fund-raising appeal, and then groups like Bike Friendly Oak Cliff started saying "Six Cyclist Fatalities in Six Weeks in Dallas!" That was then picked up by the League of American Bicyclists, and their mouthpiece, Bicycling Magazine. Nothing spreads like fear-mongering.
Now we actually have a sad story in Tampa Bay, Florida where six cyclists have died as a result of motor vehicle collisions. Horrible tragedies, every one. Now there are the usual (and not unjustified) cries of outrage and demands for more special facilities. But let's look more closely at what's happening.
Here are some highlights of the story, with footnoted comments.
Vega did nothing wrong, police said. She was waiting on the sidewalk at Spruce Street and Himes Avenue for the crosswalk light when an SUV driven by Josefina Rodriguez ran a red light. (1) A car hit the SUV, sent it spinning toward the sidewalk. Vega was thrown into a concrete block house. Police found her bike wedged beneath the SUV.
Rodriguez, 41, previously had a clean Florida driving record but was cited on Friday for running the red light. She won't face criminal charges because she wasn't showing signs of reckless disregard, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. Rodriguez didn't appear impaired, and witnesses said she wasn't driving extremely fast or weaving in traffic. "By law, running a red light does not rise to the level of reckless disregard," McElroy said. That upsets Vega's sister, JoAnn Vega, who works for the St. Petersburg Times. "The saddest thing was my sister was on the sidewalk," she said.
Diane Vega leaves three adult children and a 3-month-old granddaughter. Her family remembers her as a joyous woman who loved foreign movies and the beach.
"Diane was always on the move, trying to do new things and experience life as much as she could," her daughters wrote. "Her wonderful smile could light up a room."
Local law enforcement say it hasn't been a particularly deadly year, but the past two months are unusual. The causes and scenarios vary.
On Sept. 25, Kayoko Ishizuka, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Florida, was killed in a hit-and-run on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Deputies questioned a man and impounded his red Ford Explorer, but no arrests have been made. Like Vega, Ishizuka was doing everything right when she was struck. She wore a helmet, had lights on her bike and was in the bike lane, deputies said.(2)
St. Petersburg police are still going through tips and evidence in the Sept. 12 hit-and-run crash that killed Neil Alan Smith, a Crab Shack Restaurant dishwasher. (3)
The day before, New Port Richey resident Stephen Allen Ivey, 52, had ridden onto a two-lane road without stopping, Capt. Jeffrey Harrington said. Ivey struck a car that had the right-of-way. He wasn't wearing a helmet, police said, and was ejected from his bike. (4)
On Sept. 9, Chiles Elementary School art teacher Joe Dyals, 46, died after crossing the path of a minivan.(5)
And on July 29, LeRoy "Roy" Collins Jr., 75, a retired two-star admiral and executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, was struck by a sport utility vehicle. The driver, Margaux Manuel, tried to help him at the scene, but Collins died at the hospital. Manuel, an obstetrics and gynecology resident at the University of South Florida, wasn't cited or charged. (6)
Before the riding vigil Friday night, bicycle advocate Alan Snel told the crowd to take their messages to elected officials. State Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, said she will do what she can. "Bicyclists should not be afraid for their lives to ride bikes in this city," she told the crowd. Then riders boarded their bikes — one with a safety vest that read "I want a safe commute" — and rode off. Their bike lights flashed like candles in the dusk.
Times news researcher John Martin and staff writers Danny Valentine and Lee Logan contributed to this report. Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@sptimes.com.
1: The cyclist was stationary on the sidewalk. This tragedy has nothing to do with bicycle safety, as her bicycle had no impact on the collision that took her life. It is of more than passing interest to me that it's apparently not reckless driving in Florida to run a red light in an SUV, but in Ellis County, Texas, it is reckless driving to ride a bicycle on a state highway. There is no effective preventative action.
2: The cyclist was in a bike lane and wearing a helmet. The fear-mongers always present those two items as cure-alls for bicyclist safety, when the evidence clearly shows that neither of them affords protection from cars, and one of them might actually increase the danger (the University of Texas pro-bike lane study of a few years ago clearly showed that cars pass cyclists faster and more closely if the cyclist is in a bike lane than if they are either in a wide lane or taking the lane. Studies in the UK and North Carolina confirm these findings.
Bicycle facility advocates debuting new magick paint designs: dog-rows and the wiener box.
A conversation (in part) between two transportation/traffic engineers:
Bob Shanteau wrote:
"Now LAB is making the ludicrous claim that bike infrastructure helps fight traffic congestion.
Where does their advocacy of bike infrastructure stop?"
On 10/6/2010 9:28 AM, John Forester wrote:
"It won't stop, because this is the fundamental argument of all the anti-motoring bicycle-advocates, both those inside LAB and those outside. Their fundamental argument is that bikeways are the only way to persuade motorists to switch a transportationally-significant proportion of motoring trips to bicycle trips. Therefore, since their motivation is opposition to motoring, they cannot abandon this argument, no matter that no city has demonstrated this effect anywhere in the industrialized world.
They know that the public recognizes the problem of motoring congestion, so that the anti-motoring bikeway-advocacy argument attracts because it promises a reduction in motoring, providing less congestion for those (almost everybody, of course) who think that they, alone, will continue to drive as much as before."
On 10/6/10 12:12 PM, Bob Shanteau wrote:
"People who return from trips to Copenhagen and Amsterdam are overwhelmed by the number of cyclists they see in those cities and associate the numbers with bicycle facilities, totally ignoring the fact that bicyclists dominated the streets there until the 1960's (as shown in the Copenhagen 1937 travel film and the Netherlands 1950's video).
Perhaps we could make an argument that the right lane of multilane streets is a de facto bike lane that could attract the same hordes of bicyclists as existed in northern Europe. We would get opposition from both the motoring advocates and the bikeway advocates, but it is worth a shot, even if it is an irrational marketing approach :-)"
"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak."
In the mid 1990s, the Bicycle Federation of America (now The National Center for Bicycling & Walking, but then consisting of but two industry lobbyists, one of whom is now the LAB/BFC head) was a sub-consultant on a bicycle transportation plan for a major US sunbelt city. They recommended bike lanes as the cure-all, whether appropriate or not. They got 'em, too (but not enough of them from their perspective, and so they distanced themselves from the final product).
Here's what those bike lanes look like today (the ones that haven't been removed). While I am sure there are better examples in this city, these aren't the worse, and they just happened to be the very first I came upon.
The trouble with pixie dust, even well-meaning pixie dust, is that it has a very poor impact on reality. Approaches like this should help you understand the second-class status that bicycle facilities advocates urge on cyclists, where the unwarranted fear-based idea of bike lanes results in cyclists literally (litter-ally?) being swept into the roadway gutter. The offensive term "gutter-bunnies" has a basis in reality. These are gutters.
Remember, under Texas law, these bike lanes are mandatory for cyclists. Sure, a cyclist can swerve out to avoid an obstacle... let's just hope there isn't a car or a bus passing.
