Bicyclists oppose lifting sidewalk ban in Columbus

By: Walker

109 Comments

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  Walker July 5, 2008 12:53 pm

  
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  Andrew Hall July 5, 2008 12:57 pm

  You beat me to it!

  I was going to say ‘as anyone who heard me grandstanding and quoting myself this morning, there is an article in the Dispatch about sidewalk riding.’

  Good piece, if a little choppy.

  A.
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  jennyleah31 July 5, 2008 1:31 pm

  not that i’m against bicyclists, but they need to move as fast as a car if they are going to ride in the street. i know they may oppose that but nothing else drives me crazier. there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits. the city really needs to put a bicycle lane (i.e. a small lane to the right of the road) designated for bicyclists only, since there is so much bike traffic.

  ya and i love when bicyclists ride on the street but don’t adhere to the same laws and go ride thru the crosswalks when the light is red. :roll:
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  Walker July 5, 2008 1:50 pm

  There’s always going to be someone in your way, and you’re always going to be in someone else’s way.

  BEEP BEEP.
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  Andrew Hall July 5, 2008 2:29 pm

  jennyleah31 wrote not that i’m against bicyclists, but they need to move as fast as a car if they are going to ride in the street. i know they may oppose that but nothing else drives me crazier. there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits.

  There are not minimum speed limits on city streets.

  The 25-35mph posted speed limit on a street is the maximum legal speed, not the required speed. It assumes optimal conditions of weather and traffic volume as well what is going on next the street. Under typical traffic volumes, the speed required to be safe – ie maintain safe distance between cars – is far less than the speed limits.

  Lots of things drive me crazy, but I respect other people and don’t run around advocating laws to stop them from doing those things. If you can’t handle all the pushes and pulls that urban living engenders, then a larger city is not the place for you.

  A.
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  neela July 5, 2008 2:34 pm

  jennyleah31 wrote there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits.

  What are these minimum speed limits you speak of? Please tell me that you aren’t talking about the posted speeds on the side of the road. Those are maximums, not minimums. I have seen minimums on highways, but most highways do not allow bikers or walkers anyway.

  jennyleah31 wrote the city really needs to put a bicycle lane (i.e. a small lane to the right of the road) designated for bicyclists only, since there is so much bike traffic.

  If you drive down a street with a bike lane, the bike can legally be outside of the bike lane, just so you know.

  edit: Andrew beat me to it!
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  Roland July 5, 2008 2:38 pm

  jennyleah31 wrote not that i’m against bicyclists, but they need to move as fast as a car if they are going to ride in the street. i know they may oppose that but nothing else drives me crazier. there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits.

  What is the minimum speed limit on city roads?

  It does sound like you’re against bicyclists. Would you also propose that your car only be allowed in a special slow lane? When I drive my car, there’s always someone in front of me slowing me down. Maybe it’s you?

  jennyleah31 wrote ya and i love when bicyclists ride on the street but don’t adhere to the same laws and go ride thru the crosswalks when the light is red. :roll:

  It’s a tired old statement but it also pisses me off when I see this since I’m a law abiding traveler every once and a while. However don’t forget that people driving cars and motorcycles break laws too. It’s not the mode of transportation that should be the target of anger when it comes to disregard for law.

  I’m smiling because you take issue being passed by bicycles that can maneuver around you when your stuck at an intersection and in the same breath your complaining about being stuck behind bicycles that aren’t fast enough. If you’re in such a rush, maybe you should be joining the dark side here! AMIRITE?

  If we all got a massage, took a vacation, or chilled out for a bit. We could probably share the road as it’s legally intended and all be happy campers. Can somebody crack my back for me?
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  CDS sherman July 5, 2008 2:43 pm

  i ride on the side walk over the broad st bridge and through most of downtown. when i hit the arena district or the short north i jump to the street. the cop who directs traffic leaving the nationwide parking garage always stops traffic for me and im on the sidewalk. that law is seldom if never enforced.
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  Andrew Hall July 5, 2008 3:07 pm

  CDS sherman wrote i ride on the side walk over the broad st bridge and through most of downtown. when i hit the arena district or the short north i jump to the street. the cop who directs traffic leaving the nationwide parking garage always stops traffic for me and im on the sidewalk. that law is seldom if never enforced.

  I was thinking of you when I was talking to him!

  It didn’t make it to the article, but I’ve told him and talked to council reps that there are some specific sidewalks that need to be marked as being multi-purpose. Where they are wide enough and where they co-mingle with bike paths. The Broad Street bridge being one and one side of Fifth over the Olentangy River being another example.

  A.
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  mitchellosu July 5, 2008 3:14 pm

  jennyleah31 wrote not that i’m against bicyclists, but they need to move as fast as a car if they are going to ride in the street. i know they may oppose that but nothing else drives me crazier. there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits. the city really needs to put a bicycle lane (i.e. a small lane to the right of the road) designated for bicyclists only, since there is so much bike traffic.

  ya and i love when bicyclists ride on the street but don’t adhere to the same laws and go ride thru the crosswalks when the light is red. :roll:

  About an hour ago I had a snotty comment prepared but I decided against sharing. I changed my mind so here goes:

  No one likes a petty tyrant or a complainer. Bikes are vehicles, vehicles belong in the street, and you are just going to have to get over it. Like with any other group of people there are bad apple cyclists, and on that note, there are bad apple motorists too. Share the road.

  It looks like everything else has already been covered.
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  roy July 5, 2008 4:25 pm

  mitchellosu wrote Bikes are vehicles, vehicles belong in the street, and you are just going to have to get over it. Like with any other group of people there are bad apple cyclists, and on that note, there are bad apple motorists too. Share the road.

  Columbus endorses the Complete Streets concepts found at http://www.completestreets.org. Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street.

  Somehow Jennyleah and many others like her ‘forgot’ the law they were tested on when they received their driver’s license, and instead decided that all streets are for motor travel and no one else is allowed to use them. WRONG!

  Bikes are vehicles and must be routinely accommodated on all city streets and roads, period. That includes residential streets, thoroughfares and arterials. There’s no ‘Jennyleah’ clause that excludes pushy motorists from the law.
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  Bear July 5, 2008 4:37 pm

  OK, now, point’s been made. Repeatedly. Enough ganging up on the newbie.
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  jennyleah31 July 5, 2008 4:39 pm

  mitchellosu wrote
  

  jennyleah31 wrote not that i’m against bicyclists, but they need to move as fast as a car if they are going to ride in the street. i know they may oppose that but nothing else drives me crazier. there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits. the city really needs to put a bicycle lane (i.e. a small lane to the right of the road) designated for bicyclists only, since there is so much bike traffic.

  ya and i love when bicyclists ride on the street but don’t adhere to the same laws and go ride thru the crosswalks when the light is red. :roll:

  About an hour ago I had a snotty comment prepared but I decided against sharing. I changed my mind so here goes:

  No one likes a petty tyrant or a complainer. Bikes are vehicles, vehicles belong in the street, and you are just going to have to get over it. Like with any other group of people there are bad apple cyclists, and on that note, there are bad apple motorists too. Share the road.

  It looks like everything else has already been covered.

  i’d be happy to not ‘complain’ like all the bicyclist are doing and “get over it” if u read the entire comment, i said that there needs to be a bicycle lane which they have in many cities where there is alot of bicycle traffic like ft lauderdale/miami, where i have lived for the past few years and it is ALOT better than what we have here. traffic runs smoother, everyone has space, and although traffic is a nightmare down there it seems to help in the areas where there are bike lanes. esp with more people commuting on bikes i believe this is a better solution.

  i don’t think motorists are all angels but neither are bicyclists, i just wish everyone would follow the laws if they are going to ride on the road (including cars!) geez, don’t just focus on the negative which is how i thought i wrote my comment with the good and bad, so please and thank allowing people their opinion. :)
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  jennyleah31 July 5, 2008 4:43 pm

  Andrew Hall wrote
  

  jennyleah31 wrote not that i’m against bicyclists, but they need to move as fast as a car if they are going to ride in the street. i know they may oppose that but nothing else drives me crazier. there’s a reason why there are minimum speed limits.

  There are not minimum speed limits on city streets.

  The 25-35mph posted speed limit on a street is the maximum legal speed, not the required speed. It assumes optimal conditions of weather and traffic volume as well what is going on next the street. Under typical traffic volumes, the speed required to be safe – ie maintain safe distance between cars – is far less than the speed limits.

  Lots of things drive me crazy, but I respect other people and don’t run around advocating laws to stop them from doing those things. If you can’t handle all the pushes and pulls that urban living engenders, then a larger city is not the place for you.

  A.

  cheese and rice i know that. on some streets and highways there are and not b/c bicyclists ride on highways but it is the same idea. going too fast can also be as dangerous as going too slow. I thought i was allowed an opinion on columbusunderground and for the record i offered another viable solution but NIT-PICK the comment instead of taking it as a whole is pointless… i used to like this site but… Sorry i’ll make sure to find out what u think it should be next time before i speak.
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  BCOZ July 5, 2008 4:44 pm

  I ride my bike on some sidewalks (eg: 5th Ave between Riverside & McKinley) because there are NO pedestrians and it’s a lil tight for safe road sharing. It’s a relief, I think for both me and drivers. Bike lanes would seem to offer the same kind of stress-free bicycling so get those thangs painted, yo.

  I have to say, though that bicyclists have become a lil too militant as of late and need to start riding safer.

  Over the last few weeks I have seen 4-5 instances where a bicyclist will be stopped at a red light…in the right-hand turn lane…and when the light goes green they ride straight(!!) A couple of close calls with the car who actually attempted the turn were met with bicyclist slapping the car as if the driver was in error and then hystrionics/finger/hand gestures.

  Responsible riders like Andrew et.al. need to (methaphorically) bitch-slap these dolts or car/bike wars will continue.
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  roy July 5, 2008 4:46 pm

  Bear wrote OK, now, point’s been made. Repeatedly. Enough ganging up on the newbie.

  Thanks for the advice.

  I’m off to request that a pizza be named in my honor.
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  jennyleah31 July 5, 2008 4:52 pm

  roy wrote Bikes are vehicles and must be routinely accommodated on all city streets and roads, period. That includes residential streets, thoroughfares and arterials. There’s no ‘Jennyleah’ clause that excludes pushy motorists from the law.

  There’s no reason to call names to someone u don’t know.

  Ftr, I am NOT a pushy motorist but think everyone needs to follow the same rules if they are going to be on the road, sidewalk, river or wherever the heck u want to be. I almost get hit walking my dogs some days from motorists not paying attention so i’m not advocating pushy or bad driving.

  Hey CU can u retitle this forum, dissect every sentence of jennyleah31′s comment b/c i don’t think it’s about bikes anymore.
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  Roland July 5, 2008 5:06 pm

  Dont sweat it Jenny. You just picked a topic that everyone loves to get fiery about! :lol:

  We are all still friends. :)
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  Bear July 5, 2008 5:17 pm

  roy wrote
  

  Bear wrote OK, now, point’s been made. Repeatedly. Enough ganging up on the newbie.

  Thanks for the advice.

  My apologies, Roy. I should have phrased it as a request. I was typing in haste. Let me see if I can’t be a little more careful this time around.

  Enjoy the pizza.

  jennyleah31 wrote Hey CU can u retitle this forum, dissect every sentence of jennyleah31′s comment b/c i don’t think it’s about bikes anymore.

  Righto. (sigh)

  Hi, Jenny. People aren’t setting out to pick on you. But a lot of folks ride bikes around here, and as you’ve probably seen if you’ve read the posts on the board a fair bit, many of them encounter anger and harassment, not to mention occasional actual physical danger, from people in cars on a regular basis. Things would probably be better if there were bike lanes, but there aren’t. Given that there aren’t, bikes and cars need to share lanes.

  In a forum like this, you are absolutely welcome to express the opinion that you hate having to share the road with cyclists. Nobody’s denying your right to do that. What you may not have anticipated, though, is that many other people here will be of the opinion that that is a very uncharitable sentiment. Normally someone who is new to the board will be treated with kid gloves at first, and indeed, I assure you that some of the responses above show considerable restraint, whether you realize it or not. But just as you have expressed your opinion, they will express theirs too. I would encourage you to see this as a free exchange of ideas rather than any sort of ad hominem attack, and to respond in that same spirit.

  Belatedly, welcome to the board.

  Oh, and I disagree with you about bicycles too. :wink:

  Hope to see you at a meetup sometime.
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  jennyleah31 July 5, 2008 5:52 pm

  i don’t blog much although i’ve been on cu for quite some time and i never ever said i hated sharing the road with people on bikes. i am a terrible biker but have ridden on the street plenty of times. please do not put words in my mouth. *selective listening wins*