zlacker

adding bike lanes can just take paint on largish streets. thinner roads also make people drive slower, so it's a win win

>>bippih+(OP)
Paint is not good enough. Bike lanes separated from the road by just paint and no significant barrier like bollards or something will not be used much because bikers won't feel safe, and cars will use it as a parking lane.

>>mcdonj+L
But yea even with separation it's incredibly cheap to make temporary bike lanes. Drop a few jersey barriers or even big planters and there you go.

>>bippih+(OP)
Take a look at the paint next time you drive by. Is it marked with black streaks from tires crossing it? Would driving habits change if, say, some large rocks were lined along the paint stripe?

Without at least bollards the road isn't actually thinner, so people don't actually drive slower. And without at least bollards, I wouldn't let my kids ride in a bike lane— which means many other people won't feel safe either. It's unfortunate that politicians get away with this willful disregard.

>>mcdonj+L
It's a spectrum. As a biker, of course I prefer real, separated lanes. But there are plenty of roads that I will bike on despite having only painted-on lanes. Others might be less lenient (would only bike on separated lanes) or more lenient (the die-hard lycra warriors). Even just having a painted-on lane is an improvement because it accommodates some people who previously wouldn't have biked, and that's still an improvement, and it's an approach that can be done very cheaply. That doesn't mean we should be satisfied with only painted-on lanes, but I won't let the perfect be the enemy of progress.

>>kibwen+cc
I have a strong desire to bike but I won't do it on those lanes. They're not as bad as the painted bike symbols that say "theoretically you can ride a bike on this road" but they're still not going to make me comfortable enough to do it. I'm barely comfortable enough with these other drivers to get into an actual vehicle on the roads due to the maniacs I see out there so bikes are a slim chance.

>>bippih+(OP)
While that's a step in the right direction, I've biked in areas where this is the approach, and I'll say that if I weren't in a self-destructive phase of my life at that time, I probably wouldn't have risked my life like that.

Paint doesn't make people drive slower--it's at best encouragement, and a lot of people don't. And that's when the bike lane is even clear: often it just gets used as a temporary parking area for Ubers and delivery vehicles, making it fairly useless for bikes during busy times.